The region around the lake and the coast around Iligan Bay was settled by the Meranaws, which means 'people of the lake'. Meranaw folklore holds that Islam came to the area via the northern coast and brought by a certain Sharif Alawi. In the 17th century, the Meranaws were allied with the powerful Maguindanao Sultan Kudarat. The Spaniards tried to gain control the region and in 1639 sent an expedition that succeeded in capturing Dansalan. The Spaniards held the town for two years, but were forced to withdraw because of the continued hostility of the people. Malabang on the southern coast of Lanao del Sur was an important staging ground of raids on the Visayan and Luzon settlements.

Lanao was created as a district of Mindanao in 1895. In 1903, Lanao was incorporated into the Moro Province by the American government. The province of Lanao was born in 1914 with the organization of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu. In 1959, Lanao was divided along ethnic lines by virtue of Republic Act No. 2228.
Lanao del Sur figured prominently in the Muslim-Christian struggle in the 1970s. In October 1972 the city of Marawi was attacked and briefly occupied by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) guerrillas in one of the most dramatic episodes of the secessionist war. Sporadic incidents drove many residents to seek safety in secure settlements. Lanao del Sur continued to be a stronghold of the MNLF until peace was signed in 1996.

In 1979 following peace agreements between the Philippine government and the MNLF, Lanao del Sur became part of the autonomous regional government of Central Mindanao. In 1989, the province voted to become one of the four provinces comprising the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and remains a component of the ARMM until today.
Lanao del Sur is the land of the Meranaws, “people of the lake,” among the most devout of Muslim tribes as well as the most artistic. Nowhere is this more evident than in the the people’s most natural way of life and the land’s most attractive sites.

The life of the Meranaws centers on Lake Lanao, the second largest and deepest in the Philippines and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful. The lake is surrounded with myths and legends. The climate here is envigorating and fine grazing land stretches into the distance. A commanding view of the lake is offered by Marawi City, the provincial capital.

The unique natural setting of the Meranaws is perhaps best manifested in Marawi Cty, by the presence of the many large torogans, the Meranaw houses, which are characterized by an antique royal high roof with curved designs. The city’s Aga Khan Museum, located within Mindanao State University Main Campus, is a repository of Meranaw and other Moro artifacts. It boasts a huge collection of indigenous art and cultural materials, ethnic music, the native tools and weapons used by the Muslims, and Muslim houses of different artistic designs. Founded in 1962, the university draws the most crowds to the city.

The Meranaws’ flair for the creative is exhibited by their numerous ceremonial artifacts and everyday tools trimmed with the sensuous "okir" (carving) and colorful "nagas" (serpent figures). Their long, low, and sleek boats sport a rainbow of brilliant colors matched only by the exuberance of the malong, the native wear of the Meranaw women. Worn as a shirt or dress, used to cover the head or as a blanket, the highly decorated malong known as “landap” is violet, purple, green, red, yellow, floral, and geometric. Every color has its meaning with respect to the one using it.

THE PEOPLE

The prominently Muslim population belong to the Maranao who, together with the Maguindanao and the Tausug, are the three major Muslim groups in the Philippines. The Maranaos are among the most devout and most traditional of the Muslim groups. They are sensitive to martabat, the controlling factor of their social actions. It is intricately linked to family honor and is manifested in the extravagant display of wealth and in enacting violent revenge. They are very conscious of their status; the province boasts of numerous sultans.

The Maranaos are also known for their artistry: from artifacts and tools adorned with okir (carvings) and nagas (serpent figures) to boats and malongs of brilliant colors. The Maranao dialect is commonly used; almost all Christians residing in Marawi can understand it.

 

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

The province's ferti

le soil supports a basically agricultural economy, with rice as the main crop. Other crops include the usual staples: corn, coconut, abaca, bananas, and some rarities like the durian fruit. The lake contains several species of fish for small-scale fishing. Extensive logging has caused many original forests to disappear. The most prominent cottage industries are brassmaking and malong -weaving.

GEOGRAPHY

Lanao del Sur forms the western portion of Northern Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by Lanao del Norte, on the east by Bukidnon, on the west by Illana Bay, and on the south by Maguindanao and Cotabato. Rolling hills and valleys, a placid lake and river dominate the landscape.

CLIMATE

The province has a cool and pleasant climate that falls dominantly under type F, which is distinguished by an even distribution of rainfall throughout the year. The Philippine summer is not quite distinct here. The wettest month is February and the dryest month is June. Lanao del Sur is outside of the typhoon belt

LANGUAGE/DIALECT

The Meranaw dialect is the most commonly spoken. Also spoken are Tagalog and Visaya as well as English and Arabic.

Topographical and hydrological features

Found in the south and serving as natural boundaries separating Lanao del Sur from Maguindanao and North Cotabato are volcanic mountain ranges. A large lowland area called Maridogao Valley can be found towards the east near the Bukidnon boundary.
Located at the heart of the province is Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao and second largest in the Philippines. Draining the lake is Agus River which bisects the province as it flows northward emptying its water into Iligan Bay. Plateaus are located on the north, northeast and northwest of the lake. Deep canyons cut near the edges of these plateaus where waterfalls provide drainage to these highlands.

 

LAND CLASSIFCATION

In 1986, 133.1 thousand hectares or 34.4 percent of the total land area of 387.3 thousand hectares were certified alienable and disposable land, while 65.6 percent were forest lands.
Of the total forest land, 242.3 thousand hectares or 95.3 percent were established timberland and 11.8 thousand hectares or 4.7 percent were established forest reserve.

SOIL TYPE

The province has many types of soil varying from loam (land suitable for cultivation) to rubble land (land limited to wildlife).

EDUCATION

Number of Schools

Enrolment in all levels (except tertiary public schools) increased from 48.1 thousand in SY 1977-78 to 85.9 thousand in SY 1988-89, or an increase of 78.7 percent in eleven years.

Enrolees in public schools accounted for 88.2 percent of the thousand; secondary level, 5.3 thousand; tertiary, 5.5 thousand; and pre-school, 285.

Number of Teachers

Total number of teachers (except in tertiary government schools) reached 2,231, an increase of 28.5 percent from SY 1977-78. Of the total, 90 percent taught in public schools while 10 percent taught in private schools.

Elementary school teachers totalled 2,002, or a teacher-pupil ratio of 1:37. Secondary level teachers, on the other hand, totalled 122, while private college teachers numbered 99. Teachers in pre-schools totalled only 8.

 

TRADE AND TOURISM

Coastwise trade

Total coastwise domestic trade of Lanao del Sur in 1988 was P32.4 million. Coastwise imports decreased both in terms of quantity and value, by 77.0 percent and 81.6 percent, respectively from 1987 to 1988. Most of the commodities transported to Lanao del Sur were mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials.
The bulk of imports in 1988 worth P24.3 million came from Batangas.
No coastwise domestic export for the province was registered for both years.

TOURISM

The pomp and pageantry of Muslim festivals are among the exciting events in the province. One of these festivals is the “Kalilang”. The more passage of royalty with sequinned and bejeweled parasols held over their heads by parasol bearers, is a ritual of sort. “Kini-kini” is a Muslim term referring to a special artistic way f walking of Maranao women, as dramatized in their dances.

There is also the world famous “Singkil”, a dance which has for its basic accompaniment the clapping of two bamboo poles (an interesting footnote to Maranao dances: women are not allowed to dance with men).

Among the places within Lanao del Sur, the City of Marawi draws the most number of visitors. Located here is the Mindanao State University (MSU) which was founded in 1962. MSU serves as an educational institute and a center of social and cultural integration. Also found in Marawi are the King Faisal Center of Arabic Studies, the Jamiatul Muslim Mindanao, the Jamiatul Philippine al Islamia, Dansalan College, Jamiatul Mindanao Al-Islamia Foundation, Inc.

Also found in the province is the Aga Khan Museum which is a repository for Maranao and other Moro artifacts.