Poona Bayabao

Poona Bayabao is covered here in 6 connected parts: Poona Bayabao, Lanao del Sur, 2016 Lanao del Sur local elections, List of current indigenous Bangsamoro royal title holders, 2026 Bangsamoro Parliament election, List of electric distribution utilities in the Philippines.

Poona Bayabao

Poona Bayabao, officially the Municipality of Poona Bayabao (Maranao: Inged a Poona Bayabao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Poona Bayabao), is a municipality in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 33,307 people. It is formerly known as Gata.^[1]

History

On November 12, 1963, during election day, independent Liberal mayoral candidate Hadji Ibrahim Ompong Batuz was assassinated along with his son at the Gata Elementary School.^[1]

Barangays

Poona Bayabao is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.^[1]

Related: Lanao del Sur · 2016 Lanao del Sur local elections · List of current indigenous Bangsamoro royal title holders · Poona Bayabao

External references: ^[1][2][3]

Lanao del Sur

Lanao del Sur (Filipino: Timog Lanao; Meranaw and Iranun: Pagabagatan Ranao; Jawi (Batang Arab): لاناو الجنوبى), officially the Province of Lanao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capital is the city of Marawi (the most populous in the province), and it borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao del Norte and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf.^[4]

Etymology

"Lanao" means "lake", derived from ranao. The province, situated at basin of Lake Lanao, is known as the land of the "Maranaos" (which means "the "people of the lake").^[4]

Early history

Prior to the arrival of Islam, the region already had a sophisticated culture, as embodied in various Maranao epics, chants, and recorded history. The people of Lanao used to adhere to Hinduism, polytheist animism, and Buddhism. During this era, various cultural icons developed, such as the torogan, the singkil dance, the darangen epic, the unique Maranao gong and metal craft culture, the sarimanok, the okir motif, and an indigenous suyat script.^[4]

Spanish colonization

In April 1639, Spanish conquistador Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera conducted an expedition near Lanao along with troops consisting of Christianized Filipinos. In 1640, the Spanish created a garrison near Lanao but was attacked by indigenous Maranaos. In 1689, the Spaniards discovered a settlement named Dansalan at Lake Lanao's northern end.^[4]

Japanese occupation

In 1942, it was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Forces who landed in Southern Lanao. On May 2, 1942, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines José Abad Santos was killed by the Japanese Imperial forces in a firing squad at Malabang, Lanao del Sur. In 1945, the first of the liberation forces landed in Southern Lanao and liberated the area with United States, Philippine Commonwealth troops together with the Maranao guerrilla units.^[4]

Philippine independence

In 1956, Republic Act No. 1552 changed the name Dansalan to Marawi, taken from the word rawi, referring to the reclining lilies abundant in the Agus River.^[4]

Contemporary

The Battle of Marawi began and ended in 2017. The battle was against ISIL-affiliated militants, a number of which were Malaysian citizens. The battle destroyed most of the cityscape of Marawi and killed hundreds of civilians and Filipino soldiers.^[4]

Geography

Lanao del Sur 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 del Norte and Cotabato. The landscape is dominated by rolling hills and valleys, placid lakes and rivers.^[4]

Demographics

The population of Lanao del Sur in the 2024 census was 1,368,137 people, with a density of 350 inhabitants per square kilometre or 910 inhabitants per square mile.^[4]

Religion

Most of the people of Lanao del Sur are practitioners of Islam. The majority of them are Sunni. The number of Muslims in this province is 1,131,726 or nearly 95% of the total population of the province of Lanao del Sur.^[4]

Related: Poona Bayabao · 2016 Lanao del Sur local elections · List of current indigenous Bangsamoro royal title holders

External references: ^[4][5][6]

2016 Lanao del Sur local elections

Local elections were held in the province of Lanao del Sur on May 9, 2016, as part of the 2016 general election. Voters will select candidates for all local positions: a town mayor, vice mayor and town councilors, as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice-governor, governor and representatives for the two districts of Lanao del Sur.^[7]

Provincial elections

The candidates for governor and vice governor with the highest number of votes wins the seat; they are voted separately, therefore, they may be of different parties when elected. Incumbent Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. and Vice Governor Arsad Maruhombsar are barred from seeking reelection since they are in their third term.^[7]

Background

The result of the election will determine if the Alonto-Adiong can still preserve their grip on the province. Incumbent Governor Adiong Jr. is barred to seek another term due to term limit, his brother First District Congressman Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong was expected by some of their allies to be his candidate. Meanwhile, Liberal Party (the governor's party) considered Governor Adiong's uncle-in-law Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Pangalian Balindong to be the party's gubernatorial bet.^[7]

Governor

The gubernatorial race will be between Governor Adiong's mother former First Lady Bae Soraya Adiong of the Liberal Party, his long time ally and uncle-in-law Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Pangalian Balindong, and the tough Marawi City Mayor Fahad "Pre" Salic of United Nationalist Alliance, and three others. But it is expected to be a three-way race between former First Lady Adiong, Deputy Speaker Balindong and City Mayor Salic.^[7]

Vice-governor

Incumbent Vice-governor Arsad Maruhombsar is barred to seek another term and decided to retire from politics. Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. decided to be his mother's running mate of the Liberal Party to preserve their grip on the province. Meanwhile, Marantao Mayor Mohammadali Abinal is nominated as the United Nationalist Alliance Vice-Gubernatorial bet and also chosen by Deputy Speaker Balindong as his vice-governor candidate.^[7]

Related: Poona Bayabao · Lanao del Sur · List of current indigenous Bangsamoro royal title holders

External references: ^[7][8][9]

List of current indigenous Bangsamoro royal title holders

This is a list of current title holders of the 16 royal houses of Lanao, the sultanates of Sulu, Maguindanao, and Tagoloan, and the royal sultanates alliances of the Confederate States of Lanao. Note that all of these hold no political power in the Philippines. Article VI, Section 31 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that "no law granting a title of royalty or nobility shall be enacted," effectively prohibiting official state recognition of sultanates or hereditary titles across the archipelago.^[10]

Related: Poona Bayabao · Lanao del Sur · 2016 Lanao del Sur local elections · 1st Bangsamoro Parliament · Bangsamoro Federalist Party

External references: ^[10][11][12]

2026 Bangsamoro Parliament election

Elections for the Bangsamoro Parliament were held on September 14, 2026, in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) of the Philippines. All 80 members of parliament (MPs) were elected, comprising 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives, including two seats reserved for Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) were filled through a separate traditional selection process. The election was held in accordance with the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which serves as the charter of the autonomous region.^[13]

Interim parliament

When Bangsamoro was formed in 2019, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) served as an interim government of the autonomous region, and also acted as its interim parliament. The interim government is not officially divided by political party affiliation but instead into two groups according to the nominating entity; the majority are nominees of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), while the rest are nominees of the Philippine national government.^[13]

Initial postponement

Originally scheduled to be held on May 9, 2022, the Bangsamoro Parliament election was postponed. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region was cited as justification, along with the resulting non-passage of a Bangsamoro Electoral Code. The electoral code would be the regional legislation that would define the parliamentary districts for the purpose of the regional election.^[13]

Second interim parliament

Duterte's successor President Bongbong Marcos appointed new members for the interim parliament. Forty-nine were reappointed while 31 were new members. The composition of 41 MILF nominees and 39 government nominees was still retained.^[13]

Exclusion of Sulu from Bangsamoro and second postponement

In September 2024, Sulu province was excluded from Bangsamoro by a Supreme Court ruling, consequentially excluding it from the 2025 election. The ruling stated that its inclusion in the BARMM was unconstitutional as a majority of its residents voted against joining the region in the 2019 Bangsamoro autonomy plebiscite. The ruling led to uncertainty regarding the fate of seven seats allotted to Sulu in the Bangsamoro Parliament.^[13]

Third postponement

On September 15, 2025, the Supreme Court, acting on an petition filed by Bangsamoro MP Lanang Ali Jr., League of Bangsamoro Organizations Secretary General Samsodin Amella, and peace advocate Datuan Magon Jr., issued a temporary restraining order against the Bangsomoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77, or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025, which sought to implement the reallocation of parliamentary districts, prompting the COMELEC to suspend its preparations for the election on September 17. On September 25, COMELEC Chair George Garcia said it was "legally and factually impossible" to hold the election as scheduled, citing the TRO by the Supreme Court.^[13]

Fourth postponement

On January 28, 2026, the COMELEC announced the deferment of the election, citing the 120-day deadline. Senator Migz Zubiri subsequently filed Senate Bill 1823, which sought to hold the election on September 14, 2026. On March 25, 2026, President Bongbong Marcos signed the bill into law.^[13]

Electoral system

A total of 80 seats were contested in the 2026 Bangsamoro elections. The final composition of the parliament after the elections should satisfy the following:^[13]

Proportional representation

A voter may opt to vote in the proportional representation ballot question. This is voted upon by the region at-large. The electoral threshold is at 2.5%.^[13]

Districts

The Bangsamoro parliamentary districts were initially defined on February 28, 2024, via Bangsamoro Act No. 58, and on August 19, 2025, via Bangsamoro Act No. 77.^[13]

Related: Poona Bayabao · Lanao del Sur · 2016 Lanao del Sur local elections · 1st Bangsamoro Parliament · Bangsamoro Federalist Party

External references: ^[13][14][15]

List of electric distribution utilities in the Philippines

This is a complete list of electric utilities in the Philippines. There are 152 electric utilities in the country.^[16]

Related: Poona Bayabao · Lanao del Sur · 2016 Lanao del Sur local elections

External references: ^[16][17][18]