104 places · 7 areas

Places of the Bangsamoro

Islands and white sand, lakes in the highlands, mosques, falls and the old forts and houses of the sultanates: what is there, how to get there, and what to know before you go.

Ervin Malicdem · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.

Beaches 6

Islands 11

Mosques 10

Lakes 5

Falls 5

Mountains 7

Nature 21

Heritage 22

Museums 5

Cities 2

Markets 2

Memory 8

Every place is traced to the pages it came from, and the guide’s own entries are the travel workspace’s. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons or English Wikipedia under free licences, each credited on the photo. 7 areas: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area.

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The Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City

Places · Heritage

Bangsamoro Government Center

Cotabato City

Also known as Bangsamoro Office, Little Malacañan of the South

Allan Jay Quesada · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by Allan Jay Quesada, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.

Overview

The seat of the Bangsamoro regional government, with the Bangsamoro Museum inside its cultural complex.

The complex in Rosary Heights holds the offices of the Wali and the Chief Minister, the Bangsamoro Parliament and the regional ministries. Its main building went up in 1976 as the office of the regional governor and earned the nickname Little Malacañan of the South.

For a visitor the reason to come is the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, which hosts the Bangsamoro Museum and has also served as a meeting place of the Parliament.

The regional seat is due to move to Parang in Maguindanao del Norte under Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 37, so this is the government as it sits now.

Things to do

  1. 01Visit the Bangsamoro MuseumThe museum is in the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex inside the government centre; bring ID for the security check at the gate.
  2. 02See Toym Imao's Manara art installationsIn 2018 a set of interactive art installations by the artist Toym Imao, called Manara, had a permanent home in the compound.
  3. 03Look at the arcaded main buildingThe 1976 central building, nicknamed the Little Malacañan of the South, is ringed by arcades with Muslim motifs on the roof; ask before photographing.

Food to try

  • Cotabato CityMoro Cafe in the ORC compoundMoro Cafe is in the ORC compound on Gov. Gutierrez Avenue; Wikivoyage lists it open 8 am to 9 pm on weekdays and 7 am to 8 pm at weekends.
  • Banana-leaf parcels of pastil, one opened to show shredded meat over steamed rice.MaguindanaonPastilRice and shredded meat in a banana leaf — the region’s breakfast, and its icon.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • A mound of yellow turmeric rice, the kiyoning or kuning of Moro tables, topped with chicken in palapa.MaguindanaonKiyoningTurmeric rice, yellow and fragrant, cooked in coconut milk.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • Lacy discs of tinagtag, the fried rice-flour snack sold at Ramadhan stalls in Maguindanao del Sur.MaguindanaonTinagtagA lattice of fried rice-flour batter, crisp and sweet.Photo: Bangsamoro Information Office

The food is halal. Named eateries come from dated listings, so check they are still open.

Places to stay

Online booking works here. Phoning ahead still gets a better rate and a better room.

  • hotel · Cotabato CityAlnor Hotel and Convention CenterVenue of the 18th Regional Travel Fair (TPB, MTIT and DOT), August 2026Named in 2026
  • MarkoDalisay · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by MarkoDalisay, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.hotel · Cotabato CityAlnor Suite HotelHotel with the Haraya function halls; hosted the Bangsamoro Writers Workshop, June 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · Cotabato CityEm Manor Hotel and Convention CenterHotel and convention centre used for BARMM ministry events, May 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · Cotabato CityKDT Manor Hotel and Convention CenterHotel and convention centre; venue of a Bangsamoro Women Commission dialogue, June 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · Cotabato CityParagon Hotel and RestaurantHotel and restaurant used for BARMM workshops, November 2025Named in 2025
  • hotel · Cotabato CityGrand Pagana HotelVenue of a book launch by the Bangsamoro Government and the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies, June 2026Named in 2026

Each is named in an official or dated source; none could be checked against an accreditation list. No prices: rates change quickly, so confirm and book directly before you go.

Sourcesen.wikipedia.org ·bangsamoro.gov.ph ·en.wikivoyage.org