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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Places · Heritage

Kawayan Torogan

Marantao, Lanao del Sur

Overview

A declared National Cultural Treasure, and the last torogan of its kind.

The torogan is the Maranao royal house: a raised timber hall on massive posts, with the panolong — the carved beam ends that project from the facade like wings — as its defining feature. It was a datu’s residence and the seat of his authority, and very few survive.

The Kawayan Torogan at Marantao, built for Sultan sa Kawayan, is a declared National Cultural Treasure and the most intact example left. Its condition has been a long-running concern and restoration has been intermittent.

Seeing one standing, rather than a panolong in a museum case, changes how the ornament reads. The carving is architecture, not decoration.

Things to do

  1. 01Arrange a visit with the family that holds the houseThe house is privately connected to the family that holds it, so arrange your visit locally, and expect that parts of it may be closed.
  2. 02Look at the carved panolong beam endsThe butterfly-shaped beam ends are carved in turn with the naga (serpent) and the pako rabong (growing fern), the classic Maranao okir motifs.
  3. 03See the posts set on bouldersThe house stands on huge tree-trunk posts resting on rounded boulders, so that it can move without falling in an earthquake and is protected from rot and termites.

Food to try

  • Turmeric-yellow kuning rice and grilled chicken pater served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPalapaThe condiment the whole Maranao kitchen is built on — scallion bulb, ginger, chilli, coconut.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • Piaparan a manok, chicken cooked with turmeric, coconut milk and grated coconut, served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPiaparanChicken or fish cooked in coconut with palapa and turmeric.Photo: Lokalpedia
  • A plate of beef rendang, the slow-cooked spiced beef that Maranao cooks call randang.MaranaoRendangThe slow-cooked dry coconut beef curry, in its Philippine form.Photo: Miansari66
  • MaranaoInatoEveryday Maranao home cooking, served as a set with rice and palapa.

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

Places to stay

Through local contacts, the city tourism office, or MSU. Online listings for Marawi are sparse and not always current.

  • hotel · MarawiRanaw Business HotelBusiness hotel used for MSSD events in Marawi, October 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSamsara Palace Hotel and EventHotel and events venue listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, July 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSantorini Hotel, Garden Cafe and Events PlaceHotel with a garden cafe and events place, listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, November 2024Named in 2024
  • resort · MarawiLake View ResortLakeside resort above Lake Lanao; hosted an MPOS livelihood training, May 2024Named in 2024

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 ·en.wikipedia.org