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 facade and bell tower of Tamontaka Church, the Church of the Immaculate Conception

Places · Heritage

Tamontaka Church

Cotabato City

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

Overview

A nineteenth-century Jesuit mission church, and one of the oldest in Mindanao.

Built for a mission settlement on the Tamontaka river in the 1870s, and a reminder that Cotabato has been a meeting point rather than a monoculture for a very long time. The Christian community here predates the American period.

It is modest architecture and the interest is historical rather than visual, but it sits well against the Grand Mosque a few kilometers away as a way of reading what this city actually is.

Things to do

  1. 01See the old Jesuit mission church on the Tamontaka RiverThe mission was founded in 1872, the church moved to its present site in 1879, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2004.
  2. 02Attend Mass, or come back after itIt is a working parish, so around Mass times either join the service or return later.
  3. 03Pair it with the Grand Mosque on the same dayThe church is a few kilometres from the Grand Mosque, and seeing both shows the two faiths that have shared the city for a long time.

Food to try

  • Fried hito, a whole crisp catfish, with a vinegar and calamansi dip.Cotabato CityFried hito at Babo Katips in TamontakaA restaurant in Tamontaka known for its fried catfish (hito).Photo: Ramon FVelasquez
  • 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 ·iwandered.net ·lakwatsero.com ·en.wikipedia.org