The island of Mindanao is former known as Gran Moluccas or Great Moluccas and

named after the Maguindanaons who are part of the wider Moro ethnic group.The word
Maguindanaon means people of the flood plains or derived from the two
word maginged and danaw which means people of the marshy. In the early 15th century, Sharif
Muhammad Kabungsuan, an Arab-Malay preacher from the royal house of Malacca, introduced
the Islamic religion, customs and the Sultanate system of governance. He married into the local
noble families of Mindanao and around 1515 founded the first sultanate of Mindanao, the
sultanate of Maguindanao and Buayan.
The Maguindanaon are one of many groups of "lowland" Filipinos who arrived on the
island of Mindanao during sequent waves of migration from the Southeast Asian mainland
several thousand years ago. They are the largest group of Muslims on the Island of Mindanao,
live in the most unappealing area, the marshy portion of the present site of Cotabato, their
ancestral land is flooded many times a year by overflowing rivers.
Most Maguindanaon follow standard Islamic beliefs and practices, but the native
Maguindanaons persevere to a form of folk Islam, their believe in spirits, sorcery and
supernatural beings is still evident in their culture and ceremonies. During the month of
Ramadan, all tribe members will participate in various ceremonies that are associated with
fasting. Other ceremonies, such as those related with birth, marriage, and death, have both
indigenous and Islamic beliefs and rituals.

Aside from the colorful contributions of its regional tribes, Mindanao is home to the
largest cultural minority in the Philippines - the Muslims. Brought by Javanese and Middle
Eastern traders, Islam is the religion of approximately 20 percent of the Philippine population.

They are known for their mysticism, royalty, and beauty which are evident in their music
and dances. Accompanied by the agong and kulintang, Filipino Muslim dance is marked by
intricate hand and arm movement along with shimmering costumes.
Kappa Malong-malong, also called Sambi sa Malong, is a dance that originates from the
Maranao tribes of Mindanao in the Philippines. The dance shows the many ways of wear-ing a
‘malong’, a simple tubular yet highly-functional piece of cloth. The malong is a traditional “tube
skirt” made of hand-woven (and sometimes machine-made) multi-colored cotton cloth, bearing a
variety of geometric or ‘okir’ designs – a term used for geometric and flowing de-signs.
The malong can function as a skirt for both men and women; as a dress, a blanket, a
sun-shade, a bed sheet, a “dressing room”, a hammock, a prayer mat, and just about any other
purpose depending on how creative its user is. For example, a newborn is wrapped in a malong,
and, as the child grows older, this piece of cloth becomes a part of daily life. In death, the
lifeless body is once again wrapped in a malong.
Among traditional tribal peoples of Mindanao, the ma-long is used in everyday life. Even
in areas where people wear Western-style clothing during the day, the malong is used for
leisure time as also for sleepwear. The ma-long worn during very big festivals. They wear this to
show respect. Accompanied by the agong and kulintang, Filipino Muslim dances such as the
Kappa Malong-malong are marked by intricate hand and arm move-ment along with shimmering
costumes.