THE FIRST INHABITANTS AND TRIBE OF KORONADAL CITY

In the past, the place was populated by Blaan people and Maguindanaos. The word
Koronadal is believed to have been derived from two Blaan words- kalon meaning cogon
grass, and nadal or datal meaning plain, which aptly described the place to the natives. On
the other hand, Marbel, which is another name for the poblacion, is a Blaan term marb el
which means "murky waters" referring to a river, now called the Marbel River.

BLAAN

The B'laan people are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southern Philippine island of
Mindanao. Another tribe called the Maguindanao also inhabits the same area. The two tribes
consider themselves to be brothers and sisters. Long ago, an Arab male (ancestral brother)
married a B'laan female (ancestral sister) and through this marriage union, Islam infiltrated
Southern Mindanao so that when the Spaniards arrived, their attempts to establish
Catholicism were unsuccessful in the south. Eventually the B'laan and the Maguindanao
became trade partners with the B'laan settling in the mountains and the Maguindanao settling
along the coastal areas. From that time until now, the B'laans have been producing rice,
vegetables, livestock, and rainforest products. The original religion of the Blaan is Animist.
Presently, only 5% of the 8,000 B'laan tribal people are considered to be evangelical.

Some Blaan natives were displaced when General Santos City was founded in 1939. Others
settled in the city. Their language is said to be the source of the name for Koronadal City,
from two Blaan words – kalon meaning cogon grass and nadal or datal meaning plain, which
aptly described the place for the natives. On the other hand, Marbel, which is another name
for the poblacion, is a Blaan term malb-el which means "murky waters" referring to a river,
now called Marbel River.

MAGUINDANAO

Maguindanao, also spelled Magindanao or Magindanaw, also called Maguindanaon,

ethnolinguistic group living primarily in south-central Mindanao, the largest island in the
southern Philippines. With a name meaning “people of the flood plain,” the Maguindanao are
most heavily concentrated along the shores and in the flood lands of the Pulangi-Mindanao
River basin, although many now live in the surrounding areas. They speak an Austronesian
language, written in Latin script that is related to the languages of the Central Philippines. In
the second decade of the 21st century, the Maguindanao are most heavily concentrated along
the shores and in the flood lands of the Pulangi-Mindanao River basin, although many now
live in the surrounding areas. They speak an Austronesian language, written in Latin script,
that is related to the languages of the Central Philippines. In the second decade of the 21st
century, the Maguindanao numbered nearly 1.4 million, making them the largest of the
Philippine Muslim groups collectively identified as Moro.

Although Islam was likely introduced to Mindanao in the 14th or early 15th century, the
religion was not solidly established among the Maguindanao until about 1515, when Sharif
Muhammad Kabungsuwan, a Muslim missionary from the sultanate Johor (on the southern
tip of the Malay Peninsula) converted the ruling Maguindanao families. Shortly thereafter,
the sultanate of Maguindanao was founded, with its seat in the city of Cotabato, at the mouth
of the Mindanao River. The sultanate expanded throughout the 16th and 17th centuries,
reaching its summit of strength and influence under Sultan Kudarat (reigned c. 1619–71).
About the time of Sultan Kudarat’s death, Buayan, a rival upriver sultanate, began to gain
strength, and by the late 18th century, it had replaced Maguindanao as the dominant sultanate
of southern Mindanao.

Maguindanao society is stratified and family-oriented, with those who are able to trace their
ancestry directly to Maguindanao royalty accorded the highest rank. Communities usually
consist of closely related families and are headed by an individual who bears the title of datu.
At least in theory, such a title indicates not only descent from royalty but also membership in
a lineage that traces through Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuwan or Sultan Kudarat to the
Prophet Muhammad himself.