They occupy the most strategic place in Mindanao owing to their access to lligan bay in the

north and lllana bay in the south. An ethnic community may be defined as tribal group which
has its own language,hold in common a set of tradition different from others whom they are in
contact. Under a long range plan of Christian movement in Mindanao,the Christians would
penetrate heart of Lanao from 3 areas-from lligan in the north, Malabang in south and Wao
from east. They have 500 years political history,so far the longest political experience compared
to other groups in the whole Philippines. Each group has its own language but only a few
controls a political unit like a province or municipalities.
Potential resources like lake and agricultural land are more than enough to support to make the
goal of Darangan into reality.

Their oldest settlement started around here, and up to this day, highly populated communities
still dot the lake. Like other Muslim ethnic groups,the Maranao are brave and have offered
sacrifice in defense of their homeland and lslam. The areas occupy a strategic position at the
center of shipping line between the Far East and the Malayan world. The main concentration of
the Muslim population is in the province of Lanao, while the rest is scattered in nearby
provinces such as Zamboanga peninsula and North Cotabato. Continuous contact allows them
to develop or share a common practice including language. It has its own teritory from which its
ethnic identity is derived,and thus becomes a uniting factor for group cohesion. Some groups
speak one language with three variations like the Maranao,Iranun and Maguindanaon.

Their political power diminished after long period of fighting and resisting colonialism and
Christianization,particularly at the beginning of the 20th century.

They actively participate in local development; their professionals managed to occupy key
positions in govemment, run own business & Islamic institution like Masjid & madrasa.
Total Islamization of whole Pulangi area succeeded with arrival of Sharif Kabungsuan,prince
from Johore who came to Mindanao after fall of Malacca and nearby areas to Dutch colonialists
in 1511. Yet ethnic consciousness has been strong as Iranun continued to preserve their own
ways of life and even to chart their own political destiny. An Iranun datu,like a sultan,wielded
central power over his people. These sultanates rose almost simultaneously after the arival of
Sharif kabungsuan who founded the first sultanate in Mindanao.

Its inner foundation lies on the spirit of martabat For the outer side,religious institution like
masjid and madrasa, artifacts and the vast number of Yakan professionals,ulema,politicians and
fighters reinforced further the strength of the Yakan culture.
Muhammad Nasser Matli argued that the term Tausug is a slang word and originated from
two words:tau(people)and ma-isug (brave).Therefore,Tausug may mean brave people.

While the term Basilan has originated from two words basi (iron) and balani (magnate).in the
ancient time Basilan was thickly covered by the yakal trees. It may also mean "People of the
Current' from the word Tau-People and Sug-current,referring to the strong sea currents around
the many islands of Sulu archipelago. The challenge of the Yakans today is to steer their young
generation to assert their rights and develop confidence in their both material and non-material
culture

These people have a high level of literacy rate compared to other Sama sub-group. The
SAMA.The Sama identity is derived from term sama-sama which means togethemess or
collective effort. The father acts as leader,the mother is responsible for cooking;children collect
fire woods in the coastal areas,and helps gather sea food and fetch water.
The Sama people who inhabited Tawi-Tawi are called by their place of residence. As
observed,the whole Badjao family constitutes also the economic unit,which means,all of them
have to work together (sama-sama) for their survival. The Sama people are highly dispersed and
scattered in the Sulu Archipelago.

With this the Jama Mapun have been subjected to central control from Manila since the days
of the Philippine Commonwealth govemment in 1936.Govemment school and agencies were
put up there and placed under the control of the local people. Back to the sultanate period
each Bangingi community had its own panglima and maharajah as the highest and influential
people in their society. Unfortunately,they failed to build their own institutions like
school,political parties and businesses that are capable of effecting social changes in the
society. Like the Bangingi,the Jama Mapun adopted permanent settlement,hence they have a
clear-cut social organization where the panglima is recognized as top community leader. The
island is seen as strategic place for the AFP forward force,because it is situated in the middle of
the Sulu sea and South China sea,and adjacent to Sabah.

Their neighbors,particularly the Sama Bangingi and the Tausugs called these Islamized Subanun
as Kolibugan because their culture has been altered by their Muslim neighbors and for years
there has been intermarriage with other groups that produced new generations,hence they are
called Kolibugan.
They became Muslims as a result of contact with the Maguindanao sultanate,and later
strengthened with the arrival of some Tausug groups who helped to organize the Kaagan
society. They embraced Islam later as a result of their continuous contact with their
motherland,which became Islamized,as well as with emerging Muslim communities in
Maguindanao &Sulu in 14th century.
They are active in their struggle for self-determination as part of their strategy to have their
culture & social institutions preserved & developed further.

Despite its political decline in the beginning of the 19th century,the Sulu sultanate maintained
her status as independent sultanate from 1450 to 1936.
Sulu was the first Muslim community in the south to establish a centralized govemment,the
Sultanate of Sulu in 1450.The introduction of this sultanate implies that the indigenous
institution became Islamized.
When the sultanate passed into the Maguindanao family and dynasty,the seat of power was
moved to Pulangi valley. Afterthe death of Kabungsuwan,the Buayan family founded the
Sultanate of Buayan as independent entity from the Maguindanao sultanate.
Their main intentions were to make the Muslims pay tribute;induce them not to allow foreign
missionaries;inform the Maguindanao about the Spanish victory in Brunei,gather information
about the Muslims and their strength and to know the relationship between Maguindanao and
Tematans and other people in Indonesia. On the same period,the sultanate began to intensify
its foreign relations with neighboring Muslim principalities in Brunei,Makassar,Manila,Cebu
(before Spanish era), Maguindanao,Buayan and Batavia including China.

Sultan Badar-uddin sent his Datu Bandahara and Nakhuda to Batavia to appeal for military
assistance and to strengthen the relationship which was established in 1644.Finally,Sulu &
Maguindanao sultanate agreed to field 104 paraws with combined force of 3,000 warriors who
made a new offensive on Zamboanga at the end of December 1720.This offensive however did
not succeed. It was through exchanges of envoys,despite the existence of war, that a peace
treaty was signed in December 11,1726 between Sulu sultanate and Spanish colonial
government in Manila.
This in tum forced the Spaniards to sign another peace treaty in March 1609.This treaty put the
war to rest for at least 25 years.
The Spaniards,likewise,invaded Sulu again in March 17,1630.They almost doubled their forces
from 1,600 to 2,500.But at the time they landed in Sulu,the sultanate forces were slready highly
prepared for battle.
After drawing lessons on the military behavior of the Muslims,the Spaniards changed their
approach by establishing a forward force at the enemy's territory so that the war's trend could
be reversed. In Sulu,the Spanish attack continued until Jolo,the sultanate capital fell after a
three-month battle in January 1,1638.This was the period when the Spaniards occupied Jolo
and the sultanate court was moved to Dungun,Tawi-Tawi.

Since the orientation of the Moro war is the same as that of the Spanish time,the Moro-
American war should be viewed as the 7th stage of the Moro war.
While the power of the Sulu sultanate and Maguindanao approached a steady decline,the
military power of the Spaniards grew faster when the steam boat was introduced to the
Spanish naval force.
He exhorted the war against Jolo as a just war,a holy war in the name of Christianity. As a
matter of strategy,Sulu sultanate under Sultan Pulalun upon realizing the invulnerability of
Spanish forces, negotiated peace treaty with the enemy.

It continued to unleash nationalistic fervor until another major battle erupted-the battle of Bud
Bagsak in 1913.Bud Bagsak is a medium sized mountain and located about 50 kilometers east of
Jolo. He called a summit meeting of Tausug leaders at Likup, Indanan,Sulu in early 1927.In the
meeting,all leaders agreed to contribute fighters who come from different parts of Sulu and its
islands.