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Welcome to My Home Page
Hi, I am Saadudin Umpa Sabdullah, Filipino Muslim, currently working at the Training & Education Department, Saudi Electricity Company, Eastern Region Branch, Dammam, Saudi Arabia and married to Raida Umpa Amer, Filipino Muslim, with three children; two boys and one and only daughter. I and my wife are originally from the Marano tribe, the people of the lake, lived in isolation far from the sophisticated life of the cities. |
About Lanao del Sur & Lanao del Norte, My Original Place
The term Lanao is derived from a Maranao word "Ranao" meaning a body of water. Maranaos means "lake-dweller". They are the natives of the place occupying the land around Lake Lanao which is located at the Central part of Lanao del Sur. Lanao applies to the entire areas before its division. When it was divided into two provinces, the southern portion became Lanao del Sur and the northern part became Lanao del Norte known as "the land of sigayan".
The Maranaos are the tribe of Malay-Arabic descent. They developed the area long before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines. They possess their own traditions and civilization which makes them a different kind of Filipino. Their language, customs, cultures, religion, social system, music and other features are reasons that make Lanao a typical and distinct from other Philippine Provinces.
Foreigners made an effort to capture Lanao but furious and devoted confrontation of the Maranaos to colonial rule had made the planting of Christianity in Dansalan unfulfilled desire.
In the past, immigrants who came from the Christian provinces of Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon tended to settle in the Northern part of Lanao, while the Maranaos concentrated in the south. The latest survey shows that the Christian-Muslim ratio in the north is 60:40 in favor of the Christians, in the south 95:5 in favor of the Maranaos.
Lanao was divided into two provinces giving birth to Lanao del Norte on July 04, 1959 making Iligan City as the Capital. The late Honorable Salvador T. Lluch was the first governor. The second was Honorable Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, from January 1960 to September 1965, when he ran and won the congressional seat of the province. By operation of the law of succession, the Honorable Vice Governor Arsenio A. Quibranza became the third Provincial Executive. By mandate of his people, Governor Quibranza was elected governor in 1967 and almost unanimously re-elected in 1971, and again in 1980.
Lanao del Sur is located in the southern portion of the former province of Lanao, Lanao del Sur centers at the basin of Lake Lanao. The province is bounded by Lanao del Norte on the north, Llana Bay on the east, Cotabato on the south and Bukidnon on the west.
In 1914, the province of Lanao was comprised to include the present provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. The socio-political structure was made up of Muslims who composed the majority of the population. However, Christian settlements increased in the northern Lanao region with the coming of the Visayan migrants. This was an important consideration that led to the division of Lanao into two provinces in 1959. But after the division of Lanao province, there was a considerable out-migration of Christian population from the Muslim settled areas.
Lanao del Sur is made up of one city and 36 municipalities broken down into 1,245 barangays as of 1990. Lumba-a-bayabao is the largest municipality in terms of land area, while Marawi City, its capital, has the most number of barangays totaling 96.
Marawi City, the only chartered city in the country with a predominantly Muslim population, once served as the capital of Lanao province. Today, as the capital of Lanao del Sur, the city is also the cultural center of the Maranaos as well as transportation center within Lake Lanao.
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The People of Lanao
The "people of the lake" lived in separation far from the stylish life of the cities are called Maranaos. They developed around the edge of Lake Lanao, situated at the Islamic City of Marawi, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines. The lake is bordered with traditions and legends. A predominantly interesting story says that before the Spanish administration, St. Francis Xavier came to Marawi
to sermonize and convert the Muslims and failed to his
mission.
On the other hand, a well-known Maranao Poet Datu Tingcap G. Pandi said that the word
MERANAO¯ is a compound word self-possessed of
MERA¯ which means
peacock¯ and
NAO¯ which means
awake¯. Literally speaking,
meranao¯ means an
awake peacock¯. Peacock was declared Indiaā€™s National Bird in 1963. It is also considered the most beautiful bird in the world.
The Maranaos are the largest Moro and cultural minority in the Philippines, numbering more than 840,000 in the late 20th century. They are known for their brasswork, fine mosques, rish raiment, exotic dances, and love for Maranoā€™s music which is called KAMBAYOKA, usually creative, the Maranao generous stylish display and celebration. Their festivals are rich in bright hues of red and purple seen on brilliant banners and sophisticated silk malongs on both men and women.
Most of the settlers used Maranao as their local dialect. Arabic is also widely taught in schools in Marawi. Muslims have known for their artistic carvings, boats and malongs
Located at the heart of the province is Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao and second largest in the Philippines. Draining the lake is Agus River which bisects the province as it flows northward emptying its water into Iligan Bay.
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