Kabacan

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Kabacan
Municipality
Municipality of Kabacan
Nicknames:  Heart of Cotabato Crossroads of Mindanao
Map of Cotabato with Kabacan highlighted
Kabacan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 7°07′N 124°49′E / 7.12°N 124.82°E / 7.12; 124.82
Country	Philippines
Region	Soccsksargen
Province	Cotabato
District	3rd District
Founded	August 18, 1947
Barangays	24 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• mayor of Kabacan[*]	Herlo P. Guzman Jr.
• Electorate	49,303 voters (2022)
Area  [2]
• Total	448.09 km2 (173.01 sq mi)
Elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	77,164
• Density	170/km2 (450/sq mi)
Demonym	Kabakeños
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	9407
PSGC	124703000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)64
Income class	1st municipal income class
Revenue (₱)	₱ 343.2 million (2020)
Native languages	Hiligaynon Cebuano Maguindanao Ilianen Tagalog
Website	kabacan.gov.ph

Kabacan, officially the Municipality of Kabacan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 77,164 people.^[3]

The town is predominantly composed of rice farms made possible by the influx of Ilocano-speaking people from northern Philippines. The University of Southern Mindanao is in Kabacan. It is strategically located between the cities of Cotabato and Davao from west to east and the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan from the north and General Santos from the south.

Kabacan got its name from the word “ka-abacan” which means the source of abundance.^[4] People from far-flung barangays used to come to this place and, upon returning home, they brought with them many commodities of their livelihood.

The municipality of Kabacan was a barrio of the municipal district of Pikit before its creation as a district political body. It was created as a regular municipality by virtue of Executive Order No. 82 dated August 18, 1947, issued by President Manuel Roxas of the Republic of the Philippines.

Growth was gradual under the domain of Datu Mantawil; that influx of settlers from Luzon and Visayas arrived in the 1930s. This was made so when the McLareen family sold its hacienda to Jose Yulo Alano, Rafael Alunan and party who organize a company under the cooperate name of Rio Grande Estate. The company became the people's place of business and social center. Recognizing his immense power and leadership over the area, the provincial governor of Cotabato organizes the Kabacan into a Municipal District with Datu Mantawil as its first mayor in 1935.

When the Second World War broke out and the Japanese Imperial Army occupied the country, the Rio Grande Rubber Estate was sold by the Filipino Incorporators to the Japanese Imperial Government. It became the site for the provisional municipal government with Cenon Doctolero as the appointed mayor. The Japanese garrison was attacked Oct. 25, 1942, by guerrilla forces under U.S. Lieut. Col. Wendell Fertig. During a fourteen-day siege sixty-eight of the seventy-six Japanese garrison were killed. Only the arrival of reinforcements saved the garrison and caused the guerrillas to withdraw.^[5]

Through Executive Order No. 82, dated August 17, 1947, Kabacan became a regular municipality.

Currently, Kabacan is known as a Ilocano-speaking area since 65% of its population are Ilocano-immigrants.

Kabacan is centrally located in Cotabato Province, bounded on the north by Pres. Roxas, on the east by the Mun. of Matalam, M’lang on the south and on the west by the municipalities of Carmen and Datu Montawal, Maguindanao. It is approximately 94 kilometres (58 mi) from Cotabato airport, 194 kilometres (121 mi) to Davao airport and 188 kilometres (117 mi) to General Santos International Airport.

The landscape is characterized by almost regular landscape of flat terrain. The high mountains and rolling hills leaping close to the river plus the narrow plains have varied topographical features. Other features are moderately sloping and strongly sloping.

Type B climate prevails in the municipality. It is characterized by dry season for one to three months with less than 76 millimeters or more rainfall per month throughout the year. The wettest month has more than three times the rainfall of the driest month. This type of climate is conducive to intensive rice cultivation and plantings of bananas and other fruit trees.

Kabacan is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. ^[2]

In the 2020 census, the population of Kabacan, Cotabato, was 77,164 people,^[3] with a density of 170 inhabitants per square kilometre or 440 inhabitants per square mile.

Commercial activities are in the Public Market and along the National Highway and USM Avenue. Kabacan serve as a business and trading center for the adjacent municipalities of Carmen, Pagagawan, Pikit and Matalam. The majority of the commercial establishments are engaged in general merchandizing, sari-sari and dry goods. One big shopping center and drug store owned by a big company are along the National Highway. There are four banks and three gasoline stations.

Other small-scale industries are electronics and repair shop, car/motor vehicle body builder/repair shop, vulcanizing and machine shop, shoe and appliance repair shops hollow blocks/culvert making basket/mat weaving, dressmaking/tailoring, balut making, bakery and Mascovado factory in Barangay Malanduage.

Primarily agricultural crops include corn, rice, soybeans, peanut, mongo, cassava and other field crops. This town is popularly known as the "Rice Production Center", the "Rice Granary of the Province of Cotabato". Its populace has devoted most of its fertile domain to rice production. Corn is the secondary crop of this town.

• Pisan Cave at Pisan, Kabacan.
• Waterfalls and spring at Tamped, Kabacan. Camping, swimming and natural attraction
• Nangaan Cliff located at Nangaan, Kabacan.
• Nangaan Caves and Waterfalls.
• Kabuling Waterfalls located at Simbuhay, Kabacan. Fishing, boating camping and caving.
• Simbuhay Waterfalls located at Simbuhay, Kabacan. Fishing and natural attraction.
• Matibuhaw Cave located at Simbuhay, Kabacan. Caving and natural attraction.
• Kalasan Waterfalls located at Pedtad, Kabacan.
• Crocodile Farm located at Cuyapon, Kabacan.
• Garagan Spring Resort located at Katidtuan, Kabacan.
• University of Southern Mindanao located at Kabacan town proper. A State University with research and training centers, open amphitheaters, sports facilities and pilot agricultural projects.
• Waterland Resort, Osias, Kabacan, Cotabato

College and universities

• University of Southern Mindanao
• St. Luke's Institute
• Asian Colleges and Technological Institute

High Schools

Elementary

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Local Governance Performance Management System