𝗦𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗼

Mindanao, 28 April 1872, Map# 208

National Archives of the Philippines Collection

 

The sketch is of the land on the Simuay River, the camp, and the town of Amadeo. The land was surveyed with a compass by the Commandant of Engineers, Don Federico Caballero, who measured the lines.

The land was an early settlement likely under the supervision of a certain Datu Tan. The friendship between the datu and Spanish officials probably paved the establishment of a camp and the town by 1872.*

Drawn on the map are a camp with barracks, a fort with a powder house, an infirmary, and a farming area. Along the left and right sides of the river bank are a Moro community, which includes the residence of the datu, a dock, and a marketplace for weekend tiangui.

 

Also shown are the forested section and the road going to Cottabato and Pollak. A provision for a road at the other end is also indicated. Envisioned also is a canal system to collect water from the forest for sanitation and irrigation needs.

Based on the settlement plan, the local folks seem to be sufficient in their subsistence needs. There was a river for fishing and fertile land for farming. Both land and river were used for community aquaculture and agriculture.

The Simuay river, a navigable tributary, starts from the north of Misamis and ends at the mouth of the Mindanao River. This river exits to Illana Bay. Misamis was one of the five districts in Mindanao island during the Spanish era.** The river flows through the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Sultan Mastura. These municipalities are now part of the newly-created province of Maguindanao del Norte.

Maguindanao was recently divided into two separate provinces, Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, respectively. Republic Act 11550 ratified the new political and administrative division, following a plebiscite made on September 17, 2022.

 

References

*Martel de Gayangos, Antonio. “The Island of Mindanao: its actual status and the reforms it demands.” Unpublished manuscript. Filipiniana Book Guild, Volume XXIV, Manila, 1976, p. 133-134. (According to Cesar Adib Majul, a prominent Muslim historian, the manuscript may have been written between 1884-1888, during the reign of Maguindanao Sultan Muhammad Jalal ud-Din Pablu.)

**1860 administrative or political map of Mindanao consisting of five (5) districts (1st District: Zamboanga; 2nd District: Misamis; 3rd District: Surigao; 4th District: Davao; and 5th District: Cottabato).

Maguindanao del Norte – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maguindanao_del_Norte Retrieved December 7, 2022