Kabacan officially the Municipality of Kabacan (Maguindanaon: Inged nu Kabakan, Jawi: ايڠد نو كباكن; ; ; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 77,945 people.

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.

History

Kabacan got its name from the word "ka-abacan" which means the source of abundance. 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.

Currently, Kabacan is known as an Ilocano-speaking area since 65% of its population Ilocano immigrants and their native born descendants.

Partial inclusion to the Bangsamoro

In 2019, seven barangays were among the 63 in the province which became part of the Special Geographic Area of the newly created Bangsamoro, after having the affirmative vote won to join the autonomous region in a plebiscite held on February 6. Nanga-an, Simbuhay, and Sanggadong were among the 39 in the province that unsuccessfully voted for the inclusion in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2001, while the other four were proposed to be part of the Bangsamoro, which replaced ARMM by virtue of Republic Act No. 11054.

In 2023, the Bangsamoro Parliament approved the creation of eight new municipalities in the area. Those barangays were organized into Old Kaabakan (Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 44) following ratification in a plebiscite on April 13, 2024.

Geography

Kabacan is centrally located in Cotabato province, bounded on the north by Pres. Roxas, on the east by Matalam, on the south by M'lang, and on the west by Carmen, Cotabato and Datu Montawal. It is approximately from Cotabato airport, to Davao airport and 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.

;Bodies of Water

The Kabacan River is a tributary of the Pulangi River, discharging at Kayaga Kabacan, Cotabato.

Barangays

Kabacan is politically subdivided into 17 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

  • Aringay
  • Bangilan
  • Bannawag, formerly known as Banawa
  • Cuyapon
  • Dagupan
  • Katidtuan
  • Kayaga
  • Kilagasan
  • Magatos
  • Malamote
  • Malanduague
  • Osias
  • Paatan Lower
  • Paatan Upper
  • Pisan
  • Poblacion
  • Salapungan

Climate

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.

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Kabacan was 77,945 people, with a density of .

Economy

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 merchandising, 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.

Natural resources

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.

Education

thumb|University of Southern Mindanao

;Colleges and universities

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

;High school

Public:

  • Kabacan National High School-Main Campus
  • Osias High School
  • Nangaan High School
  • Gil Manalo High School
  • Bannawag National High School

Private:

  • University Laboratory School (science-curriculum based High School located in the University of Southern Mindanao)
  • St. Luke's Institute
  • Kabacan Wesleyan Academy
  • Asian Colleges and Technological Institute
  • Notre Dame of Kabacan, Inc.
  • Berean Christian School

;Elementary

Public:

  • Kabacan Pilot Central School
  • Katidtuan Central Elementary School
  • Osias Elementary School
  • USM Annex Elementary School
  • Lower Paatan Elementary School
  • Upper Paatan Elementary School
  • Cuyapon Elementary School
  • Kilagasan Elementary School
  • Dona Josefa E Marcos Elementary School

Private:

  • Enhanced Childhood Learning Center, Inc.
  • DD Clemente Academy-Montessori
  • Kabacan Wesleyan Academy
  • Notre Dame of Kabacan, Inc.
  • Berean Christian School

Tourism

  • Pisan Cave at Pisan, Kabacan.
  • Waterfalls and spring at Tamped, Kabacan
  • Nangaan Cliff at Nangaan, Kabacan
  • Nangaan Caves and Waterfalls
  • Kabuling Waterfalls at Simbuhay, Kabacan
  • Simbuhay Waterfalls at Simbuhay, Kabacan
  • Matibuhaw Cave at Simbuhay, Kabacan
  • Kalasan Waterfalls at Pedtad, Kabacan
  • Crocodile Farm at Cuyapon, Kabacan
  • Garagan Spring Resort 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 at Osias, Kabacan

References

  • Kabacan Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
  • Local Governance Performance Management System