"the Islamic City of the Philippines" Marawi City by glengyl_iligan

The Islamic City of Marawi is a 3rd class city in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. It is the capital city of Lanao del Sur. Marawi City is bounded on the west by Marantao and Saguiaran, on the east by Bubong and Ditsaan Ramain, on the north by Kapai and Saguiran, and on the south by Lake Lanao. It has a total land area of 22.6 sq. km.

According to the 2000 census, Marawi City has a population of 131,090 people in 20,375 households. It is politically subdivided into 96 barangays. The economy of Marawi City is largely based on agriculture and exporting.
The mayor of Marawi City has been Omar Solitario Ali since May 2004.

History

The name of Marawi was derived from the Maranao word "rawi" which locally means "reclining" and refers to the lilies that bend northward on the banks of the mouth of the Agus River. Marawi was formerly part of the municipality of Dansalan. The municipality of Dansalan was established under the Moro Province in 1907. In 1940, Dansalan became a chartered city, but was not inaugurated until 1950. In 1956, Dansalan City was renamed Marawi City through a congressional act. In 1980, it was officially renamed the Islamic City of Marawi, with a 90 percent Muslim population. As Lanao del Sur's capital city, Marawi serves as the province's commercial, educational, cultural, religious, and political center.

Geography

Marawi City is bounded on the north by the municipalities of Kapai and Saguiaran, on the south by Lake Lanao, on the east by the municipalities of Bubong and Ditsaan Ramain, and on the west by the municipalities of Marantao and Sauiaran. Rolling hills and valleys and a placid lake dominate the city's landscape. Due to its high elevation, its weather is cool (in tropical terms) and pleasant, distinguished by an even distribution of rainfall throughout the year.

culture

Maranao is the term used for the people of Lanao, a predominantly Muslim region in the Philippine island of Mindanao. They are famous for their artworks, sophisticated weaving, wood and metal craft, and their epic literature. The word Maranao, also spelled Maranaw, means "People of the Lake", referring to the indigenous people who inhabited the lands around Lake Lanao whose principal town is Marawi City. Maranaos are the tenth largest Filipino ethnic group.

The Maranaos primarily live in the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, and many are settlers in Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Maguindanao, and in many southern Philippine islands from Basilan exending to Tawi-Tawi. Small communities of Maranaos, mostly traders, can be found in all major towns of the Philippines.

The Mindanao State University was created under Philippine Republic Act 1387 established at Marawi City on September 1, 1961. It is one of the state universities of the Philippines with the aim of providing education for the different strategic locations across the island of Mindanao. The campus was later expanded to a multi-campus university system composed of six autonomous campuses: MSU-IIT (CHED Center of Excellence in Science and Technology), MSU-General Santos, MSU-Sulu, MSU-Maguindanao, MSU-Naawan, and MSU-Tawi-Tawi.

The MSU is the only state university in the Philippines with the special mandate of integrating the cultural communities in Mindanao into the mainstream of the nation's socio-cultural and political life by providing them with opportunities for quality and relevant public education for their self-development and providing trained manpower skills and technical know-how for the economic development of the region. Its mission is to attain peace and sustainable development in the MINSUPALA (Mindanao-Sulu-Palawan) region, setting the standards of excellence in science, arts, technology, and other fields; accelerating the economic, cultural, socio-political, and agro-industrial development of the Muslim and other cultural groups, thereby facilitating their integration into the national community; preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the region and conserving its rich natural resources.

Mindanao State University System

MSU System is the only university in the Philippines with a special mandate of integrating the cultural communities, specially the Muslims into the mainstream of the nation's socio-cultural and political life by providing them with opportunities for quality and relevant public education for their self development and providing trained manpower skills and technical know-how for the economic development of the Mindanao, Sulu (Basilan and Tawi-Tawi) and Palawan region.