Cotabato City, Philippines

Cotabato City Description

The City of Cotabato economically is a trading center for farm products coming from the nearby municipalities. These products are copra, rice, corn, cassava and beans. Cotabato City is also a great source of aquatic products like shrimps, crabs, various tropical fishes most especially the yellow fin tuna.

Some thirty minutes from Cotabato City, is a spectacular coral reef formation that would entice divers, both amateur and professional. Cotabato City is justifiably famous for its woven fabrics because of the intricate and uniques designs made with fine and expensive threads making them the hallmarks of an industry being carried out for many centuries.

Cotabato City in particular is also proud of tradition in this ancient craft and produces some of the finest examples of Loom woven material to be seen anywhere in the world.

Cotabato City Attractions

Spend your leisure time on both historical and natural attractions you can find here in Cotabato City.

Rio Grande de Cotabato is the most famous landmarks in Cotabato City. Next spot travelers can visit is the Tamontaka Church which was built in 1872 of Spanish architecture and design.  About a 5 minute ride from the city is a serene and tranquil place with an area of about 50 hectares were the major seminaries are lcoated. It has a St. Bernadette Grotto and a giant Jesus Scupture that is very ideal for those who want to get in touch with their inner selves. It is the oldest church in the city, a relic of the living past.

Lourdes Grotto is a replica of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in France. The compound is equipped with ideal retreat house for recollection and seminars, a mini zoo and a children’s park.

Nature lovers and thrill-seeking explorers will be fascinated by Kutang Bato Caves. The only cave in the country that is right in the heart of the city. These caves were also the source of the city’s present name for “KUTA” means FORT and “WATO” means STONE hence the name “Fort of Stone” which later on became Cotabato. Its walls of white, beige and brownish shade glitters in the dark and echoes a colorful past dating back to the days when no foreign foot yet trampled upon its land. The caves had given sanctuary to the natives when the Spaniards tried to convert them into the Castillan Faith and has served as refuge when the Filipino guerillas fought the invading force of the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War.

Takumi Butai Memorial Shrine- A monument in honor of Takumi Butai and Japanese soldiers who died here during the Second world War. Takumi was the Provincial Commander of the Japanese forces assigned in Cotabato City. Before he died, he requested that some of his ashes be buried in Cotabato City. This shrine was put up by the Lion’s Club of Kyoto, Japan in cooperation with the City Government of Cotabato.

Cotabato City Location

Cotabato City is an undertaken city geographically surrounded by the Province of Maguindanao that belongs to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Yet the City is considered part of Region XII, not of ARMM.

Cotabato City is located at the southwestern part of the Philippines, approximately 698.9 nautical miles (1294 km) from Manila, the country’s capital. Cotabato City is roughly about 240 kilometers west of Davao City, about 154 kilometers northwest of General Santos City, 180 nautical miles east of Zamboanga City and 350 kilometers south of Cagayan de Oro City. It has a total land area of roughly 27,564 hectares.