THE TOURISM Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines hosted a media tour in Cotabato City from Aug 13 to 16 to feature the city’s heritage sites, culinary experiences, and its communities as part of the 18th Regional Travel Fair held in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
During the first day of the tour, the media, together with key opinion leaders (KOLs), arrived at the Tamontaka Church, the oldest church in the city, built in 1872 and run by Spanish Jesuits. The church had endured an earthquake in 1976 and a fire that devastated it in 1994. It was also declared a National Historical Landmark in 2004.
The next location is the People’s Palace (also known as the City Hall of Cotabato), a popular landmark known for its Islamic-inspired architecture and serving as the local government operations center of Cotabato City.
The CBA (Cotabato Brassware Association) Pasalubong Store sells traditional and hand-crafted brass items such as gandingan sets, gongs, and cultural art pieces.
The Bangsamoro Museum, located within the Bangsamoro Government Center in the city, showcases the rich history, arts, and traditions of the Moro people. It also holds ancient artifacts, weavings and textiles, the peace process history, and relics collected from the Marawi siege.
The second day goes to the Kutawato Cave, a famous natural landmark located in the middle of the city that has natural rock formations, underground streams, and fruit bats. The cave was used as a sanctuary for the indigenous groups to escape from the Spanish colonizers, and a shelter for guerrilla fighters who fought against the Japanese during World War II.
The trip then stops at a traditional textile workshop named Al Jamelah Weaving Center situated in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. The center preserves the art of the “Inaul” weaving tradition while also empowering the Bangsamoro women with sustainable livelihoods.
Inaul, meaning “woven” in the local language, is a traditional handwoven fabric made by the Maguindanao people using silk, cotton, and rayon threads to form unique patterns and vibrant colors.
On the third day, the tour visits the Grand Mosque of Cotabato (officially the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque), a major architectural site featuring a white and gold color scheme along with traditional Islamic features. The mosque’s four minarets stand at 141 ft, while the main building covers an area of 5,000 square meters, which can accommodate 15,000 people.
Finally, the last day visits the Illana Bay Resort, a premier coastal getaway with a clean beachfront, swimming pools, and overnight accommodations that is also in Maguindanao del Norte.
Throughout the tour, Cotabato City’s culinary scene offers a wide range of flavors from Tausug dishes, Southeast Asian and Arabian food, specialty coffee, and authentic Moro cuisines.
Highlights are the Aphrodite restaurant, Makkhan Caffe, Pagana Kutawato, Moro Grounds Restaurant, Arabian Spice Restaurant, Qahua Third Wave Coffee, and Rajah Bantugan Heritage Cafe in Timako Hill.
