Official Website of Taraka, Lanao del Sur, Philippines
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Municipal Profile.

History of Taraka

 

Taraka is one among the coastal towns of  the Province of Lanao del Sur which is located at its south-east portion. It is  bounded on the north bu the Municipality of Mulondo, on the south by the  Municipality of Tamparan and Lumba Bayabao, on the east by the Municipality of  Maguing and on the west by the Lake Lanao. It is about 28 kilometres away from  the Islamic City of Marawi to its Municipal Hall.

Historical Sites

BAAB UR-RAHMAN MASJID
Baab Ur-Rahman is the oldest Masjid in Lanao. It was built at Maruhom Jalalodin in Gapa-o Balindong, Taraka. This implies that the first Muslim converts were the residents of Taraka. The masjid is an important indicator of conversion, without which being Muslim would only be nominal as happens among maritime nomads like some of the Badjaos. It is only in Taraka where every agama has a masjid that signifies a Muslim community. The agama is the basic unit of community, inged is composed of several agamas, soko is composed of severalingeds, and pangampong is composed of severalsokos.

 Originally, there were only two agamas in Taraka, each named after the founding ancestors, the sons of Nggur: Loksadato andBalindong. Loksadato, was older, whose real name was Radia Amaga, and Balindong was younger, whose real name was Radia Sarikran. The residents of the agama are descended fron its founder. For example, Moriatao Loksadato is the agama of the descendants of the Loksadato(old dato). There are now fifty-seven agamas in Taraka, the most in Lanao. The founder of the agama exercised authority in the community. Although the same social structure exists in all the pengampongs, it is in Taraka where its elaboration, according to Islamic precepts exists: every agama has a masjid. The correspondence between agama and masjid indicates that Islam is most deeply rooted in Taraka.
THE DIBAROSAN Taraka still has the Dibarosan. The Dibarosan is a stone head for purposes of meeting the death penalty on condemned criminals. An individual was judged and punished for transgressions of Islamic precepts on murder, adultery, and other grave offences. The punishment was public to instil in the minds of Maranao Muslims the moral of the act and its exigency. Capital punishment is told in commonplace stories and folktales, usually relating to infidelity. While it may be said that there could have beendibarosans in other settlements in Lanao, it is only in Taraka where a proof of death penalty and public punishment still exist. The Dibarosan, therefore, has become a symbol of discipline. The Dibarosan stands on a ground next to Taraka River, between Torogan and Maidana at Maruhom Jalalodin in Gapa-o Balindong, Taraka, Lanao del Sur.

ABDAN/GUSI
Inside Samporna House in Salamatollah, Gapa-o Balindong, are three huge stone wares of Chinese manufactured called “gusi/abdans.” Since Taraka does not lie in the van of trade like Malabang, Ganassi, or Marawi, the accumulation of these jars attests to the affluence of Taraka as an important trade terminus in the basak area. It is said that there used to be four such gusis. One day, some young ladies played hide and seek, and one of them hid on one of the jars. As soon as she was inside, the gusi closed and rolled down to Taraka River, and this was the last that was heard about her.

Barangays

Taraka is politically subdivided into 43 barangays.

  • Bandera Buisan
  • Boriongan
  • Borowa
  • Buadi Dingun
  • Buadi Amao
  • Buadi Amunta
  • Buadi Arorao
  • Buadi Atopa
  • Buadi Dayomangga
  • Buadi Ongcalo
  • Bucalan
  • Cadayonan Bagumbayan
  • Caramat
  • Carandangan Calopaan
  • Datu Ma-as
  • Dilabayan
  • Dimayon
  • Gapao Balindong
  • Ilian
  • Lumasa
  • Lumbac Bagoaingud
  • Lumbac Bubong Maindang
  • Lumbac Pitakus
  • Malungun
  • Maruhom
  • Masolun
  • Moriatao Loksa Datu
  • Pagalamatan
  • Pindolonan
  • Pitakus
  • Ririk
  • Salipongan
  • Lumasa Proper (Salvador Conch
  • Sambolawan
  • Samporna Salamatollah
  • Somiorang Bandingun
  • Sigayan Proper
  • Sunggod
  • Sundig
  • Supangan
  • Tupa-an Buadiatupa
  • Buadi Amunud
  • Mangayao