Heritage · Tugaya, Lanao del Sur
Tugaya
The brass and craft town of the Maranao, on the western shore of the lake.
Best: December to April, the least rainy months on the lake
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Heritage · Bacolod-Kalawi, Lanao del Sur
Kota Kalawi
A Maranao fort on Lake Lanao, the site of a 1903 clash with the US Army and of the first archaeological dig in BARMM.
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No free photograph of Kota Kalawi yet
The place
Heritage in Bacolod-Kalawi, Lanao del Sur
A Maranao fort on Lake Lanao, the site of a 1903 clash with the US Army and of the first archaeological dig in BARMM.
Heritage
Traced to its sources since the guide was written.
Safety in Lanao del Sur
The security picture here is more variable than in Cotabato City or Tawi-Tawi, and it moves. Marawi itself is visited, but travel is best arranged through local contacts, the city tourism office, or MSU, and some outlying municipalities are best left off an itinerary without current local advice. This is the area where asking on the ground matters most, and where a plan made from a distance is least reliable.
About this place
Kota Kalawi is a Maranao defensive fort in Bacolod-Kalawi, built in response to American incursions. The Bangsamoro heritage commission records the Battle of Kota Kalawi of April 1903 here; nearby Kota Bacolod Grande was where the Sultan of Bacolod fought Captain John J. Pershing's forces that month.
Archaeologists from the University of the Philippines and Mindanao State University excavated the site, the first such dig in Lanao del Sur and BARMM, and presented their findings in May 2026. They traced occupation back to the Neolithic and found little evidence of the heavy fighting described in American reports.
Before you go
- The site is on community land; visit with the municipality's permission.
Where you’ll be
Bacolod-Kalawi, Lanao del Sur
Sources
Where to sleep in Lanao del Sur
- No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
Ranaw Business Hotel
Marawi
Business hotel used for MSSD events in Marawi, October 2026
mssd.barmm.gov.ph · as of 2026-10 - No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
Samsara Palace Hotel and Event
Mapandi Bridge, Lilod Saduc, Marawi City
Hotel and events venue listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, July 2026
parliament.bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-07 - No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
Santorini Hotel, Garden Cafe and Events Place
Heaven Road, Marawi City
Hotel with a garden cafe and events place, listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, November 2024
parliament.bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2024-11 - No photo of this resort yet
resort
Lake View Resort
Timbangalan, Marawi City
Lakeside resort above Lake Lanao; hosted an MPOS livelihood training, May 2024
mpos.bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2024-05
Named where a public source names them; no rates or availability. Ask the place directly.
More to see nearby
Everything in Lanao del Sur
Lake · Pualas, Lanao del Sur
Lake Dapao
A deep lake south-west of Lake Lanao, up to 120 metres deep and protected as a national park since 1965.
Memory · Bayang, Lanao del Sur
Padang Karbala
The field in Bayang where the Sultan of Bayang and his followers made their last stand against American forces in May 1902.
Mountain · Balindong, Lanao del Sur
Mount Matampor
A peak of the Gurain Range in Balindong with a campsite over Lake Lanao and Mount Ragang.