Get involved
Spotted an error, or have a document worth adding? Every correction and every source makes the record stronger — and the official source is always right where we are wrong.
Also known as Liwasan ng Tantawan.
The place
A small historical park at the foot of Pedro Colina Hill, with a monument to Sultan Muhammad Kudarat.
Heritage
Traced to its sources since the guide was written.
When to go
December 15 to 19, during the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival, which re-enacts his arrival.
Safety in Cotabato City
Routinely visited, and the calmest introduction to the region. Checkpoints on the approach roads are normal and quick. Standard city sense applies and little more, though foreign governments still write advisories covering mainland Mindanao broadly, so a traveler on institutional insurance should read their own before booking.
Tantawan Park sits on the corner of Quezon Avenue and Sinsuat Avenue, beside a branch of the Central Bank and the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Its centrepiece is a monument to Sultan Muhammad Kudarat of Maguindanao.
The ground has a long history. A Maguindanao watchtower stood here to defend the sultanate against Spanish attacks from 1635 to 1645, and it is named as the spot where Shariff Kabunsuan is believed to have docked on the journey that brought Islam to central Mindanao.
The Shariff Kabunsuan Festival each December re-enacts his arrival by river, which makes the park a natural first stop on a walk that takes in the hill and the caves above it.
See the monument to Sultan Muhammad Kudarat
The park's centrepiece is a monument to the Maguindanao sultan, at the corner of Quezon Avenue and Sinsuat Avenue.
en.wikipedia.orgGet a short massage in the park
A 2018 visitor found short, cheap massages on offer in the park.
langyaw.comWatch the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival in December
The festival runs on December 15 to 19, with a dance parade, a boat race and a re-enactment of Shariff Kabunsuan's arrival.
en.wikipedia.orgWalk on up Pedro Colina Hill
The hill and the Kutawato Caves are at the same spot, so the park is the first stop on a short walk that takes in all three.
From the guideGrilled meats on Sinsuat Avenue at night
The barbecue stalls near Rizal Park on Sinsuat Avenue are busy after dark, with several vendors grilling along the road; a must for anyone on a budget.
langyaw.comCotabato City, Cotabato City
brassCotabato brasswareCotabato has its own brass-casting tradition, best known for the low, finely hand-engraved garul; in 1994 the CCP Encyclopedia credited it to the Iranun and ranked it second only to Maranao brass. In Cotabato City the Cotabato Brassware Association, whose craftsmen come from the Kalanganan district and nearby Sultan Kudarat, makes traditional brassware for export from scrap bronze.MarkoDalisay · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by MarkoDalisay, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.hotel
Alnor Hotel and Convention Center
Sinsuat Avenue, Cotabato City
Venue of the 18th Regional Travel Fair (TPB, MTIT and DOT), August 2026
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-08hotel
Alnor Suite Hotel
Brgy. RH IX, Cotabato City
Hotel with the Haraya function halls; hosted the Bangsamoro Writers Workshop, June 2026
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-06hotel
Em Manor Hotel and Convention Center
Cotabato City
Hotel and convention centre used for BARMM ministry events, May 2026
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-05hotel
KDT Manor Hotel and Convention Center
Cotabato City
Hotel and convention centre; venue of a Bangsamoro Women Commission dialogue, June 2026
bwc.bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-06hotel
Paragon Hotel and Restaurant
Cotabato City
Hotel and restaurant used for BARMM workshops, November 2025
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2025-11hotel
Grand Pagana Hotel
Cotabato City
Venue of a book launch by the Bangsamoro Government and the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies, June 2026
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-06Named where a public source names them; no rates or availability. Ask the place directly.
Heritage · Cotabato City
The seat of the Bangsamoro regional government, with the Bangsamoro Museum inside its cultural complex.
Best: Ramadhan, when the annual Ramadhan trade fair fills the centre with halal food, delicacies and crafts (in 2026 it opened on 16 February with 60 exhibitors)
Nature · Cotabato City
The second-largest river system in the Philippines, meeting the sea at Cotabato City.
Best: December 15 to 19, when the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival holds its boat race on the river
Heritage · Cotabato City
Cotabato City's city hall, a building that mixes neo-classical and Muslim architecture.
Best: June 12 to 25, during Araw ng Kutabato, the city's charter celebration and its biggest festival
Museum · Cotabato City
The 1940s city hall by National Artist Juan Arellano, in Maguindanao-inspired style, now a small museum and visitor centre.
