# President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat

President Quirino, officially the Municipality of President Quirino (Filipino: Bayan ng President Quirino; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang President Quirino; Ilocano: Ili ti President Quirino; Maguindanaon: Inged nu President Kirinu, Jawi: ايڠد نو ڤريسيدنت كرينو), is a municipality in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,244 people. It is named after Elpidio Quirino, the sixth President of the Philippines.

## History

President Quirino was formerly called Sambulawan and was part of the municipalities of Buluan and Tacurong. President Quirino was created into a separate municipality on November 22, 1973, at the same time when the province of Cotabato was divided into the provinces of North Cotabato (present-day Cotabato), Maguindanao, and Sultan Kudarat, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 341 of President Ferdinand Marcos.

## Geography

President Quirino is located at the center of Central Mindanao. It is 110 kilometers (68 mi) from General Santos, 108 kilometers (67 mi) from Cotabato City, and 248 kilometers (154 mi) from Davao City. It is situated at the crossroads of the Davao-General Santos-Cotabato highways.
In the northern part is the municipality of General Salipada K. Pendatun, in the eastern part is municipality of Buluan, in the western part is the city of Tacurong and the southern part is the municipality of Tantangan, South Cotabato, in south-eastern part is municipality of Lutayan and Mangudadatu.
President Quirino is a vast plain municipality having one barangay (Estrella) extending to the lakeside of the famous Buluan Lake. It has four existing types of soil namely; tinambulan peat, Banga sandy loam, Lutayan clay, and hydrosol.

### Barangays

President Quirino is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
* Bagumbayan
* Bannawag
* Bayawa
* Central Mangilala
* Estrella
* Kalanawi I
* Kalanawi II
* Katico
* Malingon
* Mangelen
* Pedtubo
* Poblacion (Sambulawan)
* Romualdez
* San Jose
* Sinakulay
* Suben
* Tinaungan
* Tual (Liguasan)
* Tuato (San Pedro)

### Climate

Climate data for President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 31 (87) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 24 (74) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 64 (2.5) | 45 (1.8) | 59 (2.3) | 71 (2.8) | 140 (5.5) | 179 (7.0) | 192 (7.6) | 198 (7.8) | 163 (6.4) | 147 (5.8) | 113 (4.4) | 66 (2.6) | 1,437 (56.5) |
| Average rainy days | 12.2 | 10.3 | 12.7 | 15.7 | 26.0 | 27.4 | 28.1 | 28.2 | 26.0 | 26.7 | 22.9 | 16.6 | 252.8 |
| Source: Meteoblue ||||||||||||||

## Demographics
### Language

President Quirino is one of the few municipalities of Sultan Kudarat that has Ilocano-speaking majority, together with Lambayong. Most of them can speak and understand Hiligaynon, Tagalog and to the some extent, Cebuano and Maguindanaon, in addition to their own native language. Hiligaynon speakers are also significant residents in the area, with some of them can speak and understand Ilocano, Tagalog, Karay-a, Cebuano and Maguindanaon.
Other ethnolinguistic groups living in the municipality are Maguindanaons, Blaans, T'bolis, Manobos, Cebuanos and Tagalogs. Most of the residents are the descendants of settlers who came from Ilocandia, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mindoro and Marinduque, with significant settlers from Panay (mainly Iloilo), Negros, as well as Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor. Indigenous people such as Blaan, Manobo and T'boli can be founded in Barangay Bagumbayan, Manobo can be found on Barangay Kalanawe I and Barangay Tinaungan, Blaan from Barangay San Jose and Maguindanaons on Barangay Bayawa as the barangay is near to the municipality of Buluan.

## Economy

Poverty incidence of President Quirino
* 10
* 20
* 30
* 40
* 2006 31.90
* 2009 31.74
* 2012 32.74
* 2015 30.11
* 2018 26.70
* 2021 28.50
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
President Quirino is one of the economic and agricultural towns in the Philippines, some of this is selling "sukang tuba at tubo" or vinegar of the coconut/sugarcane. One of this is the finest "muscovado", a type of partially refined to unrefined brown sugar with a strong molasses content and flavor.
Small-scale industries include electronics and repair shop, car/motor vehicle body builder/repair shop, vulcanizing and machine shop, shoe and appliance repair shops hollow blocks/culvert making basket/mat weaving, dressmaking/tailoring, balut making, bakery. Other major industries are the rattan making, Banana, Coconut, Palay, Corn and African Palm Oils. People doing an corn-drying process, rice milling and other milling process, are found in the Poblacion or in central town.

## Culture
### Sambuyawan Festival

Sambuyawan is celebrated every third week of November on giving way on its foundation in 1973. Cultures, local products, and tradition are shown in the festival such as Street dancing, drum & lyre, singing, dancing and other activities. Festival's name was derived from the former town named Sambulawan.

### Muscovado / Tagapulot Festival

The Muscovado Festival is celebrated every December 12, In which people must be recognized the town's own economic product which is Tagapulot or sweet Sugarcane candy from the sugarcane plantations.

## Infrastructure
### Transportation

President Quirino has no any public transport terminal, but there has habal-habal, jeepney, multicab, and bus transportation where you can hop in around the Kidapawan-Junction highway.

### Communications

President Quirino has an official lane of Smart Communication tower substation and Globe Telecom substation in Barangay Poblacion. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company provides fixed line services. Wireless mobile communications services are provided by Smart Communications, Dito Telecommunity, and Globe Telecom.