About North Cotabato

The original Cotabato Province known as the Empire Province of Cotabato used to be the largest in the country in terms of land area. On November 22, 1973, Presidential Decree 341 created the new provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao. South Cotabato was segregated and what used to be north Cotabato was renamed Cotabato under Batas Pambansa 660 on December 19, 1983. The word ""Cotabato"" is derived from the Maguindanaon ""Kutawato"" or ""Stone Fort.""

Cotabato province lies on the eastern part of Region XII and is strategically located in the central part of Mindanao. It is bounded on the north by the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon, on the east by Davao City, on the southeast by Davao del Sur, on the west by Maguindanao province, and on the southwest by Sultan Kudarat.

With the Investment Incentives Act or RA 5186, the growth of Cotabato Industry was greatly boosted. A number of processing plants sprouted: feeds manufacturing and rubber processing in Kidapawan City and the municipalities of Makilala and M'lang; the Aleosan and the Natural Essence Processing in Kamarahan President Roxas.

At present Cotabato is a prime focus of the rubber industry, with its 27 processing plants producing pale creep, brown, crumb, air dried sheets.

Fruit production leading to fruit processing complements these advancements. The province leads in the production of exotic fruits such as Durian, Lanzones, Rambutan, Marang, and Jackfruit. Ramie plantations in President Roxas and Kidapawan can cause a future boom of the local textile industry that has yet to be established in the province.