Banga, South Cotabato

Banga, officially the Municipality of Banga (Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Banga; Cebuano: Lungsod sa Banga; Tagalog: Bayan ng Banga; Maguindanaon: Inged nu Banga, Jawi: ايڠد نو باڠ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of South Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 89,164 people.^[3]

Banga
Municipality
Municipality of Banga
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	باڠ
Banga Municipal Plaza in 2018
Flag Seal
Map of South Cotabato with Banga highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Banga Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 6°18′N 124°47′E / 6.3°N 124.78°E / 6.3; 124.78
Country	Philippines
Region	Soccsksargen
Province	South Cotabato
District	2nd district
Founded	September 11, 1953
Barangays	22 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Albert D. Palencia
• Vice Mayor	Gemma I. Lloren
• Representative	Ferdinand L. Hernandez
• Electorate	54,847 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	240.35 km2 (92.80 sq mi)
Elevation	169 m (554 ft)
Highest elevation	333 m (1,093 ft)
Lowest elevation	106 m (348 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	89,164
• Density	370/km2 (960/sq mi)
• Households	23,266
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	20.04 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 293.6 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 676.1 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 269.8 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 206.5 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	South Cotabato 1 Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	9511
PSGC	126302000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)83
Native languages	Hiligaynon Cebuano Maguindanao Blaan Tagalog
Website	bangascot.gov.ph/index.php

Banga is situated at the north-west of the province of South Cotabato. The town derived its name from a palm tree known to the natives of the place as "Buanga" which during the pre-settlement time, predominantly grew in the area.

Banga is linked by a concrete national highway road from General Santos to the east and Cotabato City in the west. The town is known for its spacious town plaza, its public market is situated in the heart of the town and ideally zonified. Water for households and commercial use is abundant and the best source to it is Banga River which narrowly dissects the municipality.

It is the leading corn producer in the province and has made extraordinary achievements in terms of producing corn husk products for the local market.

It is also blessed with rich resources such as livestock and rice and has shown potential for mango. Pineapple and banana production while endowed with big rice mills, metal craft potentials, places suited for inland fishing and some residential development.

Banga works under the slogan “Cooperative Efforts towards Peace and Progress” and it is targeting to rapidly lift its economy to the highest level.

Banga strives to sustaining self-sufficiency and increasing agricultural production. It currently aims for the diversification and intensification of traditional agricultural practices, advocacy of food sufficiency method such as vegetable and fruit planting, poultry and livestock development within family farms, intensification on agricultural nurseries for a high yielding variety of crops, strengthening of information dissemination of appropriate technology to all farmers in the Barangay's by providing effective seminars, workshop and training in proper management of farmer's cooperative.