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Tourist spots include Mt. Apo, Lake Sebu, cultural villages, old Mosques and shrines, hot springs and lakes. There are four feeder airports found in Lebak, Kalamansig, Tacurong City, all in Sultan Kudarat and Surallah, South Cotabato; one national airport which is found in Cotabato City and one international airport in General Santos. Adventurous travelers probably wish to conquer vast mountain wilderness or explore the many forests, caves and wildlife reserves. The region's many hectares of rubber, palm, citrus, pineapple, and lanzones farms are filled with nature's freshest harvests.   

 The artistry of the different ethnic tribes lends richness to local colors. Each tribe has one art in common, the weaving of versatile tubular cloth called malong and other hand-woven products, found among the Maguindanaons and T'bolis. Visitors will find unique souvenir items among their many handicraft, brassware, beadwork, t'nalak cloth and hand- woven products. Tribal festivals, tours and visits to ethnic villages provide insight into the everyday lives of these cultural minorities.  The region has extensive coastlines, valleys and mountain ranges. Known for its river system, the region is the catch basin of Mindanao. The system is a rich source of food, potable water and energy production. Cotabato contains the Rio Grande de Mindanao, which is the longest river in Mindanao and the second longest in the Philippines. 

 A pair of agungs is one of the instruments found in the kulintang ensemble, and Region XII is home to a fascinating culture that revolves around kulintang music, a specific type of gong music found among both Muslim groups (such as the Maguindanao) and non-Muslim groups (such as the Tiruray) of the Southern Philippines. Kulintang music functions as a main community unifier, where all of the community can come to engage in events such as weddings, birthday celebrations and festivals, to dignitary engagements and pilgrimages to and from Mecca. At home, such music unifies and solidifies family ties as family members take to playing after dinner. Kulintang music also plays a vital role as the accompaniment to healing dances, as long-distance communication between members (They have the ability to use the gandingan, also known as the talking gongs, to communicate from far away before the invention of the telephone), and a social conduit for young people.

 -Katrina Tarranza

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SOCCSKSARGEN is a region of the Philippines, located in central Mindanao, and is officially designated as Region XII. The name is an acronym that stands for the region’s four provinces and one of its cities: South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City. The region is more formally known by its older name Central Mindanao. The regional center is Koronadal City located in the province of South Cotabato. Cotabato City, though geographically within the boundaries of the province of Maguindanao, itself is part of SOCCSKSARGEN, and is independent of that province. Maguindanao province is, in fact, a part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which has its seat in Cotabato City. SOCCSKSARGEN and the province of Maguindanao were once part of the original Cotabato province.

 Region 12 has a total of 45 municipalities and 1,192 barangays. It has 7 congressional seats, 4 gubernatorial and 4 vice-gubernatorial seats, 40 provincial board membership, 50 mayoral and vice-mayoral seats, 415 city/municipal councillorships and 1,192 seats for barangay captainship. This region is the 2nd most populated with Muslims among the six regions in Mindanao. It is also branded as the 12th Paradise of the Philippines.

 The creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region resulted in naming Cotabato City as its' capital thus formally removing Cotabato from Soccsksargen. There are a lot of indigenous people and tribes found in this region, one of them being the T'bolis. Their area is very rich in land and other resources, which is why their agriculture is abundant. The Rio Grande de Mindanao, the 2nd largest river system in the Philippines, can be found in this region. Metallic minerals like copper, gold, and silver are profuse in this region, specifically in Sultan Kudarat.

 -Kazylle Fae Dante

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MT. MATUTUM

Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5) Matutum is a symmetrical stratovolcano located in southern Mindanao, NW of Sarangani Bay and 30 km NNW of General Santos City. The mountain, a popular hiking destination, has a well-preserved summit cone and a 320 m wide and a vegetated 120 m deep summit crater. The crater is breached by 3 large canyons.