Heritage · Cotabato City
Tantawan Park
A small historical park at the foot of Pedro Colina Hill, with a monument to Sultan Muhammad Kudarat.
Best: December 15 to 19, during the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival, which re-enacts his arrival
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Heritage · Cotabato City
People's Palace
Also known as Cotabato City Hall.
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The place
Heritage in Cotabato City
Cotabato City's city hall, a building that mixes neo-classical and Muslim architecture.
Heritage
Traced to its sources since the guide was written.
When to go
June 12 to 25, during Araw ng Kutabato, the city's charter celebration and its biggest festival; in 2024 the Shariff Kabunsuan Festival was also opened here, on 3 December.
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.
About this place
The People's Palace houses all the offices of the city's executive government. Its architecture blends neo-classical and Muslim motifs.
It stands in Rosary Heights X, the upper town, and is one of the city landmarks featured in the Kutawato Go virtual tour app.
What to do
Ask to see the Malay-style interiors
A visitor who came on a Sunday was allowed inside, where ordinary city offices sit among Malay-influenced interiors.
iwandered.net
What to eat
Papaitan and bulalo at Hala Bira
Hala Bira Halal Food on Jose Lim Street is known for its papaitan and bulalo.
langyaw.com
Before you go
- It is a working city hall; view it from outside or ask at the entrance.
Where you’ll be
Cotabato City, Cotabato City
Sources
Crafts made in Cotabato City
Every craft of the region
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.- basketryWater hyacinth craftsWater hyacinth covers much of the Liguasan Marsh and clogs the Rio Grande de Mindanao, and Maguindanaon communities dry, braid and weave its stalks into bags, pouches, slippers, mats and home decor. The BCPCH teaches it in its School of Living Tradition alongside inaul weaving and brassware making.
Where to sleep in Cotabato City
- No photo of this hotel yet
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 2026-08 hotel
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 2026-06- No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
Em Manor Hotel and Convention Center
Cotabato City
Hotel and convention centre used for BARMM ministry events, May 2026
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2026-05 - No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
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 2026-06 - No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
Paragon Hotel and Restaurant
Cotabato City
Hotel and restaurant used for BARMM workshops, November 2025
bangsamoro.gov.ph · as of 2025-11 - No photo of this hotel yet
hotel
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 2026-06
Named where a public source names them; no rates or availability. Ask the place directly.
More to see nearby
Everything in Cotabato City
Heritage · Cotabato City
Bangsamoro Government Center
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
Rio Grande de Mindanao
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
Museum · Cotabato City
Old Cotabato City Hall Museum
The 1940s city hall by National Artist Juan Arellano, in Maguindanao-inspired style, now a small museum and visitor centre.