Who Are the Maranao?
The Maranao ("People of the Lake") are a Muslim Filipino ethnolinguistic group inhabiting the shores of Lake Lanao and surrounding areas in Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte provinces, Mindanao. Numbering approximately 1.1-1.3 million, they are one of the largest Muslim groups in the Philippines. They speak Maranao, a Philippine Austronesian language. The Maranao are renowned for their elaborate artistic traditions—particularly metalwork (the sarimanok bird motif), woodcarving, and textile weaving (malong)—and for resisting Spanish colonization, maintaining Islamic faith and political autonomy throughout the colonial period.
Islamic Heritage
Islam arrived in the Philippines through trade networks beginning around the 14th century; the Maranao converted and established sultanates that unified under the Sultanate of Lanao. When Spanish colonizers arrived, the Maranao—like other Muslim Filipinos (Moro)—resisted fiercely. Spanish expeditions were repeatedly repelled; Lake Lanao's interior location and Maranao military organization prevented conquest. This resistance continued under American colonization (Battle of Marawi, 1902). The Maranao never fully accepted Philippine national integration, viewing themselves as a distinct Muslim nation. Islamic identity remains central—mosques dot the landscape; Islamic education parallels secular schooling; religious observance structures daily life.
Art and Okir
Maranao artistic traditions are among the Philippines' most sophisticated. The okir design vocabulary—elaborate curvilinear patterns representing flora, fauna, and mythical beings—decorates everything from textiles to metalwork to architecture. The sarimanok, a stylized rooster/phoenix figure, is the most iconic Maranao motif, now a national symbol of Filipino Muslim heritage. Torogan (royal houses) feature dramatic prow-shaped facades and elaborate okir carving. Brass-casting produces gongs, containers, and ceremonial objects. The malong (tubular garment) is woven with intricate patterns. These artistic traditions reflect centuries of development supported by sultanate patronage and trade wealth. Maranao crafts are now marketed nationally and internationally.
Contemporary Maranao
Modern Maranao face profound challenges. The 2017 Battle of Marawi—a five-month siege during which ISIS-affiliated militants occupied the city—destroyed Marawi's commercial and residential center, displacing hundreds of thousands. Reconstruction has been slow; many residents remain displaced. Beyond this immediate crisis, the Maranao navigate relations with the Philippine state through the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (established 2019), which provides Muslim Mindanao limited self-governance. Economic opportunities remain limited in Lanao; many Maranao have migrated to Manila and abroad. Traditional practices continue—Islam, craft production, maratabat (honor culture)—but younger generations increasingly engage with broader Filipino and global identities. The Maranao demonstrate both the resilience of Islamic Filipino identity and the ongoing costs of conflict.
References
- Saber, M. & Madale, A. T. (1975). The Maranao
- McKenna, T. (1998). Muslim Rulers and Rebels
- Casino, E. S. (1976). The Jama Mapun: A Changing Samal Society in the Southern Philippines