HISTORY OF BANGA
The Municipality of Banga is situated at the northwest of the Province of South Cotabato, it is composed of 22 Barangay’s including the Five (5) Barangay’s in the Poblacion, with in the area of 24, 035 hectares. Base in oral history, the aborigine of this town were B’laan’s and Taga Bilis who settled near the bank of the river. The B’Laan’s used to call the place “Bongo” meaning
“Big River “. Of the many trees that grew on its plain, one notable tree that dominates the area is a species of a palm called “Buang Nga” from which according to most settlers the towns got its name. However, other pioneers claimed the name “Banga” came from the native tongue “Bongo Ngo” and due to the abundance of water in the area being surrounded by the mountain ranges resembling the mouth of an earthen jar called “Banga”, they christened the place Banga as it is being called now. This town started as a Settlement District of Allah Valley project of the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA). Paulino Santos was the general manager of NLSA with Engr. Albert Morrrow as his assistant. It was Secretary Rafael Alunan, NLSA Chairman of the board, who proclaimed Allah Valley as a Settlement District in the early part of 1941. The administration started recruiting settler/applicant from the Luzon and Visayas Regions. On March 4, 1941, the settlers together with Engr. Lorito and Jose Ybiernas, NLSA Overseers, and Doctor Antonio Patag, NLSA Physician reached and established a community on an elevated terrain along the Banga River. From the onward, these pioneers develop this area and other adjacent farm holding composing the entire settlement into a progressive agricultural locality. At the outbreak of the war in south pacific, the settlers left their farms and moved to safer places, others back at their home provinces. When peace finally restored the settlers were recalled to resume the tremendous resettlement work in the later part of 1946. In 1948 a propelling economic factor covered the scene. It was entry of the rice and corn production administration of the national development company. When this company pulled out in 1950, another economic propellant came-ajoined venture by the Philippine Committee on United State Aide (PHILCUSA) in the International Corporation Administration (ICA) whose undertaking was implementation and administration of the aid extended by the congress of the United State. This was the construction of Dadiangas-Allah Valley-Cotabato National Highway and the final survey of farm and home lots with the Allah Valley Settlement Project. When the National Development Company pulled out, all its equipment and machineries remained with the settlement under a new-Land Settlement and Development Corporation (LASEDECO). This merger helped Banga and other district become self-governing and on September 11, 1953, by way of Presidential Proclamation No. 612, Banga was emancipated from its mother Municipality of Koronadal and became an independent municipal entity.
-LGU Banga
