Cotabato, Philippines

Cotabato City, officially known as the City of Cotabato (Maguindanaon: Kuta nu Kutawatu, Jawi: كوتا نو كوتاواتو; Iranun: Bandar a Kotawato, بندر ا كوتاواتو; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Cotabato), is a 3rd class independent component city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 325,079 people,  making it as the most populated city under the independent component city status. Cotabato City was formerly a part and the regional center of Region XII, but due to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, it is now part of Bangsamoro and serves as the regional center. Being an independent component city, it is not a subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Maguindanao del Norte where it is geographically located. The Philippine Statistics Authority also lists Cotabato City as statistically independent.