Lanao del Norte

Lanao del Norte (Cebuano: Amihanang Lanaw; Tagalog: Hilagang Lanaw), is a province in the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod.

The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated from Misamis Occidental by Panguil Bay to the northwest. According to the 2010 census, the province has a total population of 607,917 people.

Situated within Lanao del Norte is the highly urbanized city of Iligan, which is governed independently from the province.

History

The province of Lanao existed from 1914 until 1959. Republic Act No. 2228 divided Lanao into two (2) provinces giving birth to Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. The new province was inaugurated on July 4, 1959 making Tubod as the capital. Salvador T. Lluch was the first Governor of Lanao del Norte. Second was Mohammad Ali Dimaporo, from January 1960 to September 1965 when Governor Dimaporo ran and won the congressional seat of the province. By operation of the law of succession, Vice Governor Arsenio A. Quibranza became the third Provincial Chief Executive of the province. By the mandate of the inhabitants, Governor Quibranza was elected Governor in 1967 and almost unanimously re-elected in 1971 and again in 1980.