Bacolod, Lanao del Norte

Bacolod, officially the Municipality of Bacolod (Maranao: Inged a Bacolod; Lungsod sa Bacolod; Bayan ng Bacolod), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,367 people. The town is home to an old Spanish fort, known as Fuerza de Bacolod, which is in dire need of proper conservation and faithful restoration by the National Museum of the Philippines.

Etymology
Bacolod in the Maranao language means "wide shore". When Maranaos and other people pass the area as they journey by sea, they will always see the shore along present-day Bacolod very wide during low tide, hence, they call the area "bacolod". It was once a mere barrio of the municipality of Kolambugan, the oldest town of the province of Lanao del Norte. This island is located at a point of an existing barangay called Binuni.

History
Before the Spanish colonization of the Philippine archipelago began, the majority people living in Bacolod were the Maranaos. According to the story from the old leaders, during Spanish colonial period some of the leaders from the interior areas of Lanao del Norte usually cross the beach of municipality of Kolambogan to the coastline of what is now Ozamis City by boat to kidnap people living in other side and make them as workers (personal helper), many of whom are Visayans. There was also a story that Mutia family in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental is originally came from interior areas in Lanao del Norte and even now still existing the story because of the great-great-great-grandfather of their great-great-grandfather of Mutia Families in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental lifted a small one piece of a forbidden book hanging in the center of the house and said to the children not to touch or even open the book. Soon when somebody opened the book they saw an unfamiliar writing that it is said to have written in Spanish, English, or even a language closer to Arabic.

During the American colonial period, under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) of the Commonwealth Government, there was a Philippine House of Representative proposal to invade the Island of Mindanao to use the some land to help the Philippine Government, and one of the opposition that time is Congressman Datu Salipada Khalid Pendatun. The proposal was approved and signed by President Manuel L. Quezon. The settlers compose of people from Luzon and Visayas who have various knowledgeable skill jobs such as farming, engineering, logging, construction, etc. • Some parts of Zamboanga

• Misamis Occidental

• Lanao Del Norte

• Misamis Oriental

• Some part of Surigao

• Some part of Davao

• Some Part of Cotabato

In Lanao del Norte, the transport of settlers was paacefully successful due to the smooth negotiations with the Maranao tribal leaders and landlords. As a welcome sign, the landlords donated a five-hectare plot of land to the settlers to start a new life. The family of settler worked to the landowners in the process, and as a gift since they are very good workers, the land lord gave the small piece of land. It is said that settlers trade goods to the landlord in exchange of lands. Some of landlords' sons marry the daughter of their workers which result and until the majority living in Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental has blood in Maranao Tribe (Muslim Blood).

On the hand, the settlement has going problem and conflict between Non-Muslim and Muslim when Martial Law is implemented.

Barangays
Bacolod is politically subdivided into 16 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios. • Alegria

• Babalaya

• Babalayan Townsite

• Binuni

• Delabayan West

• Demologan

• Demarao

• Esperanza

• Kahayag

• Liangan East

• Punod (Maliwanag)

• Mate

• Minaulon

• Pagayawan

• Poblacion

• Rupagan