The 1977 Southern Philippines autonomy plebiscite was a plebiscite to create an autonomous region (or two) held on April 17, 1977 in parts of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

and

Palawan Palawan (, ), officially the Province of Palawan (; ), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of . The capital and largest c ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Background

The Philippine national government and the

Moro National Liberation Front The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The MNLF was the organization most active in the Moro conf ...

signed the Tripoli Agreement which was brokered by

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

under

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...

on December 23, 1976 where it was agreed that an autonomous region in the southern Philippines would be created. The Philippine government insisted for a plebiscite to be held. Originally scheduled to be held on February 21, 1977, the plebiscite was delayed to March 17 of the same year. The vote was postponed again to April 17, 1977. The delay in the implementation caused tensions between the two parties. As a compromise, Gaddafi, the special envoy and First Lady

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitación Trinidad Romuáldez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who was First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power after her husband Ferdinand ...

came up with a proposal for the Philippine government to proclaim an autonomous region with a provisional government. On March 25, 1977, a provisional autonomous region known as Southern Philippines covering the areas under the scope of the then-planned plebiscite was declared. The

urged for a

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...

of the plebiscite. But voting was still held. Participants of the plebiscite voted in favor of autonomy for Western Mindanao (Region IX) and Central Mindanao (Region XII) while a proposal to merge the regions into one autonomous region was rejected.

Scope

The plebiscite covered the following areas:

Southern Tagalog Southern Tagalog (), designated as Region IV, was an administrative region in the Philippines that comprised the current regions of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, the province of Aurora in Central Luzon, and most of the National Capital Region. ...

– Region IV *

Western Mindanao – Region IX *

Basilan Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan (; ; ; ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Basilan Island is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago ...

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilaya' sin Lupa' Sūg''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago. It was part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamoro Autonomous R ...

Tawi-Tawi Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''; ), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capit ...

Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga del Sur ( Cebuano: ''Habagatang Zamboanga;'' Subanen: ''S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan''; , Jawi: سلاتن سامبواڠن; ), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located i ...

Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Norte (Cebuano language, Cebuano: ''Amihanang Zamboanga''; Subanon language, Subanon: ''Utara Sembwangan''; ), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines situated w ...

Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (; ; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Bagbenwa Sembwangan''; Sama–Bajaw languages, Sama: ''Lungsud Samboangan''; ; ; ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city i ...

Southern Mindanao – Region XI *

Davao del Sur Davao del Sur (; ), officially the Province of Davao del Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos. Davao City is the largest city in terms of area an ...

(excluding

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...

) *

South Cotabato South Cotabato, officially the Province of South Cotabato, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen Regions of the Philippines, region in Mindanao. Its capital is Koronadal (also the regional cen ...

Central Mindanao – Region XII *

Lanao del Sur Lanao del Sur (; Meranaw and ; Jawi ''(Batang Arab)'': ), officially the Province of Lanao del Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capital is the city of Marawi (th ...

Lanao del Norte Lanao del Norte ( Cebuano: ''Amihanang Lanao''; ; Maranao: ''Pangotaraan Ranao''), officially the Province of Lanao del Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province border ...

Maguindanao Maguindanao (; Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Magindanaw''; Iranun: ''Perobinsia a Magindanao''; ) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 to 2022, its provincial capital ...

North Cotabato Cotabato, formerly and still commonly referred to as North Cotabato and officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen region in Mindanao. Its capital is the city of Kidapawan, the ...

Sultan Kudarat Sultan Kudarat, officially the Province of Sultan Kudarat (; Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Sultan Kudarat'', Jawi Alphabet, Jawi: دايرت نو سولتان كودرت; ; Ilocano language, Ilocano: ''Probinsia ti Sultan Ku ...

Question

Results

and

rejected inclusion to the Regional Autonomous Government.

Of there being two autonomous regions

A yes vote meant there should be just one autonomous region, while a no vote meant the existing regional setup should then determine how many autonomous regions there should be.

Of the autonomous regions being controlled by the Philippine Government

On confirming the creation of Tawi-Tawi

Voters in

voted to confirm the creation of their province from

On confirming the division of Cotabato province

Voters in

, North Cotabato (now

Cotabato Cotabato, formerly and still commonly referred to as North Cotabato and officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Soccsksargen Regions of the Philippines, regi ...

) and

voted to confirm the division of the old province of Cotabato.

On confirming the conversion of City of Basilan to a province

Voters in

approved to confirm the conversion of their province from a city.

Aftermath

Two Regional Autonomous Governments (RAGs) in Western Mindanao and Central Mindanao were established which the MNLF protested since they prefer a single autonomous region. Furthermore voters from outside these regions rejected the inclusion of their localities to these autonomous areas.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Philippines plebiscite, 1977 1977 in the Philippines Regional plebiscites in the Philippines 1977 referendums 1977 elections in the Philippines Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos 20th century in Mindanao Autonomy referendums Elections in the Davao Region Elections in Mimaropa Elections in Soccsksargen Elections in the Zamboanga Peninsula