', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people. Glan is located on the west by Sarangani Bay, on the north by Davao Occidental, and on the south by the Celebes Sea. It is largely based on agriculture with a high level production of copra. Aquaculture is the second biggest income earner, notably milkfish and shrimps culture. Other agricultural products are coconuts, maize, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, pork, eggs, beef, and fish. The economy has accelerated in the past decade driven by advances in global communication technology and the finishing of a modern highway that tremendously improved trade and transport. The municipality is classified as he "heritage town" by cultural conservationists, including members of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts due to the many well-preserved ancestral houses and heritage structures within the municipality. The Heritage Conservation Society suggested an ordinance, similar to the ordinance in Vigan, that would protect Glan's heritage houses and aesthetics in 2014 for centuries to come. Some conservationists have also suggested for the town's inclusion in the Philippines tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Site enlistment.
History
In the classical era, Glan used to be a vast rainforest zone, home to the B'laan and Menuvu Ubo ethnic groups. When Islam arrived in the 13th century in Maguindanao, a surge of migrants arrived, namely the Magindanawon who were part of the newly established Sultanate of Maguindanao and the T'boli people who were fleeing from the Muslims. Glan became a concoction of these four ethno-linguistic groups for centuries until the total collapse of the Sultanate of Maguindanao. When the Spaniards arrived, they established numerous ancestral houses in Glan and used the area as a base against Muslim pirates from the west and south. Much of the indigenous groups did not support the Spanish, but were forced to make labor in fear of guns and cannons used by the Spanish. Eventually, the Americans came after the American-Spanish War. The Americans imposed the entire island of Maguindanao as a single province. Glan became a strategic location in the south until World War II. After the surrender of all regular forces in the Philippines in 1942, Glan was apparently not occupied for some time by the Japanese. On May 2, 1943, 170 Japanese and supporting forces landed. These landings were fiercely contested by guerrilla forces, who, outnumbered and outgunned, retreated from the area. When the Americans left and the Philippine Republic was established, a continuous surge of Sebwano migrants from the Visayas poured in Glan, especially during the martial law era. The migration was used by the government to curb any form of secession from indigenous groups in Mindanao. The migration stopped after the People Power Revolution that restored democracy in the Philippines. Glan today is classified as a heritage town by numerous Filipino culture experts.
Barangays
Glan is politically subdivided into 31 barangays.
Climate
Demographics
Heritage Town
The municipality is classified by members of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as a heritage town. However, no ordinance or law has yet to be legislated for protection of Glan's heritage structures and colonial roads. A Vigan-type ordinance has been suggested by the Heritage Conservation Society, so that the town may be added to the Philippines UNESCO Tentative List in the future.
