After the United States annexed the Spanish East Indies in 1898,
Zamboanga was briefly independent as the Republic of Zamboanga.
It became a part of the Moro Province, which consisted of Mindanao
and the Sulu Archipelago. The name and status of Moro province
soon changed to the Department of Mindanao and Sulu on August
16, 1916, that caused Zamboanga to become a province.
On 1942, the occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces taken in
On 1945, the liberation at Zamboanga Peninsula by defenders of
the Philippine and United States forces against the Japanese
Imperial forces during the World War II.
On June 6, 1952, the province was divided into two provinces,
Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, while the chartered
City of Zamboanga became an independent city.
Together with the Sulu Archipelago, the provinces that formerly
made up Zamboanga province were organized into Region IX by order
of Presidential Decree No. 1 as part of the Integrated Reorganization
Plan of President Ferdinand Marcos.
Between 1975 to 1989 the old Region IX (Western Mindanao) was
divided into two sub-regions by Presidential Decree No. 773 dated
August 21, 1975.
Sub-Region IX-A consisted of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi with
Jolo, Sulu as the sub-regional center.
Sub-Region IX-B consisted of the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte
and Zamboanga del Sur, with the chartered city of Zamboanga City
as the sub-regional center.
In 2001, Zamboanga Sibugay, was created from the province of
Zamboanga del Sur with Ipil as the seat of government.
In the same year, the residents of Basilan opted to join the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in a plebiscite.
However, the citizens of the capital, Isabela, did not want to
join so the city remained a part of this region with the as a
result of Executive Order No. 36.
In 2004, Pagadian officially became the Regional Center for Region
IX- Zamboanga Peninsula, despite opposition from Zamboanga City,
the former Regional Center.
Zamboanga Peninsula lies between the Moro Gulf, part of the Celebes
Sea, and the Sulu Sea. Along the shores of the peninsula are
numerous bays and islands. Its territory consists of the three
Zamboanga provinces and Zamboanga City, as well as the Northern
Mindanao province of Misamis Occidental. The peninsula is connected
to the main part of Mindanao through an isthmus situated between
Panguil Bay and Pagadian Bay. The boundary between the peninsula
and the mainland is artificially marked by the border between
the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and Lanao del Norte.
The region has vast forest resources and previously used to export
logs, lumber, veneer and plywood. Mineral deposits include gold,
chromite, coal, iron, lead, and manganese. Among its non-metallic
reserves are coal, silica, salt, marble, silica sand, and gravel.
Its fishing grounds are devoted to commercial and municipal fishing.
It has also aqua farms for brackish water and freshwater fishes.
Zamboanga del Norte
Zamboanga del Sur
Zambaoanga Peninsula has five cities: Dipolog City, Dapitan City,
Isabela City, Pagadian City, and the highly-urbanized city of
Zamboanga. Isabela City is a part of the island-province of Basilan
to the south of the peninsula.
The city of Zamboanga serve as the centers of trade, commerce,
industry and education in the region. while the cities of Dipolog
and Pagadian are on the list.
Zamboanga City, known for its old Spanish fort, Fort Pilar. A
tourist destination besides being considered as Highly Urbanized
and Independent city in the region. It is also known as the third
older charter city in the Philippines.
In 2006, Zamboanga City was re-labeled from "City of Flowers"
to "Asia's Latin City". The new label is the brainchild
of Mayor. Celso L. Lobregat believing that this was a more relevant
and significant label given the fact that the people of Zamboanga
speak Chavacano, a local dialect composed of Eighty percent (80%)
Spanish words and the remaining Twenty percent (20%) a mixture
of other local dialects such as Visayan, Ilonggo, Subanon, Yakan
The City of Dapitan is also known as the "Shrine City in
the Philippines" because the place where Jose Rizal, the
National Hero, was exiled. It is also known for the old St. James
Parish and the beautiful beach resort of Dakak. The city continues
to exude an atmosphere of primeval charm amidst a growing presence
of modern-day sophistication.
The City of Dipolog is also known as the "Gateway to Western
Mindanao" and "Orchid City" of the Philippines
and the "Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines."
Peace-loving and genial Dipolognons proudly celebrate their rich
culture and colorful history. It is a city whose rich natural
wonders beckon everyone to its natural shores.
The City of Pagadian is also known as the "Little Hongkong
of the South" because of its topographical feature that
is reminiscent of Hongkong, China. It also has an affluent Chinese
community that officially celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year.
The city of Pagadian is the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula.
Isabela City is a component city and capital of the province
of Basilan. Isabela City continues be under the jurisdiction
of Basilan for the administration of provincially-devolved services
and functions. But for the administration of regional services,
the city is part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region despite the
rest of Basilan being under the authority of the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao.
It has the first export-processing zone in Mindanao. Farming
and fishing are the main economic activities of the region. It
also has rice and corn mills, oil processing, coffee berry processing
and processing of latex from rubber. Its home industries include
rattan and furniture craft, basket making, weaving and brass
Zamboanga Peninsula has a total land area of 14,138 square kilometers
and has a population size of 2,831,412 in 2000 with a population
growth rate of 1.97%.
The Region is Mindanao's front door to EAGA with Zamboanga City
serving as main portal to and from EAGA member-countries. Due
to this, the city could well become one of EAGA's major trading
centers. Zamboanga Peninsula's coastline measures an estimated
700 kilometers or about 43 percent of Mindanao's total coastline.
Major sea products of the region include tuna, herring sardines,
anchovies and mackerel. Shrimps, prawns, lobsters, crabs, squid
and cuttlefish also abound.
The region is blessed with numerous tourist attractions. Besides
many enchanting islands and islets, there are cultural and historical
shrines as well as exotic scenic spots and pristine beaches.
Among these are Santa Cruz Island, Vista del Mar, Zamboanga Golf
and Country Club, and Dakak Beach Resort. Vintas (slim boats)
with colorful sails and a number of beautiful mosques are just
a few of its ethnic attractions. Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City,
a walled fortification built by the Spaniards and the Shrine
of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the Philippine national hero, in Dapitan
City, are a must-see for historical buffs. Another well-known
visitors' haven is the Barter Trade Center where goods from neighboring
countries Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Japan can
be bought at cheap prices.
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