| Zamboanga Peninsula | |||||
| Settlement Type: | Region | ||||
| Flag Size: | 120x80px | ||||
| Seal Size: | 100x80px | ||||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||||
| Subdivision Name: | Philippines | ||||
| Subdivision Type1: | Island group | ||||
| Subdivision Name1: | Mindanao | ||||
| Seat Type: | Regional center | ||||
| Seat: | Zamboanga City (until 2004) Pagadian (since 2004) | ||||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||||
| Timezone: | PST | ||||
| Utc Offset: | +8 | ||||
| Iso Code: | PH-09 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec1: | Provinces | ||||
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Independent cities | ||||
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Component cities | ||||
| Blank3 Name Sec1: | Municipalities | ||||
| Blank3 Info Sec1: | 67 | ||||
| Blank4 Name Sec1: | Barangays | ||||
| Blank4 Info Sec1: | 1,904 | ||||
| Blank5 Name Sec1: | Cong. districts | ||||
| Blank5 Info Sec1: | 8 | ||||
| Blank Name Sec2: | Languages | ||||
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | GDP (2023) | ||||
| Blank1 Info Sec2: | ₱531.7 billion $9.56 billion[1] | ||||
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Growth rate | ||||
| Blank2 Info Sec2: | (4.59%) | ||||
| Blank3 Name Sec2: | HDI | ||||
| Blank3 Info Sec2: | 0.665 | ||||
| Blank4 Name Sec2: | HDI rank | ||||
| Blank4 Info Sec2: | 16th in the Philippines (2019) | ||||
| Native Name: | Peninsula de Zamboanga Lawis sa Zamboanga | ||||
| Seat1 Type: | Largest city | ||||
| Seat1: | Zamboanga City | ||||
| Elevation Max Point: | Mount Pinukis | ||||
| Elevation Max Ft: | 5,026 | ||||
| Image Map1: |
| ||||
Zamboanga Peninsula (Cebuano: Lawis sa Zamboanga.; Peninsula de Zamboanga; Filipino; Pilipino: Tangway ng Zamboanga) is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IX. It consists of three provinces (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur) including four cities (Dapitan, Dipolog, Pagadian, Isabela) and the highly urbanized Zamboanga City. The region was previously known as Western Mindanao before the signing of Executive Order No. 36 of 2001. The city of Zamboanga was designated as the regional center until Pagadian was designated as its new regional center, although Zamboanga City remains the region's cultural, commercial, economic, and educational center.
During the ancient era, the Zamboanga peninsula was a vast territory home to various ethnic groups – the largest of which was the Subanen people. Later on, the southern coastal areas of the region were under the influence of the Javanese Majapahit Empire, although the empire never did conquer the area.
In the 14th century, the Sultanate of Sulu ruled the southwestern sections of the peninsula. By the late 15th century and early 16th century, Malay missionaries further spread Islam in the southern Philippines. Sharif Kabungsuwan, a Johore-born missionary of Malay and Arab descent established the Sultanate of Maguindanao, which the entire island of Mindanao is named after. The sultanate also occupied the entire island except present-day Caraga region, stretching from the Zamboanga Peninsula to Davao Oriental, while the Sultanate of Sulu lost its territories in Zamboanga. Maguindanao's sultans provided Mindanao fierce armed resistance against the Spanish occupation, especially under the lead of Muhammad Kudarat. They soon allied themselves with the Sulu sultanate. The Muslim natives of the region were collectively known as Moros by the Spanish, meaning "Moor", though the Iberian Moors and the Philippine Muslims had little cultural connection outside of following Islam. A large chunk of the Spanish–Moro conflict, the war between the Spanish and Mindanao's Muslim natives took place in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
In 1569 Zamboanga was chosen as the site of the Spanish settlement and garrison on La Caldera (now called Barrio Recodo). Zamboanga was one of the main strongholds in Mindanao, supporting colonizing efforts in the south of the island and making way for Christian settlements. It also served as a military outpost, protecting the island against foreign invaders and Moro pirates and their Chinese allies. The province, named and centered on Zamboanga City was partly founded by Peruvian soldiers brought by Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera.[2]
The Zamboanga Peninsula played a central role in the Spanish–Moro conflict. It was the site of constant battling between Spanish soldiers and Moro pirate raids. While the Spanish successfully established churches in the region, they suffered heavily at the hands of Moro raiders, and had to repeatedly withdraw from the region. While the Spanish achieved a tactical victory by launching several attacks against the Sultanate of Sulu, constant fighting and attacks persisted, giving the Moros a psychological victory.
After the United States annexed the Spanish East Indies in 1898, the peninsula hosted a briefly independent state called the Republic of Zamboanga. It was incorporated by the Insular Government into the Moro Province, which consisted of the central and western parts of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. The name and status of Moro Province were changed to the Department of Mindanao and Sulu on August 16, 1916, causing Zamboanga to become a separate province.
In 1942, the Zamboanga Peninsula along with the rest of the Philippine Islands was occupied by the Empire of Japan at the beginning of the Second World War. The Peninsula was liberated in 1945 by joint American and Philippine Commonwealth forces fighting against the Imperial Japanese Army.
On June 6, 1952, the province was partitioned into Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, while the chartered city of Zamboanga became part of Zamboanga del Sur.
Together with the Sulu Archipelago, the provinces that formerly made up Zamboanga Province were re-organised into Region IX by order of Presidential Decree No. 1 as part of the Integrated Reorganization Plan of President Ferdinand Marcos, that was signed on September 24, 1972.[3]
From 1975 to 1989, the old Region IX (Western Mindanao) was further divided into two sub-regions by Presidential Decree No. 8233 dated August 21, 1975.[4] Sub-Region IX-A consisted of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi with Jolo, Sulu, as the sub-regional center, while Sub-Region IX-B consisted of the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, with the chartered city of Zamboanga City as the sub-regional centre.
In 2001, Zamboanga Sibugay, was created from the province of Zamboanga del Sur with Ipil as the seat of government with the virtue of Republic Act No. 8973.
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 as a result of Executive Order No. 36 last until 2014 only.
In 2004, Pagadian officially became the Regional Center for Region IX- Zamboanga Peninsula, despite opposition from Zamboanga City, the former Regional Center.
In 1978, Presidential Decree No. 1555 transferred Region IX's regional center from Jolo, Sulu to Zamboanga City.[5]
Executive Order (EO) No. 429 was issued in 1990 by President Corazon Aquino which provided for the reorganization of the administrative regions in Mindanao. It declared that Western Mindanao would comprise Zamboanga City, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Basilan, and the cities comprising those provinces. It also declared that Pagadian City shall serve as the new regional center.[6]
In 1996, President Fidel Ramos issued EO No. 325 which reorganized the Regional Development Councils (RDCs). The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of EO No. 325 also declared Zamboanga City as the regional center in Western Mindanao.[7]
In 2001, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed EO No. 36 which reorganized and renamed Western Mindanao to Zamboanga Peninsula. It was silent on the issue of regional government centers.[8] Memorandum Circular No. 75, signed in 2004 by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, directed the transfer of regional offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian citing EO 429 as its legal basis.[9]
A moratorium on the transfer under Memorandum Circular No. 11 was issued on December 22, 2010, citing the high economic and social costs that the employees were experiencing in maintaining two residences and in fully transferring to Pagadian. It further directed all regional offices that are already in Pagadian to continue their operations.[10]
On March 3, 2011, the Regional Development Council IX endorsed Zamboanga City as the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula.[11] [12] This endorsement remains unacted to date.
National Economic and Development Authority Regional Director Arturo Valero stated that “even if Zamboanga City is not the regional center, the city will still grow” and that the city should better focus on being a commercial and industrial center.[13]
On June 30, 2020, Malacañang, under President Rodrigo Duterte, lifted Memorandum Circular No. 11 (issued by previous administration), allowing the remaining regional offices to transfer to Pagadian after almost 15 years. However, the departments of Trade and Industry, Tourism, and Labor and Employment will remain in Zamboanga City, being the region's center of commerce and industry.
On April 20, 2023, a Moratorium was imposed on the transfer of regional government offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City. The Dalipe Brothers have lobbied for the suspension, arguing that there is a need to reevaluate the implementation of the full transfer of the offices relative to the ongoing devolution of national government offices.
According to the Palace memorandum, the Moratorium also intends to provide an opportunity to study and re-assess the justifications for, as well as the implications of the transfer of regional offices to Pagadian City. Government agencies, it said, are enjoined to suspend the relocation of their regional offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City "pending the study of the political, economic, and social implications of said transfer."
"The regional offices that are already in Pagadian City shall continue to operate." The circular added. Dalipe said six regional government offices shall remain in Zamboanga City.[14]
Following the newly imposed moratorium, both Mayor Dalipe and Majority Leader Congressman Mannix Dalipe vowed to exhaust all measures to reverse the ongoing transfer and maintain Zamboanga City as the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula.[15]
The region is located on the western part of the island of Mindanao, that 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 of varying sizes. The peninsula is connected to the rest of Mindanao through an isthmus situated between Panguil Bay and Pagadian Bay. The region consists of the three Zamboanga provinces and the highly urbanized independent city of Zamboanga, and the boundary between the peninsula and mainland is artificially marked by the border between the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and Lanao del Norte. The province of Misamis Occidental occupies the northeast corner of the geographic peninsula, but is part of the Northern Mindanao administrative region, which also includes Misamis Oriental on the Mindanao mainland, formerly both part of pre-1929 Misamis (province) along the shores of Iligan Bay.
Zamboanga Peninsula comprises 3 Provinces; 1 independent, chartered and highly urbanized city; 3 component cities; 67 municipalities and 1,904 barangays.
| Province | Capital | Population | Area[16] | Density | Cities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km2 | sq mi | /km2 | /sq mi | ||||||
| Zamboanga del Norte | Dipolog City | 7300.11km2 | NaN1011393/7,300.11 | 2 | 25 | 691 | |||
| Zamboanga del Sur | Pagadian City | 4484.21km2 | NaN1010674/4,484.21 | 1 | 26 | 681 | |||
| Zamboanga Sibugay | Ipil | 3481.28km2 | NaN633129/3,481.28 | 0 | 16 | 389 | |||
| Zamboanga City | † | — | 1414.7km2 | NaN977234/1,414.70 | 1 | — | 98 | ||
| Isabela City | ‡ | — | 233.73km2 | NaN130379/233.73 | 1 | — | 45 | ||
| Total | 3,875,576 | 16,904.03 | 16904.03km2 | NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2 | 5 | 67 | 1,904 | ||
| width=140 | Province | width=150 | Image | width=235 | Governor | width=120 colspan=2 | Political Part | width=150 | Vice Governor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center | Rosalina Jalosjos | /APP | Julius Napigquit | ||||||
| align=center | Victor Yu | Roseller Ariosa | |||||||
| align=center | Dulce Ann Hofer | Rey Andre Olegario |
Dapitan is one of the two cities of Zamboanga del Norte. Known as the "Shrine City in the Philippines", this was where José Rizal, the national hero of the country, was exiled.[17] It is also known for the old St. James Parish and the beach resort of Dakak.
Dipolog, capital of Zamboanga del Norte, is known for their abundance of orchids, thus it is called "Orchid City of the South" or "Orchid City". They have their nature spots and historical spots, such as Dipolog Cathedral, Dipolog Boulevard, Cogon Park, Japanese Park, Plaza Magsaysay, the Sungkilaw Falls, and the 3,003 steps to Linabo Peak.
Isabela is a component city of the province of Basilan. Until 2017, it was the capital of the said province, since then, Basilan's government was moved to Lamitan. Isabela continues to be under the jurisdiction of Basilan for the administration of provincially devolved services and functions, but for regional and statistics purposes, the city is part of Zamboanga Peninsula, in contrast to the rest of Basilan which is under BARMM. Named after Queen Isabella II, Isabela was the southernmost outpost of the Spanish Empire in the Philippines until the fall of Jolo in 1878. It hosted a Spanish fort (later destroyed in World War II) since 1848, and was the primary naval base of the Spanish in Mindanao until 1899. The city serves as an entry point for trade and commerce of Basilan island.[18]
Pagadian is the capital of Zamboanga del Sur, as well as the region's administrative center. The city is known as the "Little Hong Kong of the South" because of its topographical feature that is reminiscent of Hong Kong. It also has an affluent Chinese community that officially celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year.[19]
Zamboanga City is the only highly urbanized city in the region. Geographically located at the southwestern tip of the peninsula, the city continues to be the economic and industrial center of the region, generating more than half of its economy. The city is the lone member of BIMP-EAGA in the Zamboanga Peninsula. It also has the largest airport and seaport and the city in the region with most investors.
| City | Population | Area | Density | City class | Province | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dapitan | 85,202 | 390.53km2 | NaN85202/390.53 | Component | Zamboanga del Norte | |
| Dipolog | 138,141 | 241.13km2 | NaN138141/241.13 | Component | Zamboanga del Norte | |
| Isabela | 130,379 | 140.7km2 | NaN130379/140.7 | Component | Basilan | |
| † Pagadian | 210,452 | 378.8km2 | NaN210452/378.80 | Component | Zamboanga del Sur | |
| Zamboanga City | 977,234 | 1414.7km2 | NaN977234/1,414.7 | Highly urbanized | Zamboanga del Sur |
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the first ever report of the Provincial Product Accounts (PPA) of Zamboanga Peninsula covering the period 2018 to 2022. The release covers three provinces, namely, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, as well as the cities of Zamboanga and Isabela.[20] The PPA results showed that in 2022, the city of Zamboanga accounted for 32.6 percent of the region's total economy, followed by Zamboanga del Norte with a share of 26.8 percent, Zamboanga del Sur with 23.7 percent, and Zamboanga Sibugay with 14.1 percent. Meanwhile, the city of Isabela recorded a 2.7 percent share.
In terms of growth rate, all economies in the region expanded in 2022, with Zamboanga Sibugay recording the fastest growth of 8.6 percent, followed by city of Zamboanga with a growth rate of 8.1 percent, both of which were higher than the region's economic growth of 7.5 percent. On the other hand, the city of Isabela, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur posted growth rates of 7.21 percent, 7.17 percent, and 6.5 percent, respectively.
The region 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 work. Dipolog is home to a number of Bottled Sardines Companies which are being exported abroad. Meanwhile, Dapitan is home to several tourist spots, such as Dakak Park and Beach Resort, Rizal Shrine, and Glorious Fantasyland, one of the very few amusement parks located in Mindanao.
While Pagadian is the region's new regional center, Zamboanga City’s economy remains to be the most robust and fastest growing in the region.[21] Zamboanga City also retains the title of being the commercial and industrial center of the region.[22] [23]
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.
The economic fulcrum of the region lies at the center of the peninsula that is the area connecting Ipil and Liloy. Along with its premiere towns of Sindangan and Molave, it has the fastest economic activity of the region. The 50-kilometer link between the north and the south would act as the main artery of economy in the region.
| Name | Location | Gross floor area | Opened | Status | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaisano Capital Pagadian | Rizal Avenue, Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur | 36,000m2 | 2008 | Operating | First Gaisano Capital in the region. |
| CityMall Tetuan | 15,344 m2 | 2015 | Operating | First CityMall in the region and in Zamboanga City. | |
| 162,000 m2 | 2015 | Operating | First KCC Mall and the largest mall in the region. | ||
| CityMall Dipolog | Sto. Filomena, Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte | 12,862 m2 | 2018 | Operating | First CityMall in Zamboanga del Norte. |
| SM City Mindpro | La Purisima Street, Zamboanga City | 59,383 m2 | 2020 | Operating | First SM mall in the region. Originally Mindpro Citimall, it was acquired by SM Prime Holdings last 2016. |
| Gaisano Grand Ipil | Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay | 42,340 m2 | 2023 | Operating | First Gaisano Grand mall in the region, and first national-scale mall in Zamboanga Sibugay. |
| Gaisano Capital Molave | Molave, Zamboanga del Sur | 11,000 m2 | TBD | On-hold | The second Gaisano Capital in Zamboanga del Sur and in the region. |
| Robinsons Pagadian | Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur | 57,221 m2 | 2024 | Under-construction | Set to become the first Robinsons mall in the region. |
| 30,814m2 | 2024 | Under-construction | The second CityMall in Zamboanga City, and the third in the region. Set to become the largest CityMall in the country. [24] | ||
| TBA | 2024 | Under-construction | The second SM Supermall in Zamboanga City and in the region. | ||
| Gaisano Grand Dipolog | Sto. Filomena, Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte | TBA | TBD | Under-construction | Set to become the first Gaisano Grand mall in Zamboanga del Norte. |