Zamboanga del Norte is the largest province of theZamboanga Peninsula region by land area covering 7,301.00 square kilometres (2,818.93 sq mi).[1] Zamboanga del Norte is the 26th populous province in the Philippines.
The name of Zamboanga is theHispanicized spelling of theSinama term for "mooring place" -samboangan (also spelledsambuangan; and inSubanen,sembwangan), from the root wordsamboang ("mooring pole"). "Samboangan" was the original name ofZamboanga City, from where the name of the peninsula is derived from.[3] "Samboangan" is well-attested in Spanish,[4] British,[5][6] French,[7][8] German,[9] and American[10] historical records from as far back as the 17th century.[4]
This is commonly contested byfolk etymologies which instead attribute the name of Zamboanga to theIndonesian wordjambangan (claimed to mean "place of flowers", but actually means "pot" or "bowl"), usually with claims that all ethnic groups in Zamboanga were "Malays". However, this name has never been attested in any historical records prior to the 1960s.[11]
The early history of Zamboanga del Norte is shared with that ofZamboanga City, which had been the center of the entireMindanao area, most notably during the American era. When Zamboanga City became a chartered city on October 12, 1936, it encompassed the southern tip of theZamboanga Peninsula and the island ofBasilan, making it the largest city in the world in terms of land area.
ThroughRepublic Act No. 711 issued on June 6, 1952, Zamboanga province was divided into two independent provinces, which included Zamboanga del Sur.[12]
The late 1960s in Mindanao saw a rise in land dispute conflicts arising from the influx of settlers from Luzon and Visayas,[13][14] and from theMarcos administration’s encouragement of militia groups such as theIlaga.[15][16] News of the 1968Jabidah massacre ignited a furor in the Moro community, and ethnic tensions encouraged with the formation of secessionist movements,[17] starting from the largely politicalMuslim Independence Movement andBangsamoro Liberation Organization, and eventually theMoro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and theMoro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).[16] Additionally, an economic crisis in late 1969, violent crackdowns on student protests in 1970, and 1971, and eventually the declaration of Martial Law all led to the radicalization of many students.[18] Many of them left schools in Manila and joined theNew People's Army "underground" in various provinces away from the capital, bringing theNew People's Army rebellion to Mindanao for the first time.[19]
The September 1972 declaration of Martial Law began a 14-year period historically remembered forits human rights abuses,[20][21] often involving the warrantless detention, murder, and physical, sexual, or mental torture of political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.[22] Zamboanga del Norte was the site of at least one major assassination during the Marcos Martial law era - the gunning down of Human Rights lawyersJacobo Amatong andZorro Aguilar by two soldiers ofthe Marcos government, who were never caught.[23][24][25] In the underground, a prominent figure who was killed was underground acupuncturist and paramedic Leo Alto, who spent much of his time helping theSubanon communities in Zamboanga del Norte to fight for their ancestral lands. Alto and a Subanon companion were killed by thePhilippine Constabulary inPolanco, Zamboanga del Norte on August 1, 1975.[26]
Alto, and lawyers Amatong and Aguilar have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines’Bantayog ng mga Bayani, which honors the heroes and martyrs who fought againstFerdinand Marcos and hismartial law regime.[23]
In 2023, a new House Bill 9311 proposed a creation of a new province,Zamboanga Occidental. The proposed province is supposed to include 12 municipalities: Leon B. Postigo, Salug, Godod, Liloy, Tampilisan, Kalawit, Labason, Gutalac, Baliguian, Siocon, Sirawai, and Sibuco.[29]
It has an average elevation of 243.8 metres (800 ft), with Mount Dabiak inKatipunan as the highest peak at 2,600 metres (8,500 ft). Other parts, near the coastlines, are plains. The province's irregular coastline runs some 400 kilometres (250 mi) from north to south.
Zamboanga del Norte has a mild and moderate climate due to evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. Its southern portion has a longer dry season.
Zamboanga del Norte comprises 25municipalities and 2cities. Dipolog, Sindangan, and Dapitan are the most densely populated areas in the province. These are further subdivided into 691barangays, and clustered into 3congressional districts.[30]
Sibuco is the largest municipality by land area, constituting10.72% (782.54 square kilometers) of the total provincial area, whileSindangan is the most populous municipality.Sibutad is the smallest, with0.90% (65.57 square kilometers).[30]
The population of Zamboanga del Norte in the 2020 census was 1,047,455 people,[35] with a density of 140 inhabitants per square kilometre or 360 inhabitants per square mile.Dipolog is the most populated locality in the province, followed by the town ofSindangan and city ofDapitan.
The predominant religion wasIslam until the Spanish regime took over the region and spreadChristianity with the help of the church's mission orders like theJesuits,Augustinians, andDominicans. The province's first martyr of faith, soon to be raised as a saint, inMindanao island was PadreFrancesco Palliola,S.J. He was a Jesuit missionary fromNola, Italy, and was assigned to Zamboanga Peninsula. He was active as a missionary in Lubungan (Katipuan), Zamboanga del Norte, Iligan, Dapitan, and met his martyrdom at the barrio of Ponot, now a town ofJose Dalman.Roman Catholicism is a significant majority with about 50% adherence. The province has one diocese – theRoman Catholic Diocese of Dipolog under theArchdiocese of Ozamis, covering the entire province. There are also followers of otherChristian sects.
About half of the province's land area is devoted toagriculture. Corn, coconut, and rice are the major crops. The province being rich in marine and mineral sources, its fish production has accelerated through the development of fishponds. Commercial fishing has steadily increased through the years, with the yellow fin tuna as the primary species.
In 2006, a study byNational Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB), found Zamboanga del Norte Province to be the Philippines' poorest province with apoverty incidence rate of 64.6%, an increase from 47% in year 2000 statistical figures.[45]
As of 2015, the province's poverty incidence has dropped to 51.6% (ranking 8th).[46] Large foreign mining companies operating within the province such as Canadian companyTVI Resource Development andPhilex Mining Corp. cause adverse effects to the culture and traditions of the indigenousSubanon and other poor settlers.[47][48][49]
Isagani Amatong - lawyer, Congressman of3rd District of Zamboanga del Norte (2013–present), former governor of Zamboanga del Norte (1986 - 1995; 1998 - 2004), and former City Councilor of Dipolog (1984 - 1986)
^ab"List of Provinces".PSGC Interactive. Makati, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived fromthe original on May 18, 2001. Retrieved8 August 2014.
^Challenger Expedition 1872-1876 (1895).Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76 Under the Command of Captain George S. Nares ... and the Late Captain Frank Tourle Thomson, R.N. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 823–828.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^abCite error: The named referenceMackerrasMackerras2003 was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
^George, T. J. S. (1980).Revolt in Mindanao : the rise of Islam in Philippine politics. Kuala Lumpur.ISBN0-19-580429-5.OCLC6569089.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Cite error: The named referenceRodis was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
^Miclat, Gus (2002). "Our Lives Were Never the Same Again". In Arguillas, Carolyn O. (ed.).Turning Rage Into Courage: Mindanao Under Martial Law. MindaNews Publications, Mindanao News and Information Cooperative Center.OCLC644320116.
^Abinales, P.N.; Amoroso, Donna J. (2005).State and society in the Philippines. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.ISBN978-0742510234.OCLC57452454.
^Fiel, Tito N. (12 November 2011)."Zamboanga del Norte ban on open-pit mining stands".Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer Mindanao. Retrieved19 April 2016.The provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte stands fast on its ban on open-pit mining and will fight in court the Canadian-mining company TVI Resources' efforts to have the ordinance declared unconstitutional.
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Province ofZamboanga del Norte
