Pagadian
Pagadian, officially the City of Pagadian, is a component city and the capital of the province of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. It is the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula and the second-largest city in the region, after the independent city of Zamboanga. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 206,483 people. The city will be converted into a highly urbanized city by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1247, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte dated November 8, 2021, but shall take effect after the ratification in a plebiscite.
Pagadian began as stop-over for traders who plied the road between the old Spanish fort-town of Zamboanga on the southwestern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula and other bigger towns to the north of the old Zamboanga Province. Except for its sheltered bay and good fishing grounds, it was not a promising site because it is situated on steeply rolling terrain. In the course of its local history, waves of different kinds of people came to stay, and eventually called among themselves "Pagadianons".
The iconic symbol of Pagadian is its uniquely designed tricycle built to adopt to the city's hilly terrain. It is the only place in the Philippines with a public transport inclined at about 25-40° angle. In recent years, these iconic inclined public transport have been slowly being replaced by modernized tricycles that are locally called "bao-bao", a kind of auto rickshaw, due to the latter's fuel-efficiency, less noise and being environment-friendly due to its smoke-less emissions.
Etymology
The name "Pagadian" originates from a Subanen corruption of the Iranun or Maguindanao term padian, meaning "marketplace". The modern city of Pagadian was founded on the sitio of Talapukan, which in turn meant "a place where springs abound."History
Subanons (Early Historic Era)
The first known settlers in Pagadian were the Subanen people who established a coastal fishing and trading village. The settlers in what would later become Pagadian referred to themselves as "getaw Belengasa," or "from around the Balangasan River" to distinguish themselves from the nearby Subanen populations who were "getaw Dumenghilas", "getaw Sibuguey", or "getaw Thebed".Sultanate of Maguindanao
In the early 17th century, the coastal regions of Zamboanga del Sur were annexed by the Sultanate of Maguindanao under Muhammad Kudarat, leading to an influx of Maguindanao and Iranun settlers.Pagadian came under the local rule of Sultan Datu Akob, an Iranun datu whose daughter caught the fancy of Datu Macaumbang, also an Iranun from Malabang, Tukuran that is now part of Pagadian. He was the son of Sharif Apo Tubo who descended from the bloodline of Sharif Kabungsuwan, the first Sultan of the Maguindanao Sultanate. With the approval of Sultan Datu Akob, Datu Macaumbang married Bai Putri Panyawan Akob, the beautiful daughter of the Sultan of Pagadian and Royal Bai Putri of Raya.
Upon the death of Datu Akob also known as Datu Mimbalawag, his son-in-law, Datu Macaumbang assumed leadership; he established the territorial boundaries of the present city proper, from Balangasan River in the west of Tawagan Sur River in the east. Beyond the river of Tawagan Sur was the territory of Datu Balimbingan. At one time, Datu Macaumbang requested the assistance of the Philippine Constabulary due to the rampant banditry and piracy in the area. A detachment led by Col. Tiburcio Ballesteros stationed at Malangas landed at the place and stationed themselves at Dumagoc Island. The arrival of the soldiers restored peace and order, thereby attracting the influx of settlers from other places.
Christian settlement
The Spanish started sending Jesuit missionaries to Pagadian in 1642 in an attempt to Christianize the natives. But they had to abandon their mission in 1644 due to repeated Muslim raids.A group of Christian settlers arrived in 1927, led by Mariano Cabrera. On March 23, 1937, the town of Pagadian was established by the Executive Order No. 77 of President Manuel L. Quezon. Though using the original Subanen name, the town proper was established in the Muslim sitio of Talapukan.
The increasing Christian population prompted the creation of the Parish of Pagadian in 1938 and was administered by the Jesuits, Colombian and Filipino priests. Most of the settlers came from Cebu as evident on the veneration of the Santo Niño de Cebú. The original Santo Niño Church of Pagadian was right across the city plaza, on the site of the current San Jose Parish church. The present Santo Niño Cathedral is now located in San Francisco District and was built in 1968.
Pagadian Parish became a diocese on November 2, 1971, and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ozamis. Msgr. Jesus B. Tuquib served as the first bishop and was installed on February 24, 1973. At that time, the Columban Fathers took care of the apostolic services for the first 13 parishes in the newly formed diocese.
As of 2008, the Diocese of Pagadian had 24 parishes.
Under Margosatubig (1920s)
The present-day Pagadian had its beginnings as a sitio of Margosatubig. In July 1927, it became a barrio under the Municipal District of Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur upon the implementation of Executive Order no.70.Prewar Era (1930s)
The transfer the seat of the Labangan Government to Pagadian was made in 1934 through the efforts of Director Teofisto Guingona, Sr. who was commissioned by Philippine Governor-General Leonard Wood to find out the possibility of transferring the seat of government of the Labangan municipality to another place. A conference was first held, together with the Datus and the early Christian settlers as the idea of the transfer was at first largely opposed by the Christians. Eventually, a consensus was reached when the designated committee led by Datu Balimbingan of Labangan and with the consent of Datu Macaumbang surveyed the western part of the present area and found Talpokan, a part of the barrio of Pagadian, deemed as a suitable place for such transfer. At the same time, Datu Macaumbang donated 260 hectares of land to Christians who were willing to transfer to the area.On March 23, 1937, Pagadian became a municipality through Executive Order 77 due to the eager initiative of then Assemblyman Juan S. Alano, with the Jose Sanson appointed as acting mayor. Norberto Bana Sr. was elected as the first officially elected municipal mayor after the regular elections. The Municipality of Pagadian was formed by merging the municipal districts of Labangan and Dinas, as a result, making Labangan a district under its former barrio. The newly created town had 19 barangays or districts. In 1950, the barrios of Dinas, Legarda, Mirapao, Migpulao, Kalipapa, Pisaan, Bubway, Tiniguangan, Tabina, and Dimataling, which were under the Municipality of Pagadian, were incorporated into the newly created town of Dimataling. In the same manner, the barrios of Dumalinao Proper, Begong, Nilo, Tigbao, Ticwas, Balongating, Baguitan, Pantad, Napolan, Tagulo, Camanga, Maragang, Sibucao, Tina, Guling, Miculong, Baga, Rebucon, and Mambilik were constituted into Dumalinao in 1956.
During World War II
Pagadian was occupied by Japanese troops during World War II. From November 5 to 20, 1944, the combined American and Filipino troops attempted to take the town from the Japanese. Sixteen Japanese soldiers were killed, but they remained in possession of Pagadian.The establishment of the general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the Philippine Constabulary were stationed in Pagadian and active from November 21, 1944, to June 30, 1946, during and in the aftermath of World War II, including the military operations and engagements against the Japanese and liberated areas in Mindanao from November 21, 1944, to August 15, 1945.
1950s to the 1970s and the Martial Law Years
On June 6, 1952, Congressman Roseller T. Lim authored R.A. 711 dividing Zamboanga into two provinces - Norte and Sur then three months after, on September 17, 1952, it became the capital town of the newly established province of Zamboanga del Sur. Pagadian became a chartered city through R.A. 5478 on June 21, 1969, becoming the third city in the Zamboanga Peninsula.On August 16, 1976, the city was one of the hardest hit areas in the Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami of 1976, considered as the most devastating tsunami in the Philippines in recent times. Pagadian was the major city in the area that was struck by both the earthquake and tsunami and sustained the greatest number of casualties.
The 1970s brought a period of numerous concurrent conflicts on the island of Mindanao, including Pagadian and Zamboanga del Sur. This included land dispute conflicts arising from the influx of settlers from Luzon and the Visayas, and from the Marcos administration’s encouragement of militia groups such as the Ilaga. News of the 1968 Jabidah massacre ignited a furor in the Moro community, and ethnic tensions encouraged with the formation of secessionist movements. 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. Many of them left schools in Manila and joined New People's Army units in their home provinces, bringing the Marxist-Leninist Maoist armed conflict to Mindanao for the first time.
The September 1972 declaration of Martial Law began a 14-year period historically remembered for its human rights abuses, 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. In Zamboanga del Sur, these were often attributed to military-endorsed militias, which included the Ilaga and a number of armed cult groups, which were used to enhance the military's numbers as it fought various resistance movements. Within Pagadian itself, documented human rights violations directly associated with the Philippine Constabulary included the killing of political prisoners at the Pagadian City Jail, while incidents of violence associated with the militias and armed cult groups included violence during the leadup to the 1981 Philippine presidential election and referendum, and the killing of civilians at checkpoints, including that of Catholic church worker Mateo Olivar at a checkpoint in Barangay Labangan, sparking local outrage in the Pagadian parish. Olivar would eventually be honored as a martyr of the resistance against the dictatorship at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani memorial.