Zamboanga del Norte (
Cebuano: ''Amihanang Zamboanga'';
Subanon: ''Utara Sembwangan''; tl, Hilagang Zamboanga), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, is a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
situated within the
Zamboanga Peninsula region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. Its capital is
Dipolog and the province borders
Zamboanga del Sur and
Zamboanga Sibugay to the south,
Misamis Occidental
Misamis Occidental ( ceb, Kasadpang Misamis; Subanen: ''Sindepan Mis'samis''; fil, Kanlurang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Occidental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital is th ...
to the east, and the
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body o ...
to the west.
Zamboanga del Norte is the largest province of the
Zamboanga Peninsula region by land area covering .
Zamboanga del Norte is the 26th populous province in the Philippines.
History
Early history
Prior to its creation as a province, Zamboanga del Norte formed the northern portion of the
historical province of Zamboanga.
The early history of Zamboanga del Norte is shared with that of
Zamboanga City, which had been the center of the entire
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
area, most notably during the American era. When Zamboanga City became a chartered city on October 12, 1936, it encompassed the southern tip of the
Zamboanga Peninsula and the island of
Basilan, making it the largest city in the world in terms of land area.
Creation as a Province
Through ''Republic Act No. 711'' issued on June 6, 1952, Zamboanga province was divided into two independent provinces, which included Zamboanga del Sur.
Martial law era
Zamboanga del Norte was the site of at least one major assassination during the Marcos Martial law era - the gunning down of Human Rights lawyers
Jacobo Amatong
Jacobo Sybico Amatong (October 11, 1936 – September 24, 1984) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and newspaper publisher from the province of Zamboanga del Norte. He was best known for founding the Mindanao Observer, a community newspaper which ...
and
Zorro Aguilar
Zorro Campos Aguilar (August 7, 1942 - September 23, 1984) was a Dipolog City-based Filipino human rights lawyer, activist, and newspaper editor best known for his work with the Free Legal Assistance Group, and the Zamboanga del Norte chapter of ...
by two soldiers of
the Marcos government, who were never caught.
Both lawyers 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 against
Ferdinand Marcos and his
martial law regime.
Proposed carving out of new province
In 2017, House Bill No. 5040 was introduced in the
House of Representatives seeking to carve out a new province from Zamboanga del Norte. The proposed Zamboanga Hermosa province was to consist of 12 municipalities and 2 legislative districts that make up the
3rd legislative district of Zamboanga del Norte:
Baliguian,
Godod,
Gutalac,
Kalawit,
Labason,
Leon B. Postigo,
Liloy (its proposed capital),
Salug,
Sibuco,
Siocon,
Sirawai, and
Tampilisan. However, the bill ultimately did not pass the 17th congress.
Geography
Zamboanga del Norte covers a total area of occupying the northern portion of the
Zamboanga Peninsula in western
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. The province is bordered on the north and west by the
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body o ...
, on the northeast by
Misamis Occidental
Misamis Occidental ( ceb, Kasadpang Misamis; Subanen: ''Sindepan Mis'samis''; fil, Kanlurang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Occidental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital is th ...
, and on the south by
Zamboanga del Sur and
Zamboanga Sibugay.
It has an average elevation of , with Mount Dabiak in
Katipunan as the highest peak at . Other parts, near the coastlines, are plains. The province's irregular coastline runs some from north to south.
Climate
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.
Administrative divisions
Zamboanga del Norte comprises 25
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
and 2
cities. Dipolog City,
Sindangan
Sindangan, officially the Municipality of Sindangan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Sindangan; Subanen: ''Benwa Sindangan''; Chavacano: ''Municipalidad de Sindangan''; tl, Bayan ng Sindangan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte ...
and Dapitan City are the top most densely populated area in the province These are further subdivided into 691
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...
s, and clustered into 3
congressional districts
Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...
.
Sibuco is the largest municipality by land area, constituting of the total provincial area.
Sibutad is the smallest, with .
Demographics
The population of Zamboanga del Norte in the 2020 census was 1,047,455 people, with a density of .
Dipolog is the most populated locality in the province, followed by the town of
Sindangan
Sindangan, officially the Municipality of Sindangan ( ceb, Lungsod sa Sindangan; Subanen: ''Benwa Sindangan''; Chavacano: ''Municipalidad de Sindangan''; tl, Bayan ng Sindangan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte ...
and city of
Dapitan.
The main language spoken is
Cebuano. Other languages include
Chavacano
Chavacano or Chabacano is a group of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speaker ...
,
Subanon,
Tagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...
, and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
.
Religion
The predominant religion was
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
until the Spanish regime took over the region and spread
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
with the help of the church's mission orders like the
Jesuits
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
,
Augustinians, and
Dominicans. The province's first martyr of faith, soon to be raised as a saint, in
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
island was Padre
Francesco Palliola
Francesco Palliola, SJ (May 10, 1612 – January 29, 1648) was an Italian Jesuit priest and missionary in Mindanao, Philippines. Due to his missionary work and faith healings, the Diocese of Dipolog opened a cause for martyrdom on January 6, ...
,
S.J. He was a Jesuit missionary from
Nola, 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 of
Jose Dalman.
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
is a significant majority with about 50% adherence. The province has one diocese – the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dipolog under the
Archdiocese of Ozamiz, covering the entire province. There are also followers of other
Christian sects.
Government
Officials
These are the officials after the
local elections of 2022:
Governor: Rosalina "Nene" G. Jalosjos (
Nacionalista)
Vice Governor: Julius C. Napigquit (
PDP–Laban
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party alliance from 1986 to 1992 under the administrat ...
)
Members of the House of Representatives:
*
1st District:
Rep. Romeo "Jon-jon" M. Jalosjos, Jr. (
Nacionalista/
APP/
HNP)
*
2nd District:
Rep. Glona G. Labadlabad (
PDP–Laban
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party alliance from 1986 to 1992 under the administrat ...
)
*
3rd District:
Rep. Adrian Michael "Ian" A. Amatong (
LP)
Board Members
* 1st District:
** Angelica "Angel" Jalosjos Carreon
** Patri "Jing" Bajamunde - Chan
* 2nd District:
** Peter Y. Co
** Jasmin N. Pinsoy-Lagutin
** Dante G. Bagarinao
** Michael "Jojo" M. Documento, Jr.
* 3rd Drstrict:
** Kay Marie P. Bolando
** Leo Nicanor B. Mejorada
** Franco Angelo "Conkee" C. Buctuan
** Jeff Raymund "JR" M. Brillantes
Economy
About half of the province's land area is devoted to
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
. 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 by
National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB), found Zamboanga del Norte Province to be the Philippines' poorest province with a
poverty incidence rate of 64.6%, an increase from 47% in year 2000 statistical figures.
As of 2015, the province's poverty incidence has dropped to 51.6% (ranking 8th).
Large foreign mining companies operating within the province such as Canadian company
TVI Resource Development and
Philex Mining Corp. cause adverse effects to the culture and traditions of the indigenous
Subanon and other poor settlers.
References
External links
*
*
Old website of the Province of Zamboanga del NorteDaily Zamboanga Times
{{Authority control
Provinces of the Philippines
Zamboanga Peninsula
States and territories established in 1952
1952 establishments in the Philippines