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{{Short description|Highly Urbanized City In the Philippines}}
{{About|the Philippine city|other uses|Zamboanga (disambiguation){{!}}Zamboanga}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = {{PH wikidata|name}}
| official_name = {{PH wikidata|official_name}}
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| perrow = 1/2/2/2
| image1 =
Zamboanga City Hall, Rizal Park (NS Valderosa, Zamboanga City; 10-06-2023).jpg
| alt1 = Zamboanga City Hall frontal view
| caption1 = Zamboanga City Hall
| image2 = Zamboanga Cathedral (La Purisima, Zamboanga City; 10-06-2023).jpg
| alt2 = Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
| caption2 = [[Zamboanga Cathedral]]
| image3 =
Plaza Pershing (Don Pablo Lorenzo, Zamboanga City; 04-17-2024).jpg
| alt3 = View of Downtown Zamboanga from Above in 2023
| caption3 = Plaza Pershing
| image4 = Isla Great Santa Cruz53.JPG
| alt4 = Photo of a Pink Coral at Great Santa Cruz Island
| caption4 = [[Great Santa Cruz Island]]
| image5 = Pasonanca Natural Park.jpg
| alt5 = Pasonanca Natural Park, an ASEAN Heritage Park
| caption5 = [[Pasonanca Natural Park]]
| image6 =
Fort Pilar Shrine (NS Valderoza, Zamboanga City; 10-07-2023).jpg
| alt6 = Pasonanca Natural Park, an ASEAN Heritage Park
| caption6 = [[Fort Pilar|Fort Pilar Shrine]]
| image7 =
Taluksangay Mosque (Zamboanga City; 10-12-2023).jpg
| alt7 = Pasonanca Natural Park, an ASEAN Heritage Park
| caption7 = [[Taluksangay Mosque]]
}}
| image_flag = File:Flag of Zamboanga.jpg
| flag_size = 120x80px
| image_seal = Seal of Zamboanga City.png
| seal_size = 100x80px
| image_map = {{PH wikidata|image_map}}
| map_caption = {{PH wikidata|map_caption}}
| image_map1 = {{hidden begin|title=OpenStreetMap|ta1=center}}{{Infobox mapframe|frame-width=250|zoom=8}}{{hidden end}}
| pushpin_map = Philippines
| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the {{PH wikidata|country}}
| coordinates = {{PH wikidata|coordinates}}
| settlement_type = {{PH wikidata|settlement_type}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Philippines
| subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of the Philippines|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = {{PH wikidata|region}}
| subdivision_type2 = [[Provinces of the Philippines|Province]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Zamboanga del Sur]] ({{small|statistically only}})
| etymology =
| named_for = <!--named after (if person or place)-->
| nickname = City of Flowers<ref name="southerngateway">{{Cite news |last=Jacinto |first=Al |date=September 25, 2006 |title=Philippines' Southern Gateway Wants to Be Known as 'Asia's Latin City' |language=en |work=Arab News |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/289457 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref><br />Asia's Latin City<ref name="southerngateway" /><br />Sardines Capital of The Philippines<ref name="southerngateway" />
| motto = Build Back Better Zamboanga
| anthem = ''Zamboanga Hermosa''
(Beautiful Zamboanga)
| subdivision_type3 = [[House of Representatives of the Philippines#District representation|District]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Legislative districts of Zamboanga City|1st (West Coast) and 2nd (East Coast) districts of Zamboanga City]]
| established_title = [[Date of establishment|Founded]]
| established_date = June 23, 1635
| established_title1 = Chartered
| established_date1 = October 12, 1936
| established_title2 = Cityhood
| established_date2 = February 26, 1937
| established_title3 = Highly urbanized city
| established_date3 = November 22, 1983
| parts_type = [[Barangay]]s
| parts_style = para
| p1 = {{PH barangay count | {{wikidata|label|raw}} }} (see [[#Barangays|Barangays]])
| leader_title = [[Mayor of Zamboanga City|Mayor]]
| leader_name = Khymer Adan Taing Olaso ([[Nacionalista Party|NP]])
| leader_title1 = [[Vice Mayor]]
| leader_name1 = [[Beng Climaco]] (AZAP)
| leader_title2 = [[House of Representatives of the Philippines#Current composition|Representatives]] <!--congressman or congresswoman -->
| leader_name2 = {{PH Town Council
| title = [[House of Representatives of the Philippines#Current composition|List]] <!--congressman or congresswoman-->
| frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
| list_style = text-align:left;display:none;white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;font-size:95%;
| 10 = <div style="border-style:solid none;border-width:thin;border-color:black Gainsboro;background-color:#e6e6e6;text-align:center;font-variant:small-caps;">1st LegDist (Costa Oeste)</div>
| 11 = Katrina Reiko Chua Tai (IND)
| 20 = <div style="border-style:solid none;border-width:thin;border-color:black Gainsboro;background-color:#e6e6e6;text-align:center;font-variant:small-caps;">2nd LegDist (Costa Este)</div>
| 21 = Jerry Evangelista Perez ([[AZAP]])
}}
| leader_title3 = [[Sangguniang Panlungsod|City Council]]
| leader_name3 = {{PH Town Council
| 1 = <div style="border-style:solid none;border-width:thin;border-color:Gainsboro;background-color:#e6e6e6;text-align:center;width:95%;font-variant:small-caps;"></div>
| frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
| list_style = text-align:left;display:none;white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;max-width:100%;font-size:95%;
| 2 = <div style="border-style:solid none;border-width:thin;border-color:black Gainsboro;background-color:#e6e6e6;text-align:center;font-variant:small-caps;">1st District</div>
| 3=Melchor Rey K. Sadain
| 4=Joselito A. Macrohon
| 5=Vicente M. Guingona
| 6=Joel Esteban
| 7=Vladimir Jimenez
| 8=El King K. Omaga
| 9=Elbert C. Atilano Sr.
| 10=Gian Paolo U. Enriquez
| 11 = <div style="border-style:solid none;border-width:thin;border-color:black Gainsboro;background-color:#e6e6e6;text-align:center;font-variant:small-caps;">2nd District</div>
| 12=James P. Siason
| 13=Benjamin B. Guingona IV
| 14=Jihan El Rebollos Edding
| 15=Kimberly Anne D. Villaflores
| 16=Rolando Navarro Jr.
| 17=Hannah H. Nuño
| 18=Frederick N. Atilano
| 19=Rey B. Bayoging
}}
| leader_title4 = [[Elections in the Philippines#Qualification|Electorate]]
| leader_name4 = {{PH wikidata|electorate}} voters ([[Philippine general election, {{PH wikidata|electorate_point_in_time}}|{{PH wikidata|electorate_point_in_time}}]])
| government_type = {{PH wikidata|government_type}}
| government_footnotes = {{thinsp}}<ref>{{DILG detail}}</ref>
| elevation_m = {{PH wikidata|elevation_m}}
| elevation_max_m = 1358
| elevation_min_m = 0
| elevation_max_rank =
| elevation_min_rank =
| elevation_footnotes = {{PH wikidata|elevation_footnotes}}
| elevation_max_footnotes =
| elevation_min_footnotes =
| area_rank = [[Cities of the Philippines|3rd (city)]]
| area_footnotes = {{PH area}}
| area_total_km2 = 1,453.27
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2024Popcen">{{Citation |last=Philippine Statistics Authority |title=Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City, and Municipality |date=c. 2024 |url=https://psa.gov.ph/system/files/phcd/3_Table%20B%20-%20Population%20and%20Annual%20PGR%20by%20Province%2C%20City%2C%20and%20Municipality%20-%20By%20Region%20-%20rev_0.xlsx|type=Tables |publisher=Philippine Statistics Authority |format=XLSX |mode=cs1}}</ref>
| population_total = {{PH wikidata|population_total}}
| population_urban = 2,100,000
| population_metro = 4,710,000 (Regional)
| population_as_of = {{PH wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_blank1_title = [[Household]]s
| population_blank1 = {{PH wikidata|household}}
| population_blank2_title =
| population_blank2 =
| population_demonym = [[Zamboangueño people|Zamboangueño]] (Major Ethnicity)
| population_rank = 6th
| population_note =
| timezone = [[Philippine Standard Time|PST]]
| utc_offset = +8
| postal_code_type = [[List of ZIP codes in the Philippines|ZIP code]]
| postal_code = 7000
| postal2_code_type = {{PSGCstyle}}
| postal2_code = {{PSGC detail}}
| area_code_type = {{areacodestyle}}
| area_code = {{PH wikidata|area_code}}
| website = {{official website|url=https://zamboangacity.gov.ph/}}
| demographics_type1 = Economy
| demographics1_title1 = [[Gross domestic product]] (GDP)
| demographics1_info1 = ₱151.33 billion (2024)<ref name="gdpzambocity2024">{{Cite web|title=City of Zamboanga Accounts for One-Third of Zamboanga Peninsula's Economy; Zamboanga Sibugay Posts the Fastest Growth with 8.6 Percent |url=https://rsso09.psa.gov.ph/index.php/city-zamboangas-economy-grows-49-percent-2024=2023-12-09|website=[[Philippine Statistics Authority]]}}</ref><br />
$2.61 billion (2024)<ref name="imfdec2024phptousd">{{Cite web|title=PH₱56.598 per dollar (per International Monetary Fund on Representative Exchange Rates for Selected Currencies for December 2022)|url=https://www.imf.org/external/np/fin/data/rms_mth.aspx?SelectDate=2022-12-31&reportType=REP|access-date=2023-12-09|website=[[IMF]]}}</ref>
| demographics1_title2 = {{PH wikidata|income_class_title}}
| demographics1_info2 = {{PH wikidata|income_class}}
| demographics1_title3 = [[Measuring poverty|Poverty incidence]]
| demographics1_info3 = {{PH wikidata|poverty_incidence}}% ({{PH wikidata|poverty_incidence_point_in_time}}){{PH wikidata|poverty_incidence_footnotes}}
| demographics1_title4 = [[Revenue]]
| demographics1_info4 = {{PH wikidata|revenue}} {{PH wikidata|revenue_point_in_time}}
| demographics1_title5 = [[Asset]]s
| demographics1_info5 = {{PH wikidata|assets}} {{PH wikidata|assets_point_in_time}}
| demographics1_title6 = Assets rank
| demographics1_info6 =
| demographics1_title7 = [[Internal Revenue Allotment|IRA]]
| demographics1_info7 =
| demographics1_title8 = IRA rank
| demographics1_info8 =
| demographics1_title9 = [[Expenditure]]
| demographics1_info9 = {{PH wikidata|expenditure}} {{PH wikidata|expenditure_point_in_time}}
| demographics1_title10 = [[Liability (financial accounting)|Liabilities]]
| demographics1_info10 = {{PH wikidata|liabilities}} {{PH wikidata|liabilities_point_in_time}}
| demographics_type2 = Service provider
| demographics2_title1 = [[List of electric distribution utilities in the Philippines|Electricity]]
| demographics2_info1 = {{PH electricity distribution | {{wikidata|label|raw}} }}
| demographics2_title2 = Water
| demographics2_info2 =
| demographics2_title3 = Telecommunications
| demographics2_info3 =
| demographics2_title4 = Cable TV
| demographics2_info4 =
| demographics2_title5 =
| demographics2_info5 =
| demographics2_title6 =
| demographics2_info6 =
| demographics2_title7 =
| demographics2_info7 =
| demographics2_title8 =
| demographics2_info8 =
| demographics2_title9 =
| demographics2_info9 =
| demographics2_title10 =
| demographics2_info10 =
| blank_name_sec1 = {{PH wikidata|climate_title}}
| blank_info_sec1 = {{PH wikidata|climate_type}}
| blank1_name_sec1 = [[Languages of the Philippines|Native languages]]
| blank1_info_sec1 = {{hlist | item-style=white-space:nowrap|'''[[Chavacano]]'''
Other Languages:
[[Cebuano language|Cebuano]]|
[[Hiligaynon language|Hiligaynon]]|
[[Sama language|Sama]]| [[Subanon language|Subanen]]|[[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]|
[[Tausug language|Tausug]]|
[[Yakan language|Yakan]]|[[Filipino language|Filipino]] |[[Philippine English|English]] }}
| blank2_name_sec1 = [[Crime index]]
| blank2_info_sec1 =
| blank3_name_sec1 =
| blank3_info_sec1 =
| blank4_name_sec1 =
| blank4_info_sec1 =
| blank5_name_sec1 =
| blank5_info_sec1 =
| blank6_name_sec1 =
| blank6_info_sec1 =
| blank7_name_sec1 =
| blank7_info_sec1 =
| blank1_name_sec2 = Major religions
| blank1_info_sec2 =
| blank2_name_sec2 = Feast date
| blank2_info_sec2 =
| blank3_name_sec2 = Catholic diocese
| blank3_info_sec2 =
| blank4_name_sec2 = Patron saint
| blank4_info_sec2 =
| blank5_name_sec2 =
| blank5_info_sec2 =
| blank6_name_sec2 =
| blank6_info_sec2 =
| blank7_name_sec2 =
| blank7_info_sec2 =
| short_description =
| footnotes =
| Languages =
}}
'''Zamboanga City''', officially the '''City of Zamboanga''' ({{langx|cbk|Ciudad de Zamboanga}}; {{Langx|es|Ciudad de Zamboanga}}; [[Subanen languages|Subanen]]: ''Bagbenwa Sembwangan''; [[Sama–Bajaw languages|Sama:]] ''Lungsud Samboangan''; {{langx|tsg|Daira sin Sambuwangan}}; {{langx|fil|Lungsod ng Zamboanga}}; {{langx|ceb|Dakbayan sa Zamboanga}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203059173-209/zamboanga-zamboanga-del-sur-philippines|title=Zamboanga (Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines) | 209 | Asia and Oceania ||doi=10.4324/9780203059173-209 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://uz.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/UZGSJ-Vol-10.pdf | title=UZ Graduate School Journal | website=uz.edu.ph}}</ref> is a [[Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification|highly urbanized city]] in the [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] region of the [[Philippines]], with a total population of 3,943,837 inhabitants. It is third-largest city by land area in the Philippines, and is also the sixth-most populous city in the archipelago; additionally, it is the second most populous in [[Mindanao]] after [[Davao City]].{{PH census|2015}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zamboanga City is |url=http://www.zamboanga.gov.ph/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623230825/http://www.zamboanga.gov.ph/ |archive-date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=April 16, 2010 |website=zamboanga.gov.ph}}</ref> It is the commercial and industrial center of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region.<ref name="E.O. No. 429">{{Citation |title=Executive Order No. 429, October 12, 1990 |url=http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/5/8023 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref>
According to the 2024 census, the City of Zamboanga has a population of 1,018,894 people.{{PH wikidata|population_reference}}
On October 12, 1936, Zamboanga became a chartered city under Commonwealth Act No. 39.<ref name="zamboanga.com charter">{{Cite web |title=Charter of the City of Zamboanga |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/news/Charter_of_Zamboanga_City_October_12_1936_Commonwealth_Act_Number_39.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141127044217/http://www.zamboanga.com/news/Charter_of_Zamboanga_City_October_12_1936_Commonwealth_Act_Number_39.htm |archive-date=November 27, 2014 |access-date=May 14, 2006 |website=zamboanga.com}}</ref><ref name="Commonwealth Act No. 39">{{Citation |title=Commonwealth Act No. 39 |url=https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/29/23542 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref> It was inaugurated on February 26, 1937.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://zamboangacity.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=144&catid=97&Itemid=140 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513224054/http://zamboangacity.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=144&catid=97&Itemid=140 |archive-date=May 13, 2018 |access-date=May 13, 2018 |website=zamboangacity.gov.ph}}</ref>
Zamboanga City is an independent, chartered city and was designated highly urbanized on November 22, 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Political and Cultural History |url=http://www.dipolognon.com/zamboanga/political_and_cultural_history.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505204646/http://www.dipolognon.com/zamboanga/political_and_cultural_history.htm |archive-date=May 5, 2018 |access-date=May 5, 2018 |website=dipolognon.com}}</ref>
Although geographically separated, and an independent and chartered city, Zamboanga City is grouped with the province of [[Zamboanga del Sur]] by the [[Philippine Statistics Authority]] for statistical purposes, yet governed independently from it. And also, it is the largest city of that province and in the entire [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] Region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur |url=https://psa.gov.ph/content/zamboanga-city-zamboanga-del-sur |access-date=June 6, 2022 |website=Philippine Statistics Authority}}</ref>
In 2028, the city's population is projected to hit the 1,200,000 population mark, which will make the city fall under the [[National Economic and Development Authority|NEDA]]'s classification of a [[Metropolitan municipality|Metropolitan City]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nro9.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ZamPen-RDP-2023-2028-Pre-Publication-version.pdf | title=Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Development Plan 2023-2028 | work=[[Regional Development Council and National Economic and Development Authority]] | access-date=May 24, 2023 | archive-date=May 28, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528181611/https://nro9.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ZamPen-RDP-2023-2028-Pre-Publication-version.pdf | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Etymology==
The name of Zamboanga is the [[Hispanicization|Hispanicized]] spelling of the [[Sama-Bajau languages|Sinama]] term for "mooring place" - ''samboangan'' (also spelled ''sambuangan''; and in [[Subanen language|Subanen]], ''sembwangan''), from the root word ''samboang'' ("mooring pole"). "Samboangan" was the original name of Zamboanga City, from where the name of the peninsula is derived from.<ref name="jubilado">{{cite journal|author1=Rodney C. Jubilado|author2=Hanafi Hussin|author3=Maria Khristina Manueli|name-list-style=amp|year=2011|title=The Sama-Bajaus of Sulu-Sulawesi Seas: perspectives from linguistics and culture|journal=JATI - Journal of Southeast Asian Studies|volume=15|issue=1|pages=83–95|url=http://e-journal.um.edu.my/filebank/articles/2708/Rodney%20Hanafi%20Maria%20-%20THE%20SAMA-BAJAUS%20OF%20SULU-SULAWESI%20SEAS%20PERSPECTIVES%20%20FROM%20LINGUISTICS%20AND%20CULTURE.pdf|archive-date=2014-12-19|access-date=2016-09-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219070051/http://e-journal.um.edu.my/filebank/articles/2708/Rodney%20Hanafi%20Maria%20-%20THE%20SAMA-BAJAUS%20OF%20SULU-SULAWESI%20SEAS%20PERSPECTIVES%20%20FROM%20LINGUISTICS%20AND%20CULTURE.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> "Samboangan" is well-attested in Spanish,<ref name="combes"/> British,<ref name="chall">{{cite book|author=Challenger Expedition 1872-1876|title =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.|publisher =H.M. Stationery Office|year =1895|page=823–828}}</ref><ref name="wright">{{cite book|author=George Newenham Wright|title =A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer, Volume 4|publisher =T. Kelly|year =1837|page=459|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=cyQDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA459}}</ref> French,<ref name="prevost">{{cite book|author=Antoine-François Prévost|title = Histoire générale des voyages ou Nouvelle collection de toutes les relations de voyages par mer et par terre, qui ont été publiées jusqu'à présent dans les differentes langues de toutes les nations connues|publisher =De Hondt|year =1757|page=37|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=bc80uQF_asMC&q=Samboangan&pg=PA37}}</ref><ref name="roubaud">{{cite book|author=Pierre Joseph André Roubaud|title =Histoire générale de l'Asie, de l'Afrique et de l'Amérique|publisher =Des Ventes de la Doué|year =1770|page=[https://archive.org/details/histoiregnralede04roub/page/499 499]–500|url =https://archive.org/details/histoiregnralede04roub|quote=Samboangan.}}</ref> German,<ref name="meares">{{cite book|author=John Meares|title =Des Kapitians John Meares und des Kapitains William Douglas Reisen nach der Nordwest-Küste von Amerika, in den Jahren 1786 bis 1789|publisher =Voß|year =1791|page=240|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=FfxSAAAAcAAJ&q=Samboangan&pg=PA240}}</ref> and American<ref name="pickering">{{cite book|author=Charles Pickering|title =United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Under the Command of Charles Wilkes, USN. Volume IX|chapter =The Races of Man and their Geographical Distribution|publisher =C. Sherman|year =1848|page=125|url =http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/usexex/19-13/pdf/sil19-13-138.pdf}}</ref> historical records from as far back as the 17th century.<ref name="combes">{{cite book|author=Francisco Combes|title =Historia de las islas de Mindanao, Iolo y sus Adyacentes. Progresos de la Religion y Armas Catolicas|publisher =Pablo del Val|year =1667|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=MuggWaijXnwC}}</ref>
A commonly-repeated incorrect modern [[folk etymology]] instead attributes the name of Zamboanga to the [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] word ''jambangan'' (claimed to mean "place of flowers", but actually means "pot" or "bowl"), usually with claims that all ethnic groups in Zamboanga were "[[Ethnic Malay|Malays]]". However, this name has never been attested in any historical records prior to the 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Enriquez|first1=A.R.|title=Jambangan: the "Garden of Flowers" never was!|url=http://arenriquez.over-blog.com/article-jambangan-the-garden-of-flowers-never-was-83440368.html|website=Antoniofermin's Name|access-date=13 September 2016}}</ref> The city's nickname "City of Flowers" is derived from such folk etymologies.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Arnaldo |first=Maria Stella |date=November 13, 2017 |title=DOT allots P2M to Zamboanga City for Reblooming Project |work=BusinessMirror |url=https://businessmirror.com.ph/2017/11/13/dot-allots-p2m-to-zamboanga-city-for-reblooming-project/ |access-date=November 1, 2021 |quote=Zamboanga derives its name from "Jambangan," a Malay word that means "City of Flowers."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wee |first=Darwin Wally |date=October 3, 2017 |title=DOT to Launch Beautification Drive in Zambo |language=en |work=Philippine News Agency |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1011583 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>
==History==
===Rajahnate of Sanmalan===
{{Main|Sanmalan}}
The Zamboanga Peninsula was settled in the late 12th or early 13th century by the [[Subanen people]]; along with the Subanen, it was also the homelands of the ancestors of the [[Yakan people|Yakan]], the [[Balanguingui]], and other closely related [[Sama-Bajau peoples]].<ref name="lsp24">{{Cite book |last=Pallasen |first=A. Kemp |url=http://www-01.sil.org/asia/philippines/ling/Culture_Contact_and_Language_Convergence_1985.pdf |title=Culture Contact and Language Convergence |date=1985 |publisher=Linguistic Society of the Philippines |series=LSP Special Monograph Issue 24 |___location=Manila |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511231324/http://www-01.sil.org/asia/philippines/ling/Culture_Contact_and_Language_Convergence_1985.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Hoogervorst">{{Cite journal |last=Hoogervorst |first=Tom Gunnar |date=2012 |title=Ethnicity and Aquatic Lifestyles: Exploring Southeast Asia's Past and Present Seascapes |url=http://www.sealinksproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Hoogervorst-2012-Sea-peoples-SEA.pdf |journal=Water History |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=245–265 |doi=10.1007/s12685-012-0060-0 |bibcode=2012WatHi...4..245H |doi-access=free |s2cid=53668253}}</ref>
The 11th-century Chinese [[Song dynasty]] records also mention a polity named "[[Sanmalan]]" (三麻蘭) from Mindanao, which has a name similar to Zamboanga and has been tentatively identified with it by some authors (Wang, 2008; Huang, 1980). Sanmalan is said to be led by a Rajah "Chülan". His ambassador "Ali Bakti" and that of [[Rajahnate of Butuan|Butuan's]] "Likan-hsieh" is recorded to have visited the Chinese imperial court with gifts and trade goods in AD 1011. However, the correlation between Zamboanga and Sanmalan is based only on their similar-sounding names. Sanmalan is only mentioned in conjunction with Butuan (P'u-tuan) and it is unknown if Sanmalan is indeed Zamboanga. The historian [[William Henry Scott (historian)|William Henry Scott]] (1989) also posits the possibility that Sanmalan instead referred to a polity of the [[Sama-Bajau]] ("Samal") people.<ref name="scott">{{Cite journal |last=Scott |first=William Henry |date=1983 |title=Filipinos in China Before 1500 |url=https://archive.org/details/FilipinosInChinaBefore1500 |journal=Asian Studies |volume=21 |page=4}}</ref><ref name="wang">{{Cite journal |last=Wang |first=Zhenping |date=2008 |title=Reading Song-Ming Records on the Pre-colonial History of the Philippines |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228735802.pdf |journal=Higashi Ajia bunka kōshō kenkyū |volume=1 |pages=249–260 |hdl-access=free |script-journal=ja:東アジア文化交渉研究 |hdl=10112/3180}}</ref>
During the 13th century, the [[Tausūg people]] began migrating to the Zamboanga Peninsula and the [[Sulu Archipelago]] from their homelands in northeastern Mindanao. They became the dominant ethnic group in the archipelago after they were [[Islam in the Philippines|Islamized]] in the 14th century and established the [[Sultanate of Sulu]] in the 15th century. A majority of the Yakan, the Balanguingui, and the Sama-Bajau were also Islamized, though most of the Subanen remained animist (with the exception of the Kolibugan subgroup in southwestern Zamboanga).<ref name="lsp24" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Iledo |first=Josefina B. |date=n.d. |title=Zamboanga's Historic Past and the Rich Cultural Heritage |url=http://www.zamboanga.net/Arts&CultureZamboangaHistory.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927215654/http://www.zamboanga.net/Arts&CultureZamboangaHistory.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=zamboanga.net}}</ref><ref name="kunapipi">{{Cite journal |last=Jubilado |first=Rodney C. |date=2010 |title=On Cultural Fluidity: The Sama-Bajau of the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas |url=http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1257&context=kunapipi |journal=Kunapipi |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=89–101}}</ref>
===Spanish rule===
[[File:Samboangan 1734.jpg|thumb|left| Illustration of Zamboanga ("Samboangan") and [[Fort Pilar]], detail from the ''[[Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas]]'', 1734]]
Spanish explorers, led by [[Ferdinand Magellan]], arrived in the Philippine archipelago in 1521.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pre-Historic to Pre-Colonial Philippines |url=http://philippines-archipelago.com/history/pre-colonial.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628180153/http://philippines-archipelago.com/history/pre-colonial.html |archive-date=June 28, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Philippines-Archipelago}}</ref> Zamboanga was chosen in 1569 as the site of the Spanish settlement and garrison on La Caldera (now part of Barangay Recodo).<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Zamboanga – Circa 1500s |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1500s.html |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Zamboanga.com}}</ref> Spain granted the former polity in the area protectorate status against the Sulu Sultanate, its former overlord<ref>{{Citation |last=Caceres |first=Michael Vincent P. |title=Origination and Formation of Sulu Sultanate during the 14th Century Southeast Asia |date=n.d. |url=https://www.academia.edu/6450603 |access-date=June 6, 2022 |mode=cs1 |via=Academia.edu}}</ref> and the settlement's name was hispanized into Zamboanga and made a city. Zamboanga City was one of the main strongholds in [[Mindanao]], supporting colonizing efforts in the south of the island and making way for [[Christianity|Christian]] settlements. It also served as a military outpost, protecting the island against foreign invaders and [[Piracy in the Sulu Sea|Moro pirates]].
In 1599, the Zamboanga fort was closed and transferred to [[Cebu|Cebú]] due to great concerns about attack by the English on that island, which did not occur. After having abandoned the city, the Spaniards as well as some Spanish-American soldiers from [[Peru]]<ref name="Peru">[http://www.zamboanga.com/html/history_1634_moro_attacks.htm "Second Book of the Second Part of the Conquests of the Filipinas Islands, and Chronicle of the Religious of Our Father, St. Augustine"] (Zamboanga City History)
"He (Governor Don Sebastían Hurtado de Corcuera) brought a great reënforcements of soldiers, many of them from Perú, as he made his voyage to Acapulco from that kingdom."</ref> and New Spain (Mexico) led by the former Governor of Panama, Don [[Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera]], who also brought along [[Genoa#15th and 16th centuries|Genoese crusaders]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=grlUBAAAQBAJ&q=Philippines "Imperial Ambition in the Early Modern Mediterranean: Genoese Merchants and the Spanish Crown"] By Céline Dauverd (Published by Cambridge University Press) Chapter 2, Page 68.</ref> who had [[Panamá Viejo|settled in Panama]], joined forces with troops from [[Pampanga]] and [[Visaya]]n soldiers (from [[Bohol]], [[Cebu City|Cebu]] and [[Iloilo City|Iloilo]]) and reached the shore of Zamboanga to bring peace to the island against [[Moro people|Moro]] Muslim pirates.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Blair |first1=Emma Helen |url=https://archive.org/details/philippineisland25blai |title=The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 |last2=Robertson |first2=James Alexander |publisher=Arthur H. Clark Company |year=1905 |volume=25 |___location=Cleveland, Ohio |pages=150–177}}</ref>
In 1635, Spanish officers and soldiers, along with Visayan laborers, settled in the area and construction began on Fort San José (what is now known as [[Fort Pilar]]) to protect the inhabitants of the area from piracy by the Moro. Specifically at April 5, 1635: it was Cebu that sent a force of 300 Spanish and 1,000 Visayan troops to settle and colonize at Zamboanga City under the command of Captain Juan de Chavez.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.530346/2015.530346.jesuits-in_djvu.txt "Jesuits In The Philippines (1581-1768)" Page 325] "The acting governor at the time, Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, saw the merits of this proposal as soon as it was presented to him, and he decided to put it into execution at once. Towards the end of March 1635, two forces of 300 Spanish and 1,000 Visayan troops set sail from Cebu under the command of Captain Juan de Chavez. But instead of proceeding to Jolo as in previous years, they went ashore at what is now the site of the city of Zamboanga, and there proceeded to fortify themselves. The date, a memorable one, was 6 April 1635.</ref> Zamboanga became the main headquarters of the Spaniards on June 23, 1635, upon approval of [[Philip IV of Spain|King Philip IV]] of Spain, and the Spanish officially founded the city.<ref name="early history 1500s">{{Cite web |title=Zamboanga City History: 371 Years: 1635–2006 |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/html/history_zamboanga.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925021617/http://www.zamboanga.com/html/history_zamboanga.htm |archive-date=September 25, 2009 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Zamboanga.com}}</ref> Thousands of Spanish troops, headed by a governor general from Spain, took the approval to build the first Zamboanga fortress (now called Fort Pilar) in Zamboanga to forestall enemies in Mindanao like Moro pirates and other foreign invaders.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Foreman |first=John |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22815/22815-h/22815-h.htm#d0e4343 |title=The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago: Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule: With an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government |date=1906 |publisher=T. Fisher Unwin |edition=3rd revised and enlarged |___location=London |via=Project Gutenberg}}</ref> There were also a hundred Spanish troops sent to fortify the nearby [[Presidio]] of [[Iligan]].<ref>San Agustín, Conquistas, lib. 2 cap 37: 545</ref> During the years 1636 and 1654, the Presidio of Zamboanga received companies of 210 and 184 reinforcements of [[Mexican settlement in the Philippines|Mexican soldiers]].<ref name= "Mexicans" >[https://academic.oup.com/past/article/232/1/87/1752419 Convicts or Conquistadores? Spanish Soldiers in the Seventeenth-Century Pacific By Stephanie J. Mawson] AGI, México, leg. 25, núm. 62; AGI, Filipinas, leg. 8, ramo 3, núm. 50; leg. 10, ramo 1, núm. 6; leg. 22, ramo 1, núm. 1, fos. 408 r –428 v; núm. 21; leg. 32, núm. 30; leg. 285, núm. 1, fos. 30 r –41 v .</ref> The Zamboanga fortress became the main focus of a number of battles between Moros and Spaniards during Spanish rule in the region from the 16th century to the 18th. Spain was forced to abandon Zamboanga temporarily and withdraw its soldiers to [[Manila]] in 1662 after the Chinese under [[Koxinga]] threatened to invade the Spanish Philippines. Despite the official Spanish forces leaving, the Jesuits remained in Zamboanga and shepherded the civilian Christian population and treated Zamboanga much like their [[Jesuit missions among the Guaraní|reductions in Paraguay]],<ref>Image–Object–Performance: Mediality and Communication in Cultural Contact Zones of Colonial Latin America and the Philippines, ed. Astrid Windus and Eberhard Crailsheim (Munster: Waxmann Verlag, 2013)</ref> until the Spanish returned.
The Spanish returned to Zamboanga in 1718 and rebuilding of the fort began the following year. The fort would serve as defence for the Christian settlement against Moro pirates and foreign invaders for the coming years. There was deportation of mostly Spanish-American and Spanish vagrants from Manila to Zamboanga which helped advance a colonizing program against the Muslim south, further illustrating how the resistance to Spanish sovereignty in Mindanao and Borneo determined imperial policies on the islands.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mawson |first=Stephanie J. |date=June 15, 2016 |title=Convicts or Conquistadores? Spanish Soldiers in the Seventeenth-Century Pacific |url=https://academic.oup.com/past/article/232/1/87/1752419 |journal=[[Past & Present (journal)|Past & Present]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |issue=232 |pages=87–125 |doi=10.1093/pastj/gtw008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603111934/https://academic.oup.com/past/article/232/1/87/1752419 |archive-date=June 3, 2018 |access-date=July 28, 2020 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>CSIC riel 311 leg.1 (1758).</ref>
While the region was already dominated by [[Catholicism]], [[Muslim]]s kept up a protracted struggle into the 18th century against the ruling Spaniards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Zamboanga – Circa 1600s |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1600s.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110045232/http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1600s.html |archive-date=January 10, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Zamboanga.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Zamboanga – Circa 1700s |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1700s.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927235015/http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1700s.html |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Zamboanga.com}}</ref> A British naval squadron conducted a [[Raid on Zamboanga (1798)|raid on Zamboanga]] in January 1798, but was driven off by the city's defensive fortifications. During 1821, the [[Uruguay]]an, [[Juan Fermín de San Martín]], brother of the leader of the Argentinian Revolution, [[José de San Martín]], was commander of the fortress-city of Zamboanga for a year.<ref name="herm">In Spanish: {{Cite web |last=Peiró |first=Claudia |date=January 15, 2015 |title=El hermano desconocido de San Martín que luchó y murió en Filipinas |url=https://www.infobae.com/2015/01/15/1621145-el-hermano-desconocido-san-martin-que-lucho-y-murio-filipinas/ |access-date=June 7, 2022 |website=Infobae |language=es}}</ref> At 1823, inspired by the Spanish-American Wars of Independence, the Spanish-Americans who had been sent to Zamboanga and Philippines as soldiers, joined in the revolt of [[Andres Novales]], and he fought for sovereignty and became the short lived Emperor of the Philippines.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duka |first=Cecilio D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4wk8yqCEmJUC&dq=novales+emperor+philippines&pg=PA106 |title=Struggle for Freedom' 2008 Ed. |date=2008 |publisher=Rex Bookstore, Inc. |isbn=978-971-23-5045-0 |language=en}}</ref> Due to the era of the [[Latin American Wars of Independence]], Spain feared that the large Mexican and South American population in the Philippines would incite the Filipinos to rebel, thus the Spaniards direct from Spain were imported (Peninsulares) and the Latin American class in the Philippines were displaced and were forced into a lower rank of the caste system, which they reacted negatively to.<ref name= "Legarda">[https://econ.upd.edu.ph/pre/index.php/pre/article/download/664/770 The economic background of Rizal’s time By Benito J. Legarda Jr (The Philippine Review of Economics Vol. XLVIII No. 2 December 2011 pp. 4)]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 1831, the custom house in Zamboanga was established as a port, and it became the main port for direct communication, trading some goods and other services to most of Europe, [[Southeast Asia]] and [[Latin America]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Foreman |first=John |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22815/22815-h/22815-h.htm#htm#d0e9761 |title=The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago: Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule: With an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government |date=1906 |publisher=T. Fisher Unwin |edition=3rd revised and enlarged |___location=London |via=Project Gutenberg}}</ref> The American invaders arrived in the Philippines during the time of Spanish Governor [[Valeriano Weyler|General Valeriano Weyler]], with thousands of troops to defeat the Spaniards who ruled for over three centuries.
The Spanish government sent more than 80,000 Spanish troops to the Philippines. The Spanish government completely surrendered the islands to the United States in the 1890s.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Foreman |first=John |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22815/22815-h/22815-h.htm#d0e18855 |title=The Philippine Islands: A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago: Embracing the Whole Period of Spanish Rule: With an Account of the Succeeding American Insular Government |date=1906 |publisher=T. Fisher Unwin |edition=3rd revised and enlarged |___location=London |via=Project Gutenberg}}</ref>
===Establishing its own Republic===
{{See also|Republic of Zamboanga}}
[[File:Inaugurateprvincialgovzamboanga.jpg|thumb|Inauguration of the Municipality of Zamboanga with Datu Kalun (1901)]]
The [[Republic of Zamboanga]] was established directly on May 28, 1899, after the Zamboangueño revolutionary forces defeated the last Spanish government in Zamboanga. Fort Pilar was turned over to General [[Vicente Álvarez (general)|Vicente Álvarez]], who between May and November 1899 was the first president of the República de Zamboanga. He assembled a revolutionary army which was diverse and filled with Christians, Muslims, and Lumads.<ref>{{cite web|last=Palafox|first=Queenie Anne|title=Vicente Alvarez and the Battle of Fort Pilar|url=http://nhcp.gov.ph/vicente-alvarez-and-the-battle-for-fort-pilar/|work=National Historical Commission of the Philippines|access-date=20 May 2014}}</ref> This republic continued to exist until 1903, with Isidoro Midel as its second president under a puppet government of the United States; he was succeeded by Mariano Arquiza.<ref name="early history 1900s">{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2009 |title=Republic of Zamboanga: A Recognition of History |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/history/republic_of_zamboanga.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201023553/http://zamboanga.com/history/republic_of_zamboanga.html |archive-date=December 1, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Zamboanga.com}}</ref>
===American occupation===
Upon the firm establishment of [[American colonization]] and dissolution of the Republic in 1903, Zamboanga, as a municipality, was designated as the capital of the [[Moro Province]], a semi-military government consisting of five districts: Zamboanga, [[Cotabato (province)|Cotabato]], [[Davao (province)|Davao]], [[Lanao (province)|Lanao]] and [[Sulu Archipelago|Sulu]]. It established itself the center of commerce, trade, and government of Mindanao Island.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Zamboanga – Circa 1900s |url=http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1900s.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210171845/http://www.zamboanga.com/history/history_of_zamboanga_circa_1900s.html |archive-date=February 10, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=Zamboanga.com}}</ref> During this period, Zamboanga hosted a number of American regional governors, including General [[John J. Pershing]], who was military commander/governor of the Moro Province from 1909 to 1914.
In 1920, Zamboanga City ceased to be capital of the Moro Province<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 19, 2013 |title=Provincial Capitol: Zamboanga del Sur |url=http://harrybalais.com/2013/10/provincial-capitol-zamboanga-del-sur/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019042341if_/http://harrybalais.com/2013/10/provincial-capitol-zamboanga-del-sur/ |archive-date=October 19, 2017 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |website=Legendharry}}</ref> when the department was divided into provinces in which the city became under the large [[Zamboanga (province)|province of Zamboanga]]. This encompasses the present-day [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] with the inclusion of the whole province of [[Basilan]].
=== Commonwealth era and city charter ===
[[File:President Quezon signing the Zamboanga City Charter at the Malacañang Palace on October 12, 1936.jpg|thumb|President [[Manuel L. Quezon]] signing the City Charter of Zamboanga in a ceremony held at the [[Malacañang Palace]] in (1936)]]
When the [[Commonwealth of the Philippines|Commonwealth government]] was established in 1935, calls to convert the municipality of Zamboanga into a city increased. On September 23, 1936, through Assemblyman Juan Alano, [[First National Assembly of the Philippines|the National Assembly of the Philippines]] passed Commonwealth Act No. 39 making Zamboanga a chartered city consisting of "the present territorial jurisdiction of the municipality of Zamboanga, the municipality of Bolong, the municipal district of Taluksangay, the whole island of [[Basilan]] and the adjacent islands, i.e., the municipality of [[Isabela, Basilan|Isabela]], the municipal district of [[Lamitan]], and the municipal district of [[Maluso, Basilan|Maluso]]."<ref name="zamboanga.com charter" /><ref name="Commonwealth Act No. 39" /> It was later signed by President [[Manuel Quezon]] on October 12, 1936. The charter made Zamboanga City as the largest city in the world in terms of land area. During these times, Zamboanga was the leading commercial and industrial city of Mindanao.
Before World War II, [[Pettit Barracks]], a part of the U.S. Army's [[43d Infantry Regiment (PS)]], was stationed there.
===World War II===
When the [[Japanese occupation of the Philippines|Japanese invaded the Philippines]], they were headed by Vice Admiral [[Rokuzo Sugiyama]], accompanied by Rear Admiral Naosaburo Irifune. The Japanese landed at Zamboanga City on March 2, 1942.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Japanese Landings at Zamboanga, 2 March 1942 |url=http://www.history.army.mil/documents/zambo.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413131224/http://www.history.army.mil/documents/zambo.htm |archive-date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=April 18, 2010 |website=CMH Online}}</ref> The city became a branch hub of [[Unit 731]] for human experimentation conducted by Japanese doctors. Among the experiments include amputations, dissections, and vivisections on live Filipinos.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/vivisection-japan-philippines-a00304-20200723-lfrm|title=The Cruel Vivisections Japanese Performed on Filipinos in WWII|access-date=May 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2006/11/27/national/vivisection-on-filipinos-admitted/ | title=Vivisection on Filipinos admitted | date=November 27, 2006 }}</ref>
The Japanese government in the city was overthrown by American and Filipino forces following a fierce battle on March 10–12, 1945.<ref name="early history 1900s" /> The rebuilt general headquarters of the [[Philippine Commonwealth Army]] and [[Philippine Constabulary]] was stationed in Zamboanga City from March 13, 1945, to June 30, 1946, during the military operations in [[Mindanao]] and [[Sulu]] against the Japanese.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}}
===Contemporary history===
==== After World War II ====
After the war, citizens on the island of [[Basilan]] found it difficult to appear in courts, pay their taxes, or seek help from the mayor and other officials. Going from Basilan to the mainland required three or more hours of [[ferry]] travel. To fix the problem, Representative Juan Alano filed a bill in Congress to separate Basilan from Zamboanga City. The island of Basilan was proclaimed a separate city through Republic Act No. 288 on July 16, 1948.<ref>{{Citation |title=Republic Act No. 288 |url=http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/10838 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref>
On April 7, 1953, by virtue of Republic Act No. 840, the city was classified as first-class city according to its revenue.<ref name="Republic Act No. 840">{{Citation |title=Republic Act No. 840 |url=https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/25860 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref>
On April 29, 1955, a special law changed the landscape of the city government when Republic Act No. 1210<ref>{{Citation |title=Republic Act No. 1210 |url=http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/10744 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref> amended the City Charter that made elective the position of city mayor and the creation of an elective vice mayor and eight elective city councilors. The vice mayor is the presiding-officer of the City Council. In November 1955, [[Liberal Party (Philippines)|Liberal Party]] candidate [[Cesar Climaco]] with his running-mate, Tomas Ferrer won the first local elections. They were inducted into office on January 1, 1956, as determined by the Revised Election Code.<ref>{{Citation |title=Republic Act No. 180 |url=http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/10407 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref>
==== Martial law years ====
On September 21, 1972, President [[Ferdinand Marcos]] signed [[Proclamation No. 1081]] placing the Philippines under [[History of the Philippines (1965–86)|martial law]]. Zamboanga City's local government came under presidential control for the first time since 1955. Marcos extended Mayor Joaquin Enriquez's term when his tenure was about to end in 1975.
President Marcos reorganized the local government on November 14, 1975, and the city council was replaced by a ''[[Sangguniang Panlungsod]]'' with the mayor as its new presiding officer and its members included the vice mayor, the chairman of the [[Sangguniang Kabataan|Katipunan ng mga Kabataang Barangay]], the president of the [[Liga ng mga Barangay|Association of Barangay Captains]], and sectoral representatives of agriculture, business and labor.<ref>{{Citation |title=Presidential Decree No. 826, November 14, 1975 |url=http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/26/17329 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref>
When Mayor Enriquez resigned and bid for the newly created [[Interim Batasang Pambansa]] in 1978, Vice Mayor Jose Vicente Atilano II was appointed by President Marcos to replace him.
==== Climaco's return and assassination (1980–1984) ====
In 1980, [[Cesar Climaco]] staged his political comeback when he was elected again to the mayoral post under his new party, the Concerned Citizens' Aggrupation. He had gone into exile to the United States in protest against Marcos' declaration of martial law.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City Socio Economic Profile: Volume II, Part I: Situation Analysis |url=http://zamboanga.net/sepvol2chap1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508185647/http://zamboanga.net/sepvol2chap1.htm |archive-date=May 8, 2018 |access-date=May 8, 2018 |website=zamboanga.net}}</ref>
In the [[1984 Philippine parliamentary election]], Climaco was elected a member of the [[Regular Batasang Pambansa]]. However, he declined to assume his seat until he had completed his six-year term as mayor in his consistent protest against Marcos. Climaco's protest against the dictator earned Zamboanga City the distinction of 'the beacon of democracy in Mindanao'.
On the morning of November 14, 1984, Climaco was assassinated as he was returning to his office after overseeing the response to a fire in downtown Zamboanga City.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tan |first=AB |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/11/15/philippine-mayor-is-slain/d044b46f-9385-4bff-b203-41f76a35cc48/ |title=Philippine Mayor Is Slain |date=November 15, 1984 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 30, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> A man approached from behind the mayor and shot him in the nape at point-blank range.<ref name="tgf">{{cite book |title=The Gallant Filipino |last=Guingona |first=Teofisto |author-link=Teofisto Guingona |year=1993 |publisher=Anvil Publishing Inc. |___location=[[Pasig]] |isbn=971-27-0279-0 |pages= 191–207}}</ref>{{rp|page=92}}
Marcos administration officials pinned the blame on a Muslim group led by [[Rizal Alih]],<ref name="tgf"/>{{rp|page=4}}<ref name=zamb/> but Climaco's widow publicly expressed belief that it was Marcos' forces who were behind the murder.<ref name=zamb/> Climaco himself was said to have remarked before his death that if he were ever assassinated, the military would blame Alih for the murder.<ref name="tgf"/>{{rp|page=4}} The family banned military personnel from the wake, except for a relative who happened to be in the Air Force.<ref name=zamb/>
[[File:Rep. Maria Clara Lobregat (8th Congress).jpg|thumb|Former Zamboanga city mayor, the late [[Maria Clara Lobregat]].]]
Climaco's [[funeral]] at Abong-Abong Park in Zamboanga City was estimated as ranging from fifteen thousand people to up to two hundred thousand people,<ref name=zamb>{{cite news |first=John L. |last=Shinn III |title=Special Edition: The 1984 Assassination of Mayor Cesar Climaco |url=http://www.lazamboangatimes.com/cesar_climaco_latest001.html |work=L.A. Zamboanga Times |access-date=January 26, 2008}}</ref> and he was later honored by having his name inscribed on the wall of remembrance of the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]] (Memorial of Heroes), which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought the dictatorship.<ref name="bantyogprofileclimaco">{{Cite web |date=2023-05-28 |title=Martyrs and Heroes: Cesar Climaco |url=https://bantayogngmgabayani.org/bayani/cesar-climaco/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=Bantayog ng mga Bayani website |language=en-US}}</ref>
====21st century====
On November 19, 2001, the Cabatangan Government Complex in Barangay Cabatangan, the seat of the [[Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao]], was [[2001 Misuari rebellion|raided by former MNLF fighters in protest of Misuari's ouster as Governor]] of the autonomous region in which they took residents hostage. The complex also houses the different regional government offices such as the Commission on Audit, Population Commission, Civil Service Commission, Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center, DECS Training Center and the Zamboanga Arturo Eustaquio College Department of Criminology. An air strike by the military began on November 27 in which the hostages were later released after the government agreed to escort the rebels to a safe zone in Panubigan where they were allowed to go free.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Diesto |first=Jovian |date=January 18, 2006 |title=City Has No Plans yet for Cabatangan |work=ZamboTimes |url=http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/news/210-City-has-no-plans-yet-for-Cabatangan.html |url-status=dead |access-date=September 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055659/http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/news/210-City-has-no-plans-yet-for-Cabatangan.html |archive-date=September 21, 2013}}</ref>
In 2013, [[Maria Isabelle Climaco Salazar]], niece of former Mayor [[Cesar Climaco]], was elected the second woman mayor of the city.<ref>{{Citation |last=Valente |first=Jordan |title=Women's Representation in Local Politics: Evidence from the Philippines |date=2014 |url=https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/57903/1/MPRA_paper_57903.pdf |series=MPRA Paper No. 57903 |doi=10.2139/ssrn.2014425 |mode=cs1 |s2cid=67768156}}</ref>
====Zamboanga City crisis====
{{See also|2013 Zamboanga City crisis}}
On September 9, 2013, a faction of the [[Moro National Liberation Front]] (MNLF) under the leadership of [[Nur Misuari]] seized hostages in Zamboanga City and attempted to raise the flag of the self-proclaimed [[Bangsamoro Republik]], a state which declared its [[Bangsamoro declaration of independence|independence]] earlier in August, in [[Talipao]], [[Sulu]]. This armed incursion was met by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which sought to free the hostages and expel the MNLF from Zamboanga City. The standoff degenerated into urban warfare, and brought parts of the city to a standstill for days.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Reyes |first=Jewel |date=September 9, 2013 |title=MNLF Wants Flag Hoisted in Zamboanga City Hall |work=ABS-CBN News |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/nation/regions/09/09/13/mnlf-wants-flag-hoisted-zamboanga-city-hall |access-date=June 7, 2022}}</ref>
Mayor Climaco-Salazar and her administration are relocating the internal displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the crisis to transitory sites and later, permanent housings in various places around Zamboanga City.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pareño |first=Roel |date=May 14, 2014 |title=Zamboanga City Relocates Siege Evacuees from Cramped Camp |work=Philstar Global |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/04/14/1312622/zamboanga-city-relocates-siege-evacuees-cramped-camp |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref> Her rehabilitation plan, "Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Rehabilitation (Z3R)", envisions building back a better Zamboanga City and rehabilitating the areas affected by the crisis.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 27, 2014 |title=Updated Z3R Plan Presented |work=Daily Zamboanga Times |url=http://www.zamboangatimes.ph/zamboangatimes/top-news/9649-updated-z3r-plan-presented-.html |url-status=dead |access-date=March 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112401/http://www.zamboangatimes.ph/zamboangatimes/top-news/9649-updated-z3r-plan-presented-.html |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>
====Post-Pandemic Era====
==Geography==
===Geology===
The southwest and eastern sides of Zamboanga City are bounded by irregular coastlines with generally rocky terrain and occasional stretches of sandy or gravelly beaches. The coastal profile usually descends abruptly towards the sea. Where rivers enter the sea, bays have formed, and the surrounding area has filled up with alluvial soils, producing small to large coastal plains.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}
Zamboanga City has mangrove areas such as in Tagasilay and eastern [[Vitali Island]]. It also has the Pasonanca Watershed Forest Reserve.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yap |first1=D. J. |title='Badjaos can go home now' |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/589047/badjaos-can-go-home-now |access-date=24 February 2025 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=26 March 2014 |language=en}}</ref>
===Topography===
The overall topography of the city could be described as rolling to very steep. There are some flat lands, mostly narrow strips along the east coast. The urban center is mostly flat with a gentle slope to the interior, ranging from 0% to 3%. A portion, about 38,000 hectares, has slopes ranging from 18% to 30%. Another 26,000 hectares has slopes of less than 3%, while about 37% of the area (52,000 hectares) has slopes ranging from 30% to more than 50%. The highest registered elevation is 1,200 metres.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City Socio Economic Profile: Chapter IV: The Physical Environment |url=http://www.zamboanga.net/sepvol2chap4.htm#_ftn5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724140424/http://www.zamboanga.net/sepvol2chap4.htm |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |access-date=March 8, 2011 |website=zamboanga.net}}</ref>
The territorial jurisdiction of the city includes the islands of big and small Santa Cruz, Tictabon, Sacol, Manalipa, Tumalutap, Vitali, as well as other numerous islands. The total land area of the city is recorded to be 142,067.95 hectares or 1,420.6795 square kilometers and with contested land area of 3,259.07 hectares between the boundary of Limpapa and [[Zamboanga del Norte]], consolidated of the total land area 145,327.02 hectares or 1,453.2702 km<sup>2</sup> according to the latest cadastral survey of [[Department of Environment and Natural Resources|DENR IX]] year 2015.<ref>{{Cite book |last=National Economic and Development Authority |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gMtpjuuDC8WuDx8SQH8WrKMByhg24zGJ/view?usp=embed_facebook |title=Zamboanga Peninsula: Regional Spatial Development Framework, 2016–2045 |date=n.d. |publisher=National Economic and Development Authority |___location=Pagadian City |at=DENR Cadastral Survey 2015, Map 2, p. 11 |access-date=November 6, 2021 |via=Google Drive}}</ref> This does not include the area of about 25 other islands within the territorial jurisdiction of the city – which have an aggregate area of 6,248.5 hectares as verified by the Office of the City Engineer. Putting these all together, the city's new total land area would come to 151,575.52 hectares or 1,515.75 km<sup>2</sup>.
===Climate===
{{Weather box
|___location = Zamboanga City (1991–2020, extremes 1903–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 36.0
|Feb record high C = 36.2
|Mar record high C = 37.0
|Apr record high C = 37.9
|May record high C = 37.4
|Jun record high C = 37.8
|Jul record high C = 36.7
|Aug record high C = 36.2
|Sep record high C = 36.1
|Oct record high C = 36.4
|Nov record high C = 37.4
|Dec record high C = 36.4
|year record high C = 37.9
|Jan high C = 32.3
|Feb high C = 32.7
|Mar high C = 33.1
|Apr high C = 33.2
|May high C = 33.0
|Jun high C = 32.3
|Jul high C = 32.1
|Aug high C = 32.3
|Sep high C = 32.5
|Oct high C = 32.3
|Nov high C = 32.8
|Dec high C = 32.6
|year high C = 32.6
|Jan mean C = 28.0
|Feb mean C = 28.2
|Mar mean C = 28.5
|Apr mean C = 28.9
|May mean C = 28.9
|Jun mean C = 28.5
|Jul mean C = 28.2
|Aug mean C = 28.4
|Sep mean C = 28.4
|Oct mean C = 28.2
|Nov mean C = 28.4
|Dec mean C = 28.3
|year mean C = 28.4
|Jan low C = 23.6
|Feb low C = 23.7
|Mar low C = 24.0
|Apr low C = 24.5
|May low C = 24.8
|Jun low C = 24.6
|Jul low C = 24.4
|Aug low C = 24.4
|Sep low C = 24.3
|Oct low C = 24.1
|Nov low C = 24.0
|Dec low C = 23.9
|year low C = 24.2
|Jan record low C = 15.8
|Feb record low C = 15.6
|Mar record low C = 17.5
|Apr record low C = 16.7
|May record low C = 20.7
|Jun record low C = 20.4
|Jul record low C = 20.0
|Aug record low C = 19.0
|Sep record low C = 19.9
|Oct record low C = 18.4
|Nov record low C = 18.5
|Dec record low C = 16.7
|year record low C = 15.6
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 69.1
|Feb rain mm = 55.2
|Mar rain mm = 67.8
|Apr rain mm = 77.0
|May rain mm = 90.4
|Jun rain mm = 140.4
|Jul rain mm = 150.3
|Aug rain mm = 133.7
|Sep rain mm = 160.4
|Oct rain mm = 197.4
|Nov rain mm = 104.9
|Dec rain mm = 75.8
|year rain mm = 1322.4
|unit rain days = 0.1 mm
|Jan rain days = 7
|Feb rain days = 6
|Mar rain days = 7
|Apr rain days = 7
|May rain days = 9
|Jun rain days = 12
|Jul rain days = 12
|Aug rain days = 11
|Sep rain days = 11
|Oct rain days = 13
|Nov rain days = 10
|Dec rain days = 8
|year rain days = 113
|Jan humidity = 80
|Feb humidity = 79
|Mar humidity = 78
|Apr humidity = 80
|May humidity = 81
|Jun humidity = 83
|Jul humidity = 83
|Aug humidity = 82
|Sep humidity = 82
|Oct humidity = 83
|Nov humidity = 82
|Dec humidity = 82
|year humidity = 81
|Jan dew point C = 23.6
|Feb dew point C = 23.5
|Mar dew point C = 23.8
|Apr dew point C = 24.5
|May dew point C = 24.8
|Jun dew point C = 24.6
|Jul dew point C = 24.5
|Aug dew point C = 24.5
|Sep dew point C = 24.4
|Oct dew point C = 24.5
|Nov dew point C = 24.4
|Dec dew point C = 24.2
|year dew point C =
|Jan sun = 220.5
|Feb sun = 213.0
|Mar sun = 225.2
|Apr sun = 222.4
|May sun = 219.4
|Jun sun = 164.2
|Jul sun = 187.2
|Aug sun = 213.1
|Sep sun = 187.4
|Oct sun = 172.9
|Nov sun = 217.6
|Dec sun = 226.6
|year sun =
|source 1 = [[Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration|PAGASA]]<ref name=PAGASAnormals>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220302064449/https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/pagasaweb/files/cad/CLIMATOLOGICAL%20NORMALS%20(1991-2020)/ZAMBOANGA.pdf
| archive-date = March 2, 2022
| url = https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/pagasaweb/files/cad/CLIMATOLOGICAL%20NORMALS%20(1991-2020)/ZAMBOANGA.pdf
| title = Zamboanga City, Davao del Sur Climatological Normal Values
| publisher = Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
| access-date = June 10, 2022}}</ref><ref name=PAGASAextremes>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220307194106/https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/pagasaweb/files/cad/CLIMATOLOGICAL%20EXTREMES%20%28as%20of%202023%29/Zamboanga.pdf
| archive-date = March 7, 2022
| url = https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/pagasaweb/files/cad/CLIMATOLOGICAL%20EXTREMES%20%28as%20of%202023%29/Zamboanga.pdf
| title = Zamboanga City, Davao del Sur Climatological Extremes
| publisher = Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
| access-date = June 10, 2022}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (sun, 1961–1990)<ref name="DWD">{{Cite web |title=Station 98836 Zamboanga |url=ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/observations_global/CLIMAT/multi_annual/sunshine_duration/1961_1990.txt |access-date=October 8, 2018 |website=Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017195327/ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/observations_global/CLIMAT/multi_annual/sunshine_duration/1961_1990.txt |archive-date=2017-10-17 |url-status=dead |publisher=Deutscher Wetterdienst}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171017195318/ftp://ftp-cdc.dwd.de/pub/CDC/help/stations_list_CLIMAT_data.txt Station ID for Zamboanga is 98836. Use this station ID to locate the sunshine duration]</ref>
}}
Zamboanga City features a [[tropical monsoon climate]] under the [[Köppen climate classification]] (''Am'').
=== Barangays ===
{{Main|List of barangays in Zamboanga City}}
Zamboanga City is politically subdivided into 98 barangays. Each barangay consists of [[purok]]s while some have [[sitios]].
These are grouped into [[Legislative districts of Zamboanga City|two congressional districts]], with 38 barangays in the West Coast and 60 barangays in the East Coast.
==
{{Philippine Census
| align= none
| cols = 3
| title= Population census of {{PH wikidata|name}}
| 1898 = {{PH census population|1898}}
| 1903 = {{PH census population|1903}}
| 1918 = {{PH census population|1918}}
| 1939 = {{PH census population|1939}}
| 1948 = {{PH census population|1948}}
| 1960 = {{PH census population|1960}}
| 1970 = {{PH census population|1970}}
| 1975 = {{PH census population|1975}}
| 1980 = {{PH census population|1980}}
| 1990 = {{PH census population|1990}}
| 1995 = {{PH census population|1995}}
| 2000 = {{PH census population|2000}}
| 2007 = {{PH census population|2007}}
| 2010 = {{PH census population|2010}}
| 2015 = {{PH census population|2015}}
| 2020 = {{PH census population|2020}}
| 2024 = {{PH census population|2024}}
| 2030 =
| footnote= Source: [[Philippine Statistics Authority]]<ref name="2020Popcen">{{Citation |last=Philippine Statistics Authority |title=Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City, and Municipality |date=c. 2020 |url=https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/ird/pressrelease/Table%20B%20-%20Population%20and%20Annual%20Growth%20Rates%20by%20Province%2C%20City%2C%20and%20Municipality%20-%20By%20Region_AGBA_0.xlsx |type=Tables |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184323/https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/ird/pressrelease/Table%20B%20-%20Population%20and%20Annual%20Growth%20Rates%20by%20Province%2C%20City%2C%20and%20Municipality%20-%20By%20Region_AGBA_0.xlsx |publisher=Philippine Statistics Authority |format=XLSX |access-date=July 8, 2021 |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |mode=cs1}}</ref>{{PH census|2015}}{{PH census|2010}}{{PH census|2007}}{{LWUA population data}}
}}
Zamboanga City is the 5th most populous in the Philippines and the 2nd most populous in [[Mindanao]] after [[Davao City]]. The city's population had an increase of 115,435 over the five years since 2015. It had an annual population growth rate at 2.50%, higher than from in the year 2010-2015 which was 1.3%.{{PH census|2015}} The city's population's was estimated to have hit 1 million in 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mercurio |first=Richmond S. |date=September 18, 2015 |title=Philippine Cities with over 1M Population to Nearly Triple by 2025 |work=Philstar Global |url=https://www.philstar.com/business/2015/09/18/1501296/philippine-cities-over-1m-population-nearly-triple-2025 |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref> Among the city's 98 barangays, [[Talon-Talon]] is the most populous with 4.1% share of this city's population, followed by Mampang (4.0%), Tumaga (3.6%), Tetuan (3.5%), Calarian (3.4%), San Roque and Pasonanca (both with 3.2%).<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 3, 2016 |title=Population of Region IX – Zamboanga Peninsula (Based on the 2015 Census of Population and Housing) |url=https://psa.gov.ph/content/population-region-ix-zamboanga-peninsula-based-2015-census-population-and-housing |access-date=May 12, 2018 |website=Philippine Statistics Authority}}</ref>
===Religion===
According to statistics compiled by the Philippine government,<ref name="Region 9 DTI profile">{{Cite web |title=Profile of Region 9 |url=https://www.dti.gov.ph/regions/region9/r9-profile-of-region |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140251/https://www.dti.gov.ph/regions/region9/r9-profile-of-region |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |access-date=July 25, 2018 |website=Department of Trade and Industry |quote=Roman Catholicism is the major religion practiced in the region. The other major religions are Islam, and Born-Again Christianity.}}</ref> one of the most dominant religion in Zamboanga City is [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]], followed by [[Islam]] and [[Evangelical Protestantism]].
Other religious practices and denominations in the city were [[Buddhism]], [[paganism]], [[animism]], and [[Sikhism]].<ref name="lsp24" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.subanen.org/historyheritage.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512181735/http://www.subanen.org/historyheritage.htm |archive-date=May 12, 2018 |access-date=May 12, 2018 |website=Subanen Tribe}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2022}}
==== Roman Catholicism ====
{{See also|Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zamboanga}}
[[File:Zamboanga Cathedral (La Purisima, Zamboanga City; 10-06-2023).jpg|thumb|Zamboanga Cathedral]]
With {{percentage|551,852|969,391|2}} of the city's population, Roman Catholicism remains the predominant religion in the city.<ref name="Region 9 DTI profile" /><ref name="Posequit 2017">{{Cite web |last=Posequit |first=Anna |date=October 9, 2017 |title=How Growing Up in Zamboanga Prepared Me to Travel the World |url=http://www.wheninmanila.com/how-growing-up-in-zamboanga-prepared-me-to-travel-the-world/ |access-date=May 12, 2018 |website=When in Manila}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Religious Affiliation in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing) {{!}} Philippine Statistics Authority {{!}} Republic of the Philippines |url=https://psa.gov.ph/content/religious-affiliation-philippines-2020-census-population-and-housing |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=psa.gov.ph}}</ref> Zamboanga City was the first to establish its own Catholic diocese in Mindanao (now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zamboanga).
The [[Zamboanga Cathedral|Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception]] serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga. It was designed by Domingo Abarro III. The first church was located at the front of Plaza Pershing, where the present ''Universidad de Zamboanga'' stands. The church was designated a cathedral in 1910 when the diocese of Zamboanga City was created.<ref name="vigattintourism 2012">{{Cite web |last=Guia |first=Jhaypee |date=July 25, 2012 |title=Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception |url=https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Metropolitan-Cathedral-of-the-Immaculate-Conception |access-date=October 31, 2018 |website=Vigattin Tourism}}</ref> In 1943, the cathedral was one of the edifices bombarded by Japanese soldiers during World War II.<ref name="vigattintourism 2012" /> In 1956, the cathedral was relocated beside [[Ateneo de Zamboanga University]], formerly known as the Jardin de Chino, where Chinese farmers grew the city's vegetables.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=93RxAAAAMAAJ&q=editions:0AFLRE72ioKON2AyF2F6NzXzCcEhzE_HjFaI-Pkc06VwwqNXYUUEwD3A |title=Kinaadman |date=1992 |publisher=Xavier University, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Zamboanga. |language=en}}</ref>
The titular patroness is [[Our Lady of the Pillar|Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza]], and its secondary patron is [[Pope Pius X]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Early History of Chavacano de Zamboanga |url=https://www.zamboanga.com/history/chavacano_history_zamboanga_founding_priests.htm |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=www.zamboanga.com}}</ref>
==== Islam ====
[[File:Sadik Grand Mosque project (MLCC Highway, Pasobolong, Zamboanga City; 10-12-2023).jpg|thumb|Sadik Grand Mosque, still under construction, will become the largest mosque in Southeast Asia once completed.]]
Muslims have also been an integral part of Zamboanga, comprising 37.62%<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2017 |title=Muslim Population in Mindanao (Based on POPCEN 2015) |url=http://rssoarmm.psa.gov.ph/release/54739/factsheet/muslim-population-in-mindanao-%28based-on-popcen-2015%29 |access-date=May 4, 2019 |website=Philippine Statistics Authority |archive-date=May 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504160119/http://rssoarmm.psa.gov.ph/release/54739/factsheet/muslim-population-in-mindanao-(based-on-popcen-2015) |url-status=dead }}</ref> of the city's population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the City |url=http://www.zamboangacity.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3771&Itemid=68 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522103959/http://www.zamboangacity.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3771&Itemid=68 |archive-date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=May 13, 2018 |website=zamboangacity.gov.ph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shearer |first=Peter |date=2009 |title=Badjaos and Samals of Philippines |url=http://www.karipearls.com/badjaos.html |access-date=May 13, 2018 |website=Kari Pearls}}</ref>
The majority of Muslims in Zamboanga City adhere to Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama‘ah, following the [[Ash‘arī creed]] and the [[Shāfi‘ī]] school of Islamic jurisprudence, while also maintaining a living tradition of [[Tasawwuf]] (Sufism). This mainstream Sunni community is under the religious leadership of the [[Grand Mufti of Darul Ifta Region 9 and Palawan]], the regional Islamic juristic and advisory body.
Prominent Sunni madrasahs in the city include Sabiel al-Muhtadin Institute, Darul Makhdumeen, Salamat Islamic Institute and Sadik Islamic Institute, which continue to serve as centers of Arabic and Islamic education for Tausug, Sama, and Yakan youth.
Sufi traditions remain vibrant in the city. The Masjid Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani in Talon-Talon is a well-known spiritual center affiliated with the Naqshbandi Haqqani Ṭarīqa, under the international guidance of Shaykh [[Mehmet Adil]], while the Masjid Ar-Rayyan in Baliwasan Grande is associated with the Shādhilī Ṭarīqa under Shaykh [[Muhammad bin Yahya al-Ninowy]]. These institutions host regular gatherings for dhikr (spiritual remembrance), community service, and interfaith outreach.
While Wahhabi-influenced and Shia minorities also exist in Zamboanga City, they remain small in number. However, both have a notable media and online presenc*, contributing to the diversity of Islamic discourse within the region.
Some barangays such as [[Campo Islam]], [[Taluksangay]], and the city’s island barangays are almost entirely Muslim, due to historical migration from the provinces of [[Sulu]] and [[Tawi-Tawi]] — primarily among the [[Tausūg people|Tausug]] and [[Sama-Bajau|Samal]] communities. There are also native [[Subanon people|Subanon]] Muslims, known locally as Kolibugan, and the [[Yakan people|Yakan]] of Basilan, who have migrated to Zamboanga and established thriving communities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Betgem |first=Frans |date=March 22, 2016 |title=Textile Tribes of the Philippines: The Yakan. Weaving, Weddings and Wears |url=http://travelauthenticphilippines.com/textile-tribes-of-the-philippines-the-yakan-weaving-weddings-and-wears/ |access-date=May 13, 2018 |website=Travel Authentic Philippines |archive-date=May 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503224936/http://travelauthenticphilippines.com/textile-tribes-of-the-philippines-the-yakan-weaving-weddings-and-wears/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Bramhall 2016" />
Muslim-majority barangays in Zamboanga do not celebrate Catholic fiestas, but instead observe ʻĪd al-Fiṭr (Hari Raya Puasa),ʻĪd al-Adḥā (Hari Raya Haji),[[Mawlid]] of the Prophet Muhammad, Nisf Sha'ban, Isra wal Mi'raj and Amun Jadid, which are public occasions of prayer, charity, and communal gathering.
====Other Christian denominations====
With the inception of the American era, Protestant sects were introduced. [[Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines|Christian and Missionary Alliance]], [[Philippine Independent Church]], [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]], [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], and [[United Church of Christ in the Philippines]] are included. Most Protestants are migrants who are mostly of Cebuano or Ilocano ethnicity. Members of [[Iglesia ni Cristo]] live in Zamboanga City, comprising 0.65%<ref name=":0" /> of the city's total household population in 2020.
===Ethnicities===
{{Further|Zamboangueño people|Subanon people}}
The '''Zamboangueño (people)''' ([[Chavacano]]/[[Spanish language in the Philippines|Spanish]]: ''Pueblo Zamboangueño'') are a [[Creolization|creole]] ethnolinguistic group of people from the [[Ethnic groups in the Philippines|Philippines]] originating from the Zamboanga peninsula, where Zamboanga City is also situated. The ancestors of the present inhabitants of the city are said to also have migrated to other areas in the Southwestern Mindanao. Due to migration, along with the original inhabitants of the place, the [[Subanon people]], a number of other ethnicities have a visible presence in the city such as the [[Samal people|Samal]], [[Yakan people|Yakan]], [[Tausug people|Tausug]] and [[Badjao]] peoples.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jose |first=Coleen |date=June 7, 2014 |title=The Badjao Sea People of Zamboanga |url=http://thecoraltriangle.com/stories/the-badjao-sea-people-of-zamboanga |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221205029/http://thecoraltriangle.com/stories/the-badjao-sea-people-of-zamboanga |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 21, 2018 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |website=The Coral Triangle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Jose |first=Coleen |date=April 21, 2014 |title=The Badjao of Zamboanga: Victims of War and Relocation |work=Rappler |url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/55885-badjao-zamboanga-war-relocation |access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mawallil |first=Amir |date=July 21, 2016 |title=Opinion: A Perspective on Tausug Bravery |work=ABS-CBN News |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/07/20/16/opinion-a-perspective-on-tausug-bravery |access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Bramhall 2016">{{Cite news |last=Bramhall |first=Donna |date=March 16, 2016 |title=Meeting the Yakan People in Zamboanga City |work=Rappler |url=https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/125827-yakan-tribe-wedding-zamboanga-sulu |access-date=May 4, 2018}}</ref>
According to a genetic study in 2021 by Larena et al., published in the ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States'', 4 of 10 [[Zamboangueño]]s/Chavacanos have "West Eurasian ancestry".<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Larena |first1=Maximilian |last2=Sanchez-Quinto |first2=Federico |last3=Sjödin |first3=Per |last4=McKenna |first4=James |last5=Ebeo |first5=Carlo |last6=Reyes |first6=Rebecca |last7=Casel |first7=Ophelia |last8=Huang |first8=Jin-Yuan |last9=Hagada |first9=Kim Pullupul |last10=Guilay |first10=Dennis |last11=Reyes |first11=Jennelyn |display-authors=3 |date=2021 |title=Multiple Migrations to the Philippines During the Last 50,000 Years |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=118 |issue=13 |at=Supplementary Information |doi=10.1073/pnas.2026132118 |pmc=8020671 |pmid=33753512 |bibcode=2021PNAS..11826132L |doi-access=free}}</ref> The limited Spanish descent of the minority is likely from Spanish soldiers in the Philippines stationed in the area centuries ago during the colonial era. Spanish soldiers from Mexico and Peru were also assigned in the area before, but it is not known if they stayed in the city and had children there.<ref name="Peru" />
===Languages===
The ''lingua franca'' of the city is [[Chavacano]]. Originally, the language of the area was largely the [[Subanon language]], as the majority of the population was from the [[Subanon people]] who lived in their ancestral land of Zamboanga. Due to Spanish conquer, the natives were not able to pass their indigenous language to the next generation, who were instead forced by the colonial officers to learn Spanish instead. This led to the development of the Spanish language into what later became Chavacano. The Zamboanga variety of Chavacano has Spanish as its [[lexifier]] and with its grammar influenced by the other Austronesian languages of the Philippines, notably Subanon and others. The ancestral [[Subanon language]] is spoken by some people in the city although not many understand it due to a lack of practitioners, who have been heavily influenced under colonial rule. Revitalization attempts of the indigenous Subanon language have not yet been spearheaded by the local government. Aside from Chavacano, [[Filipino language|Filipino]], and [[Philippine English|English]] are also widely used and understood, with the latter two as [[official language]]s of the Philippines, and with [[Filipino language|Filipino]] also as the [[national language]] and the national [[Lingua Franca|lingua franca]] of the Philippines. The [[Tausug language|Bahasa Sug or Tausug language]] is the second-most spoken language in the city after [[Chavacano]] due to significant Tausug migration from the neighboring provinces of the [[Sulu Archipelago]]. The [[Cebuano language|Cebuano]], [[Hiligaynon language|Hiligaynon]], [[Ilocano language|Ilocano]], [[Maguindanao language|Maguindanaon]], [[Maranao language|Maranao]], [[Sama languages|Sama]], and [[Yakan language|Yakan]] languages can also be heard within the city, most especially among their native speakers, ethnolinguistic groups, or cultural communities, and with Cebuano as the third-most spoken language in the city after [[Tausug language|Bahasa Sug]].
==Economy==
{{PH poverty incidence}}
{{See also|List of companies in Zamboanga City}}
[[File:La Purisima Street at Night (May 2023).jpg| thumb|La Purisima Street at Night]]
Zamboanga City's economy consistently grew by leaps and bounds from the pre-pandemic level of P125.05 billion to a record high of '''P139.47 billion''' in 2022.
The figures were also reflective of the city's Gross Domestic Product's (GDP) growth rates from P125.05 billion in 2018 to P130.82 billion (4.6 percent up) in 2019 but plummeted to P122.69 billion (-6.2 percent) in 2020 due to the pandemic.
However, as the City gradually reopened its economy after the pandemic, the GDP grew by 5.1 percent in the amount of P128.97 billion in 2021, and leapfrogged to 8.1 percent in 2022, bringing the city's economic value to P139.47 billion.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/zamboanga-city-economy-grows-by-p13947-b |title= Zamboanga City economy grows by P139.47-B | author= Sunstar Philippines}}</ref>
Zamboanga City accounts for one-third of Zamboanga Peninsula's Gross Domestic Product. (GDP) Accounting over 32.6% of the region's '''P427.78 Billion''' GDP, the largest share of any province or city in the region.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/ppa/node/1684061654|title= City of Zamboanga Accounts for One-Third of Zamboanga Peninsula's Economy; Zamboanga Sibugay Posts the Fastest Growth with 8.6 Percent | author= Philippine Statistics Authority}}</ref> in 2022, Zamboanga City's economy grew by 8.1%
Zamboanga City's economy is the third largest in Mindanao, after [[Davao City|Davao]] and [[Cagayan de Oro]].
===Sardine industry===
[[File:Gateway Supermarket Sardines' Section.JPG|thumb|Zamboanga-made Sardines in supermarket shelves]]
Zamboanga City is also dubbed as the Sardines Capital of the Philippines, for 11 out of 12 sardines companies in the country are produced here.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Santiago |first=Nonong |date=June 8, 2012 |title=Swiss Gov't Eyes Importation of Sardines from Zamboanga |work=Zamboanga Today Online |url=http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/news/13-top-stories/10384--swiss-govt-eyes-importation-of-sardines-from-zamboanga.html |url-status=dead |access-date=June 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711214739/http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/news/13-top-stories/10384--swiss-govt-eyes-importation-of-sardines-from-zamboanga.html |archive-date=July 11, 2012}}</ref> The canning factories are converged in the west coast of Zamboanga. Sardine fishing and processing account for about 70 percent of the city's economy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Narvaez |first=Teresita A. |date=December 5, 2017 |title=Assessment of the Industry-level Impacts of the Closed Fishing Season Policy for Sardines in Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines |url=https://ap.fftc.org.tw/article/1242 |access-date=June 6, 2022 |website=FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform (FFTC-AP)}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dakudao |first=Michael |date=September 1, 2015 |title=PERMEX, Zamboanga's Leading Tuna and Sardines Processing Plant |url=http://mindanaotimes.net/cultural-potpourri-permex-zamboangas-leading-tuna-and-sardines-processing-plant/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709010734/http://mindanaotimes.net/cultural-potpourri-permex-zamboangas-leading-tuna-and-sardines-processing-plant/ |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |access-date=May 26, 2018 |website=Mindanao Times}}</ref> Situated at the western tip of the Mindanao mainland, Zamboanga City is a natural docking point for vessels traversing the rich fishing grounds of the [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] and the [[Sulu Archipelago]].
The production of canned sardines in this city have upgraded their production to conform to international food safety and quality standards. Companies that produce these goods are looking to enter new markets in Russia and other European countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mega Fishing Corporation Success Story: Sardines Innovation for the Benefit of All |url=http://www.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/home/portal/index.php/quick-information-dispatch/2302-mega-fishing-corporation-success-story-sardines-innovation-for-the-benefit-of-all |access-date=May 26, 2018 |website=DOST-PCAARRD }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Most sardine fishing fleets and canning factories have located in Zamboanga City due to its proximity to the rich fishing grounds of the Sulu Sea. To date, 26 registered commercial fishing companies operating 87 sardine purse seine fleets and 569 boats of different classifications that are fishing in the Zamboanga and Sulu waters are based in Zamboanga City (BFAR IX 2015).{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}
The 11 canned sardine corporations operating 12 manufacturing plants; four tin can manufacturers; and, 4 ship construction and ship repair companies. The city supplies approximately 85–90% of the country's canned sardine requirements and the canned sardines sector contributes at least US$16 million in annual export earnings to the city<ref>{{Citation |last1=Israel |first1=Danilo C. |title=Reducing the Unintended Consequence of Overfishing Due to Open Access: Learning from the Zamboanga Experience |date=2016 |url=https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/173565/1/pidsdps1644.pdf |series=PIDS Discussion Paper Series, No. 2016-44 |last2=Lunod-Carinan |first2=Milva |last3=Paqueo |first3=Vicente B. |hdl=10419/173565 |hdl-access=free |mode=cs1}}</ref>
===Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone===
[[File:Zamboanga Ecozone Admin Office2.JPG|thumb|right|The administrative building of the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority]]
{{Main|Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone}}
The Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority and Freeport (ZamboEcoZone), also known as the Zamboanga Freeport Authority (ZFA), was created by virtue of Republic Act 7903 in 1995.<ref>{{Citation |title=Republic Act No. 7903 |url=https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/2948 |mode=cs1 |via=Supreme Court E-Library}}</ref>
The [[Special Economic Zone]] was enacted into law on February 23, 1995, and made operational a year later with the appointment of a chairman and administrator and the members of the Board by former [[List of presidents of the Philippines|President]] [[Fidel V. Ramos]]. It is located about 23 km from the city proper. It is one of the three current Economic Freeport Zones outside Luzon.
===Shopping malls===
[[File:KCC Mall de Zamboanga.jpg|thumb|KCC Mall de Zamboanga]]
[[File:SM City Mindpro Signage.jpg|thumb|SM City Mindpro]]
{{See also|List of shopping malls in the Philippines#Zamboanga Peninsula}}
Zamboanga City has been the new investor's destination in the country when it comes to shopping malls. Multiple national malls has set their foot in the city such as [[KCC Malls]], CityMalls by Double Dragon and [[SM Supermalls]]. Some companies like Vista Mall, Robinsons Mall and Ayala Malls has also shown interest in opening their branch in the city.
On December 10, 2015, [[KCC Malls]] opened their fourth branch in Zamboanga as [[KCC Mall de Zamboanga]] and it is one of the largest malls in [[Mindanao]] in terms of [[Floor area (building)|Gross Floor Area]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Bong |date=December 5, 2015 |title=KCC Mall to Open in Zambo City |work=SunStar |url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/46311/ |access-date=May 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=KCC Mall de Zamboanga Expansion: The Second Largest Mall in Mindanao |url=https://www.meb.news/kcc-mall-zamboanga-expansion/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826154918/https://www.meb.news/kcc-mall-zamboanga-expansion/ |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |access-date=May 25, 2018 |website=Mindanao Economic Boom}}</ref>
The country's largest shopping retailer, [[SM Supermalls]] bought [[SM City Mindpro|Mindpro Citimall]] in 2016 and the mall shall be converted with an SM brand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Apostol |first=Mike S. |date=August 29, 2016 |title=Mindpro Citimall Now SM Property |url=http://zamboangatimes.ph/opinions/19960-mindpro-citimall-now-sm-property.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607015539/http://zamboangatimes.ph/opinions/19960-mindpro-citimall-now-sm-property.html |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=May 25, 2018 |website=Daily Zamboanga Times}}</ref> The mall now known as "[[SM City Mindpro]]" was opened to the public on December 8, 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 10, 2020 |title=SM Opens 1st Mall in Zamboanga |work=Philstar.com |url=https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/12/10/2062636/sm-opens-1st-mall-zamboanga |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref>
On February 23, 2023. [[SM Prime Holdings]] made a groundbreaking ceremony for the establishment of [[SM City Zamboanga]] which is the 2nd SM Mall in the City and [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] which is targeted to open by 2025. Once opened, it will become the 2nd largest mall in the region.<ref name="SMCityZamboanga">{{cite web|last=PIA|url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/2023/02/23/zambo-city-welcomes-the-rise-of-second-sm-mall-in-zampen |title=2nd SM Mall to rise in Zamboanga City dubbed "SM City Zamboanga"|website=pia.gov.ph}}</ref>
==== Lists of national malls in Zamboanga City (Operating/Under-construction)====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name !! Location !! Gross floor area !! Opened !! Status
|-
| [[KCC Mall de Zamboanga]] || Camins Avenue || 162,000 m<sup>2</sup> || 2015 || Operating
|-
| [[SM City Mindpro]] || La Purisima Street || 59,383 m<sup>2</sup>|| 2020 || Operating
|-
| [[CityMall Tetuan]] || Don Alfaro Street, Tetuan || 15,344 m<sup>2</sup> || 2015 || Operating
|-
| [[SM City Zamboanga]] || Vitaliano Agan Avenue || 91,000 m<sup>2</sup> || 2026 || Under-construction
|-
| [[Grand CityMall Guiwan]] || MCLL Highway, Guiwan || 33,401 m<sup>2</sup> || 2025 || Under-construction
|}
=== Seaweed industry ===
Seaweed production plants in Zamboanga City, along with [[Cebu]] and Southern [[Luzon]], produce most of the world's supply of [[carrageenan]]. Seventy-five percent of the country's [[eucheuma]] and kappaphycus [[seaweed]] is produced mostly in the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 30, 2008 |title=Competitive Seaweed Industry Urged |work=Inquirer.net |url=http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20081230-180632/Competitive-seaweed-industry-urged, |url-status=dead |access-date=March 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114201802/http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20081230-180632/Competitive-seaweed-industry-urged, |archive-date=November 14, 2011 }}</ref>
===International trade===
Zamboanga City is a member of [[BIMP-EAGA|East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA)]], a regional economic cooperation initiative between the several countries in Southeast Asia. As a result of its membership, air and sea routes have been opened between Zamboanga City and [[Sandakan]] in Malaysia. The two cities have existing trade relations and have had historical cultural interactions.<ref name="Raymond Tan Shu Kiah 2000" /> {{clear left}}
==Government==
{{Main|Government of Zamboanga City}}
===Executive===
[[File:Flag of Zamboanga City.gif|thumb|right|Old flag of Zamboanga]]
[[File:Zamboanga City Hall, flag raising (NS Valderosa, Zamboanga City; 10-09-2023).jpg|thumb|right|Plaza Rizal and the Zamboanga City Hall since 1907]]
Zamboanga City is the third oldest city in the Philippines, with a [[mayor–council government|mayor–council]] form of government.<ref name="Commonwealth Act No. 39" />
The city government of Zamboanga was in a commission form shortly between 1912 and 1914 with Christopher Frederick Bader as the appointed mayor.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ix9wAAAAMAAJ |title=History from the People: Bukidnon, Camiguin Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur |date=1998 |publisher=National Historical Institute and Philippine National Historical Society |language=en}}</ref> It then was replaced by a municipal form of government headed by a municipal mayor assisted by a municipal vice-president.
When the City Charter of Zamboanga was signed on October 12, 1936,<ref name="zamboanga.com charter" /><ref name="Commonwealth Act No. 39" /> the municipal government was converted into a city one headed by a mayor appointed by the [[President of the Philippines|President of the Philippine Commonwealth]].
With the passage of Republic Act No. 1210 on April 29, 1955, the position of mayor became elective and the post of vice mayor was created.
===Representation in Congress===
Zamboanga City received its own representation for the [[Congress of the Philippines|Philippine Congress]] in 1984 when the [[Regular Batasang Pambansa]] was convened. Previously, the city was part of the representation of the [[Zamboanga (province)|Zamboanga Province]] from 1935 to 1953, of [[Zamboanga del Sur]] from 1953 to 1972 and in [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] from 1978 to 1984.
The former lone congressional district was further divided into two separate districts: the [[Legislative districts of Zamboanga City#1st District|West Coast]], comprises from the City Proper to Barangay Limpapa is represented by Congressman Khymer Adan Olaso, while in the [[Legislative districts of Zamboanga City#2nd District|East Coast]], comprises from Barangay Tetuán to Barangay Licomo is represented by Congressman Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe.
The city's population had reached to 774,407 people since 2007.<ref>{{Citation |title=Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: As of August 1, 2007 |url=https://www.census.gov.ph/data/sectordata/2007/region%209.pdf |type=Tables |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711061324/http://www.census.gov.ph/data/sectordata/2007/region%209.pdf |access-date=June 3, 2009 |archive-date=July 11, 2009 |mode=cs1 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Under Republic Act 9269, Zamboanga City is qualified to have its third district in the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|House of Representatives]].<ref>{{Citation |title=House Bill No. 6259 |url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UmCuOJY650o/SfkPEhSzV0I/AAAAAAAAG2c/SlUmFfGo91A/s1600-h/climaco_3rdDistrict_HB6259_page1+copy.jpg |access-date=June 3, 2009 |mode=cs1}}</ref> However, in 2008, the formation of Zamboanga City's Third District was then opposed by the local majority block of the [[Zamboanga City Council|city council]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2011 |title=Valesco Explains Stand on Proposed 3rd District |url=https://www.zamboangatimes.ph/top-news/1033-valesco-explains-stand-on-proposed-3rd-district.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425210150/http://zamboangatimes.ph/top-news/1033-valesco-explains-stand-on-proposed-3rd-district.html |archive-date=April 25, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |website=Daily Zamboanga Times}}</ref>
===Legislative===
{{Main|Zamboanga City Council}}
[[File:Consejo de la Ciudad de Zamboanga.JPG|thumb|left|The building where the Zamboanga City Council (Sangguniang Panglungsod ng Zamboanga) holds its sessions.]]
The first legislative body of Zamboanga City was established in 1914 composed of councilors who represented the different districts of barrios of then-municipality of Zamboanga.
When the City Charter of Zamboanga was signed on October 12, 1936, the municipal council was replaced by the City Council presided by the mayor and consisted of five councilors, the city treasurer and the city engineer. All members are appointed by the [[President of the Philippines|President of the Philippine Commonwealth]].
With the passage of Republic Act No. 1210 on April 29, 1955, the position of mayor became elective and the post of vice mayor was created. The council also became elective and its membership was increased to eight presided by the vice mayor.
During the [[Ferdinand Marcos|Marcos regime]], the city council was renamed to Sangguniang Panglungsod and its membership shuffled.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} The mayor became the presiding-officer while the vice mayor became a regular member. Other representatives such as the agriculture, business and labor sectoral representatives; chairman of the Kabataan Barangay Federation and the president of the Association of Barangay Captains was added to the council. All members of the council except for the mayor and the vice mayor are all appointed by the President.
After Marcos was deposed, a new Local Government Code was enacted in 1991 and the mayor was restored to the executive branch.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} The city council organization existed since.
The current local Sangguniang Panglungsod is composed of 19 members:
* the Vice Mayor as its presiding officer elected citywide;
* 8 councilors elected from the [[Legislative districts of Zamboanga City|two legislative districts]];
* Chairman of the [[Liga ng mga Barangay]] of the city as ''ex officio'' member;
* President of the Federasyon ng [[Sangguniang Kabataan|Federasyon ng Sangguniang Kabataan]] of the city as ''ex officio'' member; and
* Mandatory Representative of the Indigenous Peoples in Zamboanga City as ''ex officio'' member.
===Judiciary===
[[File:Hall of Justice Zamboanga City.JPG|thumb|right|Zamboanga City Hall of Justice Building]]
House Bill 1455 entitled "An Act Amending Sections 14 (J) and 29 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, Otherwise Known as The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980", calls for the creation of four additional Regional Trial Court branches in the Province of [[Zamboanga del Sur]], and the Cities of Pagadian and Zamboanga City with an overall total of nineteen branches.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Segura |first=Marvin |date=December 6, 2010 |title=Beng Seeks Creation of 4 RTCs in Region 9 |work=ZamboTimes |url=http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/26265-Beng-seeks-creation-of-4-RTCs-in-Region-9.html |url-status=dead |access-date=January 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209032014/http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/26265-Beng-seeks-creation-of-4-RTCs-in-Region-9.html |archive-date=December 9, 2010}}</ref>
Out of the 19 branches, ten seats shall be for Zamboanga City, and the remaining seats for [[Pagadian City]], Molave, San Miguel, Ipil, and Aurora.
===Armed forces and law enforcement===
{{See also|AFP Western Mindanao Command}}
Zamboanga City hosts one a large number of military, police and coast guard bases in the country. The Edwin Andrews Air Base hosts the [[Air Force of the Philippines|Air Force]] unit in the city is located at the [[Zamboanga International Airport]] complex.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2016 |title=Arrival at Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) |url=https://rtvm.gov.ph/arrival-at-edwin-andrews-air-base-zamboanga-city/ |access-date=June 6, 2022 |website=RTVM |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Farolan |first=Ramon |date=June 9, 2013 |title=We Serve the Nation, Not Individuals |work=Inquirer.net |url=http://opinion.inquirer.net/54299/we-serve-the-nation-not-individuals |access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref> The [[Camp General Basilio Navarro]] in Upper Calarian, is the main operating base of the [[AFP Western Mindanao Command|Western Mindanao Command]] (WestMinCom).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://westmincom.afp.mil.ph/index.php/contacts |access-date=June 6, 2022 |website=Western Mindanao Command |archive-date=October 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002061443/https://westmincom.afp.mil.ph/index.php/contacts |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lacastesantos |first=Liezel |date=February 25, 2015 |title=US Special Forces Leaving Philippines |work=ABS-CBN News |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/focus/02/24/15/us-special-forces-troops-leaving-philippines |access-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref> WesMinCom is one of the unified commands of the [[Armed Forces of the Philippines]] that serves the Western Mindanao. The Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao is located near the Camp General Basilio Navarro, while a coast guard station is located inside the [[Port of Zamboanga]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Depasupil |first=William |date=August 11, 2014 |title=Armed Forces Builds New Base in Zamboanga City |work=The Manila Times |url=http://www.manilatimes.net/armed-forces-builds-new-base-zamboanga-city/118160/ |url-status=dead |access-date=May 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508185433/http://www.manilatimes.net/armed-forces-builds-new-base-zamboanga-city/118160/ |archive-date=May 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Southwestern Mindanao |url=https://coastguard.gov.ph/index.php/districts/cgd-southwestern-mindanao |access-date=June 6, 2022 |website=Philippine Coast Guard |archive-date=June 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220608141627/https://coastguard.gov.ph/index.php/districts/cgd-southwestern-mindanao |url-status=dead }}</ref> Zamboanga City also hosts [[Bureau of Corrections (Philippines)|Bureau of Corrections]]' San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, which is one of the oldest penitentiaries in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm |url=https://bucor.gov.ph/san-ramon-prison-and-penal-farm/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004153324/https://bucor.gov.ph/san-ramon-prison-and-penal-farm/ |archive-date=4 October 2022 |access-date=5 November 2023 |website=Bureau of Corrections}}</ref>
==Transportation==
===Air===
[[File:Zamboanga International Airport.JPG|thumb|right|[[Zamboanga International Airport]]]]
{{See also|Zamboanga International Airport}}
The [[Zamboanga International Airport]] is located in Barangay Canelar, and has a 2,610-metre primary runway and can serve international flights and bigger planes such as the [[C-17 Globemaster III]], [[Antonov An-124]], [[Airbus A330]] and [[Boeing 747]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=C17 Landed in ZIA |work=GMA News |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/photo/?album=1343&pos=68 |access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=[Antonov An-124-100 approaching at the Zamboanga City International Airport] |url=http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00536995 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422025234/http://www.myaviation.net/search/photo_search.php?id=00536995 |archive-date=April 22, 2014 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |website=MyAviation.net}}</ref> The government has already earmarked more than 240 million pesos to complete the rehabilitation of the existing facilities of the airport,<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 25, 2008 |title=365 Completion of Rehabilitition of the Existing Facilities of the Airport |work=Zambotimes |url=http://www.zambotimes.com/index.php?/archives/11336-Climaco-urges-DOTC-to-implement-P214M-airport-repair-immediately.html |access-date=October 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209062501/http://www.zambotimes.com/index.php?/archives/11336-Climaco-urges-DOTC-to-implement-P214M-airport-repair-immediately.html |archive-date=December 9, 2008}}</ref> which was ranked the tenth-busiest in the Philippines in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Downloads – Information Papers |url=http://www.caap.gov.ph/web/downloads.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422213641/http://www.caap.gov.ph/web/downloads.htm |archive-date=April 22, 2009 |access-date=April 20, 2009 |website=Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines}}</ref>
The city's new airport is being proposed in Barangays Mercedes and Talabaan, which will replace the existing one in Barangay Canelar. The current airport site is also visioned to be converted to a [[business district]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surveying activities start at new airport site |url= https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1926503/zamboanga/local-news/surveying-activities-start-at-new-airport-site |access-date=April 16, 2022 |website=SUNSTAR |date= April 16, 2022 }}</ref>
===Land===
The primary modes of transportation within the city are serviced by taxis, [[jeepney]]s, [[tricycle]]s and bajaj/piaggios<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Bong |date=January 30, 2018 |title=Taxi Cooperative to Operate in Zamboanga City |work=SunStar |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/416491/taxi-cooperative-to-operate-in-zamboanga-city |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref> Regular and air-conditioned buses of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies serve the long-haul routes from Zamboanga City to other areas in Mindanao and in the Visayas. Other smaller bus companies ply the routes to neighboring municipalities in the Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay areas. Since June 25, 2018, taxis were launched with initial 13 units, growing to 50 units. By 2019, there are 100 taxi units plying around Zamboanga City to any point in Region 9, and the operators say they will surely be adding more until reaching the maximum of 200 taxi units.
==
{{See also|Port of Zamboanga}}
Zamboanga City has nineteen seaports and wharves, twelve of them are privately owned and the rest are owned by the government. This includes some ports of [[Basilan]] which are registered as a part of Zamboanga City port management. The biggest and most modern seaport is the government-operated main port in Zamboanga City, which can accommodate 20 ships at any given time. There are 25 shipping companies whose vessels regularly dock at the port of Zamboanga. The city also has fastcraft services to [[Sandakan]], [[Malaysia]], and one shipping cargo company from [[Vietnam]] is also serving the routes from and to Zamboanga City to deliver goods from Vietnam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seaport |url=https://www.zamboanga.net/AccommodationsSeaport.htm/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204055856/http://zamboanga.net:80/AccommodationsSeaport.htm |archive-date=February 4, 2009 |access-date=April 20, 2009 |website=zamboanga.net}}</ref>
In 2002, the Port of Zamboanga City, including the area ports of Basilan, registered 5.57 million passenger movement, surpassing [[Batangas]] by 1.3 million passengers, and Manila by over 1.59 million passengers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Port Statistics |url=http://www.ppa.com.ph/Port%20Statistics/downloadExcel.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131104226/http://ppa.com.ph/Port%20Statistics/downloadExcel.htm |archive-date=January 31, 2009 |access-date=April 20, 2009 |website=Philippine Ports Authority}}</ref>
On May 28, 2009, the PHP700 million port expansion project, funded by the national government was inaugurated by President [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Bong |date=May 29, 2009 |title=Arroyo Inaugurates Port Expansion Project |work=SunStar Zamboanga |url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/arroyo-inaugurates-port-expansion-project |url-status=dead |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115063616/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/arroyo-inaugurates-port-expansion-project |archive-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref>
==Infrastructure==
=== Townships ===
SR Township is based on a 90-hectare area in Boalan, currently in their first phase of the project dedicating 50 hectares of land which includes the construction of the Biggest Mosque in the Philippines known as the "Grand Sadik Mosque". Also part of phase 1 is the establishment of a mall, convention center and a hotel.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021 |title= SR Project Masterplan |work=7000 |url=https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Sievq8p6i3fHb4tkXcsoG1Vfh2x7UZRdwSRupezwWuRRhn4dWQwrR6RidRgZPBDXl&id=100057172311113&mibextid=DcJ9fc}}</ref>
The township of Andaluz by Vista Estates, located in Boalan's diversion road, is a 32-hectare township that promises to replicate the lifestyle of Seville, Spain. The Township hosts a subdivision, a leisure and commercial district which prides itself as the future "Central Business District" of Zamboanga Peninsula.
Andaluz is also the first Township donned by Vista Estates in Mindanao.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 30, 2022 |title=Andaluz By Vista Estates |url=https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02FWRBcT7yCDrwXAwVv3gfQHbN2scgRChCgLFxusedofDk4ZnGQ2rjNZAmqa6LuC4ml&id=100064649564097&mibextid=DcJ9fc}}</ref>
===
[[File:Zamboanga City Satellite Towers.JPG|thumb|The telecommunication towers as can be seen over the downtown.]]
Major telecommunications firm, [[Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company]], maintains operations in the city. [[Mabuhay Satellite Corporation]] and [[Dito Telecommunity|DITO]] has set up a facility in Zamboanga City in order to improve existing communications infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 4, 1994 |title=PLDT Forms Satellite Firm |work=The Manila Standard |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xWUVAAAAIBAJ&pg=3964,506386&dq=mabuhay+satellite+corporation+philippine&hl=en }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-06 |title=Dito Telecommunity expands to Zamboanga City |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/03/06/public-square/dito-telecommunity-expands-to-zamboanga-city/1835240 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=The Manila Times |language=en}}</ref> InfiniVAN Inc, with its partnership with Eastern Telecommunications and [[Globe Telecom]], owns the Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) in which they have Zamboanga City as one of their landing stations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 March 2023 |title=Globe fiberoptic cable lands in Zamboanga |url=https://business.inquirer.net/393526/globe-fiberoptic-cable-lands-in-zamboanga |access-date=8 May 2023 |website=Inquirer.net Business}}</ref>
===Power===
[[File:Zamcelco.JPG|thumb|Murga Station of the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (ZAMCELCO).]]
{{See also|ZAMCELCO}}
The [[ZAMCELCO|Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative]] is the franchise holder of electric power distribution covering the entire city.
Conrado Alcantara and Sons Holdings (Conal) constructed a coal-fired power plant with an initial capacity of 105 megawatt on a 60-hectare land inside the [[Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority]]. The plant was originally to open in 2014, with the constructors expecting to meet the demand of the city's electricity by that year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conal to Build $9,000 million Coal-Fired Power Plant in Philippines |url=http://www.zamboanga.net/sepvol1chap1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104040828/http://www.zamboanga.net/sepvol1chap1.htm |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |access-date=July 10, 2010}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=June 2022}}<ref name="Manila Bulletin News">{{Cite news |last=Colina |first=Antonio L. IV |date=August 25, 2017 |title=Alcantara Group to Build 105-MW Plant in Zambo City |work=Manila Bulletin |url=https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/25/alcantara-group-to-build-105-mw-plant-in-zambo-city/ |access-date=May 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180527201602/https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/25/alcantara-group-to-build-105-mw-plant-in-zambo-city/ |archive-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref> However, the project was delayed and had begun construction by the end of 2017. The plant is expected to be fully operational by 2020.<ref name="Manila Bulletin News" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Francisco |first=Carmelito Q. |date=August 30, 2017 |title=Alcantara Group's 105-MW Power Plant to Supply Zamboanga City Exclusively |pages=2018–05–28 |work=BusinessWorld |url=http://bworldonline.com/alcantara-groups-105-mw-power-plant-supply-zamboanga-city-exclusively/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528053603/http://bworldonline.com/alcantara-groups-105-mw-power-plant-supply-zamboanga-city-exclusively/ |archive-date=May 28, 2018}}</ref>
===Water===
Zamboanga City relies heavily on surface water from the Tumaga River for its water supply. The Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD) is serving only 48% of the total population of the total water production, 38% is accounted water. Given the projected population and the fact that the city is a highly urbanising one, it is likely that future water requirements will not be satisfied unless other sources such as rivers and springs be tapped to augment water supply sources.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City Socio Economic Profile: Part I: The Bases of the Plan |url=http://www.zamboanga.net/sepvol1chap1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104040828/http://www.zamboanga.net/sepvol1chap1.htm |archive-date=January 4, 2011 |access-date=July 10, 2010 |website=zamboanga.net}}</ref>
ZCWD has 24 production wells. These are located in the following strategic areas within the city that are producing 1,304 m<sup>3</sup> daily.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Production Wells |url=http://www.zcwd.gov.ph/production.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105061842/http://www.zcwd.gov.ph/production.php |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |access-date=December 30, 2010 |website=Zamboanga City Water District }}</ref>
===Health===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Zamboanga Peninsula Medical Center, Putik, Zamboanga City.jpg|thumb|Zamboanga Peninsula Medical Center located at Putik, Zamboanga City]] -->
{{See also|List of hospitals in Zamboanga City}}
There are several medical centres and hospitals in Zamboanga. The Zamboanga Peninsula Medical Center is the city's newest hospital which was opened in 2015. It is regarded as one of the largest and most modern in the region likened to the [[St. Luke's Medical Center]]. The government-operated [[Zamboanga City Medical Center]] was founded in 1918 as the Zamboanga City General Hospital. The Brent Hospital and Colleges, Inc. was founded on February 2, 1914, by [[Charles Henry Brent]], the first [[Episcopal Church in the Philippines|Protestant Episcopal missionary bishop in the Philippines]]. Today it operates a school within its compound, offering nursing and allied health courses.
The Zamboanga City [[Red Cross]] chapter was established on June 17, 1946, known originally as the Zamboanga City Chapter. The original Zamboanga City Chapter comprised the city of Zamboanga and the three provinces of [[Basilan]], [[Zamboanga del Norte]] and [[Zamboanga del Sur]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zamboanga |url=http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/zamboanga/profile.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023064211/http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/zamboanga/profile.aspx |archive-date=October 23, 2007 |access-date=April 29, 2009 |website=The Philippine National Red Cross }}</ref>
[[West Metro Medical Center]] is a secondary-level private hospital in Zamboanga City, Philippines. As of 2015, the hospital has a capacity of 110 beds. Ongoing construction of an annex is to increase bed capacity to 190, making it the largest private hospital in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Archipelago.
In 2006, the [[Military Sealift Command]] (MSC) hospital ship, [[USNS Mercy (T-AH-19)]], anchored off the coast of Zamboanga City, to provide medical, dental and veterinary care for the people of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006–2007 |title=USNS ''Mercy'' Bringing Hope to Asia-Pacific Nations |url=http://forum.apan-info.net/2006-07_winter/usnsmercy/1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105063240/http://forum.apan-info.net/2006-07_winter/usnsmercy/1.html |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |access-date=September 23, 2010 |website=Asia-Pacific Defense Forum}}</ref>
===Sports and recreation facilities===
Convention centers that host several events and congregations include the Garden Orchid Hotel's Convention Center, Palacio del Sur, Centro Latino, Astoria Regency, and Patio Palmeras.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Bong |date=November 30, 2017 |title=All Set for the Mindanao Week of Peace Celebration |work=SunStar |url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/407590/ |access-date=May 27, 2018}}</ref> [[KCC Mall de Zamboanga]] also has its convention halls that is located at its East Wing.
Sport venues in Zamboanga City include the [[Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Stadium|Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex]], the [[Universidad de Zamboanga]] Summit Centre, [[Southern City Colleges]] Citadel Sports Arena, and the Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum.
==Education==
[[File:Ateneo de Zamboanga University Facade April 2019.jpg|alt=One of the oldest institutions in Zamboanga City|thumb|Ateneo de Zamboanga University façade]]
{{See also|List of universities and colleges in Zamboanga City}}
There exists numerous public and private schools throughout the city. The [[Western Mindanao State University]] is state-run. Sectarian schools include the [[Ateneo de Zamboanga University]]. There are also a number of foreign schools with study programs. Other universities in the city include the [[Universidad de Zamboanga]], [[Southern City Colleges]], [[Pilar College]], [[AMA Computer College]], [[Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University]], and [[Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology]].
== Culture ==
=== Cuisine ===
Reflecting its creole heritage, Zamboangeno cuisine draws influences from many regions of the Philippines and beyond.
Dishes unique to Zamboanga City include:
* ''[[Curacha Alavar]]'': steamed or boiled [[spanner crabs]] (''curacha'') cooked with garlic, ginger, and salt, and doused in a sauce blend of coconut milk (''gata''), [[Taba ng talangka|crab fat]] (''taba ng talangka''), and various spices called ''Alavar''. A specialty of Alavar Seafood Restaurant.
* ''Chupa kulo'': cooked [[Telescopium telescopium|mangrove snails]] (''bagungon'') simmered in a sauce blend of coconut milk, squash, ferns (''pako''), and various spices. A specialty of [[Great Santa Cruz Island|Santa Cruz Island]].
* ''Paella zamboangueño'':
* ''Knickerbocker'':
Additionally, Tausug and Sama cuisine is ubiquitous throughout the city.
=== Media ===
{{Main|Media in Zamboanga City}}
Zamboanga City has 26 radio stations (9 AM & 17 FM). There are also 17 regular television stations and three cable television stations. Several local publications operate in the various parts of the city and nearby provinces and regions, such as ''The Daily Zamboanga Times'', ''The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper'', ''Voz de Mindanao'', ''Zamboanga Peninsula Journal'', ''Zamboanga Star'', ''Zamboanga Today'', 'Diario Verdad,''The Zamboanga Post'', and ''Zamboanga Forum''.
==Tourism==
[[File:Isla Great Santa Cruz53.JPG|thumb|right|Pulverized Red Organ Pipe Corals gives that ''pinkish'' tint on Santa Cruz's Beach.]]
The [[Department of Tourism (Philippines)|Department of Tourism]] has selected Zamboanga City as a flagship tourism destination in Zamboanga Peninsula.<ref name="BusinessWorld 2006">{{Cite news |date=September 22, 2006 |title=Zamboanga Picked as Peninsula's Tourism Flagship |work=BusinessWorld}}</ref> Domestic and foreign tourist arrivals increased 8 percent to 439,160 in 2005, according to data from the regional tourism office. The same report notes that Filipinos accounted for 80 percent of the tourist arrivals. Moreover, 50 percent of those tourists visited the city before.<ref name="tourism">{{Cite news |date=October 6, 2006 |title=Zamboanga Peninsula Shaping up as a Tourist Draw |work=BusinessWorld}}</ref>
Zamboanga City's famous Pink Sand Beach of [[Great Santa Cruz Island|Santa Cruz]] was recognized by the [[National Geographic]] as one of the "World's 21 Best Beaches" in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lukman |first=Yara |date=April 9, 2018 |title=Zamboanga's Pink Beach–One of the World's 21 Best, National Geographic Says |work=lifestyle.Inq |url=https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/291230/zamboangas-pink-beach-one-worlds-21-best-national-geographic-says/ |access-date=May 4, 2019}}</ref> A surge in tourist arrivals was recorded in 2018 that hit almost 100,000. A day-trip to the island includes a hop to Little Santa Cruz's long white sand bar and a tour of the island's lagoon known for its rich ecosystem.
Another rising tourist hub is the newly opened [[11 Islands]] (commonly called ''Onçe Islas''), a group of islands with white-sand beaches and sand bars located in the city's east coast.
Despite the warnings and seasonal advisories, growth in terms of arrivals tells otherwise. The negative impressions shows no effect on the Tourist's perception of the place in general.
The whole [[Zamboanga Peninsula]] Region recorded 723,455 tourist arrivals in 2018 of which 11,190 are foreigners, 10,523 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and 701,742 were domestic tourists according to the Department of Tourism.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Go |first=R. G. Antonet |date=January 5, 2019 |title=Zambo Region Records 723K Tourist Arrivals in 2018 |work=Philippine News Agency |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1058072 |access-date=May 4, 2019}}</ref>
==Notable personalities==
<!-- Only include people with WP articles as per [[WP:Notability (people)]] -->
[[File:Hidilyn Diaz 2015d.jpg|thumb|upright|Hidilyn Diaz at her homecoming to Zamboanga City, days after her victory in the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
{{See also|Zamboanga del Sur#Notable people}}
* [[Eumir Marcial]] – Filipino Boxer. Won a bronze medal in the [[2020 Summer Olympics]], and has 4 Gold Medals in the [[South East Asian Games]]
* [[Mike Tolomia]] – basketball player
* [[Cesar Climaco]] - [[mayor of Zamboanga City]] for 11 years over three nonconsecutive terms. A prominent critic of the martial law regime of [[Ferdinand Marcos]].
* [[Roseller T. Lim]] – the first Zamboangueño who became a Philippine senator from December 30, 1955, to December 30, 1963. Lim was known as the "Great Filibuster", after he [[filibuster]]ed for more than 18 hours in an attempt to prevent the election of Ferdinand Marcos as [[President of the Senate of the Philippines|president of the Senate]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mustafa |first=Noralyn |date=June 18, 2004 |title=Roseller T. Lim: He Stood on Senate Floor for 18 Hours to Stop Marcos but... |page=A1 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ulc1AAAAIBAJ&pg=2734,720400 |access-date=2017-08-27 |via=Google News Archive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2009 |title=Mayor Leads "Dia de Roseller T. Lim" |url=http://www.zamboanga.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1711&Itemid=46 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828002502/http://www.zamboanga.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1711&Itemid=46 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |access-date=August 27, 2017 |website=zamboanga.gov.ph}}</ref>
* [[Alyssa Alano]] – a [[Filipino people|Filipina]]-[[Australian people|Australian]] film and TV actress. She was a former member of the popular [[VIVA Entertainment|Viva]] Hotbabes franchise.
* [[Hidilyn Diaz]] – a Filipina [[Olympic weightlifting|weightlifter]] and [[airwoman]]. She won the silver medal in the [[2016 Summer Olympics]]' women's 53-kg weight division.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bracher |first=Jane |date=August 7, 2016 |title=Hidilyn Diaz Nabs Silver, First PH Olympic Medal in 20 Years |language=en-US |work=Rappler |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/142282-hidilyn-diaz-olympic-weightlifting-women-53kg-silver-medal/ |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref> In Tokyo on July 26, 2021, Diaz won the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal at the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] for women's weightlifting, setting the Olympic record for the 55 kg category
* [[Buddy Zabala]] – a Filipino musician and producer. He was the bassist of Filipino punk rock band [[Hilera]] and also currently of [[Moonstar88]] and [[Cambio (band)|Cambio]]. He was also a member of [[Eraserheads]] and bassist for [[The Dawn (band)|The Dawn]].
* [[Anton Mari H. Lim]] – a Filipino veterinarian, businessman, public figure, and humanitarian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Tzu Chi Foundation! |url=http://www.tzuchizam.org/ |access-date=August 27, 2017 |website=tzuchizam.org}}</ref>
* [[Mark Barroca|Andy Mark C. Barroca]] – a Filipino professional basketball player for the [[Magnolia Hotshots]] in the [[Philippine Basketball Association]] (PBA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark Barroca |url=http://stats.humblebola.com/pba/players/136-Barroca-Mark |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115234539/http://stats.humblebola.com/pba/players/136-Barroca-Mark |archive-date=January 15, 2018 |access-date=January 15, 2018 |website=HumbleBola}}</ref>
* [[RR Garcia|Ryan Roose B. "RR" Garcia]] – a Filipino professional basketball player for the [[TNT KaTropa]] in the PBA.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RR Garcia |url=http://stats.humblebola.com/pba/players/64-Garcia-RR |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316122015/http://stats.humblebola.com/pba/players/64-Garcia-RR |archive-date=March 16, 2018 |access-date=August 27, 2017 |website=HumbleBola}}</ref>
* [[Rudy Lingganay|Rudy Briones Lingganay Jr.]] – another Filipino professional basketball player for the TNT KaTropa in the PBA.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cebu Daily News |date=September 25, 2011 |title=Lingganay Layup Lifts Powerade |language=en |work=Inquirer.net |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/64691/lingganay-layup-lifts-powerade |access-date=June 6, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Chico Lanete]] – a Filipino professional basketball player for the [[Phoenix Fuel Masters]] in the PBA.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chico Lanete Basketball Player Profile |url=http://basketball.eurobasket.com/player/Chico-Lanete/Philippines/Phoenix-Fuel-Masters/94443? |access-date=August 27, 2017 |website=Eurobasket}}</ref>
* [[Chef Miguel Cabel Moreno|Chef Miggy Cabel Moreno]] - Celebrated Filipino Tausug chef and restaurateur recognized for championing the culinary heritage of Southern Mindanao, specifically [[Tausūg people|Tausug]] cuisine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Concengco |first=Jar |date=March 12, 2025 |title=How One Chef is Bringing Mindanao's Hidden Culinary Gems to Light |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/food-and-drink/chef-miguel-moreno-modern-day-warrior-of-mindanaoan-cuisine-a5356-20250312-lfrm |access-date=2025-08-25 |website=Esquire Magazine Philippines}}</ref>
==Sister cities==
Zamboanga City is [[Town twinning|twinned]] with the following cities:
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* [[Davao City]], Davao del Sur<ref>{{Cite news |last=Francisco |first=Carmelito Q. |date=July 22, 2019 |title=Davao City Eyes Sisterhood with Zamboanga, Cotabato for Tourism, Agriculture |work=BusinessWorld |url=https://www.bworldonline.com/davao-city-eyes-sisterhood-with-zamboanga-cotabato-for-tourism-agriculture/ |url-status=dead |access-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821055207/https://www.bworldonline.com/davao-city-eyes-sisterhood-with-zamboanga-cotabato-for-tourism-agriculture/ |archive-date=August 21, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Baguio]], Benguet<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dacuag |first=Pearl A. |date=September 6, 2009 |title=20 Sister Cities Pledge to Fortify Ties with Baguio |work=Baguio Midland Courier |url=http://www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/city.asp?mode=%20archives/2009/september/9-6-2009/city6.txt |url-status=dead |access-date=September 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718145518/http://www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/city.asp?mode=%20archives/2009/september/9-6-2009/city6.txt |archive-date=July 18, 2020}}</ref>
* [[Makati]], Metro Manila
* [[San Mateo, Rizal|San Mateo]], Rizal
* [[Cagayan de Oro]], Misamis Oriental<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 9, 2023 |title=CDO, ZAMBO SISTER PACT TO FOCUS ON TRAFFIC, ROAD SAFETY |work=Cagayan De Oro Information |url=https://www.facebook.com/100083034206150/posts/pfbid02vTqP8qdjzDBL4u8oyUqgaSRuh1NS3svxfom1Z6xeMdySC3pzoiDWPYJmMteVe9Dsl/?mibextid=WiMSqg |access-date=November 9, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Gumaca]], Quezon
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* {{flagicon|INA}} [[Pekanbaru]], Indonesia
* {{flagicon|MAS}} [[Sandakan]], Malaysia<ref name="Raymond Tan Shu Kiah 2000">{{Cite speech |last=Raymond Tan Shu Kiah |event=The Seminar on Twin City – Sandakan and Zamboanga |___location=Renaissance Sandakan Hotel |date=June 19, 2000 |access-date=March 27, 2014 |title=[Speeches by Raymond Tan Shu Kiah] |url=http://www.sabah.org.my/ybdrt/ucapan_htm/2000/06192000am.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414233808/http://www.sabah.org.my/ybdrt/ucapan_htm/2000/06192000am.asp |archive-date=April 14, 2012 |website=Virtual Office of Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Zaragoza]], Spain
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zhoushan]], China
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== See also ==
{{portal|Philippines}}
*[[Cagayan de Oro]]
*[[Davao City]]
*[[General Santos]]
*[[Cotabato City]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
=== Sources ===
{{USGovernment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091210013013/http://manila.usembassy.gov/vppmindanao/city_government_links.html|archive-date=2009-12-10|url=http://manila.usembassy.gov/vppmindanao/city_government_links.html|title=Zamboanga City}}
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Zamboanga (city)}}
* {{Official website|http://www.zamboanga.gov.ph}}
* [{{NSCB detail}} Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
{{Geographic ___location <!-- for DIRECTLY ADJACENT municipalities as standardized for all other LGU's -->
| Centre = Zamboanga City
| North = [[Sibuco|Sibuco, ZaNor]] / [[Sirawai|Sirawai, ZaNor]] / [[Tungawan|Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay]]
| Northeast = ''[[Sibuguey Bay]]''
| East = ''[[Moro Gulf]]''
| South = ''[[Basilan Strait]]''<br />[[Isabela, Basilan|Isabela]] / [[Lamitan|Lamitan, Basilan]]
| West = ''[[Sulu Sea]]''
}}
{{Zamboanga City}}
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{{Zamboanga del Sur}}
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{{Largest cities and municipalities in Mindanao}}
{{Spanish Colonial architecture}}
}}
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[[Category:Zamboanga City| ]]
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