Basic Facts

Here are some basic facts about Zamboanga, the most alluring, romantic and enchanting city of the Philippine South. Para tu informacion!

Basic Facts about Zamboanga City

Asia’s Latin City

 
Origin of the name Zamboanga
  • Jambangan - as named by the Malays for place of flowers 
  • Saguan or Sambuam- derived from the wooden paddle used by Malays to steer their colorful vintas or sailboats
  • Samboangan - hispanized name for Sambon, a medicinal plant, as catalogued in Fr. Pedro Murillo map 1734
   
Currency Philippine Peso
Electric Current is 110/220 volts 60 cycles
Language Chavacano is the lingua franca but locals also speak English and the regional dialects (Tagalog, Bisaya, Tausug, etc.)
Holidays Saturdays and Sundays are non-working days. Banks and government offices are closed but most stores are open on Saturdays and most are closed on Sundays. Other regular and special holidays are celebrated on specific dates of the year.
Population 774,407 (2007 Census)
Residents Zamboangueños
Temperature Average of 22-28 degrees Celsius
Time PST (UTC+8)
Land Area 1,483 sq. km. (572 sq. mi.)
Topography Generally sloping from shorelines, gradually becoming hilly and mountainous towards the center of the peninsula with the urban area generally flat 
Location In Southern Philippines on the west coast of Mindanao Island at the southwestern tip of the of the Zamboanga Peninsula, bounded to the west by the Sulu Sea on the east by the Moro Gulf and on the south by the Basilan Strait and Celebes Sea 
Weather Relatively dry from December to April, minimal rain from May to August, wet from September to November and rarely visited by typhoons being outside the typhoon belt  
History Click this link to read a brief History of Zamboanga City 
Getting To Zamboanga Readily accessible by air and sea from the key cities of Manila and Cebu with daily flight schedules and regular stops by shipping and passenger lines  
Getting Around Zamboanga Common means of transportation are jeepneys and tricycles, taxis are limited, buses ply the far-flung barangays toward the eastcoast and westcoast of the city.
Emergency Numbers

Fire Department ........................................................ 117

Central Police Station ............................................... 166

Z.C. Medical Center .......................................... 991-9463