History
Once there was Jambangan
Source: Wikipedia
The early Malay settlers called the region “Jambangan”, which means Land of the Flowers. These Malays who built their settlements by the river banks were the Subanons, that is the “People of the River”. Their chief, Saragan, lived with his family atop the legendary Mount Pulumbato that today lords over Pasonanca and Climaco Freedom Park (formerly Abong-Abong Park) then later on, the Samals and the Badjaos who came on their frail vintas also settled here, building their huts along the shorelines and confused “Jambangan” with “Samboangan” which comes from the word “Sabuan”, the wooden pole used to help push their vintas in shallow waters or to tie them for anchorage purposes.
The Spanish colonizers found difficulty in pronouncing “Samboangan” and instead called the place “Zamboanga”. The city has rich and colorful history. It was the center of barter trading among Chinese, Malays and the native Tausugs, Samals, Subanons, and the Badjaos as early as the 13th and 14th centuries.
It was in 1569 when the Spaniards made their presence felt with a small Catholic Mission established briefly at La Caldera, now known as Recodo. The city's patron saint is La Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, Spain. A statue honoring the saint is prominently embossed above the façade on the eastern wall of Fort Pilar.
Much later on June 23, 1635, the cornerstone of what is now known as Fort Pilar was laid by Father Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit Priest-Engineer and the Spanish authorities. This date marked the change of the name of the place from Samboangan to Zamboanga. It is the city’s founding date. The meter-thick walled fort is officially called El Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza (also called El Real Fuerza de San José in its early days).
In 1899, after the Spanish-American War in the Philippines, the United States of America defeated the forces of the revolutionary government of the Republic of Zamboanga under popular President and Gen. Vicente Alvarez y Solis thereby establishing full authority in Zamboanga. The U.S. military then appointed Alvarez's political opponent and U.S. friendly, Isidor Midel, to finish the Presidential term of Alvarez. In March 1901, a municipal election was held with the help of the U.S. administration, wherein Mariano Arquiza was elected President of the new republic for two years ending in 1903.
Then after, the Moro Province was established in Mindanao and Sulu, and the original ancient Zamboanga was made its capital. The first U.S. form of military government was the Moro Province and during the 12 years of its existence, the American Military Government converted the original Zamboanga into a city in the Commission Form, the first U.S.-created province in Mindanao to become/revert to a city. Zamboanga was already a major city of government and military importance under the Spanish Administration. However, the U.S. military government of the Moro Province was abolished to give way to a new form of U.S. military/quasi local civilian government, called the Department of Mindanao and Sulu. This form of government entrusted to the Filipino residents of Zamboanga practically all positions in government.
The Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1937 declared Zamboanga as a Charter City. Progress and development in Zamboanga continued and in 1983, the Minister Interior Jose Roño proclaimed Zamboanga City as a highly urbanized city.
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