Zamboanga (province)

Creation

During the time of the United States' purchase of the Philippines (1898), the Republic of Zamboanga had its own independence and jurisdiction on what is now Zamboanga City. After the dissolution of the republic, Zamboanga was eventually consolidated into one major administrative area by the American government of the Philippines, consisting of an enormous region that was the Mindanao island's western peninsula, Basilan Island, and the entire Sulu archipelago, with the ancient namesake town/fort of Zamboanga as the seat of its government, and was called the Moro Province of the Philippines.

The Moro Province, in 1914 was replaced by the Department of Mindanao and Sulu. It was divided into Zamboanga, Sulu, Cotabato, Davao, Agusan and Surigao. The town of Zamboanga as its capital. Luis Lim was appointed as the first governor of Zamboanga.

In 1920, the Department of Mindanao and Sulu was officially dissolved and Zamboanga became an independent province and in 1922, elections were held for the first elected provincial officials of Zamboanga. Florentino Saguin was elected as first elected governor.

The province is composed of five (5) municipalities:

and is sub-divided into twelve (12) municipal districts:

World War II

When the Japanese invaded the Philippines (1942), Zamboanga acting Governor Felipe Azcuna moved the capital from Zamboanga City to Dipolog. After the defeat of the American-Filipino forces in Corregidor, most of the province went under Japanese control. The establishment of the general headquarters, garrisons and concentration camps of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces was stationed in Zamboanga.

The founding of the local military establishment of the general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on January 03, 1942 to June 30, 1946 and the 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was active on October 28, 1944 to June 30, 1946 was stationed in the province of Zamboanga.

The Zamboangueño Christian and Muslim resistance groups mounted guerrilla conflicts and insurgencies in the main province of Zamboanga on 1942 to 1944 during the Japanese Occupation and helped by local troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army units against the Japanese. After the three-year main conflicts, when the Zamboangueño guerrillas were retreating against the Japanese in the main province. That was before the liberation of local Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary units on 1944 and the American troops on the U.S. Armed Forces on 1945, well before the Battle of Zamboanga.

In March 1945, American forces seized an airfield in Dipolog giving an opportunity for the liberation of the whole province, before the American liberating troops was aided and helped by the local Philippine Commonwealth military forces and the Zamboangueño guerrilla resistance groups in Zamboanga province against the Japanese. By the end of the month, the province with Zamboanga City was officially liberated and the return of the provincial government from Dipolog to Zamboanga City.

After the war, on June 16, 1948, Molave was designated as Zamboanga's capital by the virtue of Republic Act No. 286 signed by President Elpidio Quirino.

Liberation and the Battle of Zamboanga

During the Battle for the Liberation of Zamboanga from 1944 to 1945, the combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth military forces including the local Zamboangueño guerrilla resistance fought against the Imperial Japanese military forces in Zamboanga.

From January to December 1944, some of the local Filipino ground troops under the Philippine Commonwealth Army 6th, 10th, 101st, 102nd and 105th Infantry Division and the Philippine Constabulary 10th Infantry Regiment began sending local combat military operations and they recaptured and liberated the province of Zamboanga and aided the Zamboangueño Christian and Muslim resistance groups attacked the Imperial Japanese military forces for fifteen months before the liberation. Before the U.S. liberation forces returned and came back they landed on the beaches of Leyte in October 1944 and Zamboanga in March 1945.

In the Eastern Zamboanga, they entered and sent military combat operations mostly local Filipino troops, military officers and tank commanders under the 6th, 10th, 101st, 102nd and 105th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary from January to March 1945 and aided the local Zamboangueño Christian and Muslim guerrilla resistance in attacking and defeating Japanese Imperial ground forces for three months and one year before the arrival of American liberation military forces under by Major General Jens A. Doe of the U.S. Army’s 41st Infantry Division in March 1945 in Zamboanga City.

In March 1945, American liberation forces of the U.S. Army’s 41st Infantry Division landed on the beaches of Zamboanga City and Western Zamboanga province and started the clearing operations.

Division

On June 6, 1952, the Republic Act 711, authored by Zamboanga Congressman Roseller Lim was passed by the Philippine House of Representatives to divide the province of Zamboanga to Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, while the chartered City of Zamboanga was relegated its own independent area of city governance. The bill was signed by President Elpidio Quirino in a ceremony held at the Malacañan Palace.

The towns of Dapitan, Dipolog, Rizal, New Piñan, Polanco, Katipunan, Manukan, Sindangan, Liloy, Labason and Siocon are composed of the province of Zamboanga del Norte. The towns of Molave, Pagadian, Labangan, Margosatubig, Dimataling, Dinas, Ipil, Buug, Malangas, Kabasalan and Aurora are under Zamboanga del Sur.

The town of Dipolog was designated capital of Zamboanga del Norte and the municipality of Pagadian as Zamboanga del Sur's capital.

In 2001, a brand new Zamboanga province, Zamboanga Sibugay, was created from the province of Zamboanga del Sur with Ipil as its provincial capital.

American Colonial Period and the Philippine Commonwealth era

World War II under the Japanese Occupation

Post-War Period