Designated as Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula consists of three provinces, namely, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, and the chartered city of Zamboanga City at the south-western tip. The Zamboanga Peninsula was previously known as Western Mindanao before the enactment of Executive Order No. 36 on September 19, 2001.
Between 1975 to 1989 the old Region IX (Western Mindanao) was divided into two sub-regions by Presidential Decree No. 773 dated August 21, 1975.
Sub-Region IX-A consisted of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi with Jolo, Sulu as the sub-regional center.
Sub-Region IX-B consisted of the provincess of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, with the chartered city of Zamboanga City as the sub-regional center. Zamboanga Sibugay did not exist at the time.
Zambaoanga Peninsula has five cities: Dipolog City, Dapitan City, Isabela City, Pagadian City, and the lone chartered city of Zamboanga City. Isabela City is actually part of the island-province of Basilan to the south of the peninsula, and is that province's capital. The residents of Basilan opted to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in a recent plebiscite. However, the citizens of Isabela City did not want to join ARMM and so the city was made a part of the Zamboanga Peninsula region with the enactment of Executive Order No. 36 (the same E.O. that renamed the region).
Jolo, Sulu was the original regional center but Presidential Decree No. 1555, dated June 11, 1978, moved the regional center to Zamboanga City. Executive Order No. 429, dated October 12, 1990, moved the regional center again but this time to Pagadian City. Executive Order No. 429 was never executed (possibly due to lack of government funds) however, Memorandum Circular No. 75 dated November 12, 2004, confirmed Pagadian City as the regional center, meaning national government offices are preferred to be operating there.
Isabela City is part of Basilan province which is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, but Isabela City itself part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region.
Component cities: Dapitan City (Zamboanga del Norte), Dipolog City (Zamboanga del Norte),
Isabela City (Basilan), Pagadian City (Zamboanga del Sur).
Geography
Zamboanga Peninsula consists of the territory of the three Zamboanga provinces and its lone chartered city of Zamboanga City, plus Misamis Occidental. The Zamboanga Peninsula is connected to the main part of Mindanao Island through an isthmus situated between Panquil Bay and Pagadian Bay. The boundary between the peninsula and the mainland is artificially marked by the border between the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur and Lanao del Norte.
Zamboanga Peninsula lies between the Moro Gulf, part of the Celebes Sea, and the Sulu Sea. Along the shores of the peninsula are numerous bays and islands. read more...
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