ZAMBOANGA CITY HISTORY

371 Years

1635-2006

EARLY PHILIPPINE HISTORY

The principal peoples of the Philippine archipelago were the Negritos, proto-Malays, and Malays. The Negritos are believed to have migrated by land bridges some 30,000 years ago, during the last glacial period. Later migrations were by water and took place over several thousand years in repeated movements before and after the start of the Christian era.¹

Not much is known of the early inhabitants of the Mindanao Island peninsula during this time line.  Although Western time line puts Philippine history in accordance to their discovery of the islands, this short-sighted view point cannot erase the factual history of the people who discovered and inhabited the islands long before the western world arrived.  The barangay method of government of these peoples, in use for over a thousand years, was the biggest dividing line between their nation of small enclaves and the present geographically defined country that is The Philippines.

900 A.D. - Western timeline is pushed back a few hundred years

A Philippine Document - The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) reveals a literate population.

1000 A.D.

The vegetation and flowers are growing profusely and beautifully, just waiting to be discovered.

1100 A.D.

The vegetation and flowers are growing profusely and beautifully, still waiting to be discovered.

1200 A.D. – The Beginning

In the beginning, there was Jambangan (not Samboangan, as others erroneously insist) the ancient place that was settled in the 1200^s by the Subanons, who are considered by historians to be the founding fathers of the place they called the “Land of Flowers.” (interesting historical note: The mainland of the North American continent was first sighted by the Spanish explorer and treasure hunter Don Juan Ponce de Leon on Easter, March 27, 1513. He claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, meaning "Land of Flowers". ) They are of Malayan decent who traveled away from their homeland in Indonesia to find their new home on the tip of the Mindanao island peninsula.  They are a farming-based people who choose to settle along the banks of the rivers (called suba in their native tongue) and consequently derived their ethnic name from it.  The Subanons (“People of the River”) mostly grew root and tree crops, along with their rice staple, which they still do to this day.

One can only imagine how Jambangan must have looked back then, with its profusion of native vegetation and flowers.  It is said that Marco Polo’s ship probably spent some time exploring the coasts of Mindanao and Sulu in 1292 while waiting many months on the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia for a favorable monsoon to deliver a royal bride from the court of Kublai Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan and supreme leader of the vast empire of Mongolia (1215-94), to the Khan of Persia and may have made contact with the new inhabitants of the region.  The monsoons around this area of Southeast Asia were constant and reliable, well known to all the seasoned mariners and widely credited for the profusion of early commerce in the area.²

1300 A.D. – The Malayan influx

Then came the Badjaos and the Samals from Malayan decent who settled along the Jambangan shoreline in the 1300^s.  They made contact with the founding Subanons who told them the namesake of their newfound home.  The new settlers however preferred to call it Samboangan, which to this day is what they sentimentally call it.  However, those who still insist on referring to Samboangan as the original name of Zamboanga City are privy to folly and not to historical facts.  One can only imagine the migration route that was founded by the Malayan settlers into Jambangan and Mindanao, and the trade route that ensued along the Sulu Archipelago between them, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the traders from the Middle East, India, China, and Japan who were plying the waters of this area.

The Tausugs came next along with the Yakans, both of Malayan decent also.  The Tausugs eventually became the most dominant and aggressive ethnic group of the entire region, establishing their own Sultanate based in the island of Jolo, and was part of the bigger Sultanate of Brunei in north Borneo, a thriving trade center of more than 70,000 people.  The world at this time was in a trading frenzy and the Malays were leading the way to new products, commerce, and exotic shores, and Jambangan was a contributor to this trade activity.

The Badjaos, Samals, Tausugs, and Yakans from Malaysia and Borneo/Brunei still consist a big majority of the minority group that make up today's area population.  On the other hand, the founding Subanons of Indonesia have long moved their nucleus on to the hinterlands of the Mindanao Island peninsula to pursue their ancient ways, leaving behind only a semblance of their numerous presence.  One can catch a glimpse of what it must have been like in the early days by visiting their mountain home.  The Yakans would choose to establish themselves in the island of Basilan, with a small thriving community present here today.  The Badjaos are a sea-faring tribe in its truest sense, and have a loose foothold on residency here.

1400 A.D. – Mohammedanism takes hold

In the 1400^s, the new settlers of Jambangan, Mindanao Island, and the Sulu Archipelago region experienced a spiritual transformation that is evident to this day.  Mohammedanism was introduced to these people of Malayan decent, and eventually spread out to the Visayas and as far north as Manila, and preceded the Spanish arrival by only sixty years.  The Mohammedan conquest of the Philippine Islands was almost complete, and the country would have been a Muslim state today.

With all due respect to the views of the Mohammedans of the Philippines, the religion of Islam was highly tolerant of other religions even at the zenith of its empire building.  Jews and Christians were, to name a few, allowed to practice their beliefs in, of all places, the center of the Islamic world at this time - Baghdad.  Their many contributions would also enrich the culture of Islam.  If one is inclined to understand a more detailed history of Islam, we recommend: Islam - Empire of Faith.

1500 A.D. – The Spaniards arrive

The early 1500^s brought along the Spaniards and their Catholic religion into the Philippine Islands, in search of spices and riches.  The Spanish's recorded presence in Jambangan can be dated as far back as November 1596, when a small Spanish settlement and garrison was established in the port of La Caldera, the present-day Caldera Bay area barrio called Recodo, located about fifteen miles north-east of present downtown Zamboanga City.  Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo built a presidio with a fort as the base of their operations in Mindanao and against the Cotabato Moros (the Buhahayens, and their alliance with the king of Terrenate, Mollucas) after withdrawing from the Tampacan and Lumaguan area (present-day Cotabato), and burning their fort and settlement there (which was founded by Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa in February, 1596), then left Captain Juan Pacho (or Paches) behind to man it before returning to Manila.

It is curious to note that while official Spanish records show the year 1596 as being linked to the reference of La Caldera in Zamboanga's history, there are also other writings that note the year 1569 as being the year the La Caldera fort was established.  While this year has no recorded account as being what it is purported to be, the numerical date ending does lend to a possible visual impairment called dyslexia wherein original numbers are transposed, in this case noting 96 as 69, thus 1569.  So, historically speaking, 1569 cannot be substantiated as the date the Spaniards established their presence in La Caldera, making the year 1596 the historical La Caldera year according to official Spanish records.

It is also feasible, and highly likely, that the prominently exposed area of Jambangan was discovered much earlier (in 1575) by the Spaniards, whose location lay at the very tip of the western peninsula of the Mindanao island, and whose sea passage (which is now known as the Basilan Straight) is the most logical navigable route of the Spanish ships, and those of many other country origins, including the nearby Joloans, Mindanaoans, and frequent Chinese traders.

In 1575, the newly appointed Filipinas Islands' Governor and Captain-General Doctor Francisco de Sande, who succeeded after the death of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the colonial founder (the islands were discovered by Ferdinand Magellan) of the Filipinas Islands and the town of Cebu, personally led an expedition to the island of Borneo where he attacked and captured the enemy's fleet and the principal house and residence of the island king.

1575 – Mindanao exploration by Governor Sande possible first Spanish encounter of Jambangan place and people

"When the news of the entrance and conquest of the Filipinas Islands by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, and of his death, reached Españia, his Majesty appointed as governor and captain-general of the islands, Doctor Francisco de Sande, a native of Caceres, and alcalde of the Audiencia of Mexico. The latter journeyed thither, and took over his government in the year one thousand five hundred and seventy-five (1575).

Among other enterprises, the governor made in person the expedition to the island of Borneo with a fleet of galleys and frigates.^{27} With these he attacked and captured the enemy’s fleet, which had come out to meet him. He captured also the principal settlement, where the king of the island had his house and residence.

After a few days he abandoned it (Borneo) and returned to Manila, on account of sickness among the crews, and his inability to support and care for the Spaniards in that island. On the way back, and by his orders, Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa entered the island of Jólo; he came to blows with the natives and their chief, whom he conquered, and the latter rendered him acknowledgment and submission in the name of his Majesty.  Captain Figueroa commanded the Governor's fleet of galleys and frigates, with more than 1,500 Indian bowmen from the provinces of Pangasinan, Cagayan, and Pintados, according to San Agustin's accounts.

Thence Governor de Sande went to the island of Mindanao which he explored (most probably the peninsula tip of Jambangan, which is the closest and first area of Mindanao island you see coming from the island of Jólo - see map), reconnoitering its river (possibly the formerly great "Tumaga" river) and chief settlements (the barangay Tetuan was formerly a sizeable river delta community called "Lama-Lama" by the natives in honor of their chief named Datu Lama). On his way he reduced other towns and natives of the same island, who had been pacified, to friendship and alliance with the Spaniards (it should be noted that no captured Joloans or Mindanaos ever signed a friendship or alliance pact with the conquering Spaniards - they only acknowledged and submitted temporarily to Spanish authority, until the Spaniards departed or became weakened)."¹¹

It is popularly written that the earliest Spanish settlement of Jambangan dates back to sometime in 1593, when a Catholic mission was established in the La Caldera area.  This common story is however unsubstantiated in any official historical account by Spanish records or any other means.  It would be interesting to find out how this aspect of local founding first came about.  Regardless, we will present our own analysis of how the La Caldera Mission came to be established in 1593, according to actual chronological events in the same year, bridging the wide gap between local fact and fiction.

The Society of Jesus missionaries are widely known for accompanying the fleet of Spanish soldiers during their missions for prayer support of the troops and pacification of natives in their newly conquered territories, and especially in the establishment of Jambangan.  The Jesuit order first came to the Filipinas in 1580, founded by fathers Antonio Sedeño and Alonso Sanchez, who were personally selected for accompaniment to the islands by newly appointed and the first bishop of the Filipinas, Don Fray Domingo de Salazar, of the Dominican order, during the administration of Governor Don Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa.¹¹

During this same term period of 1580, the king of Spain had assimilated the kingdoms of Portugal after Spain defeated Portugal in the Battle of Alcantara in August 25, 1580, uniting the previously divided New world of maritime exploration along the demarcation line as directed by Pope Alexander VI in May 4, 1493, and officially implemented with the signing of the Treaty of Saragossa between Spain and Portugal in April 22, 1529.  The aforementioned Spanish victory will bring ever closer the happenings in the Filipinas and the beginning of La Caldera, as it lead to the eventual joint Spanish-Portuguese expeditions against their long-time nemesis in the kingdom of Terrenate and their Dutch protectors.

After August 25, 1580, the King of Spain and his newly conquered Portuguese empire, "ordered the governor of Manila to maintain good relations with the chief captain of the fortress of the island of Tidore, in Maluco, and to assist him when necessary, he sent a fleet and soldiers thither from Manila, under command of Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo. This he did at the request of Diego de Azambuja, chief captain of Tidore, for the expedition and conquest of the island of Terrenate. But after reaching Maluco, the expedition did not succeed in its object.^{28} Thenceforward, supplies of men and provisions continued to be sent from the Filipinas to the fortress of Tidore."¹¹

"From the moment that Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas received his charge in España, he had cherished the desire to lead an expedition from Manila to conquer the fort of Terrenate in Maluco, on account of the great importance of this enterprise, and its outcome, in which no success had been attained on other occasions. He was constantly making necessary arrangements for undertaking this expedition, but so secretly that he declared it to no one, until, in the year ninety-three (1593), seeing that the preparations for his intention appeared sufficient, he declared his purpose, and made ready to set out in person, with more than nine hundred (900) Spaniards and two hundred (200) sail, counting galleys, galliots, frigates, vireys, and other craft."¹¹

Governor Gomez Dasmariñas ordered his entire galley to go ahead of him, as he was still preparing his ship for the journey, placing his son, Don Luis Dasmariñas, as his lieutenant in the rank of captain-general, to the provinces of Pintados (Visayas) - probably more likely in the island port of Sebu.  After the governor's ship was readied and took sail from the port of Cabit (Cavite) on October, 1593, he and most of his Spanish crew were attacked and killed by his chosen Chinese rowers a few days later, and the ship and cargo stolen then made sail for China.

When news of this incident reached Manila from the few who escaped by jumping overboard and swimming to shore, the Royal Audiencia elected Licentiate Pedro de Rojas as governor and captain-general.  Then, the elected governor and the Audiencia decided to chase after their galley to inform them of what happened and to recall them for the protection of Manila:

1. "They sent Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo and other captains with two frigates (for there were no other vessels) in pursuit of the galley, a fruitless attempt, for the galley was nowhere to be seen."¹¹

2. "The new governor also sent a message to Don Luis Dasmariñas and to the army and fleet who were awaiting Gomez Perez in Pintados, informing him of the latter’s death and of what had happened, as well as of his own recent election to affairs of government.  He also ordered them to return with all speed to Manila, for the city was left almost deserted, and without the necessary precautions for any emergency."¹¹

With this bad news, both Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas and Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa speedily set sail for Manila in the best ships and crews of the fleet, arriving there forty (40) days later, and Don Luis was made governor after succession ruling. The rest of the armada eventually arrived in Manila afterwards.

It is unspecified whether all the ships of the Spanish armada was anchored solely in the Pintados (Visayan provinces) or anchored elsewhere, awaiting the planned rendezvous with the governor's lead ship that was trailing behind.  This is the only known event of major proportions that can effect a possible landing in La Caldera of the balance of the advance galley that was not found by the first dispatch of governor-elect Licentiate Pedro de Rojas.  Thus, it was the only historical event we can suspect that led to the establishment of the La Caldera Mission.  We suspect that since the above #1 dispatch by Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo and other captains with two frigates could not find the galley, and the second dispatch successful, it is plausible that some of the ships went ahead of the ones anchored in the port of Sebu, and found a refuge place in the big bay area on the tip of the Mindanao peninsula, naming it La Caldera for how it was shaped.  While the advance galley waited in this safe harbor for over a month, the Spanish priests who usually go along with these vessels did their duty of religious pacification of the friendly natives, who we deduce "had been pacified, to friendship and alliance with the Spaniards"¹¹ by the late Governor Doctor Francisco de Sande, in 1575.  Then, in getting word of the Chinese rowers' revolt and subsequent killing of their governor most probably from their troops in Sebu, the galley returned to Manila as ordered, but left behind the priests who had already began to spread their missionary work.

CONCLUSION:  By the time we get our first recorded history of La Caldera's existence in 1596 when Captain Don Juan Ronquillo del Castillo retreated from Tampacan (in Cotabato), the La Caldera Mission was already well established, but thereupon further expanded to included a fort and garrison.  Unless there is another historical account detailing the establishment of the La Caldera Mission in 1593, we hereby present that the aforementioned chain of events led to the founding of the La Caldera Mission, possibly within the months of November-December 1593 because the Spanish armada did not leave Manila until the month of October 1593, and given the length of time it took them to travel the distance based on the above 40-day travel time from Cebu-Manila by Luis Dasmariñas.

1598 - La Caldera Presidio and Mission is abandoned, signifying weakness of the Spaniards, and causes rise of Moro offensive

The continued mismanagement of the La Caldera Presidio by its Spanish captains and the little attention given to it by the governor, eventually lead to the area's decay and final demise when the fort was burned down by the Spaniards and the garrison retreated to Manila in 1598.  This ill-advised decision by Governor Don Francisco de Tello de Guzmán will remove the only significant sentry they have in Mindanao island dividing the fragile line of safety for the rest of their northern Filipinas settlements and the sinister forces of the Moros and their alliance, who were steadily gaining strength and resolve to avenge the Spaniards' previous pacification attacks on them.  It will signal the shift in military power in this region for many years to come.

"The Spanish garrison left in La Caldera, at the withdrawal of Don Joan Ronquillo’s camp from the river of Mindanao, passed into command of Captain Villagra at the death of Captain Joan Pacho in Jolo, and was suffering for lack of provisions; for neither the people of the river could give them to the Spaniards, nor would the Joloans furnish any on account of the war declared upon them. Therefore the garrison urgently requested Governor Don Francisco Tello either to aid their presidio with provisions, soldiers, and ammunition, or to allow them to retire to Manila—a thing of which they were most desirous—since there they gained no other special result than that of famine, and of incarceration in that fort, and of no place wherein to seek their sustenance.

The governor, in view of their insistence in the matter; and having but little money in the royal exchequer, with which to provide for and maintain the said presidio—and for the same reason the punishment that was to be inflicted upon the Joloans for their outrages upon the Spaniards, and their insurrection was deferred—and thinking that the return to Mindanao matters would be a long question: he was inclined to excuse the difficulty and anxiety of maintaining the presidio of La Caldera. In order to do it with a reasonable excuse he consulted the Audiencia and other intelligent persons, and requested them to give him their opinion. But he first communicated his wishes to them and gave them some reasons with which he tried to persuade them to give him the answer that he desired.

The Audiencia advised him not to remove or raise the garrison of La Caldera, but to reënforce and maintain it, and to attend to the affairs of Jolo and the river of Mindanao as soon as possible, even if what was necessary for those two places should be withdrawn from some other section.

They said that this was the most urgent need, and the one which required the greatest attention in the islands, both in order to pacify those provinces and to keep them curbed; lest, seeing the Spaniards totally withdrawn, they should gain courage and boldly venture still farther, and come down to make captures among the Pintados and carry the war to the very doors of the Spaniards. ^{120}

Notwithstanding this reply the governor resolved to raise and withdraw the garrison, and sent orders to Captain Villagra immediately to burn the fort which had been built in La Caldera, to withdraw with all his men and ships, and return to Manila."¹¹

NOTE:  The above historical account of how the Filipinas governor acted concerning the fate of the La Caldera Presidio and Mission, deciding to burn it down against the strong advise by the royal Audiencia and their wish to reinforce and maintain it instead, is very similar to how the current Philippine government is handling their long-standing decision to NOT re-invest and maintain the health of perennially neglected Zamboanga City and "attend to the affairs" of Jolo, Sulu and poverty-stricken Mindanao.  It's amazing to observe that in over four-hundred (400) years of the Zamboanga Peninsula's and the Philippines' history, nothing has changed in the way Manila-centric government treats the people of the southern Philippines.  Nevertheless, Zamboanga City still continues to prosper astoundingly on its own accord, leading the way for many of its now peaceful neighbors.

"The Joloans and Mindanaos are emboldened by the final abandonment and dismantling (burning) of the fort at La Caldera  --which is decided upon by the governor against the opinion of the Audiencia-- and, joined in self-defense by the peaceful natives of Mindanao, make an incursion against Spaniards and natives in the Pintados (Visayas) in 1599, in which they take immense booty and many captives. The next year they return with a larger force, but are defeated by the alcalde-mayor of Arevalo (Panay Island), whereupon they resolve to be revenged."¹¹

After a relatively easy time in subjugating the Luzon and Visayan islanders, the Spaniards would suffer many losses against the marauding and murdering surprise attacks of the Moro Pirates who retreated to their strongholds in Mindanao Island and the Sulu Archipelago.  They would roam the gamut of the Philippine Islands on their numerous deadly pirate raids, taking loot, capturing hundreds of slaves for their prosperous slave trade, and women as harems for the sultans who made merry with them, and slaughtered thousands of village people left behind.  The Visayas Islands were constant targets and suffered the most. 

It would take the ill-prepared and ill-equipped Spaniards over thirty (30) years to recover from these crippling pirate attacks and make another attempt at conquering the Moros in the southern Philippines.  Meanwhile, the locals would suffer greatly as the Moro Pirate attacks and pillaging continued to reign terror throughout the islands.  Spanish and Philippine history will weigh heavily on the ill-advised decision and the deadly results of retreating from and destroying the very important La Caldera Presidio and Mission, in the annals of present-day Zamboanga City.

During the time of Alimud Din, the Spaniards forfeited all claim to sympathy in the conduct of their feud with the Moros. The Mohammedans of Mindanao and Sulu have indeed proved to be barbarians of the first order, no different than others like them in Europe or Asia, i.e. the barbarians of Norway and Mongolia.  However, history does not elaborate which ones of the handful of Malayan tribes that made up this part of the southern Philippines their new home accountable for the attacks on the other islands' residents, and are usually described as plain "Moros" - whether they are from Mindanao, Jolo, nearby islands, or their friends from the southern island kingdoms of Borneo, Ternate, and elsewhere.  For the purpose of historical and descriptive accuracy, "Moro Pirates" will be used to describe the actual band of people who committed the acts of piracy and not the Moro People in general, just as Nazi Germans did not represent the German people.  The Moro Pirates have been historically known by most of the ship traders and island residents of the Southeast Asia region to be constant in their way of life for over 500 years.  Historical accounts show that the Moro Pirates have been practicing their way of life almost 100 years before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines- it was their nature.  In contrast, the Spaniards also had their share of barbarism against their Filipino captives and willing subjects.²

1600 A.D. – A formidable Fort, militant Catholicism, Zamboanga, and Chavacano arrives

In the 1600^s, Jambangan would experience its transition from the Muslim community it has become into the Catholic dominated city it is today.  In 1635, Don Juan Cerezo de Salamanca, interim Governor-General of the Philippines, received reports relative to the Moro power concentrated near the site of the present downtown of Zamboanga. During that year, Padre Juan Batista Vilancio, who had been for years a captive in Jolo, escaped to Manila and brought to the ears of the Governor-General an account of the town where "the nobility of Mindanao held court."

Governor Salamanca resolved to take possession of this strategic peninsula, hoping in this manner to strike a heavy blow on to the Moro power. A fortress in Jambangan would command the Basilan Straight, the waters of which were the ordinary course of the Moro pirate vessels infesting the coasts of the Visayas. The region of Jambangan, while not as important as the seats of the Sultans of Sulu and Mindanao, was nevertheless the territory of a minor Moro king whose authority reached along both sides of the peninsula for a hundred miles on either side. Salamanca hoped to divide this unbroken front and his efforts would prove successful.

Thirty-seven (37) years after the ill-advised destruction of their La Caldera Presidio and Mission, the coffers of the Manila-centric Filipinas Spanish government is once again enriched and well-supplied with new troops from Nueva España and other native settlements in the Visayas and Luzon islands, who have suffered tremendous losses from the Moro attacks on their villages, leading to a more concerted effort in restoring their important sentry in the Mindanao island peninsula.

After due preparation for their voyage, a conquering force of 300 well armed Spaniards from Luzon and 1,000 Cebuanos under the command of Captain Juan de Chaves landed at Jambangan on April 6, 1635. There, de Chaves temporarily founded the town of Bagumbayan, which was the first Spanish-given name for Jambangan, and from this station he soon attacked and cleared the town of La Caldera, now barrio Recodo in Caldera Bay, and eventually the rest of the Jambangan peninsula, of Moro Pirates. Their two-month long campaign would provide them a temporary relief from the Moro Pirates and allow them to start construction on the fort. 

Soon, the construction of one of the finest and most important Spanish forts in the East was put into effect. Upon careful choice of locating the fort at the southern-most tip of the peninsula for its military vantage point of the main water routes that converges in what's called today the Basilan Straights, the foundation of the grand fortress of Fuerza de San José was laid by Father Melchor de Vera⁷, a Jesuit priest and engineer of the Spanish army, on June 23, 1635, establishing a permanent Spanish presence here brick-by-brick.²  Zamboanga City, as we know it today, was thus born.

In the best evidence we have found so far relating to the early beginnings of Zamboanga, a letter to King Philip IV of Spain from the Bishop Fray Pedro of "Santissimo Nombre de Jesus" (locally known as Cebu) dated October 17, 1635 states that he requested, and got approval, from interim Governor Salamanca, the building of a fort in "Samboanga or Samboangan" to preclude their enemies in Mindanao and Sulu from raiding his "people" and "burning villages, firing churches, destroying images, and capturing many Indians" (their description of the locals), especially worst during the previous year.³  Bishop Fray Pedro also advised the new Governor Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, ex-governor of Panama, that the work on Fort San José be continued for the benefit of church and state.  The efforts of the Bishop of Cebu would prove fruitful for the coffers of Spain, and a handful for the few Jesuit priests from Cebu he "entrusted" to do the religious conversion of the natives, who numbered in the "many thousands."  The inadequate number of Jesuits for their religious mission resulted in the Bishop requesting from the King "forty" (40) more devoted and "efficient" fathers of the Society of Jesus.³  The local scenery at this time must not have looked that much different than a picture scene in the late 1700s, proving that early Jambangan was already a major trading town with thousands of residents.

Along with the new formidable fort, the Spaniards would forever change the area’s original Jambangan name (which came to be known and spelled Samboangan in the early 1600s by Spanish historians) that stood for over four centuries into its present one – Zamboanga.  Little did Captain Chaves foresee that it will someday be considered by some of the leading travel writers today to be the most beautiful and exotic sounding name for a tourist destination city.

Another historical transformation will take place henceforth and will forever embody the character of Zamboanga – the evolution of the Chavacano Dialect and its People - the Chavacanos.  The conglomeration of the multitudes of ethnic and foreign peoples and languages from the surrounding Philippine Islands and European countries would force upon the fort and city builders a rudimentary form of survival communication, evolving into the unique dialect of today, based on Creole Spanish: Chavacano

June 23, 1635, the day Zamboanga and Chavacano were founded, should also be symbolically known as “Dia del Chavacano de Zamboanga.”

One hundred miles from Jolo, a Spanish fleet that was operating from their base in Zamboanga, intercepted the victorious Tagal as he rounded the treacherous angle of rough water at Puenta de Flecha in the Dumanquillas Bay. Hampered by the hundreds of captives in the holds, the garays (a Spanish term given to the swift Moro-built pirate ships) of Tagal were slow and unwieldy, and in the naval engagement that followed the Moro Pirates suffered a crushing defeat. Three hundred Moro Pirates, including Tagal, were killed, and 120 captives were set free. Tagal jettisoned many of the captives as the tide of battle turned against him, and the sharks at Puenta Flecha fed well on the bound bodies of Christian slave girls bound for the harems of Jolo.²

After twenty eight years of rapid conversion of the locals in Zamboanga, areas of Mindanao and nearby Basilan Island, by the Jesuits, the supporting Spanish troops from Zamboanga, and Ternate (Spice Islands, Moluccas), were suddenly recalled to Manila in May 6, 1662 to spruce up its defense against possible invasion after the Dutch were expelled by the warlord they called Koxinga (Guo Xing-ye in Chinese) from Formosa, and did not return until 1718.  They left behind some of the Jesuits who decided to stay, along with their numerous Chavacanos, to continue their work of spreading the Catholic faith.  Amazingly, the Chavacanos, Jesuits included, will amazingly endure another fifty-six (56) years (1662-1718) of isolated existence and proliferation amidst the hostile threat and return of the Moro Pirates who overtook and destroyed the abandoned fort. 

1700 A.D. – Divine Intervention and Expansion

The San José Fort of Zamboanga was re-taken, demolished, and rebuilt in 1718 by orders of newly elected Governor-General of the Philippines, Fernando Manuel de Bustillo Bustamante y Rueda.  It was greatly strengthened to ward off continued Moro Pirates' resistance and other invaders from foreign countries, and was renamed Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa.  The new fort was said to have miraculous powers from its namesake statue that was placed in 1734 as a religious centerpiece above the East wall.  As a result of the fabled miracles of the Lady of the Pilar, the statue was converted into an open-air shrine with an altar and section for worship.  The shrine’s miraculous tales not only attracts Christian worshipers today, but also some Muslims who feel they have been touched by the miracles attributed to the Lady of the Pilar.

Thus started the era of numerous changes that has made Zamboanga the place that it is today.  To start, the Spaniards drew up a plan for the city.

During the protracted struggle with the Mahometans, Zamboanga was fortified and became the headquarters of the Spaniards in the Southern Philippines.  After Cavite, Zamboanga was the chief naval station and a penitentiary was also established here.  Its maintenance was a great burden to the Treasury - its existence a great eyesore to the enemy, whose hostility was much inflamed thereby.⁶

In 1738, the fixed annual expenses of Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa and its equipment were 17,500 pesos, and the incidental reimbursements were estimated at 7,500 pesos.  These sums did not include the cost of scores of armed fleets which, at enormous expense, were sent out against the Mahometans to little purpose.  Each new Zamboanga Governor of a martial spirit, and desiring to do something to establish or confirm his fame for prowess, seemed to regard it as a kind of duty to premise the quelling of imaginary troubles in Sulu and Mindanao.  Some, with less patriotism than selfishness, found a ready excuse for filling their own pockets by the proceeds of warfare, in making feigned efforts to rescue captives.  It may be observed, in extenuation, that, in those days, the Spaniards believed from their birth that none but a Christian had rights, whilst some were deluded by a conscientious impression that they were executing a high mission; myth as it was, it at least served to give them courage in their perilous undertakings.  Peace was made and broken over and over again.  Spanish forts were at times established in Sulu, and afterwards demolished.  Every decade brought new devices to control the desperate foe.  Several Governor-General headed the troops in person against the Mahometans with temporary success, but without any lasting effect, and almost every new Governor made a solemn treaty with one powerful chief or another, which was respected only as long as it suited both parties.  This continued campaign, the details of which are too prolix for insertion here, may be qualified as a religious war, for Roman Catholic priests took an active part in the operations with the same ardent passion as the Mahometans themselves.  Among these tonsured warriors who acquired great fame out of their profession may be mentioned Father Ducos, the son of a Colonel, José Villanueva, and Pedro de San Agustin, the last being known, with dread, by the Mahometans in the beginning of the 17th century under the title of the Captain-Priest.  One of the most renowned kings in Mindanao was Cachil Corralat, an astute, far-seeing chieftain, who ably defended the independence of his territory, and kept the Spaniards at bay during the whole of his manhood.⁶

Republic of Zamboanga: May 18, 1899 - Nov 16, 1899 (de facto)

May 23, 1899 -  The Spaniards evacuate the city of Zamboanga for good, after burning down most of the city's buildings in contempt of the Zamboangueños' revolt against them.

From May 18, 1899 to November 16, 1899 [barely six (6)months], Vicente Alvarez was chosen by his fellow Zamboangueños to be their first president and popular leader of the revolutionary government established immediately after the former Spanish garrison troops evacuated to Manila.  The events that followed afterwards were historically described as a mob mentality, filled with divided partisanship that lent to "jealous self-interest, biter rivalry, rapacity, and bloodshed" from assassinations and cattle-shooting for amusement.  The president and his fellow Christian Zamboangueños' actions could not be considered heroic by any means, but was paralleled with that of the Moro Pirates with whom the fort of Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa was erected to defend against.⁶

The rivalry between the local revolutionary leadership of President Vicente Alvarez and opposition leader Isidoro Midel allowed for the easy subjugation of the city by the American forces when Midel sided with the Americans upon their arrival.  As a reward for his help, the new American rulers allowed Isidoro Midel to continue as president of the new Zamboanga Republic for about sixteen (16) months, against the will of the people, after former president Vicente Alvarez fled to Mercedes, then later to Basilan, when the Americans arrived and took control of the fort del Pilar and its remaining armament.  The saying "divide and conquer" was aptly applied to the new Zamboanga Republic.⁶

1900 A.D. – The Birth of a City and a Nation

In a municipal election on March 1901, Mariano Arquiza succeeded Isidoro Midel by popular vote and became the first elected president of the Zamboanga Republic, now under American administration, for the next two (2) years: 1901 - 1903.⁶

With the presence and administration of the American conquerors, Zamboanga was made the capital of the Moro province, encompassing the island of Mindanao and other nearby islands.  The importance of Zamboanga was elevated to seat of regional government and diocese of Catholicism in southern Philippines.

As war and conquest have been waged all over the world for hundreds and thousands of years, it is not our place to dispute any sovereignty issues here.  However, we can present that the powerful Sultanate of Brunei once controlled an area much larger than the present Philippines, but is now under 6,000 sq. km. in size, slightly smaller that the State of Delaware.  Kingdoms rise and fall, rulers come and go, battles are won and lost, but the people remain and rebuild their lives as they have done for centuries, hoping for the best to come to them and peace to be permanent.

2000 A.D. – The Future of Zamboanga City and its People

Over the past four hundred years, it is not known how many of the thousands of captured Christian Filipino and Spanish women from the islands of Visayas and Luzon actually became pregnant and delivered children fathered by their Muslim captors in harems of the Mindanao and Sulu Sultanates.

It is highly likely that thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of Moros living today may have some descendant bloodline of their captive mothers.  The issue of actual lineage from these enslaved women may be culturally suppressed by the Moros in the name of war trophies or dominance over their enemies, but the genetic makeup of their ancestry cannot be denied in the eyes of reality.

It is possible that generations of descendants from these captured women are now facing each other as Moros and Christians, all the while related as brothers and sisters from a terrible past.  However, if the opposite is to be attested by the Moros of today, then it would only mean that all the thousands of women captured over the centuries were systematically eliminated by their captors before or after they became pregnant with their children.  Is anyone brave enough to tell the world, which one is the truth?

The vegetation and flowers are growing profusely and beautifully once again, waiting to be discovered by someone special like you.  The city is peaceful and hopeful with friendly people eager to indulge a curious visitor.  The spirit is lively and the future is prosperous.  The Filipino brothers whose ancestors once fought each other all coexist in harmony with each other in this place they call home.  The wounds of ancient battles lie deep, but the natural desire to be at peace with each other is even greater.

Today’s Zamboanga City is a linguistic babel exhibiting a cornucopia of sights, sounds, and frantic activity that pronounces its enduring position as a center of international trade and eclectic living.  Nowhere else can this description be aptly applied to another significant place in the Philippine Islands.  The allure of the City of Flowers continues to prosper its growth and diversity.  We only hope that skillful planning and management will help it blossom to its beautiful potential.  Peace be with us all.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Zamboanga City is a chartered city located on the western most peninsula of the big island of Mindanao, The Philippines.  Before it became a chartered city, it was the governing Capital of the Moro Province under the United States rule, encompassing the entire island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.  As other areas of this Moro Province were able to stand on their own and granted their own provincial status, Zamboanga was the first locality of the vast Moro Province to be honored with a chartered city status on October 12, 1936, reflecting its historical and strategic importance as a center of government and commerce.

At one point it was the largest province and city in the world area-wise, when it was the Capital of the Zamboanga Province, and then when the Island of Basilan was still under its domain as it was elevated to a chartered city.  From its founding name of Zamboanga ( June 23, 1635 ), the remaining Zamboanga Province was divided into two separate sub-ruling provinces after Zamboanga City was created, and were embellished with the same beautiful namesake of Zamboanga City on June 6, 1962: Zamboanga del Norte (North) and Zamboanga del Sur (South).  It was a fitting tribute to the storied history of Zamboanga, The City of Flowers!  The Island of Basilan was also split from the city and made its own province on December 25, 1973, amidst the population growth of The Philippines.  In February 2001, the province of Zamboanga del Sur was divided into two when a new province was created and named Zamboanga Sibugay.  The new province is roughly one-half the size of the old Zamboanga del Sur province, and borders the northern tip of Zamboanga City.

Zamboanga City is a busy international port strategically located on the Basilan Straight.  The city is shaped like a thick ladle, and is bounded by the marine-rich bodies of water of the Sulu Sea to the West, the Moro Gulf and Celebes Sea to the East, and is also surrounded by Tungawan Bay, Taguiti Bay, Malasugat Bay to the East, Tictabon Channel and Basilan Straight to the South, and Caldera Bay to the West.  In physiography, it is bounded by the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte to the north and by Zamboanga del Sur to the east, and also the Basilan Island to the south.  It is sheltered geographically from typhoons by the mountainous Basilan Island, Sulu Archipelago, Palawan Island, and the main island of Mindanao.

The city's immediate coastal lowlands are narrow, with low, rugged hills located a short distance inland.  It's highest peak is Batorampon Point, measuring 1,335 meters high ( 4,380 feet ).  A large international seaport accommodates local inter-island shipping and international ocean going vessels and ferries.  Zamboanga City exports rubber, pearls, copra, mahogany, and other fine hardwoods, fish, abaca, and fruit products; rice is still imported.  The city is the southernmost terminus of the Pan-Philippine Highway, providing vital land transportation access to all the major cities of the country.  It also has an international airport that is serviced by daily flights from three major national airlines, and is increasing its international air traffic within the participating countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines' East Asia Growth Area, or better known for its acronym BIMP-EAGA.

Founded by the Spaniards in 1635 on the site of a native settlement, its name is derived from the Malay word Jambangan ( "place of flowers" ); bougainvillea, orchids, and other tropical flowers line its roadsides and landscape.  Incorporated as a chartered city in 1936, it has an area of 1,671 square kilometers ( 645 sq. Miles ), which encompasses 98 official barangays ( barrios or wards ) and 68 smaller districts of some larger barangays, in addition to the administrative city center in downtown Zamboanga, and over 28 beautiful  islands.  The city was largely rebuilt after the severe devastation of World War II, of which a few buildings remain that reflect its glorious past.  Its mountainous backdrop combine with a climate that is cooler and less humid than that of Manila, and other sections of the country, to make it a favorite tourist spot.

Fort Pilar, with its world-renowned religious shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, was built in the 17th century by the Spanish soldiers, along with their Jesuit counterparts, for the protection of Christian settlers against Moro ( Muslim ) pirates, and other marauding invaders from nearby Chinese and Dutch outposts.  It now houses the Fort Pilar Museum, one the few national historic museum chain, that houses cultural artifacts of the region, and a wealthy display of its surrounding rich marine and natural life.  

The city has long been a bastion of Spanish intelligentsia, and is home to some of the finest educational institutions in the country and around Asia.  The literacy rate of the region, and of the country in general, is one of the highest in all of Asia.

Rio Hondo, Taluksangay, and Campo Muslim are nearby Muslim villages built on stilts over water.  Indigenous peoples include the Tau Sugs, Samals, and Yakans.  The colorful Bajau, or sea gypsies, ply the waters of the Basilan Straight for fish, coral, and shells; they live on board their multi-hued vintas ( sailboats ) and take temporary shelter in stilt-raised homes during storms.

Chavacano is the unique native dialect of the city, a mixture of Spanish and various other local dialects and international languages, and is one of the oldest spoken language in the country reflecting a rich linguistic history of its people.  English is widely spoken around town, and is the main language of education and international commerce.  Numerous international languages, like German, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, and Spanish, are spoken here, giving light to its historical importance as an international investment and destination haven for over three-hundred years.

Zamboanga City is also a center for Moro brassware and bronze ware, and a collecting point for numerous varieties of shells, which are exported or used locally for button manufacture and many other products and souvenirs.  The Philippine Archipelago is home to over a third of the world's known sea shells, and Zamboanga's Great Santa Cruz Island is home to many shells and corals, and the pristine "pink" sand - a coloration effect of the white sand and red coral sand mixed together.

Zamboanga City's Population in 2004: over 850,000 ( 5th largest city in the Philippines - total population: over 80,000,000 )

[ Source: National Statistical Coordination Board ]

Additional History Links: