Pagadian

Relief

The city is located in an area with a diverse relief; in the north and west, mountain spurs approach it. By the nature of the relief, the city is similar to Hong Kong , therefore it is called "Little Southern Hong Kong." Pagadian is surrounded by neighboring municipalities : Tigbao and Dumalina in the southwest, Lakewood in the west, Labangan in the east and northeast, Midsalip in the north. 45% of the city is occupied by hills or mountains . Four peaks stand out in the northwestern part: Palpalan, Begong, Pinokis, Sugar Lof. In the northern and central parts there are more gentle elevations, they occupy 47% of the total area, and 8% occupy low-lying areas. In the city and its environs, rivers flow into the Pagadian Bay: Tiguma, Bulatok, Gatas, Balangasan. As a result of the elevated relief, many sections of the city are insured against floods. Only small areas in the east and southeast suffer from this during heavy rains.

Climate

Air temperature ranges from 22 to 32.9 g. Celsius (72 - 91 Fahrenheit). The dry season is from January to March, the wet season is from April to December. The average rainfall is 2500-3000 mm per year.

Initially, the area where Pagadian is now located was called Talpokan, which in one of the local languages ​​means "the place of numerous sources." Later the place was called Pangad-ye-en , in Visayan "place for prayers." This is due to the epidemic of malaria that the local population suffered, most of them are natives who converted to Christianity. According to other versions, it is assumed that the city is named after the local Gagadian bird, or from the words of the Iranian language pagad (expectation) and padian (market). During the sultan rule there was a place of lively trade.

The first settlers of the area were people of the subanon tribe, the indigenous people of Western Mindanao. In the 15th century Muslims appeared here, creating prosperous communities and spreading Islam. Subanons were forced to retreat to the mountainous regions. There were frequent conflicts between the two groups of settlers. At the beginning of the 20th century. Datu Makaumbang, son of Datu Akob, ruler of the Sultanate of Taga Nonok (otherwise, the municipalities of Malabang and Tukuran), turned to the Philippine authorities for help, since piracy and banditry flourished in the region. With the arrival of soldiers, order was established, and in parallel, this fact caused a large influx of immigrants from Luzon , the Visayas and the neighboring provinces of Mindanao.

The Christian population in Pagadian began to form at the beginning of the 20th century. An increase in the share of Christians in the general population led to the creation of the Pagadian parish in 1938. Several churches were built. In 1968, the Cathedral of the Holy Baby was built. St. Baby - patron of the inhabitants of about. Cebu, the cathedral was named after him, since most of the migrants are from Fr. Cebu. In 1971, the parish received the status of a bishopric as part of the archbishopric of Osamis. Currently, the bishopric of Pagadiana has 24 parishes and receives 711,244 parishioners. In honor of the patron of the city, the Holy Baby, a holiday is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of January, at the same time as in the city of Cebu. Pagadian received city status on March 23, 1937, September 17, 1952 became the capital of the newly formed province of South Zamboanga (in 1952 the united Zamboanga was divided into two parts, North and South). June 21, 1969 Pagadian received the rank of a graduated city.

In the city, as well as in other parts of the province, representatives of different nationalities and different religious backgrounds live. Most Pagadans speak Sebuan. Tagalog is a native language for fewer locals. In Muslim communities, the languages ​​Iranian, Magindanao, Maranao, Tausug, Samal, Ilonggo (Hiligainon), Ilokano, Chavakano are widespread. The language of the autochthonous population, the subanons, is in danger of extinction, since the youth of this group prefers to switch to Sebuan. English is used in business and official fields.

Almost all of January, Pagadians celebrate holidays , Pasalamat Festival , water parade ( regatta ), carnival , military parade. Commercial exhibitions are being arranged. The Megion Festival is celebrated in September and lasts a week. It was officially approved in August 2006, and it is carried out throughout the province. Its meaning is the unity of representatives of three different types of culture: subanones, Muslims and Christians. The word megayon in Subanonian means “unity, solidarity”.

Chinese communities celebrate Chinese New Year.

There are many attractions for tourists, although they are not known outside the Philippines. Pagadian Bay and its two small islands, Daco and Gamai, collectively called the Tao Dao Islands, are a picturesque place ideally suited for relaxation, swimming, boating and fishing. An artificial coral reef is built here. The islands can be reached by motor boat in 7-10 minutes from the seaport. The park, rounded in plan and located on an elevation, called the Pagadian Rotunda, is well adapted for viewing the panorama of the bay. A five-minute journey by motor boat from the port is the White Beach, named after the color of sand.

A number of natural attractions are located in the vicinity of the city. These are waterfalls, Lyson Valley, 42 km from the city, and Manga, 7 km. Next to the second is the Twin Cave.

Mount Palpalan is the highest point in the vicinity of Pagadian, 684 feet high. Susong Dalaga Mountain, 32 km from the city. It can be reached on horseback. In the town of Bogo, 4 km from Pagadian, Bulatok Hill is located, which offers an excellent panorama of the city.

Pagadian is the center of education in the province. There are both private educational institutions and municipal ones. Of the higher educational institutions, the most significant is the South Zamboanga Marine Technology Institute, which is a branch of the Misamis Institute of Technology in Ozamis. There are two major Catholic colleges. The largest municipal institution is the National Higher School of South Zamboangi, a branch of the Western Mindanao State University.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagadian_City