Zamboanga was a province of the Philippines located in the western region of the southern island of Mindanao, Philippines.
A municipality is a local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines. It is distinct from city, which is a different category of local government unit. Provinces of the Philippines are divided into cities and municipalities, which in turn, are divided into barangays – villages. As of June 30, 2024, there are 1,493 municipalities across the country.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was an autonomous region of the Philippines, located in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines, that consisted of five predominantly Muslim provinces: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. It was the only region that had its own government. The region's de facto seat of government was Cotabato City, although this self-governing city was outside its jurisdiction.
Isabela, officially the City of Isabela, is a component city and de facto capital of the province of Basilan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,379 people making it the most populous city in the province.
The government of the Philippines has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and democratic constitutional republic in which the president functions as both the head of state and the head of government of the country within a pluriform multi-party system.
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions, with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
- Regions are mostly used to organize national services. Of the 17 regions, only one—the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao—has an elected government to which the central government has devolved competencies.
- Provinces, independent cities, and one independent municipality (Pateros)
- Component cities and municipalities within a province
- Barangays within a city or municipality
Moro Province was a province of the Philippines consisting of the regions of Zamboanga, Lanao, Cotabato, Davao, and Jolo. It was later split into provinces and regions organized under the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, along with the former provinces of Agusan, and current province of Bukidnon.
The Department of Mindanao and Sulu was an agency of the United States colonial administration in the Philippine Islands task to administer all Muslim-dominated areas in the territory. It was established on July 23, 1914, pursuant to Act No. 2408, replacing the Moro Province after the latter was divided into the then districts/provinces of Zamboanga, Lanao, Cotabato, Davao, and Sulu. It was later split into provinces/regions organized under the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, along with the former provinces of Agusan, and current province of Bukidnon.
The Republic of Zamboanga was a short-lived revolutionary government, founded by General Vicente Álvarez and the Zamboangueño Revolutionary Forces after the Spanish government in Zamboanga, Philippines officially surrendered and ceded Real Fuerte de Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar de Zaragoza in May 1899. On May 28, 1899, Álvarez declared the territory's independence from the Spanish Empire, and became the republic's first and only genuinely elected president.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, commonly known as the Provincial Board, are the legislatures in Philippine provinces. They are the legislative branches of the provinces, and their powers and responsibilities are defined by the Local Government Code of 1991. Along with the provincial governor, the executive branch of the province, they form the province's government.
The Sangguniang Bayan is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Government Code, passed by Congress in 1991.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is the local legislative body of a city government in the Philippines. The name of the legislative body comes from the Filipino words "sanggunian" ("council") – ultimately from the root word "sangguni" – both of Tagalog origins, with the latter word also of Kapampangan and Old Tagalog origins, and "lungsod" ("city") of both Tagalog – but ultimately Bisayan – origins; "city council" is therefore often used as an equivalent term in English or Philippine English. Members of the city council are referred to as "kagawad"; while in mostly but not only predominantly Bisayan-speaking cities, they are called "konsehal" (masc.) and "konsehala" (fem.), or "sehal".
Basilan is an island province of the Philippines. It is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula. Its capital is Lamitan. Basilan is home to three main ethnic groups, the indigenous Yakans, and the later-arriving Tausugs and Zamboangueños. The Yakans and Tausugs are predominantly Muslim, while the Chavacanos are mainly Christian. There are also a number of smaller groups.
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga or Jambangan in the native Subanon language, is a highly urbanized city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 977,234 people. It is the fifth-most populous and third-largest city by land area in the Philippines and also the second most populous in Mindanao after Davao City. It is the commercial and industrial center of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region.
General Vicente Álvarez y Solís was a Zamboangueño revolutionary general who led the revolution in Zamboanga which forced the surrender of the last Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Diego de los Rios, effectively ending the Spanish occupation in the Philippines.
Local elections were held in the Philippines on May 13, 2013, the same day and on the same ballot as national elections. Elected were governors, mayors and council members of Philippine provinces, Philippine cities and Philippine municipalities. Separate elections for barangay officials were held on October.
The Zamboanga City Council is Zamboanga City's Sangguniang Panlungsod or local legislature.
The Mayor of Zamboanga City and is the head of the executive branch of the Zamboanga City's government. The mayor holds office at Zamboanga City Hall. Like all local government heads in the Philippines, the mayor is elected via popular vote, and may not be elected for a fourth consecutive term. In case of death, resignation or incapacity, the vice mayor becomes the mayor.
The mayor of Dipolog is the head of the executive branch of Dipolog's government. The mayor holds office at the Dipolog City Hall.
The Dipolog City Council is Dipolog's Sangguniang Panlungsod or legislative body. The council has thirteen (13) members which is composed of ten (10) councilors, one (1) ex officio member elected from the ranks of barangay (neighborhood) chairmen, one (1) ex officio member elected from the ranks of Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen and one (1) presiding officer. The city's vice-mayor is the council's presiding officer, who is elected citywide.
