Dapitan

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Dapitan
Component city
City of Dapitan
Dapitan City Hall
Seal
Nicknames:  Shrine City of the Philippines Historic City of the South Rizal City of the South
Motto(s):  Abante Kaayo Dapitanon (Forward More Dapitanon)
Map of Zamboanga del Norte with Dapitan highlighted
show OpenStreetMap Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Dapitan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 8°39′18″N 123°25′27″E / 8.6549°N 123.4243°E / 8.6549; 123.4243Coordinates: 8°39′18″N 123°25′27″E / 8.6549°N 123.4243°E / 8.6549; 123.4243
Country	Philippines
Region	Zamboanga Peninsula
Province	Zamboanga del Norte
District	1st district
Founded	1629
Cityhood	June 22, 1963
Barangays	50 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Rosalina G. Jalosjos
• Vice Mayor	Jimmy Patrick Israel B. Chan
• Representative	Romeo M. Jalosjos, Jr.
• City Council	show Members Dug Christoper B. Mah Javert Greg G. Hamoy Amalou T. Monroyo Angelica J. Carreon Adora H. Recamara Alexander E. Estacio Gabriel E. Cad Ronie M. Jarapan Divine G. Patilano Jezebel A. Balisado
• Electorate	57,434 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	390.53 km2 (150.78 sq mi)
Elevation	33 m (108 ft)
Highest elevation	590 m (1,940 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	85,202
• Density	220/km2 (570/sq mi)
• Households	17,953
Demonym(s)	Dapitanon
Economy
• Income class	3rd city income class
• Poverty incidence	36.14% (2015)[4]
• Revenue	₱540,006,232.83 (2016)
Service provider
• Electricity	Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative (ZANECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	7101
PSGC	097201000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)65
Climate type	tropical climate
Native languages	Subanon Cebuano Chavacano Tagalog
Website	dapitancity.gov.ph

Dapitan, officially the City of Dapitan (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dapitan; Subanon: Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan Chavacano: Ciudad de Dapitan), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,202 people. ^[3]

It is historically significant as the place where José Rizal was exiled by the Spanish colonial authorities for his threat to start revolutionary activities. He is considered a national hero, and this is known as the "Shrine City in the Philippines." It is also often considered the capital of Mindanao Island. The city is also home to Gloria's Fantasyland, the first amusement park in Mindanao.

History[]

The earliest settlers of Dapitan were the Subanens, a nomadic tribe of Indonesian stock known to have settled and lived along the banks of the river or “suba” out of which their present-day tribal identity originated.^[5]

Early cartographers of the Philippines showed Dapitan's location on their maps of Mindanao in varying names, such as "Dapito" in Kaerius' map of 1598, "Dapite" in Dudley's map of 1646, "Dapyto" in Sanson's map of 1652, and "Dapitan" in Moll's map of East Indies 1729 and in Murillo Velarde's map of 1734.^[5]

Dapitan was already a thriving settlement when Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in 1595. It is believed that some Agustinian friars accompanied Legazpi's expedition, who converted the natives to Christianity. Foremost of the converts were Pedro Manooc, son of Pagbuaya, and Manooc's daughter, Maria Uray. A permanent mission was founded at Dapitan in 1629 headed by a Jesuit missionary, Father Pedro Gutierrez.^[5]

It was only after the establishment of the Jesuit mission that a strong and stable form of government was finally established. The Spanish authorities adopted the local form of government that was already existing but placed the officials under the absolute control of the Spanish government. The settlement came to be known as the "pueblo", and its head variously called either "Datu", "Capitan" or "Cabeza de Barangay". The politico-military commandancia of Dapitan until the end of the Spanish domination in 1898 was still dependent on Misamis. It was only during the revolutionary period that Dapitan became an integral part of the Filipino forces in Zamboanga.^[5]

On June 22, 1963, President Diosdado Macapagal signed R.A. 3811 which converted Dapitan into a chartered city.^[6] It is officially renowned as the “Shrine City of the Philippines.”

Geography[]

Dapitan City is situated at the mouth of the Dapitan River on Dapitan Bay, and is the northernmost point of the Zamboanga Peninsula. It is about 404 nautical miles (748 km; 465 mi) south of Metro Manila; 156 nautical miles (289 km; 180 mi) to Zamboanga City; and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) to Dipolog.^[7]

Climate[]

Barangays[]

Dapitan City is politically subdivided into 50 barangays, of which 8 barangays are urban, 27 are interior, 13 are coastal, and 2 are island barangays.^[9] In 1955, the sitios of Sipalok, Barcelona, and Potungan were converted into barrios.^[10]

Taguilon[]

Taguilon is home to the . It is a producer of coconut and agar (based on sea weed) as well as a fishing port. The pier in Taguilon is a secondary/alternate port to the main passenger/cargo port in Dapitan City. Additionally, during severe storms at sea, ferries and other ships find shelter in the Taguilon cove. One can find the mount Lalab overlooking the islets of Silinog and part of Balyangaw.

Talisay[]

Talisay is a seaside barangay where José Rizal spent four years in exile. A park and shrine honoring the Philippine national hero can be found in the José Rizal Memorial Protected Landscape, a protected area declared in 2000, located in the old Rizal farm site in the barangay.

Demographics[]

Population census of Dapitan

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 8,086 —     1918 12,866 +3.14% 1939 28,295 +3.82% 1948 37,984 +3.33% 1960 27,517 −2.65% 1970 37,781 +3.22% 1975 46,261 +4.14% 1980 54,694 +3.40%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 59,372 +0.82% 1995 62,997 +1.12% 2000 68,178 +1.71% 2007 72,792 +0.91% 2010 77,441 +2.28% 2015 82,418 +1.19% 2020 85,202 +0.66%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [13][14]

Economy[]

Poverty Incidence of Dapitan
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20]

Local government[]

List of former city mayors:^[21]

• Rodolfo A. Carreon, Sr. – January 1960 to December 1964
• Germanico A. Carreon – August 1964 to April 30, 1986
• Buensorceso Carpio – December 1, 1987 to February 2, 1988
• James A. Adasa – 1988 to 1998
• Joseph Cedrick O. Ruiz – 1998 to 2001
• Rodolfo H. Carreon, Jr. – 2001 to 2004
• Dominador G. Jalosjos, Jr. – 2004 to 2010
• Patri B. Chan – June 2010 to November 2010
• Dominador G. Jalosjos, Jr. – December 2010 to May 2012
• Patri B. Chan – May 2012 to January 27, 2013
• Agapito J. Cardino – January 28, 2013 to June 30, 2013
• Rosalina G. Jalosjos – July 1, 2013 to present

Places of interest[]

Liwasan ng Dapitan (Dapitan City Plaza)

Dapitan City Plaza ("Liwasan ng Dapitan"), also known as the City Square, was beautified and developed by Dr. José Rizal during his exile. With the assistance of the Spanish Politico-Military Governor of Dapitan, Gov. Ricardo Carnicero, Rizal made the City Square comparable to those he saw in Europe.^[22] It has an area of one hectare, more or less.

Punto del Desembarco de Rizal

Rizal disembarked in Punto del Desembarco de Rizal (Rizal's Point of Disembarking). A 20-foot cross also stands in the place to symbolize the propagation of Christianity in the locality of Dapitan.

Rizal Park and Shrine

Rizal Park and Shrine is a major historical landmark in Dapitan. In August 1892, Rizal, together with Governor Carnicero and Francisco Equilor, a Spaniard living in Dipolog, won a lottery bet which financially enabled Dr. Rizal to buy a 10-hectare piece of land from Lucia Pagbangon. Rizal moved to the area in which the shrine currently stands in March 1893. Later on, his mother, Doña Teodora Alonso Realonda, his sisters, and some relatives from Calamba, Laguna, came and lived with him in Barangay Talisay (which is where the shrine is located) until 1896. Rizal Shrine was declared a national shrine through Presidential Decree No. 105 issued by then-President Ferdinand Marcos on January 24, 1973.

Casa Real

Rizal stayed in Casa Real with Governor Carnicero from his arrival until he moved to the present-day location of Rizal Shrine in Barangay Talisay in March 1893. The appearance of Casa Real is similar to that of the old city hall, with bamboo on each side and the upper portion made up of wood. A replica of Casa Real will soon rise near its marker.

St. James the Greater Church

This church was built in 1871 in honor of St. James the Greater, Dapitan's patron saint. The design of the interior walls is more or less one meter thick and still original except for the furnishing. The altar and the interior hane undergone several renovations. Inside is a historical spot where Rizal stood while hearing Mass every Sunday. At the mezzanine is the priceless heritage organ that bears the year wherein it was made – 1827 – at the choir loft. It was brought to Dapitan by the Agustinian Recollect fathers. A German-made instrument with European pipes, it is a manual pipe organ.

Cotta de Dapitan

Established in 1761, the fort was made to monitor the waters of northern Zamboanga. The fort was made on top of the sacred Ilihan Hill. Currently, the fort is in dire need of conservation.

Festivals[]

Dapitan City has launched a diversified fiesta celebration of its Patron St. James or Señor Santiago, whose memorial is celebrated every 25 July, for the locals through a three-in-one affair, combining religious, cultural and sports events in its Kinabayo Festival.

The Kinabayo Festival kicks off July 16 and culminates on July 31 with various events taking place within the Shrine City of the Philippines.

Transportation[]

Sea[]

Dapitan is served by the Port of Pulauan in barangay San Vicente (albeit ferry schedules often list the destination as Port of Dipolog, a neighboring city). There are daily ferries from/to Dumaguete and from/to Cebu City.

Air[]

Dapitan is catered by Dipolog Airport through Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific. From Dipolog take a shuttle bus to Dapitan which is 20–30 minutes ride, that's 12 kilometers from the airport to the City proper of Dapitan.

Notable people[]

• José Rizal (b. 1861 - d. 1896) - national hero
• Martha Cecilia (b. 1953 - d. 2014) - Filipino writer of Tagalog romance pocketbook novels
• Very Rev. Joel S. Montederamos (b. 1972) - Vicar General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dipolog (since 2014)
• Gazini Ganados (b. 1995) - Filipino fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who became Binibining Pilipinas 2019 Universe and part of Top 20 of Miss Universe 2019.
• Theodore Boborol (b. 1979) - A renowned film and television director in the Philippines.

International relations[]

Twin towns — Sister cities[]

Dapitan is twinned with:

• Litoměřice, Czech Republic^[23]
• Zamboanga City, Philippines
• Dipolog City, Philippines
• Davao City, Philippines^[24]

See also[]

• Dapitan City Council

References[]

External links[]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Dapitan.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dapitan.

• Official website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code