Sindangan

This town sets back its origin during the pre-Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Subanon people or tribe was its first inhabitants. The Subanens, a nomadic tribe of Indo-Malayan stock, were the earliest known settlers who lived along river banks or "suba", from which word they received their present tribal identity as Subanen. They built houses and sanctuaries for their shelter and formed their own 'government' ruled by the Datu.

Over the years the Moros settled also in this place and preached Islam.

During the Spanish reign in the archipelago where towns had already been established, Sindangan was a barrio under the jurisdiction of the then municipality of Dapitan as early as 1598 to 1729, and slowly people from the Visayas islands flocked to Mindanao to find greener pasture. Christianity also propagated on this area through the effort of the Catholic missionaries like the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits, the Augustinians, and the Dominicans. One of its great missionaries was Padre Francesco Palliola, a Jesuit missionary from Nola, Italy who tirelessly preached the Christian message, perform baptisms and sacraments and helped the tribal people in this area of Zamboanga Peninsula. He was assigned in Dapitan and Katipunan, and met his martyrdom in the barrio of Ponot (now Jose Dalman) where he was killed by the Subanen people through the leadership of their chieftain. Later on, the barrio of Sindangan was transferred under the newly established town of Lubungan (now Katipunan, who also was then a barrio of Dapitan) since the 19th century, unconnected by road.

A portion of the downtown area along Quezon Avenue in 1961 (left) and in 2022 (right)

On December 23, 1936, Sindangan was separated from the municipality of Katipunan and became an independent municipality by virtue of Executive Order No. 77 issued by President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon. The municipalities of Sindangan, Siocon, Margosatubig, Pagadian, and Kabasalan were created out of the municipal districts of Sindangan, Panganuran, Labangan, Dinas, Sibuko, Sirawai, Margosatubig, Malangas, Kabasalan and Bangaan. The Municipality of Sindangan covered the area of Sindangan and Panganuran.[6]

Bartolome Lira Sr. was appointed to organize the Municipality of Sindangan and was its first Municipal President. As his appointive tenure expired, he was elected as the first Municipal Mayor of Sindangan until 1941.

In 1955, four barrios of were created:

• Dicoyong - sitios of Labakid, Layawan, Morob, Gusani, Domalogdog, Maoal, Nato, Diongan, Makasing, Dipolo and Dicoyong Proper;
• Bacungan - sitios of Palandok, Rison, Bogabongan, Manil, Gusao, Talinga and Bacungan Proper;
• Lagag - sitios of Milaub, Mangalop, Gopit, Pase, Lipaga, Mianib, Siayan, Litolit, Balok, and Lagag Proper; and Bitoon - sitios of Misok, Hagonoy, Lico, Guban, Makinong, and Bitoon Proper
• Binuangan - sitios of Taguicon, Upper Binuangan, and Gusapong Proper[7]

In 1959, the sitios of Gonayen, Gowayan, Domogok, Dinoyak, Mangilay, Pange, Balak, Laclac, Siriac, Macasing and Diongan were constituted into the barrio of Gonayen.[8]

Sindangan's political territory in 1936 (left) and in the present (right) in comparison with Zamboanga City

At the time of its creation as an independent municipality, Sindangan had the biggest territory in terms of land area in the then Province of Zamboanga (now the administrative region Zamboanga Peninsula with three separate provinces). It once comprised the current municipalities of Sindangan, Siayan, Leon B. Postigo, Salug, Godod, Liloy, Tampilisan, Labason, Gutalac, and Kalawit. With these measurements as evidenced, Sindangan was deemed to be bigger than the present land area of Zamboanga City before its division.

It was during the Third Philippine Republic when Sindangan subsequently lost huge portions of its territories after the creation of its offspring municipalities, namely: Labason (1947),[9] Liloy (1951),[10] Siayan (1967), and Leon B. Postigo (1982). These aforementioned new municipalities also went reductions of their territories later in the years in light of the creation of newer municipalities, making Sindangan their mother and grandmother town.

Since its elevation to a municipality in 1936, people from Luzon and the Visayas continued migrating to Sindangan to settle together with their families and built businesses. That is why aside from the Subanens, there are Sindanganons whose origins are from Bohol, Cebu, Samar, Leyte, Negros, Bicol, Pampanga, and Manila.

When the Japanese forces invaded parts of Zamboanga Peninsula during the second world war, Sindangan was fortunately spared from the air bombings and battles happening in the Mindanao Island at the time. Nonetheless, Sindangan shared a piece of World War II history when the SS Shinyō Maru sank in the waters of Sindangan Bay with hundreds of prisoners of war on board the Japanese hell ship.

With approximately 750 Filipino and American prisoners of war (POW) on board, the vessel departed from its POW camp in Davao for Manila with stopover point in Zamboanga City. She departed Zamboanga the next day via Cebu in a convoy of large freighters, tankers, and torpedo boats to protect her against American destroyers. Meanwhile, an allied intelligence intercepted the Japanese Navy radio signals about Shinyō Maru’s movements which prompted the US Navy to send the submarine USS Paddle in a mission to intercept the convoy and sink her. With its movement now determined, the US submarine had waited for hours for the hell ship to pass by, two miles off coast from Sindangan point.

Upon reaching the waters of Sindangan Bay, Shinyō Maru was seen to be leading the convoy. Paddle got into position and fired a spread of four torpedoes at her, two of which hit her in her holds. Paddle then torpedoed a second ship of the convoy, whose commander beached her to prevent her from sinking. The Japanese escorts then started unsuccessfully depth charging Paddle, but she dived deep and escaped serious damage.

The torpedoes that hit Shin'yō Maru killed or wounded many of the POWs, and some of her Japanese crew and guards. As she sank, the guards machine-gunned the POWs to try to prevent them from abandoning ship. The surviving ships of the convoy launched boats to rescue Shin'yō Maru's crew and guards. A machine-gun mounted on the grounded ship also fired on the prisoners. Of 750 PoWs aboard the hell ship, 668 were killed. 83 got ashore alive, but one died the next day. 47 of her 52 Japanese crew and army guards were also killed.

The escaped POWs went inland, where they met a Filipino guerilla group commanded by a US Colonel McGee. The guerillas radioed US forces, who sent the submarine USS Narwhal to rescue them. On 29 October 1944 Narwhal came into Sindangan Bay, where she embarked 81 of the 82 survivors. One survivor, Joseph Coe, chose to remain to serve with the guerillas.

On September 7, 2014, on the 70th anniversary of the incident, the municipality of Sindangan dedicated a memorial remembering the victims and survivors of the Shinyo Maru, as well as the townsfolk who extended their hospitality and help.[11]

Plans to convert Sindangan into a city started as early as 2006 upon observations that the town has become the most progressive and the most income-generating municipality in Zamboanga Peninsula. This initiative, however, did not materialize after politicians who spearheaded the proposal did not win the following elections. Since 2020, Sindangan had surpassed two out of the three requirements for cityhood as mandated by the Local Government Code — its land area and total population. With an increasing number of investors in the last five years since 2017, the town is hopeful to meet the minimum annual income requirement of 100 million by the end of 2025. Currently, the local government has initiated a campaign called “Damgo Dos Mil Baynte Singko [Eng: The 2025 Vision]” where ambitious projects and massive remodelings are being done in all its vicinity in ways of addressing the town’s inadequacies, aiming to improve its facilities, and making the town a conducive place for investment in the upcoming years. With its vision to become the third city in Zamboanga del Norte (after Dipolog and Dapitan), and the sixth in Zamboanga Peninsula (after Dipolog, Dapitan, Pagadian, Isabela, and Zamboanga), the municipal government of Sindangan is venturing into big steps for them to make the grade and finally be able to file a bill in the congress for its conversion from a first class municipality to a chartered component city.

Sindangan is politically subdivided into 52 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

It is the most of the 27 local government units in Zamboanga del Norte.

Barangay Mandih, Poblacion, and Siari are the most densely populated areas of Sindangan as of the latest count.

Sindangan is the first (and currently the only) municipality in Zamboanga Peninsula to reach the 100,000 population mark. As of the 2020 census, the town has a population of 103,952 people, making it the second largest local government unit in the province of Zamboanga del Norte after the provincial capital city of Dipolog. Despite being a municipality, it is 20,000 people ahead of the population of the city of Dapitan and is either twice or three times more of the population of every municipality in the province compared, making Sindangan the most populous municipality in Zamboanga del Norte. It is also the most populous municipality in Region IX.

Sindangan is populated by the tri-people – the Subanens, Muslims, and the Christian migrants coming from Luzon and Visayan islands.

Community-Based Monitoring System puts the number of Subanens as 24,640 or 27.5 percent of the total population with the greater number of them living in the interior barangays. The Muslims – Maranao and Tausug merchants live and ply their trades in Poblacion and its adjoining barangays.

As of 2023, Sindangan has a stronghold of 72,613 registered voters.

Roman Catholicism strongly dominates Sindangan as shown by their religious festivities and fiestas. Famous to these Catholic Devotion is the Diocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Barangay Siari where thousands of pilgrims flocked from all over the region to pray and visit to the shrine. Other Christian denominations are also present in Sindangan as well as Islam.

The Sindangan Integrated Bus Terminal in Barangay Goleo is served by numerous public land transports such as the RTMI Buses (Rural Transit) via National Highway. It provides daily transport from Dipolog, Ipil, to Zamboanga City. SUVs or 'van', Ceres Liners and jeepneys are also available for daily transport. Trips to Pagadian City has also been already operational via Sindangan-Siayan-Dumingag-Mahayag road.

Aerial view of the port of Sindangan

The Port of Sindangan is a seaport located in Barangay Calatunan, facing the Sindangan Bay. It is currently managed under the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and is considered as the main gateway of the town's economy. Recently, since June 2022, the port is already operating regular RORO trips to and from the cities of Dumaguete and Cebu.

The Sindangan River Boardwalk Esplanade, more commonly referred to as the Sindangan Sunset Boulevard, is an under-construction esplanade on the bank of the Sindangan River, initially spanning from the national highway of Barangay Goleo to the southern portion of Barangay Lawis. It is now on its completing stage of its phase 1 development and will soon serve as a recreation site for tourists and local Sindanganons. When completed, it will span at an approximate total of 8 kilometers from the northern end of the Piao Bridge in Barangay Goleo to the eastern portion of the Port of Sindangan in Barangay Calatunan, which will then be an ideal site for street festivals and sporting events like marathons and triathlons.

{{Column list|* Prince Hypermart Sindangan

• MR.DIY Sindangan
• Gaisano Capital [TBD]
• Amigo Shopping Center
• Mercury Drug
• Watsons
• Rose Pharmacy
• 7-Eleven [TBD]
• Lofer Family Mart
• LKS Pharmacy & Convenience Store
• NOVO Sindangan
• RRJ Sindangan
• Stylistic MR. LEE Sindangan
• Penshoppe
• BUM
• FUBU
• Crissa
• ABC Shopping Center
• Jim Star Commercial
• Nam Chau Shopping Center
• Vallecer's East Supermart

There are 42 financial institutions as of 2015.

In 2020, an extension campus of MSU Main was approved by the board of directors and a campus was erected in uptown Misok. Formal opening of classes for their pioneering batch commenced in 2021. Currently, the MSU-MCSE offers ten courses.

Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Inc. was founded on March 19, 1968, as Saint Joseph High School and eventually became the first college institution in Sindangan. The college was owned and supervised by The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dipolog until now together with its other institutions like Saint Vincent's College in Dipolog, and Saint Estanislaus Kostka College in Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte.

• List of the College Presidents in the Diocese
• 1.+Most. Rev. Felix Sanchez Zafra, D.D. -first bishop of the Diocese of Dipolog appointed by Pope Paul VI on July 31, 1967. He was transferred as Bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran by Pope John Paul II on October 20, 1986. By then, the seat of the bishop of the diocese was vacant for more or less 7 months.
• 2. Most. Rev. Jose Ricare Manguiran, D.D. - appointed by Pope John Paul II as second bishop of the Diocese of Dipolog on May 27, 1987, until his retirement on July 25, 2014.
• 3. Most. Rev. Severo Cagatan Caermare, D.D. -appointed by Pope Francis on July 25, 2014, as third bishop of the diocese.

Philippine Advent College, Sindangan, formerly known as Hillside View College, a Christian college founded in Sindangan on 1975. It is currently the only institution in town who offers a bachelor's program for nursing.

• Sindangan National High School
• Sindangan National Agricultural School
• Saint Joseph College of Sindangan, Incorporated, High School Department
• Philippine Advent College, High School Department
• Siare John H. Roemer Memorial National High School
• Bartolome Lira National High School
• Dumalogdog National High School
• Lapero National High School
• Dona Natividad L. Macias Integrated School, High School Department

Honors the Primary Patron Saint of the town, Saint Joseph the Worker, Husband of the Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ. He is entitled as "El Obrero" or "the Worker" because he is a modest carpenter who works hard to earn a living for the Holy Family and a role model and patron saint for all Fathers and Labor Workers. He is fit to become the town's patron saint because the people of Sindangan are known as hard-worker laborers since the pre-second world war.

In honor of the Santo Nino de Cebu, a grand fluvial procession at the eve of the fiesta is celebrated in Barangay Siari. On the day of the fiesta, a street dance procession is held and a Sinulog Dance Competition follows at the end of the procession.

One of Sindangan's grand festival in honor of the school and the town's patron saint itself - Saint Joseph the Worker. Saint Joseph College's Founding Anniversary happens on March 19 during the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the Husband of Mary.

Binibining Sindangan, known as the biggest and the most sought beauty pageant in Zamboanga Peninsula

Crowning of Binibining Sindangan 2022 at the SinDome Arena

An annual celebration that commemorates the municipal charter day of Sindangan. The celebration usually starts on the 17th of December and ends on 22nd. During the course of the week-long event, competitions and shows are usually held such as trade fairs, amateur boxing, motorcross, singing competitions, firework shows, and many more. Mainly, the celebration is highlighted by a beauty pageant competition. Dubbed as the biggest beauty pageant in the entire Zamboanga Peninsula region, the annual search for the Binibining Sindangan has caused headlines and draws hundreds of applicants from throughout the country with its prestigious production and generous grand and consolation prizes. The winner of the most recent competition, which took place in December 2022, took home a brand-new car along with a cash reward of 500,000 pesos.

• DXSZ-FM 97.7 Charm Radio Sindangan (CyVon Broadcasting Services, Sindangan. Adolana Broadcasting Network and Polytechnic Foundation of Cotabato and Asia Incorporated. Independently managed and franchised) Tag line- "Where your heart belongs." " Ang paborito ng bayan!" Charm Radio Sindangan- Most popular radio station in town. (Under Maintenance)
• DXRF-FM 92.1 Radyo Natin (Manila Broadcasting Company) First established radio station in Sindangan. Tag line- "Your friendly hometown radio station." "Iba pa rin ang orig!" Managed by Mr. Bobby Jamora
• DXST-FM 95.3 Prime FM (Prime Broadcasting Network)
• DXSW-FM 105.3 Brigada News FM (Brigada Mass Media Corporation) SOON TO AIR
• DXAZ-FM 100.9 One FM (Radio Corporation of the Philippines) SOON TO AIR
• DXXE-FM 106.1 Yes The Best (Manila Broadcasting Company)

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