Zamboanga del Norte Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: June 6, 2024

Zamboanga del Norte is a predominantly agricultural province on the island of Mindanao (the second-largest island of the Philippine archipelago). It was named after the Zamboanga Peninsula, where it is situated alongside two other provinces, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay. Zamboanga del Norte is the largest of the three provinces.

During ancient times, the Zamboanga Peninsula was inhabited by indigenous ethnic groups, primarily the Subanen people. In the 15th century, it came within the Malay sphere of influence, and in the early 16th century, the peninsula became part of the newly established Sultanate of Maguindanao.

The Spanish arrived in Zamboanga and established their first settlement and garrison there in 1569. It was one of their main strongholds and military outposts in Mindanao. The Spanish named the province after the city of Zamboanga; it played an important role in the conflict between Spanish colonizers and the Moro people who refused to surrender and accept the Spanish rule.

During the Philippine Revolution, Philippine revolutionaries established the Republic of Zamboanga with Zamboanga City as its capital. The republic declared its independence from Spain on May 28, 1899, but several months later it was occupied by American forces and became a United States protectorate. The Republic of Zamboanga was officially dissolved and incorporated into the newly established Moro Province in 1903.

In 1914, the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands reorganized Moro Province into the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, which consisted of seven provinces, including Zamboanga. Zamboanga became an independent province following the dissolution of the department in 1920. The first provincial elections in Zamboanga were held two years later.

During the Second World War, most of Zamboanga, along with the rest of the Philippines, was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. Joint American and Philippine forces liberated the Zamboanga Peninsula in 1945.

The division of Zamboanga into two separate provinces, Zamboanga del Norte (North Zamboanga) and Zamboanga del Sur (South Zamboanga), was first proposed by Congressman Roseller T. Lim. The law dividing the province was passed by the Philippine House of Representatives on June 6, 1952, and so Zamboanga del Norte came to be. Zamboanga City became part of Zamboanga del Sur, so Dipolog was designated as the capital of Zamboanga del Norte.

In 2023, a bill proposing to create a new province named Zamboanga Occidental by splitting twelve municipalities from Zamboanga del Norte was submitted to the House of Representatives. As of May 2024, the bill has not been passed.

The founding anniversary of the province is celebrated annually as Zamboanga del Norte Day. It is a special non-working holiday marked by ceremonies, cultural events, and other celebratory activities.