Dipolog City Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: July 1, 2024

Dipolog is a third-class component city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of Mindanao, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Zamboanga del Norte. Known for its sardine industry and its wild orchids, Dipolog has been nicknamed the “Orchid City of the Philippines”, the “Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines”, and the “Gateway to Western Mindanao”.

Zamboanga Peninsula was first settled by the Subanen people around the 12th century. A few centuries later, Visayan settlers from the neighboring islands of Bohol and Negros came to the region as well. The first Europeans to set foot in the area were Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and Spanish explorer and Augustinian friar Andrés de Urdaneta in 1565, setting the Christianization and colonization of Mindanao in motion.

The first possible mention of Dipolog (as “Diporog”) can be found in the Velarde map, a map of the Philippines published in 1734. However, the official recorded history of Dipolog, then a barrio of Dapitan, started in 1834, when the Spanish provincial government of Misamis organized a civil government and moved the settlement to its present site at the mouth of Dipolog River.

In 1894, a church was constructed on the site of the former chapel established by the Jesuits. Two years later, Dipolog was established as a regular parish. After Spain transferred the sovereignty of the Philippines to the United States in 1897, Dipolog continued to develop and soon became a thriving commercial community, outgrowing its principal town of Dapitan. It was eventually split from Dapitan, but the decision was reversed in 1904, when Dipolog was converted back into a barrio of Dapitan.

In 1910, Secretary of Zamboanga Province John Helper visited Dipolog, talked to its principalia (ruling upper class), and came to a conclusion that Dipolog deserved to be converted into an independent municipality. It was once again separated from Dapitan and regained municipality status on July 1, 1912.

During World War II, the provincial capital of Zamboanga was temporarily moved from Zamboanga City to Dipolog following the Japanese invasion in 1942. However, the entire province was soon occupied by the Japanese and remained under occupation for three years. In 1948, the provincial capital was moved from Dipolog to the newly established municipality of Molave.

In 1952, the province of Zamboanga was divided into Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur, with Dipolog becoming the capital of the former upon its creation. In 1969, President Ferdinand Marcos converted Dipolog from a municipality to a city; the decision officially came into effect on January 1, 1970.

The anniversary of Dipolog’s re-establishment as a municipality in 1912 is celebrated as Dipolog City Day. It is a non-working holiday marked by cultural and sports activities, award ceremonies, and other special events.