History of Iligan City: "Industrial City of The South" and "City of Majestic Waterfalls"

History of Iligan City
“Industrial City of the South” and “City of Majestic Waterfalls”
Iligan City had its beginnings in the

village of Bayug,four (4) kilometers north
of the present Poblacion. It was the earliest pre-Spanish settlement of native sea
dwellers.The monotony of indigenous life in the territory was broken when in the later
part of the 16th Century, the inhabitants were subdued by the Visayan migrants from
the island kingdom of Panglao. In the accounts of Jesuit historian Francisco
Combes,the Mollucan King of Ternate invaded Panglao. This caused Panglaons to
flee in large numbers to Dapitan,Zamboanga del Norte. In Dapitan, the surviving
Prince of Panglao Pagbuaya, received Legazpi’s expedition in 1565. Later,
Pagbuaya’s son Manook was baptized Pedro Manuel Manook. The Christianized
Manook subdued the Higaunon village in Bayug and established it as one of the
earliest Christian settlements in the country. The settlement survived other raids from
other enemies, and, because of their faith in God and in their patron saint, Saint
Michael the Archangel, the early Iliganons moved their settlement from Bayug to
Iligan. The name Iligan is from the Higaonon word iligan or ilijan’ meaning “fortress of
defense” against frequent attacks by pirates and other hostile Mindanao tribes.by:
[Ref.History of iligan city by Camilo P. Cabili and History of iligan City by Ricardo
Jorge S. Caluen]
The earliest Spanish accounts refer to Iligan(or Yligan/Elegin) as the name of the
settlement found at the mouth of the river that bears the same name(also Tambacan
to many people).It was this same settlement that the early Jesuits in Mindanao came
upon sometime in the 1630s. Around the 18th century, Iligan referred to the large
military province or corregimiento, which comprised the present-day provinces of
Lanao, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, and portions of Misamis Oriental.
When Ferdinand Blumentritt cited the earlier ethnographic accounts pointing to
Subanos as the inhabitants of Iligan he must have referred to the corregimientos
Misamis-Zamboanga side, concededly Subano territory till the present.
The Padres Recoletos are reported to have introduced Christianity in the area
ahead of the Jesuits, the work having been begun by Fray Nicolas de San Juan who
was the visitador of Bayug Island some three kilometers east of the present
Poblacion. This was in 1626. There is reason to believe, however, that the natives of
Bayug(whom I suspect to be ancestors of the Higa-onons of Barangay Rogongon,
this city) had their first contacts with Christianized natives with the conquest of their
territory ( in all likelihood towards the end of the 16th century) by Pedro Manuel
Manook, a Dapitan warrior of considerable military and navigational skills. He
showed Legaspi the way to the petty-kingdoms of Luzon. Both the Jesuits and the
Recoletos will later be engaged in a scandalous battle fought in ecclesiastical and
governmental courts to gain control over Iligan and neighboring areas.
Iligan has been traditionally used by both Spanish and American colonizers as the
launching pad of their pacification campaigns against the Lanao “Moros.” Thus, for
more than two centuries, Iligan was practically a garrison town defended largely by
Pampango and Boholano conscripts. It is reported that at the turn of the 20th
century, Iligan had a population of only 3,000. By: Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen
Population/ Language/ Area

Total population of the city as of 2010 is 322,821. The land area of the city is
813.37 km2 (314.04 sq mi) which is bounded on the north by three municipalities of
Lugait, Manticao and Opol; on the south by another 3 municipalities of Baloi,
Linamon and Tagoloa and another two municipalities of Kapai and Tagoloan II; on
the northeast by Cagayan de Oro City; to the east by the municipality of Talakag,
Bukidnon; and to the west by Iligan Bay.
Iliganons compose of the Cebuano speaking locals and the minority that compose of
the Maranao, Tagalog and some other cultural minorities and immigrants from other
places.
Products and Services

Iligan City is considered as the Industrial Center of the South as it produces

hydroelectric power using the Maria Cristina Falls for the whole Mindanao region
through the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR). It also houses industries like
steel, tinplate, cement and flour mills. The National Steel Corporation, one of the
largest steel manufacturers in the Southeast Asian region, now Global Steelworks
International Incorporated was re-opened in 2003 .
Tourist Spots

Known to be the City of , Iligan City has 23 waterfalls surrounding it. The most
famous is the Maria Cristina Falls which is the main source for hydroelectric power in
the whole Mindanao region. Other famous falls good for vacationers are the Tinago
Falls, accessible through a 300-step staircase; Mimbalut Falls; Abaga Falls;
Dodiongan FAlls; and Timoga Springs.
Festivals and Celebrations

 Diyandi Festival – this monthlong

celebration is usually held every the
29th day in the month of September. This
festival is for the honor of their patron saint
Miguel de Archangel whom they regard as
the protector from evil.
https://philippinescities.com/iligan-city-lanao-del-
norte/#:~:text=Iligan%20City%20had%20its
%20beginnings,settlement%20of%20native%20sea
%20dwellers.

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History of Iligan City: "Industrial City of The South" and "City of Majestic Waterfalls"

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History of Iligan City

“Industrial City of the South” and “City of Majestic Waterfalls”

Iligan City had its beginnings in the

Population/ Language/ Area

Products and Services

Iligan City is considered as the Industrial Center of the South as it produces

 Diyandi Festival – this monthlong

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