⌛ Pagadian City: The Little Hong Kong of the South

Pagadian City began as a small town in the Philippines and has continued to grow as the years went by. And now, it is a competitive city of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines in the Island of Mindanao. Pagadian City is a promising urban city.

Pagadian City is located in the northeast side of Zamboanga del Sur Province in the Island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The city's boundaries are Tigbao and Dumalinao on the southwest, Lakewood on the west, Labangan on the east and northwest, and Midsalip on the north.

Pagadian City has a land area of 333.80 sq. kilometers. The city is composed of 54 barangays. Pagadian City is considered as Zamboanga del Sur Province's gateway, Western Mindanao's largest province. The city also serves as an entry point to the cities of Cotabato, Iligan, and Ozamis.

Pagadian City is considered a first class city and also the capital city of Zamboanga del Sur Province in the Philippines. The city is sometimes called the "Little Hong Kong of the South". The word Pagadian was derived from a local word "pangadye-on" meaning prayer or praise.

On March 23, 1937, Pagadian became a municipality and through Republic Act No. 5478, on June 21, 1969, Pagadian was made a chartered city. Today, Pagadian City is one of Mindanao's competitive cities.

Pagadian City is accessible by land from any of Mindanao's key cities like Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Ozamis, Dipolog, and Zamboanga. A number of bus companies travel from Pagadian City to the rest of Mindanao.

The airport of Pagadian City has direct flights from Manila, Philippines thrice a week. The city's seaport has ferry boat companies with trips to Cotabato City and Zamboanga City.

More than 90% of the general topography of Pagadian City is of steep hills and sloping terrain due to the mountain range on the north and west sides of the city. These mountains are Mt. Palpalan, Mt. Begong, Mt. Pinukis, and Mt. Sugar Loaf.

Pagadian City is outside the typhoon belt of the Philippines so the city doesn't experience any storms all year round. January to March is the dry season and April to December is the rainy season. The rainfall in Pagadian City is distributed moderately every year.

Four major rivers form a natural drainage for Pagadian City. These rivers, Tiguma River, Bulatoc River, Gatas River, and Balangasan River, drains to the Pagadian Bay. All these rivers traverse through Pagadian City's poblacion, which consists of 13 urban barangays.

Some of the tourist attractions in Pagadian City are Dao Dao Island, various beaches and waterfalls, hot and cold springs, hills and mountains, and caves.

Hotels, restaurants and fast food chains are plenty in Pagadian City. Dining and lodging is not a big issue when visiting Pagadian City. If you like shopping, Pagadian City has a number of shopping centers where you can shop.