Pagadian - Timeline

Timeline

Date/Year	Significant Events
pre-1920s	The present-day Pagadian had its beginnings as a sitio of Margosatubig.
July 1927	It became a barrio under the Municipal District of Labangan, Zamboanga upon the implementation of Executive Order no.70.
1934	The transfer the seat of the Labangan Government to Pagadian was made through the efforts of Director Teofisto Guingona, Sr. who was commissioned by Philippine Governor-General Leonard Wood to find out the possibility of transferring the seat of government of the Labangan municipality to another place. A conference was first held, together with the Datus and the early Christian settlers as the idea of the transfer was at first largely opposed by the Christians. Eventually, a consensus was reached when the designated committee led by Datu Balimbingan of Labangan and with the consent of Datu Macaumbang surveyed the western part of the present area and found Talpokan, a part of the barrio of Pagadian, deemed as a suitable place for such transfer. At the same time, Datu Macaumbang donated 260 hectares of land to Christians who were willing to transfer to the area.
March 23, 1937	Pagadian became a municipality through Executive Order 77 due to the eager initiative of then Assemblyman Juan S. Alano, with the Hon. Jose Sanson appointed as Acting Mayor. The Hon. Federico Jamisola was elected as the first officially elected Municipal Mayor after the regular elections. The Municipality of Pagadian was formed by merging the municipal districts of Labangan and Dinas, as a result, making Labangan a district under its former barrio. The newly created town had 19 barangays or districts.
June 6, 1952	Congressman Roseller T. Lim authored R.A. 711 dividing Zamboanga into two provinces - Norte (north) and Sur (south).
September 17, 1952	Pagadian became the capital town of the newly established province of Zamboanga del Sur.
June 21, 1969	It became a chartered city through R.A. 5478, becoming the third city in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Administrative Region).
August 16, 1976	The city was one of the hardest hit areas in the Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami of 1976, considered as the most devastating tsunami disaster in the Philippines in recent times. Pagadian was the major city in the area that was struck by both the earthquake and tsunami and sustained the greatest number of casualties.
October 1990	President Corazon Aquino issued the Executive Order 429 that designated Pagadian City as the Regional Center for Region - IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) .
November 12, 2004	Pagadian officially became the Regional Center for Region IX- Zamboanga Peninsula despite Zamboanga City government's opposition to the transfer.
December 22, 2010	Memorandum Circular No. 11 was signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. by the authority of President Benigno S. Aquino III directing a moratorium to temporarily suspend the transfer of Zamboanga Peninsula regional offices from Zamboanga City to Pagadian City pending the study on the matter by designated government agencies. Regional offices that have already relocated to the city are not affected by this. Months after that, the Regional Development Council IX endorsed Zamboanga City as the regional center of Zamboanga Peninsula.
September 7–9, 2011	The city hosted the 20th Mindanao Business Conference, one of the biggest annual gatherings of businessmen in the Philippines.