“City of Majestic Waterfalls” plummeting Iligan not to the depths of the earth but empowering the industry that keeps the nation moving. It is not only known for its rich natural resources, the likes of Maria Cristina Falls, that has become a major source of power, but it is also the home of nationally acclaimed artists, poets, cultural workers and writers and, geographically, the cross road of the cultural mix of the Maranao of Lanao Sur, Higaonons of Bukidnon and the dominantly Christian settlers and migrants from the Visayas and other places of Mindanao.
GETTING THERE
The fastest and most convenient is to take a plane to Cagayan de Oro, with seven daily flights from Manila for 1 hour & 20 minutes, Cebu for 20 minutes. From Cagayan you can take either bus, a taxi or rent a car and travel 86 kilometers to Iligan.
GEOGRAPHY
Iligan City is bounded by the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, by the two provinces of Lanao, and by Cagayan de Oro. Iligan City has 44 barangays with a total land area of 813.40 sq.km.
CLIMATE
Iligan City belongs to the C type climate (short, low, sun dry season one to three months with less than 74 mm of rainfall) from strong weather disturbances. Average annual temperature is 21.68 Celsius.
TOPOGRAPHY
Its topography is such that 65% of its area is mountainous: 30% nearly level to moderately sloping and only 4% is level. It is characterized by coastal plains with a maximum expanse of only 3 square kilometers. The mountains running parallel with the coastal plains are not very high and do vary much in size.
LANGUAGE/DIALECT
Cebuano, the major dialect in the city is reported as the mother tongue of the 94% of the population. The remaining 6% of the population speaks Tagalog, Maranao, Ilonggo, Ilocano and Waray-Waray.
POPULATION
There are about 285,061 (as of year 2000) Iliganos, with an annual growth rate of 3.8% . 42% live in the city. Iliganons are a mixture of the Muslim and Cebuano stock with a bit Tagalogs and some other cultural minority groups and immigrants from other places.
ACCESSIBILITY
A traveler may reach Iligan through Cagayan de Oro Airport via the 86 – Kilometer Philippines – Japan Frienship Highway, which finally leads to Iligan in one and a half hours time. Its public seaport serves passenger ships taking the Iligan – Cebu and Iligan – Manila routes, and Cargo vessels both inter-island and foreign
Iligan City is sprawled on an area 81,337 hectares of rolling terrain except along the coast which is relatively plain. The coastal stretches from its northern boundary, widens around the poblacion and narrows down as it reaches the southern extremity.
The City is bounded on the south by the municipalities of Balo-I and Linamon of Lanao del Norte; on the north by the municipality of Lugait, Misamis Oriental; on the east by the territories of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon; and on the west by Iligan Bay.
It is about 90 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City, 36 kilometers from the Islamic City of Marawi, 136 kilometers from Pagadian City, 167 air kilometers from the Regional Center of Cotabato City and 775 air kilometers from Metro Manila.
The geographical coordinates are 80 13’56” north latitude and 124 13’54” east longtitude. The poblacion is located along a coastal bend from its southern boundary and extends towards the interior.
The tallest peak of its rolling terrain is no it. Agad-Agad with its 1,732 feet looming just behind the poblacion. On these terrain are 15 waterfalls located separately. The most majestic of which is the famed Maria Cristina Falls, the powerhouse of Mindanao which feeds from the Agus river, the outlet of Lake Lanao to Iligan Bay.
Two other big rivers drain the rest of Iligan. They are the Mandulog river in the north which feeds from the Rogongong, Digkila-an and Kapa-I rivers and the Iligan river which conveys the Pugaan river and other smaller streams in the interior to the bay.
Sometime later a certain Pedro Manook, a protégé of Legaspi, with his men from the already Christianized Dapitan in zamboanga, lay seize to the settlement. Manook and his men were remarkable fighters and in no time subdued the settlement. Those that refused subjugation especially the Maranaos took to the hills. This marked the establishment of the first Christian settlement in the fabled land of the Maranaos with the “iligan” or “ilihan” as the springboard of the initials efforts to Christianize Lanao.
The year suggested was 1557 or 1609, reckoning from the year the Recollects, the first of the Missionaries that came, were assigned to Iligan. The Jesuits followed 1939.
After the demise of Manook, his son-in-law Gonzalo Maglinte and grandson Pedro Cabilin whose mother was supposed to be the legendary Maria Uray, carried on with his zeal and courage. Their tenacity withstood the onslaught of the Muslim natives to regain the lost settlement. Iligan in the ear became the staging points of the long and futile efforts of the Spanish Commander Francisco de Atienza and Fray A. Agustin de San Pedro of the “El Padre Capitan” came to Christianize and colonize Lanao.
The futility of their efforts and the abandonment of Dansalan as a Spanish fort strengthened the position of Iligan as a Christian bastion which accounts for its pre-dominantly Christian population to the present.
After the defeat of the Spaniards in the hands of the Americans, a certain Captain Smith with a flotilla of war-ships came to Iligan in 1900 to assert American might and authority. The coming of the Americans ushered the era of closer Christian – Muslim relationships under an atmosphere of tolerance and co-existence. It calmed resistance to duly constituted authorities and hostilities among brother Filipino who by the time were divided by different ideological and religious persuasions in the area. Westernization started to be felt.
The Japanese forces occupied Iligan on May 25, 1942 until October 4, 1944 when they finally moved out in the wake of the advancing liberation forces.
All through these years the “iligan” was not only the humble coastal trading settlement, the “ilihan” that was the safeplace from marauders, the springboard of the initial efforts to Christianize and colonize Lanao, the home of the Christian-Maranao and multi-ethnical prototype with its own breed of brave and outstanding sons and daughters, but the gateway to the fabled land of the Maranaos.
The old Iligan poblacions was located west of the present old market along the sea by the mouth of Iligan river. It had succumbed to the onslaught of the waves and floods that ravaged it through the years and is now under water. Why Bayug the “Ilihan” did not become the present poblacion was perhaps because of the location and topographical advantages offered by the present site.
HISTORY
The city has its beginnings in the village of Bayug, 2.5 kilometers north of the present Poblacion. It was the earliest pre-Spanish settlement of native sea dwellers, known as Maragats. In the later part of the 16th century, they were subdued by the Visayan migrants from the island kingdom of Panglao. These migrants, led by Pedro Manuel Manook established Bayug as the earliest Christian settlement in the area sometime between 1597 and 1609.
Population growth and safety eventually forced the settlers to move to safer and better forts. One was built in 1632 and another in 1872. Both became the sites of the present Poblacion. From being merely a small district in the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, Philippine Islands in 1903, it grew into a municipality in the ten unified province of Lanao. On June 16, 1950, it became a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act 525 signed into by the late President Elpidio Quirino.
The utilization of the Maria Cristina Falls into a hydroelectric power generating plant in 1952, hastened the urbanization of the city. Industries were established and more people came to settle. The city marked its first one hundred thousand population in 1970, when it posted a population of 104,493. Twenty-five years later, in 1995, a total population of 203,004 was recorded. Simultaneous with its population growth, is the increase in the city’s revenue. In 1983, it was reclassified as a highly urbanized city due to its impressive collection performance.
These major developments in the city were made possible by able and hardworking leaders since its creation in 1898. Its first president under the Aguinaldo Revolutionary Government was Carlito Jariol who served from 1898 to 1900. Its first Municipal Mayor was Jorge Ramiro (1936-1940), while its first City Mayor was Benito Ong (1948-1953). Its longest serving mayor was Camilo P. Cabili, who served Iligan from 1960 to 1984 and from 1988 to 1992 while the shortest service was rendered by Esperidion Sagrado, who was appointed city mayor for the period July 15-17, 1992. Table 1.1.1 shows the List of Mayors of Iligan City since its creation.
For the past decade, the city has been the more important activity center in North Central Mindanao. It is the center of major industries, commercial and educational establishments. It was dubbed as the “Industrial Center of the South.” Recently, it has become a major tourist destination. Since its birth in the 16th century, it has remained a Visayan dominated area in this part of the country. It has, however, retained its role as a friendly neighbor to the cultural communities in its vicinities. It is identified as a growth pole in Mindanao.
VISION
A beautiful, prosperous and dynamic city, where culturally diverse and empowered people working in harmony to achieve balanced, sustainable growth, attuned to globalization.
OVERALL DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Empowered people enjoying equitable access to basic services.
Sustained agro-industry and ecotourism, improved agriculture and enhnced commerce.
Effective and efficient flow of people, goods and services.
A well-managed and regenerated ecosystem.
FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF THE CITY
Industrial Center
Tourist Destination
Cut-flower and Orchard Center
Sub-Region's Economic, Institutional and Recreational Center
Transport Hub
Contact