The City of Tangub is located in Misamis Occidental, in the island of Mindanao. It became the 50th city in the Philippines last June 17, 1967 under Republic Act. 5131. In 1969, Tangub City won the prestigious award as the “Cleanest City in the Philippines”. It was also adjudged as ”Best in Urban Planning in 1970.
Tangub City is envisaged to become the Agri-business and learning Center of Panguil Bay Sub - Region, Region10, through the integral development of all sectors within the framework of ecological balance, sound moral values, social justice, educational, political, cultural and spiritual advancement.
To achieve this lofty vision, Tangub City plans to develop and utilize natural and human resources to attain the hope of every citizen for a better standard of living.
Tangub City, which is composed of 55 barangays and blessed with favorable climate and social condition, is very rich in agricultural and marine resources.
It has the population of 46,016 as of 1995 National Statistic Office Survey. The total land area is 16,572. 6035 hectares of which 10,400 hectares is devoted to agriculture.
Recently, our city had earned the tagline as “The Garden City of the South.” With its cleanliness, generally high degree of peace and order, over-all aesthetic features, well paved streets, landscaped road medians, plaza and parks, well - tended gardens of the majority of the houses, and the emergence of Tangub Highland Gardens, the city deserves to be called the “Garden City of the South.”
The Tourism Industry played a vital role in promoting Tangub City through its Sinanduloy Cultural Toupe under the able stewardship of Mrs. Jennifer Wee Tan, the founding Chairman of the Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe and also the Chairman of Tangub City Tourism Council.
The troupe, as a tool in the promotions of our City, was able to claim nationwide popularity by emerging as “grand Champion on the Sinulog mardi gras” two times in a row particularly in the Sinulog Festival 2000 and 2001 on the free interpretation Category. The troupe has also performed two times in Parañaque and at the 11th Philippine Travel Mart at SM Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong City to name a few.
Tangub City is also famous for its best tasting mud crabs, shrimps and prawns. Luscious evergreen mangoes, bananas, melons and watermelons are also in abundance.
Today, Tangub City has garnered various awards namely; Most Outstanding Component City in Mindanao in Budget Performance; Most Outstanding Local Government Unit in Non-Formal Education; National Model in Synchronized Planning, Programming and Budgeting Management; Milo Sports Olympic Champion in Mindanao and Best in Urban Planning.
History
The chain of events that led to the creation of Tangub as a city started in 1929, some sixty-four years ago, when it became a municipality by virtue of an executive order by American Governor-General Dwight Davis. In this process, Tangub was separated from its mother municipality of Misamis, now Ozamiz City. The new municipality of Tangub then included all the barrios of the present municipality of Bonifacio, formerly known as Digson. Bonifacio became a municipality, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War with Hon. Demetrio Fernan as municipal mayor.
Tangub City is flanked by the municipality of Bonifacio in the south and Ozamiz City in the north. It is in the southern part of Misamis Occidental. From the mountain barangays of Owayan, San Antonio, Salimpuno, Kimat or Hohohoy, one can see the splendor of Tangub City's entire landscape stretching into the Panguil Bay - an alluring sight that can he a balm to a distraught and depressed heart.
LAND
The records at the National Census and Statistics Office in Ozamiz City shows that Tangub City has a total land area of 141.54 square kilometers. It is composed of 55 barangays. It’s agricultural with coconut accounting for about 62% of the total land area Coconut, corn, and rice farming are the main occupation of the people; majority of those who are residing along the coastal areas are engaged in fishing.
To understand the present about Tangub City, the modern-day Tangubanons, the youth precisely, must make a backward glance at the past. It will help them move foreword to realize the goals of the National leadership for Philippines 2000.
The name Tangub was derived from the Subano word “Tangkob” which means a big bamboo basket for storing rice. The ethnic Subanos or Suban-ons, the first inhabitants of Tangub who dwelt near the rivers subsisted on crops planted on burnt forest clearings known as 'kaingin”. The Subano “datus” at that time include Laras Angcap of Upper Caniangan and the neighboring barrios near the Malindang Mountain, Ala Tagdulang of Lower Caniangan and the adjacent barrios; Baluran Subano of Silangit and the neighboring barrios, and Sandal Empil of Bintana and the neighboring barrios. Like Laras Angcap, Sandal Empil of Bintana had several wives. His wives were Dayano, Boriring, Magamay, Charing and Erea. Mr. Andres Angcap, presently a “Timoay” leader and public Elementary Schools Head Teacher and his sister, Mrs. Virginia Angcap Maghuyop, Public Elementary Grades teacher of Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental, are grandchildren of the late Laras Angcap. Mrs. Francisca Sardual Compayan, also a Public Elementary Grades Teacher, is a granddaughter of Baluran Subano.
When the team of Spaniards exploring the vicinity of a “kaingin” site asked a Subano about the name of the place, he answered “tangkob” thinking they were asking him about the name of the big bamboo rice basket he was making. Because of the wide communication gap, the Spaniards misinterpreted the Subano and since then they began to call the place Tangob, omitting the letter “K”. However, Christian settlers gradually changed the letter “O” to “u”, with the passage of years “Tangob” at last became “Tangub”.
Nourished by speculations of an abundant and comfortable life ahead, Christian settlers from the island provinces of Cebu, Negros, Bohol, Siquijor, and other parts of the Visayas rushed to the new frontier that was Tangub. Tangub was the land of promise; it became the symbol of hope for the hard pressed who longed for a meaningful release from the curbs of everyday life.
Yes Virginia..the tartanilla still exist in Tangub
Trade and Commerce steadily boomed in Tangub with the steady influx of hopeful migrants. Corn, rice, abaca and other crops were abundant, and the Subanos, or suban-ons bartered their land for goods brought in by the Christian settlers. Twenty-four hectares of forestland or “anot” at that time could be bartered with the Subanos for a wooden plow or a bolo or for a dozen cans of salmon or sardines. Shortly, after the arrival of Christian settlers, scores of Chinese merchants came and blended with the farmer-settlers in the free climate of the village with their skills and energy especially in the area of trade and commerce. They helped to hasten the transformation of the early settlements into civilized communities.
Tangub City's most prosperous period, according to Mr. Teofilo Pereyra, “nyor Pilong” (deceased) of barrio Polao (now Barangay 7 was the period from 1898 to 1910. The Christian settlers at that time had continuously enjoyed bountiful harvest of corn, rice, and abacca. A kilo of pork at that time cost only twenty-five centavos (Php 0.25); a cavan (twenty-five gantas of corn cost only one peso (Php 1.00), sometimes eighty centavos (Php 0.80), sometimes less. A very good racehorse can be bought for at about twenty-five pesos (Php 25.00), sometimes even less. A pail (medium size) of assorted good fish (til-ogon) cost only five centavos (Php 0.05). The prices of clothing materials (dry goods) and other essential commodities were very, very cheap.
Timoteo Engracia was appointed first “presidente” (now called “Mayor”) of the municipality of Tangub. Being history conscious, he believed that the name Tangub was meaningless and failed to convey a historical value. So in agreement with the equally history conscious members of the appointed “consejo municipal” now Sangguniang Bayan, it was decided to rename Tangub to “Regidor” in memory of Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor, a reformer. Nevertheless, the predominantly Cebuano-Visaya speaking inhabitants, who had learned to love the name “Tangub” demonstrated against the idea of changing the town's name. Perhaps by force of superstition, or some other reasons, they attributed the occasional killings in the town, which were actually caused by unsettled boundary disputes, to the new name that was given to the town. So with the help of the late Senator Hon. Jose A. Clarin, the name Tangub was restores to the municipality. Among the early Christian settlers of Tangub were such sturdy pioneers as the Balatero and Magriño families.
Through the efforts of Honorable Congressman William Chiongbian, Tangub became a chartered city on June 17, 1967 under Republic Act No.5136. However, by an act of the City Council under the Administration of the late City Mayor, Honorable Alfonso D. Tan, Tangub City's Charter Anniversary is celebrated on February 28.
It was to the credit of the late City Mayor Hon. Alfonso D. Tan that Tangub City became the proud recipient of the following commendations:
1. Best Organized Police Force in Mindanao in 1967;
2. Proclaimed as the “Cleanest City in the Philippines” in 1968;
3. Proclaimed as the “Best In Urban Planning” in 1968; and
4. Awarded the National First Prize for cleanest and good Performance to the
Doña Maria D. Tan Memorial Hospital in 1977.
The History of Misamis Occidental: Its Cities and Municipalities
Dr. Fernando S. Ruiz, Ed.D.
Researcher, Compiler and Editor September 1995 Ozamiz City
PROFILE
The decline of progress brought a challenge to the people of Tangub to rehabilitate the damages caused by the Second World War. This task called for a strong leadership from among the residents of the area.
Starting as a self-contained fishing village by the original natives of the place, becoming a barrio in the early twenties and a municipality in 1930, Tangub gradually emerged into a growth center of the region. The growth and development attained may be greatly attributed to the political leadership of several men and women of the locality.
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
The growth and development of the government both national and local after the Second World War underwent a very slow process.
Political Leaders
The post-War liberation era brought some changes in political leadership of Tangub. For one reason or another the post-war Vice-Mayor Crispiniano Lapar was designated Municipal Mayor of Tangub by the Congressman Porferio Villarin of Misamis Occidental. He was elected Mayor in 1947 local elections, with Magdaleno dela Costa as Vice-Mayor, under the Liberal Partv ticket against: Olimpio Fernandez of the Nationalista Party. Four years later, in 1951 he was reelected to the same position with Pablo Pitoy, a Nationalista Party candidate, as Vice-Mayor. With a Mayor from the Liberal Party and a Vice-Mayor from the Nationalista Party, it was difficult to implement the program of work. In the l955 local elections, Marcelino Alejandrino, a Democratic Party candidate, won over Alfonso D. Tan, the Liberal Party standard bearer with a very narrow margin. Alfonso D. Tan, not contended with the election results, filed a protest against the elected Mayor Marcelino Alejandrino and subsequently won in the said protest.
On August 18, 1958, Alfonso D. Tan took over the reign of the municipal government. In the succeeding local elections, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971 and 1981, Mayor Tan scored overwhelming victories over each of the Nationalista Party candidates. Actually, in the 1967 elections, he ran unopposed. As of this writing, 1982, Mayor Tan holds the record of being the only Mayor of Tangub serving six consecutive terms. Four Vice Mayors served under Mayor Tan, namely: Pablo Pitoy, Jason Ba. Ocampo, Hilarion.Legaspi, and Guefredo V. Ymalay. Table 1 presents the list of municipal and city Mayors of Tangub, their terms of Office.
List of Municipal Mayors of Tangub, with their terms of office.
1930-1932 Timoteo Engracia
1932-1934 Timoteo Engracia
1935 – 1938 Epifanio Flores
1939 – 1945 Epifanio Flores
1945 1947 Crispiniano Lapar *
1948 – 1951 Crispiniano Lapar *
1952 – 1955 Crispiniano Lapar *
1956 – 1958 Marcelino Alejandrino **
1958-1959 Alfonso D. Tan
1960-1963 Alfonso D. Tan
1964-1967 Alfonso D. Tan
1968 - 1971 Alfonso D. Tan ***
1972-1980 Alfonso D. Tan
1981 Alfonso D. Tan
Legend: * Appointed ** Lost in an Election Protest *** Unopposed
Opening of more Barangays
The eight original barangays of the town became the nucleus of the present fifty-five barangays. Of the creation of barangays Pastor B. Epong, Acting City Treasurer narrated:
Barangay Polao
The sitios of Sta. Cruz, Manga, Baga, (now Santa Maria), Capalaran, Villaba, Taguite, Paiton and Simasay were formed into regular barangays upon recommendation of the Provincial Board of Misamis Occidental making a total of sixteen barangays. A few years after, another ten barangays were created, namely: Guinabot, Sumirap, Bocator, Pontod (now Lorenzo Tan), Maquilao, Caniangan, Kimat, Bongabong, Baybay Mantic, and barangay 5, with a total of twenty-six barangays. With the interest of political leaders and to give political independence to the people, eleven more barangays were opened. These were Baybay Migcanaway, Banglay, Salimpono, Minsubong Lumban, Katagan Mitaron, Garang, Frenza, Guinalaban, and San Vicente. Years after the creation of Barangays 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 of the poblacion, San Apolinario, Maloro Silanga Santo Niño, Marcos, San Antonio, Panalsalan and Owayan were created On June 19, 1952. The Sangguniang Panglungsod passed a resolution creating the barangays of Tugas, Hoyohoy, Sicot, Matugnaw, and Baluc, which made the total number of 55 barangays.
Socio Economic Development
Tangub 5 economy was greatly affected by the Second World War. The losses of work animals, farm implements, and the lack of capital seriously hampered the growth of the agricultural production.
Agriculture
Tangub is primarily an agricultural area. Its vast farmlands were unproductive during the war, which were once again given better attention. Corn, which is the staple food of the people, was grown in open spaces and under coconut trees. Rice was planted in both the lowlands and in some parts of the upper region. Vegetables, bananas and root crops were raised with copra as the major agricultural crop. Table 2 below shows the different farm products, the area planted, and the estimated annual production during the year 1982.
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