Samal, Davao del Norte

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Samal
Component City

Island Garden City of Samal

Pulong Harding Lungsod ng Samal
Pulong Harding Dakbayan sa Samal

Samal Circumferential Road in Babak District, Samal Island

Nickname(s):
IGaCoS
"Philippines' Largest Resort"
"Island Garden City"

Map of Davao del Norte with Samal highlighted

Samal
Location within the Philippines

Coordinates:

0703N 12544ECoordinates:

0703N 12544E

Country

Philippines

Region

Davao (Region XI)

Province

Davao del Norte

District

2nd district of Davao del Norte

Founded

July 8, 1948

Cityhood

January 30, 1998

Barangays

46

Government[1]
Mayor

Aniano Antalan

Vice Mayor

Al David T. Uy

Area[2]
Total

301.3 km2 (116.3 sq mi)

Population (2010)[3]
Total

95,874

Density

320/km2 (820/sq mi)

Time zone

PHT (UTC+8)

ZIP code

8119

Dialing code

84

Income class

4th class

Website

samalcity.gov.ph

Samal is a fourth income class city in the province of Davao del Norte, Davao Region, Philippines.
Its official name is Island Garden City of Samal (Filipino: Pulong Harding Lungsod ng
Samal, Cebuano: Pulong Harding Dakbayan sa Samal) and it is made up of Samal Island and the
smaller Talikud Island in the Davao Gulf, making it a part of Mindanao island group. It has a
population of 95,874 people according to 2010 census.[3]
Samal is a part of the Metropolitan Davao area and is located two kilometers away from Davao City,
the largest city and the primary economic center of Mindanao.
Contents
[hide]

1Etymology

2History
o

2.1Early Beginnings

2.2World War 2

2.3Official founding of the municipality

2.4Proposed province

2.5City conversion

2.6Hostage Crisis

3Government
o

3.1Barangays

4Demographics

5Geography

6Transportation

7Economy
o

7.1Agriculture

7.2Tourism

7.3Fishing

8See also

9References

10External links

Etymology[edit]
The name Samale was derived from the Sama-Bajau peoples, the natives who were the first
inhabitants of the island. The first datu in the island was Datu Taganiyug, a native of what is now
Peaplata, today the governance center of the city. In the past, the people of the island name a
place about what was the said place known for. For example, the name Peaplata was derived from
the word "pia" or pineapple because of the abundance of pineapple in the area. This, however, is
folk etymology as peaplata literally means "rock of silver" in Spanish. Tagpopongan is the first
barangay in the island which name was from the word "tagpo" or meet. It was so called due to the
fact that in the fact this place is chosen by the datus as their meeting place. The word Samal was
also known before because it was commonly used as surname by datus.

History[edit]
Early Beginnings[edit]
The first business transaction in the island was during the Chinese imperial era. Spanish influence
was also felt in the island in the late 1840s when Nueva Vergara (Davao City today) was
established.

World War 2[edit]

The Pacific War, which happened during World War II, struck the island. Japanese fighter planes
bombed the island. Japanese occupied the island and forced the people to work for four years until
they were expelled by the Allied forces. After the war, infrastructure was built,
like schools, churches and stores in the area.

Official founding of the municipality[edit]

The time came in July 8, 1948, when the entire island itself becomes part of the newly created
municipality of Samal; it was the official founding of the municipality. Five years later in 1953, the
municipality of Babak was created from Samal, marking the political division of the island between
the two municipalities. Now came the political division of the island between the three municipalities,
when the municipality of Kaputian was created from the island in 1966. In this period, the living
qualities between these three municipalities became low and extremely rural.

Proposed province[edit]
In 1969, a proposal to create the sub-province of Samal was created by Republic Act No. 5999 [4] and
covered the area of the present-day city. The act was enacted without President Ferdinand
Marcos' approval. However, the sub-province was never inaugurated.

City conversion[edit]
The city was created through Republic Act No. 8471 in January 30, 1998. This act paved the way for
the dissolution and merger of the three former municipalities of Samal, Babak, and Kaputian into one
local government unit by turning then into districts, now officially named as IGaCoS, the Island
Garden City of Samal. The first city mayor was Rogelio P. Antalan, who later served for three
consecutive terms from 1998 to 2007.

Hostage Crisis[edit]
On 22 September 2015, Kjartan Sekkingstad, age 55, from Sotra, Norway, was abducted by Abu
Sayyaf Islamist guerrillas from a high-end tourist resort on Samal Island, along with 2 Canadian
men, John Ridsdel, age 68, and Robert Hall, age 67, and a Filipina woman, Marites Flor, Halls
girlfriend. In April and June 2016, the Canadians were beheaded after ransoms were not paid, and in
June 2016 Flor was released. On 17 September 2016, Sekkingstad was released on Jolo island,
600 miles south of Manila after captor Abu Sayyaf received $638,000 in ransom for his release. He
was handed over to the rebel group Moro National Liberation Front. The MNLF was in peace talks
with the government and had been working with authorities to secure Sekkingstad's release. It is not
known who paid the ransom for Sekkingstad, but it is not Norwegian authorities. [5]

Government[edit]
The center of city governance is located at Barangay Peaplata, situated at the west central coast of
the island. The city has three districts: Babak, Peaplata and Kaputian. These districts used to serve
as separate towns until the 1998 city merger.

Barangays[edit]

Baywalk in Babak District, Samal Island.

Samal is politically subdivided into 46 barangays.[2] In 1955, the sitios of Mambago, San Isidro, Sto.
Nio, San Antonio, San Agustin, Dangcaan, Balet, Tambo, Camudmud, and Cogon were converted
into barrios of the now-defunct municipality of Babak.[6]

Adecor

Anonang

Aumbay

Aundanao

Balet

Bandera

Caliclic (Dangca-an)

Camudmud

Catagman

Cawag

Cogon

Cogon (Talicod)

Dadatan

Del Monte

Guilon

Kanaan

Kinawitnon

Libertad

Libuak

Licup

Limao

Linosutan

Mambago-A

Mambago-B

Miranda (Pob.)

Moncado (Pob.)

Pangubatan

Peaplata (Pob.)

Poblacion (Kaputian)

San Agustin

San Antonio

San Isidro (Babak)

San Isidro (Kaputian)

San Jose (San Lapuz)

San Miguel (Magamomo)

San Remigio

Santa Cruz (Talicod II)

Santo Nio

Sion (Zion)

Tagbaobo

Tagbay

Tagbitan-ag

Tagdaliao

Tagpopongan

Tambo

Toril

Villarica

Demographics[edit]
Population census of Samal

Census numbers before 1998 are for the Municipality

of Samal before merger with Babak and Kaputian.
Source: National Statistics Office[3][7]

Cebuano is the medium of language of the people of Samal Island, followed by Isama, Boholano
and Tausug.

Geography[edit]

View from Samal Island, looking towards Talikud Island and mainland Mindanao

Samal is the only city in the country that encompasses two entire islands, hence its name as the
Island Garden City. While pristine beaches dot the island's shores, hills dominate the middle portions
of the island. Talikud Island is located southwest of the main island.
IGaCoS enjoys an evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year and a typhoon free climate, which
make it ideal for agricultural production.

Transportation[edit]
Barge/ferry service or passenger boats from the Sasa Wharf & Sta. Ana Wharf in Davao City serves
the island city. The modes of transportation on the island are tricycles or trikes, bus and private car
services offered by resorts.

Economy[edit]
Agriculture[edit]
The citys economy depends greatly in its agricultural production. Copra, mango, corn, vegetables,
citrus and fish are the major products of the island. Livestock production is also a major product with
Davao City as the primary market. In addition, rice is also produced in the barangays of San Isidro in
Babak District and Aumbay in Peaplata District.

Tourism[edit]

Vinta boats in Bigiw, Samal Island

The city is the largest resort city in the country. It has good beaches and houses many beach
resorts. It has also numerous marine reefs and tranquil waters that lure the tourists to visit them,
especially in Talikud Island. There are 34 registered resorts with a combined capacity of 1,000 rooms
in the city.[8] The most popular of these is the Pearl Farm Beach Resort, owned by Ms. Universe 1973
winner Margarita Moran. Because of these, the Department of Tourismnamed it one of the best
visiting islands in Mindanao and currently one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the
country. Thus, tourism is the main source of income in the city. Biggest taxes are imposed to tourism
and resort industry.
There are three main festivals held annually in the city, namely:

Kabasan Festival, coincides with the founding of Babak municipality every year in May,
features bikini open contests, fireworks display, street-dancing and street parties,
and motocross events

White Nights Festival, takes place every two days with Kaputian as the venue, celebrating
the city's cultural and historical heritage; and

Hugyaw Madayaw Festival, a spin-off of Davao's Kadayawan Festival which is also held
annually in August, and also an attempt to preserve the diminishing Sama culture in the island.

Monfort Bat Sanctuary, the world's largest fruit bat colony,[9] is also located in the island.

Fishing[edit]
Fishing is also a growing business sector in this city, since the city was situated on the island, it
cannot fully complement the demand for meat products imported from other parts of the country,
especially in nearby Davao City. The city has no both container port and deep-water transport
terminal, except for a barge wharf at Babak district, to deliver market products directly to the city, so
the city government advocated building fishery complexes across the city to minimize the demand
for market products imported to the city. Fish, pearls, and edible crustaceans such as shrimps,
prawns, and crabs are the main aquatic consumable products in the city.