IGACOS Festival, also known as Island Garden City of Samal

Festival and Island Garden City of Samal Founding

Anniversary, is the cultural festival
and founding anniversary of Samal City, Davao del
Norte, Philippines every March 7. It commemorates the
cityhood of Samal in 1998.

History of Samal City

Samal City is a component city of Davao del Norte and
composed two islands, the Samal Island and Talikud Island.
The indigenous tribe called Sama inhabited the island for
centuries, and it is after them that the city was named. They
are believed to be migrants from the mainland composed of
Islamic and ethnic populations.

The island was ruled by a sultanate from the olden times,

and such system of governance persisted well into the 20th
century. Samal fell under the Spanish rule when the
Spaniards conquered Davao City in the first half of the 19th
century. Afterwards, it was a district municipality (composed
of Cruz, Ligid, Malipano island, Samal, Talikud, and
Sanipahan) under the then historical Department of
Mindanao and Sulu during the American occupation.

In post-war years, it was instituted as a district municipality

along with Lupon and Kapalong of then historical province
of Davao by virtue of Executive Order No. 151 that was
approved by President Elpidio Quirino on June 8, 1948. As
early as 1996, an initiative to consolidate the three separate
towns into one was pushed. A bill was filed by representative
Rodolfo P. Del Rosario and it ushered the approval of
Republic Act No. 8471, otherwise known as An Act
Constituting the Three Municipalities of Babak, Samal and
Kaputian of Samal Island, Province of Davao, into a
Component City to be Known as the Island Garden City of
Samal. It was signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on January
30, 1998 and a plebiscite ratified the law on March 7, 1998.
This is the date that IGACOS Festival commemorates every
year.

IGACOS Festival Activities

IGACOS Festival’s calendar started as early as February 25,
and official opening program began in March 1st in 2023.
Activities of the founding anniversary sporting events, job
fair, arts workshop, cultural and variety shows, live band,
exhibits, cook fest, cultural dance competition, street parade,
caravan, float competition, agri-trade fair, fireworks display,
and beauty pageant called Binibining Island Garden City of
Samal.