Zamboanga City, officially theCity of Zamboanga is a 1st classhighly urbanized cityin theZamboanga Peninsulaof the Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 861,799 people. It is the 6th most populous and 3rd largest city by land area in the Philippines. It is the commercial and industrial center of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region. On October 12, 1936, Zamboanga became a chartered city under Commonwealth Act No. 39. It was inaugurated on February 26, 1937. Zamboanga City is an independent, chartered city and was designated highly urbanized on November 22, 1983. Although geographically separated, and an independent and chartered city, Zamboanga City is grouped with the province ofZamboanga del Surfor statistical purposes, yet governed independently from it.

Airports in Zamboanga

1. Zamboanga International Airport

The Zamboanga International Airporthas a 2,610-metre primary runway and can serve international flights and bigger planes such as the C-17 Globemaster III, Antonov An-124,Airbus A330 and Boeing 747. The government has already earmarked more than 240 million pesos to complete the rehabilitation of the existing facilities of the airport. The airport was ranked the tenth busiest airport in the Philippines in 2008.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Zamboanga?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travellers to find the cheapest flights to Zamboanga.All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Zamboanga.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Zamboanga?

Public places are very crowded during the festival because people with relatives in Zamboanga city often choose to reunite with their relatives during this time. The Zamboanga Hermosa festival generally runs fromOctober1 to Oct 12.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Zamboanga?

1. Pasonanca Park - Construction of the park was started in 1912 by General John J. Pershing, Governor of the Moro Province, and completed during the administration of the Frank W. Carpenter, Governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu (1914-1920).Thomas Hanley, a marksman, arrived in 1912 from the United States at the request of Pershing to serve the same post at Pasonanca and was responsible for the original layout of the park. The park also has a separate campsite for males and females, an amphitheatre, and a convention center, among other facilities. The park has three public pools. It boasts an Olympic size swimming pool, a natural flowing pool and a children's pool with water slides. There are also lots of picnic areas. The water in the pool is not stagnant. It is continuously replenished by a surge of water naturally drained into the pool by gravity. As the water fills the pool, it is also immediately drained to create a natural creek that flows down the hill. The kiosks are available for rent for the whole day. Make your reservation. The pool supervisor can handle it for you. This Pasonanca Tree House is visited by thousands of visitors per year. For a minimum fee, you can rent this tree house. Then you can boast to your friends that you spent the night in a tree house. It has all the amenities of a small motel room. This is a garden park named after the late mayor Maria Clara Lobregat. The park consists of floral and butterfly species such as orchids, roses and colorful butterflies surrounding the garden. It also has an aviary park for the avian species such as parrots, turkeys, and eagles among the birds.The entrance fee is much cheaper than other parks in Zamboanga.

2. Great Santa Cruz Island - Great Santa Cruz Islandis a small inhabited island in Zamboanga City in the southern region of the Philippines that is famous for its pink coralline sand. The island, located 4 kilometres (2.49mi) south of downtown at the Santa Cruz Bank in the Basilan Strait, boasts the only pink sand beach in the Philippines. The color of the sand comes from the pulverized red organ pipe coral from eons of surf erosion mixed with the white sand. The island started to become popular since the 1970s and early 1980s when German, Japanese and Italian tourists frequented it. Recently, there's an upsurge of tourists that have been recorded due to its rising popularity as one of a handful of Pink Sand Beaches in the World and is the only one in Asia. In 2017, it was recognized by National Geographicas one of the21 Best Beaches in the World.

3. Fort Pilar - The Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza(Royal Fort of Our Lady of the Pillar of Saragossa), also Fort Pilar, is a 17th-century military defense fortress built by theSpanish colonial government in Zamboanga City,Philippines. The fort, which is now a regional museum of theNational Museum of the Philippines, is a significant landmark of the city and symbol of its cultural heritage. Outside the eastern wall is a Marianshrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of the city. In 1635, upon the requests of the Jesuit missionaries and Bishop Fray Pedro of Cebu, the Spanish governor of the Philippines Juan Cerezo de Salamanca(1633 - 1635) approved the building of a stone fort in defense against pirates and raiders of the sultans of Mindanao and Jolo. The corner stoneof the fort, originally called Real Fuerza de San José(Royal Fort of Saint Joseph), was laid by Melchor de Vera, a Jesuit priest-engineer, on June 23, 1635, which also marks the founding of Zamboanga as a city, then known asJambangan. The construction of the early fort continued within the governorship ofSebastián Hurtado de Corcuera(1635–1644), ex-governor of Panama. Because of insufficient manpower, laborers from Cavite,Cebu,Bohol, and Panay had to be imported to help the Spaniards, Mexicans and Peruvians in the construction of the fort. This period also marks the beginning of the Zamboangueño Chavacano as a pidgin that eventually developed into a full-fledged creole language for Zamboangueños.