Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte

Sindangan(Subanen: Benwa Sindangan) is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the Dec 2010 CBMS Survey on Population and Households, it has a population of 89,546 people in 20,217 households. There are plans in making the municipality of Sindangan into a city since the growth of its economy is enough for its conversion to become a city. The people in Sindangan are just waiting for the government officials to work for its cityhood.

History of the name Sindangan

As to how Sindangan got its name, several stories have been told. The first version narrates that a native fisherman carrying a basket full of fish was on his way home met a Guardia Civil, military guards during the Spanish regime, who asked this question, "Que es el nombre de este lugar, amigo?" And the fisherman who did not understand the Spanish language answered "Indangan", believing he asked on the kind of fish he caught. The stranger heard this as "Sindangan", thinking that was the exact answer to his inquiry to the fisherman about the name of the fish. From then on, the natives used Sindangan to name the place until it became into a municipality on 1936.

Townhood

On December 22, 1936, by virtue of Executive Order No. 27 issued by the then President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon , Bartolome Lira Sr.. was appointed to organize the Municipality of Sindangan and was its first Municipal President.As his appointive tenure expired, he was elected as the first Municipal Mayor of Sindangan until 1941.

Shortest man

In June 2011 it achieve world fame when one of its citizens, Junrey Balawing, joined the list of Guinness World Records as the shortest man on earth. He is the son of a poor blacksmith and stands less than 2 feet (60 centimetres) tall.^[1]

List of Mayors