Pagadian, Component city in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines
Pagadian is a settlement in Zamboanga del Sur on Mindanao that spreads across hilly terrain ranging from sea level to high elevations. The place covers a large area and includes different altitude zones with residential neighborhoods, shops and public buildings along the slopes.
The place developed from a trading post that connected Zamboanga with northern settlements and received municipality status in 1937. Three decades later, in 1969, it was elevated to city status, reflecting its growing importance for the region.
Residents call the place "City of Smiles", a name that reflects the friendliness visitors often notice when walking through markets and neighborhoods. Local festivals throughout the year bring people from different backgrounds together for public celebrations that fill streets and plazas with music and food stalls.
The settlement is divided into 54 administrative districts called barangays scattered across the entire area. Visitors should expect steep roads and can use local tricycles adapted for this terrain.
Tricycles drive up and down the roads here at unusual angles, an adaptation rarely seen elsewhere. This tilted driving has become the normal way to move around town, and drivers handle the slopes effortlessly.
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