Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte

The Subanen are one of the earliest indigenous groups known to have lived in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The Subanen traditionally inhabited the mountainous areas of Zamboanga del Norte, practicing agriculture, fishing, and other subsistence activities.

Precolonial communities engaged in trade not only among themselves but also with neighboring islands and Southeast Asian nations.

The arrival of the Spanish in the Philippines, starting in the 16th century, marked a significant shift in the region's history, leading to changes in governance, religion, and culture.

The earliest documented history of Dipolog during the Spanish colonial period dates back to 1834 when a civil administration was established by the Spanish Provincial government of Misamis, to which Dipolog was then subject. During this period, a "Captain" was appointed as the town executive, along with a "Teniente" and an "Aguacil" to uphold law and order. Don Domingo Ruiz, a local resident, served as the town executive in that year, coinciding with the relocation of the town site from Sitio Tulwanan to its present location.

According to tradition, in that particular year, a Spanish Recollect Missionary arrived in Tulwanan under the assumption that the townsite was still situated there. Upon encountering a local, the missionary inquired, "Donde esta el Capitan?" (Where is the captain?) Responding with a limited understanding of the term 'capitan,' the unnamed local pointed westward and uttered in Subano, "Di...pag," meaning 'across the river.' Aided by his assistant, a Tagalog boy named Antonio Subido, the missionary traveled downstream and, upon reaching the townsite, named the area "Dipag." Over the years, this name underwent changes due to mispronunciation and the fusion of Visayan and Subano words, ultimately evolving into its present form, "Dipolog."