Zamboanguita, a town steeped in history and blessed with abundant natural resources, owes its name to a remarkable incident involving an octopus known as a coguita. Even before the arrival of the Spanish on Negros Island, fishermen from distant Mindanao frequented this yet unnamed town, reaping the benefits of its thriving fishing grounds, teeming with a variety of marine life ranging from small tugnos (juvenile gobies) to large iho (sharks) found near Apo Island.
Legend has it that one fateful day, a group of Moro fishermen casting their nets in the area discovered a coguita entangled within their catch. Recognizing its distinct features, with tentacles but no gills, the leader of the Moro group instructed one of his companions to head to the beach and find a tree to “hang the octopus” or “isab-ong ang coguita” in their native language. From that moment on, whenever an octopus was caught, it would be suspended from that particular tree.
Over time, the local inhabitants began referring to the place as “Sab-ongan ug coguita.” When the Spaniards eventually arrived in the town, they named it “Zamboangaguita,” which was later shortened to “Zamboanguita.”
On a separate note, local accounts passed down among the townsfolk suggest that Zamboanguita acquired its name, with the Spanish diminutive suffix “-ita” meaning “little,” in reference to its neighboring city across the sea, Zamboanga City.
We visited the plaza, the municipality hall, the church, the market, and the wharf with the boats leaving for Apo island.
By the church I stepped into a home coming of the school beside the church and got to see some of the activities, before I went into the church, and later to the lively public market.
HOW TO GO THERE
