Little Santa Cruz Island

Great Santa Cruz Island is 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 (2.49 mi) south of downtown at the Santa Cruz Bank in the Basilan Strait, boasts one of the pink sand beaches 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 it was frequented by German, Japanese and Italian tourists. Recently, there's an upsurge of tourists that has 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 Geographic as one of the 21 Best Beaches in the World.

The Zamboanga City crisis (Filipino: Krisis sa Zamboanga; Chavacano: Crisis na Zamboanga) or Zamboanga Siege was an armed conflict in Zamboanga City, Philippines between the government forces of the Philippines and Moro rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that began on September 9, 2013 and ended twenty days later on September 28. The conflict began when MNLF rebels, under the command of Nur Misuari, attempted to occupy several coastal communities in Zamboanga City in protest of the Philippine government's failure to implement the 1996 final peace agreement with the MNLF. The conflict resulted in the displacement of 120,000 civilians and the destruction of 10,000 homes. More than 200 people were killed, mostly MNLF rebels along with 20 soldiers, 5 policemen and 13 civilians. The fighting also damaged Zamboanga City's airport and seaport.

The University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao is a private Catholic higher education institution run by the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Philippines. It was founded in 1965 by the CICM Missionaries. It traces its roots from a diocesan secondary school named Cagayan Valley Atheneum established in 1938 by Msgr. Constant Jurgens, C.I.C.M., D.D., a Dutch by nationality, then Bishop of the Diocese of Tuguegarao and a CICM missionary and great educator. The CICM Fathers took over administration of the school in 1965 and renamed.

The Western Mindanao Command (abbrv. as WESTMINCOM) is the Armed Forces of the Philippines' unified command in charge of the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and the BARMM. It is responsible for the defense of these areas against external aggression, as well as combating terrorism and insurgency. It is also one of the government organizations advocating the "Culture of Peace" in Mindanao.

AFP Southern Command (SouthCom) is a defunct unified command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It was the largest command under AFP during its existence. It covers entire island of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, Celebes Sea, Sulu Sea, and Southern part of Philippine Sea. It gained highlight during the Abu Sayyaf kidnapping incidents and the all-out war against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It is responsible for the defense of these areas against external aggression, as well as combating terrorism and insurgency. It is also one of the government organizations advocating the "Culture of Peace" in Mindanao. This command was dealing with Moro conflict in late 1960s until mid 1990s with Moro National Liberational Front which are focused in Sulu Archipelago. A separate members of MNLF who were not in favor of the Tripoli Tripartite pact which launched another Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 1979 which are more located in Southern part of mainland Mindanao. Aside from moro secessional movements, southern command is also dealing with Communist Rebellion with CPP-NPA who are controlling the hinterlands in Northeastern. In order to deal with different front the government decided to split the command in order to focus solely on single front.On August 6, 2006, Southern Command was split into two separate commands Western Mindanao Command and Eastern Mindanao Command and it was disbanded.

Camp General Basilio Navarro is the main operating base of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the Southwest Philippines. It is located in Zamboanga City and serves as the headquarters of its Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM).

The Zamboanga City Hall (Filipino: Bahay Pamahalaan ng Lungsod ng Zamboanga) is the seat of the local government of Zamboanga City. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines considers the city hall building as a National Historical Site.The construction of the historic building was commenced in 1905 by the federal government of the United States and was completed in 1907. The building served as the official residence of the US military governor of the Moro Province. It later became the seat of government of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu and the defunct Zamboanga province. Since 1937, the building has been functioning as the city hall of Zamboanga City. The Zamboanga City Hall has a Filipino colonial architectural design.It is situated at one end of Plaza Rizal (Rizal Park).

Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano: Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug: Dāira sin Sambuangan, Filipino: Lungsod ng Zamboanga, Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 977,234 people. It is the fifth-most populous and third-largest city by land area in the Philippines and also the second most populous in Mindanao after Davao City. 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 of Zamboanga del Sur for statistical purposes, yet governed independently from it.In 2028, the city's population is projected to hit the 1,200,000 population mark, which will make the city fall under the NEDA's classification of a Metropolitan City.

The Archdiocese of Zamboanga (Latin name: Archidiocesis Zamboangensis) is a Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines. Its present jurisdiction includes Zamboanga City, with suffragans in Basilan (Territorial Prelature of Isabela), Zamboanga Sibugay (Diocese of Ipil), and the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo. It became Mindanao's first diocese in 1910, and was established as the second archdiocese of Mindanao in 1958. Today, the archdiocese covers a land area of 1,648 square kilometers and has a population of 442,345, of which 81 percent are Catholics. The archdiocese includes 28 parishes and one quasi-parish, served by 57 diocesan and 18 religious priests. There are also 51 religious sisters working in the archdiocese.

Zamboanga International Airport (Chavacano: Aeropuerto Internacional de Zamboanga, Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Zamboanga; IATA: ZAM, ICAO: RPMZ) is the main airport serving Zamboanga City in the Philippines. Located on a 270-hectare (670-acre) site in Barangay Canelar, Zamboanga City, the airport is Mindanao's third-busiest airport after Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City and Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.Despite being billed as an international airport, the airport is officially classified as a Class 1 principal domestic airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Edwin Andrews Air Base (ICAO: RPMZ) is located in Zamboanga, Philippines. The base operates through Runway 09/27, which has a length of 2,611 m (8,566 ft), along with the Zamboanga International Airport and conducts air operations against insurgents like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University (Filipino: Pamantasang Ateneo de Zamboanga), also referred to by its acronym AdZU, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It is the second oldest Jesuit school in the Philippines. It operates on three campuses.