Tradition  says  that in  that  year a Spanish Recollect  Missionary arrived in Tulwanan (now Lugdungan)  believing that the town site  was still there. Upon meeting  a   native,   asked  “Donde  esta  el  Capitan?”  Our  unknown  hero understanding   only  the  word  Capitan  pointed  to  the  west  and  said  in Subano  “Di... .pag,” meaning  across  the  river  Guided  by his Muchacho, a Tagalog  boy  named  Antonio Subido,  the  Padre  proceeded  down the river and  upon  reaching  the   town  named  the  place “Dipag”.  Through the years, this was corrupted by  mispronunciation and intermingling of Visayan and Subano words into what it is today--“Dipolog”. 

But many years  before  that, Christian and  unchristian Boholanos had  already settled and  mingled  with  the  Pagan  Subanos.  For  safety’s sake  against  marauding  Moro pirates, they  established  a town in  what is  now  Barrio  Sianib,  some  twenty  kilometers  from   the coast at  Barrio Punta  (Barangay Punta). When  danger  from piracy subsided,  they  transferred  the settlement to Isab, Nipaan  and  constructed a church on a hilltop overlooking a wide plain and the mouth of the Isab creek.

As more and more settlers  came  to  stay and  cultivate  the soil, composed mostly of Boholanos,  Cebuanos  and  pioneers  from Negros a succession of ‘Capitanes’ governed the town. They  were Don Domingo  Ruiz y Condino,  Martino  Belarmino  y  Magintel,   Francisco  Magallanes, Victorio Gobune, Torobio (surname unknown), Venancio Narvaez, Francisco Orbita,  Bautista Narvaez,  Martencio Yebes  and Sabino Bengua. Then the designation was changed  to  ‘governadorcillo'  or  petty  governor  equivalent  to  Municipal Mayor  who  was  assisted  by   a  Teniente, Teniente   Segundo, Teniente and three Aguacilla. Under  them  were a Juez  with  his  Police Corp  or  ‘Cuadrilleros’  similar  to  present   police   force,  a  Juez   with   jurisdiction  over  cases  involving  large cattle.  The   ‘Governadorcillos’  who   served Dipolog   were    Andres  Velasco,   Juan Abendano,  Juan  Baes  y   Iting,   Andres Yebanes, Martillano Barrios y Mante, Pedro  Ruiz,  Pablo Narvaez y Ogong, Tiburcio Sorronda,  Matias Velasco,  Marcelino  Zorilla y  Ondong,   Cirilo Sorronda, Gabina Orbita, Santos Yebanes and Bonifacio   Posadas.  In  the closing  years  of the Spanish regime, the  designation reverted to Capitanes and  those  who were appointed were   Martin Fernandez  y   Kapitan  Malting,   Tomas  Narvacan, Eustaquio  Cajocon,    Simplicio  Lacaya,   Basilio  Tabiliran,   Maximiano  Ruiz,   and Bruno   Ordinaria   who   served  during Aguinaldo’s short lived Philippine Republic in 1898-99.  During Aguinaldo’s regime and  for a  few  short  years,  thereafter, innovation  was  introduced   In  the  administrative  setup.  The  Capitan  was called  Presidente  Local assisted  by Vice, a   Delegado  de and  a  Delegado de  who  headed  a ‘Cuerpo de ’ or  police force.
 

In 1903, while  visiting  Dapitan,  Judge  William  H.  Taft,   President  of  the second Philippine Commission, decreed that  Dapitan District  which  included  Dipolog   and  the  neighboring   town  must  be   separated   from Cagayan de Oro of Misamis Province and  annexed to  the Mora Province  which later became  Zamboanga  Province.   During  the period from 1900 to   March  4, 1904,  the  following  served  as  town  executives:  Presidente Local  Martin  Fernandez  (1900),  Alcalde  Municipal   Diosdado  Mercado (1901),  Presidente Municipal Gaudencio  Y.  Zorilla  (1902-03), Presidente Municipal Isidro Patangan (up to March 1904).


  But then came reversion. On March 4, 1904,  while  Isidro
  Patangan was  Municipal President, an American Officer  
  who was  the Provincial Municipal,  an American Officer who
  was the Provincial  Secretary of the  Mora Province, and in
  his capacity as a deputy of the Provincial Governor, came to
   Dipolog. He called an urgent meeting of all incumbent  and 
   former town  officials  and  other prominent ‘principalia’ and
   delivered  a  written order that, effective immediately,  Dipolog
  was converted  into a  barrio of Dapitan to be  represented   by  only  two  councilors  with  two  policemen   to  maintain peace  and  order  and  periodic patrol  of  the  newly organized  Philippine Constabulary.  This sad state of  affairs persisted for eight years, the people filing protests and petitions that ended nowhere. There in1910, a young man from  Dipolog was appointed  Municipal President of Dapitan. He was only 25 old, single  and his appointment came by pure  chance. But Dipolognons at  that   time say it was providential. An old  manuscript tells us  this story:

“One day in the year 1910, Provincial Governor of Zamboanga Province Mr. Helper visited Dipolog and proceeded to Dapitan on horseback, escorted by  the town’s principalia mostly members  of the Centro Catolico de Dipolog up to the mouth of the Dipolog river at Barra District. Upon passing by the residence  of  Don Jose  Aguirre, Governor Helper was invited to come up. He came up  and  met  there Pascual T. Martinez who was ahead of him in the house of Don Jose. An offer of an office as Municipal President  of Dapitan was made to Pascual T. Martinez. “Pascual  T. Martinez went downstairs to consult the Centro Catolico Members who were waiting at the bank  of the river. He asked them whether or not it would  be right for him to accept the offer. The Centro Catolico Members who were mostly older in age than him and experience answered:  “If you think you are able to discharge the duties of the Office faithfully and well you may accept it: but do not forget your town of Dipolog. Work for its benefits.”
 

This time,  petitions for Dipolog return to town hood  were  revived and  finally  heard.  General John J. Pershing,  Governor of the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, granted the petition  to  elevate   Dipolog  into  a  town  again on condition that a  municipal  building was to be constructed within six months and a fitting inauguration would be prepared. Two  prominent  men,  Isabelo Z. Echavez  and  Eleuterio  Barinaga, assumed  responsibility  for supplying the  prescribed  hardwood   and  constructing   the  municipal  building   for P3,000.00.  The towns people would provide  free labor in  erecting the big posts. The building  would be patterned after that of Maribojoc, Bohol,  were  most of the  carpenters  were  recruited. Gabazeros  (sawyers)  came  from  Negros Oriental while materials for  masonry  were  supplied  by  the parish  priest.  On a full moon  on a Holy  Saturday,  the customary  cornerstone was laid and the first big round Molave post was raised on  the very spot  where the present City Hall now stands.

Inauguration  of   both   the   new   municipal building and the new town  was held on July 1, 1913. Amidst solemn  inspiring ceremonies,  General   John  J.  Pershing  announced Dipolog as  a  municipality  from  the balcony overlooking the  public plaza. A brass band  played  the  Star Spangled Banner and the Pambansang Awit. On the same occasion,  the General announced the appointment  of   Pascual  T. Martinez   as  first  Municipal  President  and  four Councilors,  namely  Geronimo Gonzales, Romualdo Gonzales, Ubaldo Hamoy and Lorenzo Bordios, 
Secretary Lucas Adanza, Treasurer Pascual Lacar and Chief of Police Dalmacio Cruz
.

The following  year a special election was held and those elected were Vice  President  Veronico  Olvis,   Councilors    Feliciano   Ordinaria,   Marcelino Adriatico, Paciano J. Ortega, Lorenzo  Regencia,  and Romualdo Gonzales. Other officials were Justice of the Peace Julian   Garcia, Treasurer Manuel Adriatico, Police Chief Dalmacio Cruz and Dr. Patricio Saldariega,  President of the Sanitary Division.

Here are the town executives, Dipolog’s  Ilustrados, who  through  the years
of their services  made this  town  what  it  is  now  today – a city  of  friendly people in a prosperous enclave in this  part of  Northwestern  Mindanao:

       Pascual T. Martinez, 1913-21; 
       Gaudencio Bendijo, 1922, for   
       threemonths only;
       Isabelo  Z.  Echavez   (ad interim and by 
       appointment), 1922-25; 
       Geronimo  Gonzales, 1926-27;   
       Felipe  B. Lacaya   (ad interim, 1928) 
       Fermin D. Kagatan, 1929-30; 
       Gerino Lailay Y. Zorilla, 1931-35; 
       Gerino Lailay Y. Zorilla, 1936-37;
       Vicente Calibo, 1938-46;
        Fermin D. Kagatan, 1946-55; 
        Pastor R. Bajamunde, 1956-59;
        Atty. Virginio B. Lacaya, 1960-63; 
        Felicisimo L. Herrera as Municipal 
      Mayor from  1963  to 1969  as City Mayor from  
                 January 1970 to May 1978, Atty. Roseller L. Barinaga as City
                  Mayor from  May,1978 as OIC in the Office of the City Mayor  
                 assumed  office on April 21, 1986 after a brief turn-over ceremony. 
                This  was   after the EDSA Revolution.  However,
                 on   January 18, 1988  local   elections 
                 former City Mayor Roseller L. Barinaga won the  
                 city’s  premier position that of the City Mayor.
                 He assumed as City Mayor on  February 2, 1988
                 re-elected again as City Mayor on May 11, 1992.
                 Roberto Uy    to present

In 1942, during the war years,  Acting  Governor Felipe B. Azcuna transferred the seat  of the  Provincial  Government from  Zamboanga City  to Dipolog, thus making it the  cabecera  de facto. On  June 6, 1952,  a  bill fathered by  Rep. Roseller L. Lim  became Republic  Act 711. It  created  Zamboanga del Sur with Pagadian as its  Capital  and  Zamboanga  del Sur with Pagadian as its Capital and Zamboanga del Norte  with Dipolog as the Capital town.

Dipolog   prospered   by   leaps  and   bounds through   the  years  under   a   succession   of municipal  executive. When Vice-Mayor  Engineer   Felicisimo  L. Herrera  was  elected  Mayor  in 1963, his  projections  reflected  the  dream and aspirations  of all  Dipolognons  and  that  was to make  Dipolog   a  City.   He  was  the  last  municipal and  first  City  Mayor  of Dipolog  and  the  longest  holder of the Office for an unbroken period of fourteen years. Through then Congressman  Alberto   Q.  Ubay,  President  Ferdinand  E. Marcos on June 21,1969 signed  into law  the  city  charter  (R.A. 5520) which  would  make  Dipolog  a  chartered  city effective January 1, 1970.   The  date  of  the signing  was  historic and  significant for it was on  that  day  that  Apollo II  carried the  first men to the  Moon. Dipolog  was  also launched  on that date on  its separate and independent  political  status to begin life as a City coinciding with Apollo’s  blast-off from Cape Kennedy.