A city ( Filipino : lungsod or siyudad ) is one of the units of local government in the Philippines . All Philippine cities are chartered cities (Filipino: nakakartang lungsod ), whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific municipal charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies their administrative structure and powers. As of July 8, 2023, there are 149 cities.
170-522: General Santos , officially the City of General Santos , and abbreviated as GenSan , is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Soccsksargen , Philippines . According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 697,315 people making it the most populous city in Soccsksargen Region. It is located on the island of Mindanao , it is the southernmost and 15th-most populous city in
340-499: A balanced budget for some years to come. Manila and other cities then were infested with criminal gangs which used techniques of American gangsters in some activities—bank holdups , kidnapping and burglaries . In rural regions, especially the provinces of Central Luzon and the Southern Tagalog regions, the brigands terrorized towns and barrios . In 1946, shortly after his induction to presidency, Roxas proclaimed
510-460: A city and to rename it ’’Rajah Buayan’’. On July 8, 1968, the Municipality of General Santos was converted into a city upon the approval of Republic Act No. 5412, authored by Congressman James L. Chiongbian. It was inaugurated on September 5 of that year, with Antonio C. Acharon became the new city's first mayor. On September 5, 1988, a decade after its inauguration as a chartered city, GenSan
680-515: A city charter, and through this charter, Congress confers on a city certain powers that regular municipalities or even other cities may not have. Despite differences in the powers accorded to each city, all cities, regardless of status, are given a larger share of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) compared to regular municipalities, and are generally more autonomous than regular municipalities. A city's local government
850-446: A city, especially if the population has greatly increased and local economy has become more robust. On the other hand, due to the higher property taxes that would be imposed after cityhood, many citizens have become wary of their town's conversion into a city, even if the municipality had already achieved a high degree of urbanization and has an annual income that already exceeds that of many existing lower-income cities. This has been among
1020-642: A city. Despite the passage of RA 9009, 16 municipalities not meeting the required locally generated income were converted into cities in 2007 by seeking exemption from the income requirement. This led to vocal opposition from the League of Cities of the Philippines against the cityhood of these municipalities, with the League arguing that by letting these municipalities become cities, Congress will set "a dangerous precedent" that would not prevent others from seeking
1190-552: A city. Prior to 1979, all cities were just considered chartered cities, without any official category differentiating them aside from income levels. Though chartered cities were considered autonomous from the provinces from which they were created, the eligibility of their residents to vote for provincial officials was determined by their respective charters. Regarding participation in provincial affairs, there were three types of city charters: The 1951 Supreme Court decision on Teves, et al. v. Commission on Elections finally resolved
1360-561: A clientistic system under which politicians would use their offices to create patronage networks, and personal differences between politicians were far greater than any ideological differences. With the Great Depression , the Philippines started to be seen as a liability in the United States as demands were made to end Filipino immigration to the United States and end the tariff free importation of Filipino agriculture into
1530-404: A component city's charter, prohibiting city residents to vote for provincial officials. In the last quarter of 2021, Samar 1st district congressman Edgar Mary Sarmiento proposed to convert the city of Calbayog from being a component city into an independent component city through the virtue of House Bill No. 10483. Since 1992, once a city reaches a population of 200,000 persons as certified by
1700-615: A condition that led for the act to be rejected by the Philippine Congress. Quezon was late to state that the allowing of the United States to retain its bases in the Philippines would make Filipino independence no different from the independence of the Japanese sham state of Manchukuo . After amendments to the 1935 Philippine Constitution were approved in 1941, Roxas was elected to the Philippine Senate , but
1870-595: A daughter of a very influential datu of lower Buayan, as the first district municipal mayor. During World War II , the Municipal District of Buayan become one of the last frontiers between the combined American and Filipino forces and troops from the Empire of Japan . Retreating Imperial Japanese forces made Klaja Karsts Land their last ground for defence, constructing round cement bunkers and tunnels. These bunkers can still be seen at Sitio Guadalupe; most of
SECTION 10
#17327753045432040-499: A day after it lapsed into law without the signature of the president, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11683, which amended Section 450 of the Local Government Code, making the conversion of municipalities into cities easier. The amendments state that if a municipality generates at least ₱400 million for two consecutive years, it will be exempt from the land and population requirements. The League
2210-543: A delegation from the U.S. Congress led by Maryland Senator Millard Tydings (author of the Tydings–McDuffie Act) and Missouri Representative C. Jasper Bell (author of the Bell Trade Act); and former Civil Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison . No sooner had the fanfare of the independence festivities ended that the government and the people quickly put all hands to work in the tasks of rescuing
2380-657: A form of localized civil government to an area that is primarily urban, which, due to its compact nature and different demography and local economy, cannot be necessarily handled more efficiently by more rural-oriented provincial and municipal governments. However, not all cities are purely areas of dense urban settlement. To date there are still cities with huge expanses of rural or wilderness areas and considerable non-urban populations, such as Calbayog , Davao , Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga as they were deliberately incorporated with increased future resource needs and urban expansion, as well as strategic considerations, in mind. With
2550-434: A lavish gift in order to create a reciprocal obligation from the individual who receives the gift. Through the payment was legal, it was questionable from an ethical perspective, and MacArthur always kept the payment secret, which did not become public knowledge until 1979. Later that year, Quezon offered payment to General Dwight D. Eisenhower , which he refused, saying that as a United States Army official, his first loyalty
2720-481: A lone district, separate from South Cotabato was passed on third and final reading. In April 2001, Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino, an ally of deposed president Joseph Estrada , coordinated with various mayors and governors to bring their respective constituents to Epifanio delos Santos Avenue in Metro Manila to protest the arrest of Estrada. General Santos lies at the southern part of the Philippines. The city
2890-611: A member of the municipal council of Capiz , serving until 1919. He then became the youngest provincial governor of Capiz , and served in that capacity from 1919 to 1922. Roxas was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 1922, and for twelve consecutive years was Speaker of the House . He served as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1934 , secretary of finance , chairman of
3060-540: A message saying he wanted immediate independence, which Roxas felt was not likely at present. On May 24, 1930, Quezon followed Roxas's advice and sent public telegrams to both Hawes and Cutting saying the Filipinos "crave their national freedom". In a compromise, the Senate Insular Committee advised on June 2, 1930, that the Philippines should be given more autonomy to prepare for independence within
3230-521: A politician who would reward his followers via patronage rather than ideological issues, and despite criticism of the Democratas that the Nacionalistas had abandoned their platform, the Nacionalistas triumphed in the election of July 13, 1931. In the election, Roxas was reelected and returned to his position as speaker of Philippine House of Representatives. In September 1931, Japan seized
3400-743: A port under the Sultanate of Buayan until the American era. Organized under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) of the Commonwealth Government headed by President Manuel L. Quezon , General Paulino Santos led the relocation of 62 Christian settlers from Luzon to the shores of Sarangani Bay aboard the steam ship “Basilan” of Compañia Maritima on February 27, 1939. The 62 pioneers, mostly agricultural and trade graduates, were
3570-610: A protected species under Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Right Act of 2007. The B'laan now lives alongside the city's new generation of settlers and other immigrants. Beforehand, the B'laan would were forced upland into the surrounding hills after the Muslims settle in the area under the rule of the Sultanate of Maguindanao . After the fall of Maguindanao, Datu Uto of Buayan expanded his domain south towards Sarangani Bay . Dadiangas remained as
SECTION 20
#17327753045433740-485: A province. However, there are several sources of confusion: Congress is the lone legislative entity that can incorporate cities. Provincial and municipal councils can pass resolutions indicating a desire to have a certain area (usually an already-existing municipality or a cluster of barangays) declared a city after the requirements for becoming a city are met. As per Republic Act No. 9009, these requirements include: Republic Act No. 11683 further amended Section 450 of
3910-413: A regular component city. The Supreme Court on September 16, 1999, however ruled in favor of the city's mayor who contended that such a change in the status of the city required a plebiscite just like any other merger, division, abolition or alteration in boundaries of any political unit. And due to the lack of a plebiscite to affirm such a change, RA 8528 was therefore unconstitutional. On April 11, 2022,
4080-453: A speech: "We will welcome the existence of your naval, air and army bases on such of our soil as it is mutually agreeable for the common protection of the United States and the Philippines, and will co-operate in the defense and security of those bases insofar as it is within our power to do so". After the experience of the Japanese occupation, Filipino public opinion was no longer against the presence of American bases after independence in quite
4250-444: A status despite their small population and locally generated income, which do not meet current standards. The relatively low income standard between 1992 and 2001 (which was ₱ 20 million) also allowed several municipalities, such as Sipalay and Muñoz , to become cities despite not being able to meet the current ₱ 100 million local income standard. Before 1987, many cities were created without any plebiscites conducted for
4420-526: A total of six cities: Batas Pambansa Bilang 51 , approved on December 22, 1979, introduced two legal categories of cities: highly urbanized cities (HUCs) and component cities . COMELEC Resolution No. 1421, which was issued to implement the provisions of BP 51 prior to the January 30, 1980, local elections , stated that a total of 20 cities were not allowed to participate in the election of provincial officials: seven of these were "highly urbanized", while
4590-501: A vehicle for Roxas to challenge Quezon for the leadership of the Nacionalista Party. Ang Bagong Katipunan was soon disbanded. In the summer of 1931, Hurley visited the Philippines to assess its readiness for independence. In talks with Quezon, Osmeña, and Roxas, it was agreed that the Philippines should become an autonomous commonwealth under American rule and would be allowed to keep exporting sugar and coconut oil to
4760-486: Is a fast and convenient ride. More than 400 passenger buses , public utility vans and jeepneys wield routes within the city and neighboring provinces like in Koronadal , Cotabato , Davao , Tacurong , Pagadian , Cagayan de Oro and others. Three-wheeled motorized cabs known as tricycles are the city's main mode of public transport and have been on the road since the pioneering times. Air-conditioned taxis also ply
4930-475: Is a non-profit organization and is not a government agency and was founded in 1988. As of July 8, 2023, the league has a membership of 149 cities. The organization was formed to help coordinate efforts to improve governance and local autonomy and to tackle issues such as preserving the environment and improving public works. As of July 8, 2023 , there are 149 cities in the Philippines . Carmona in Cavite
5100-473: Is headed by a mayor elected by popular vote. The vice mayor serves as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council), which serves as the city's legislative body. Upon receiving their charters, cities also receive a full complement of executive departments to better serve their constituents. Some departments are established on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of
5270-524: Is no different from the enactment of a law, i.e., the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivision from the criteria earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting law/s, effectively decreased the already codified indicators." As such, the cityhood status of the said 16 LGUs was effectively restored. On August 24, 2010, in a 16-page resolution, the Supreme Court reinstated its November 18, 2008, decision striking down
General Santos - Misplaced Pages Continue
5440-631: Is primarily anchored in two sectors namely the agro-industry and fishing industry . General Santos registered 1,365 new medium to large enterprises in 2011. An aggregate investment involved is estimated PHP 1.202 billion. Top industry for new investment in 2011 was as follows: Hotel and Restaurant-31%; Wholesale & Retail Trade-20%; Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal & Household Goods, Real Estate & Renting Business Activities-17%; Other Community, Social & Personal Services-8%; Financial Intermediation-5%; Manufacturing-5%; Fishing-3%; ICT-3 % As of 2000, there are 59 banks serving
5610-474: Is southeast of Manila, southeast of Cebu and southwest of Davao. The city is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province , namely Alabel in the east, and Maasim in the south. General Santos is likewise bounded by the South Cotabato municipality of Polomolok and Sarangani Province municipality of Malungon in the north, and the municipality of T'boli in the west. General Santos occupies
5780-401: Is the city's main integrated land transport terminal. The terminal serves as the city's gateway for land travelers. Buses and other forms of public mass transportation—to and from various parts of Mindanao such as Koronadal , Tacurong , Cotabato , Davao , Kidapawan , Digos , Pagadian , and Cagayan de Oro . The Philippine National Police, a military task force has been formed to protect
5950-458: Is the newest city, after the plebiscite held resulted in approval of ratification on July 8, 2023. The Supreme Court of the Philippines , by a highly divided vote of 6–5, on November 18, 2008, subsequently upheld with finality on May 6, 2009, declared unconstitutional cityhood laws converting 16 municipalities into cities. The 24-page judgment of Justice Antonio T. Carpio, adjudged that the following cityhood laws violate secs. 6 and 10, Article X of
6120-736: The 1935 Constitution of the Philippines , granting United States citizens the right to dispose of and utilize Philippine natural resources, or parity rights . On September 19, 1946, the Republic of the Philippines notified the United Kingdom that it wished to take over the administration of the Turtle Islands and the Mangsee Islands . Pursuant to a supplemental international agreement, the transfer of administration became effective on October 16, 1947. His administration
6290-584: The 1944 United States presidential election . MacArthur's political ambitions were an open secret at the time. In early 1944, letters between MacArthur and Congressman Albert Miller were leaked to the press, wherein MacArthur expressed his criticism of the policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal , and dropped hints that he would be willing to accept the Republican nomination for
6460-491: The 19th Congress : Manuel Roxas Manuel Acuña Roxas QSC ( Tagalog: [maˈnwel aˈkuɲa ˈɾɔhas] ; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines from 1946 until his death in 1948. He served briefly as the third and last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from May 28, 1946, to July 4, 1946, and became
6630-729: The Manchuria region of China . After the Mukden Incident , the leaders of both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy started to argue in Washington that the Philippines occupied a strategical position in Asia , as naval and air bases located in the Philippines would allow any power that controlled them to dominate the South China Sea , the key sea that linked the markets of Southeast Asia to China. The prevailing opinion within
6800-605: The Philippine Statistics Authority and an income of ₱ 50 million (based on 1991 constant prices) as certified by the city treasurer, the city government can submit a request to the President to have their city declared as highly urbanized within 30 days. Upon the President's declaration, a plebiscite will be held within a specific timeframe to ratify this conversion. There are no limits as to
6970-536: The Philippines had lost about two thirds of her material wealth. In 1946, the Filipino gross domestic produce was down 38.7% from where it had been in 1937. The country was facing near bankruptcy. There was no national economy, no export trade. Indeed, production for exports had not been restored. On the other hand, imports were to reach the amount of three million dollars. There was need of immediate aid from
General Santos - Misplaced Pages Continue
7140-598: The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration . Something along this line was obtained. Again, loans from the United States, as well as some increase in the national revenues, were to help the new Republic. Among the main remedies proposed was the establishment of the Philippine Rehabilitation Finance Corporation. This entity would be responsible for the construction of twelve thousand houses and for
7310-527: The White House , inspiring the American president to declare that MacArthur should be allowed to rule the Philippines whatever way he liked. MacArthur announced in a speech that Roxas was "one of the prime factors in the guerilla movement" against the Japanese. Aside from Roxas, MacArthur pardoned over 5,000 Filipino collaborators. Even though over 80% of the Philippine Army officers went over to
7480-411: The hacendado class who owned the vast hacienda estates that made up most of the cultivated land in the Philippines. The same hacendado elite who dominated the Philippines under Spanish rule continued to be the dominant social element under American rule. Roxas himself was a hacendado , who had used his wealth to further his political ambitions. The politics of the Philippines were characterized by
7650-619: The hacienda estates) who sought to opportunistically ingratiate themselves with whatever power ruled the Philippines. An additional reason for the hacendados to support the Japanese occupation was that the main resistance group, the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (People's Army against the Japanese), better known as the Huks, was a Communist movement. Besides for opposing the Japanese, the Huks promised land reform, by breaking up
7820-521: The haciendas , which caused the hacendados as a group to support the Japanese. The Manila chapter of the fascist Falange party had a membership of about 10,000 people, including members of the most prominent hacendado families such as the Ayalas, Zobels, Elizaldes and Sorianos. By 1945, the Huks had over 70,000 guerrillas in action, making them into easily the largest resistance group in the Philippines. The American historian Russell Buhite wrote: "Roxas
7990-625: The presidential election to be held after the war. Shortly after his capture, Roxas told the Americans that he wanted the United States to keep its military bases in the Philippines after independence in 1946, and promised to use all of his influence to persuade the Filipino congress to accept independence on those terms. Buhite wrote that by pardoning Roxas, MacArthur "...undermined his ability to treat other collaborators more harshly". Beyond his presidential ambitions, MacArthur had additional reasons to treat Roxas leniently. MacArthur believed that
8160-504: The "stable government" provision of the Jones Act of 1916 , which mandated that independence be granted when Filipinos proved that they had a "stable government". However, Roxas went on to testify that "with the granting of tariff autonomy, serious difficulties may arise". In common with the rest of the Filipino elite, Roxas saw the plans of the U.S. Congress to impose tariffs on Filipino goods after independence as an economic disaster for
8330-400: The 16 towns into cities met all legal requirements. In March 2011, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), while challenging a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the cityhood conversion of 16 municipalities, has expressed support for the cityhood bids of 21 towns that have fulfilled the requirements outlined in the Local Government Code. These towns have demonstrated their compliance with
8500-458: The 1990s, and Tambler Airport in 2008, before being renamed to its current name. Flights to and from Manila , Iloilo , and Cebu are currently being operated in the airport by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific . General Santos International Airport is the second busiest airport in Mindanao and 9th busiest airport in the Philippines. The Makar Wharf is the main international sea port of
8670-456: The American forces via the intelligence-gathering apparatus and efforts of Chick Parsons . Disguised as a Catholic priest, the bearded, tanned Parsons would visit Roxas even while the latter was effectively under house arrest, and privately "receive confession" from the Filipino statesman regarding the disposition of the Japanese forces, the collaborationist government, and various matters of state. Roxas also passed on information from Malacañang to
SECTION 50
#17327753045438840-470: The American market as many American farmers complained they could not compete with Filipino farmers. To end Filipino immigration and access to the American market, many U.S. congressional leaders favored granting immediate independence to the Philippines. At the same time that the U.S. Congress was debating granting independence to the Philippines, many Filipino leaders were worried by the increasing assertive claims being made by Japan that all of East Asia
9010-507: The American sphere of influence after independence or fall into the Japanese sphere of influence. However, as the United States was planning on granting independence, ending more than 400 years of foreign rule, Filipino public opinion was hostile to the idea of the Philippines joining the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Having enrolled prior to World War II as an officer in the reserves, Roxas
9180-486: The Americans dominated the waters and air spaces around the Philippines, another invasion was unlikely. However, the Americans refused to give make concessions on the immunity issue, being adamant that American military personnel enjoy immunity from Filipino law after independence. On May 28, 1946, Roxas was inaugurated as the last president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The inaugural ceremonies were held in
9350-563: The Bell Trade Act, the goods from the Philippines were granted tariff-free access to the American market, achieving one of Roxas's key aims; in exchange, he accepted pegging the Philippine peso to the U.S. dollar and American corporations were granted parity rights when it came to exploiting the minerals and forests of the Philippines. In exchange for accepting the Bell Trade Act, the U.S. Congress voted for some $ 2 billion in aid to
9520-473: The Commonwealth ended on the morning of July 4, 1946, when the Third Republic of the Philippines was inaugurated and independence from the United States proclaimed. The occasion, attended by some 300,000 people, was marked by the simultaneous lowering of the U.S. flag and raising of the Philippine national flag , a 21-gun salute , and the pealing of church bells. Roxas then took the oath of office as
9690-635: The Constitution of the Philippines: However, more than a year later, on December 22, 2009, acting on the appeal of the so-called League of 16 Cities (an informal group consisting of the sixteen local government units whose cityhood status had been reversed), the Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled that "at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory law (regarding the criteria for cityhood as set by Congress)
9860-684: The Democratic Alliance, claiming that they been elected illegally, and replaced them with his own bets. Roxas's expulsion of the Democratic Alliance from Congress was the beginning of a nation-wide purge of those who served in the Huk resistance against the Japanese as arrests and murders followed. Those who survived fled to the jungle and formed the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (the People's Revolutionary Army).". Roxas served as
10030-576: The Fil-Am guerrilla movement through Ramona Snyder, the lover of guerrilla Edwin Ramsey . On October 20, 1943, the head of the Japanese military police, Akira Nagahama, surprised President Laurel in Malacañang and demanded the arrest of Roxas, whose office was a short distance away. Laurel replied, "You can go and get Roxas, but you'll have to kill me first." Control of the rice supplies and pricing
10200-494: The Filipino people knew of his reputation. On April 23, 1946, Roxas won 54% of the vote, and the Liberal Party won a majority in the legislature. On May 28, 1946, prior to his inauguration, president-elect Roxas, accompanied by United States High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt , left for the United States. During his U.S. visit, Roxas came out clearly for the United States to maintain its bases after independence, saying in
10370-528: The Huks and invited a delegation of Huk leaders led by Juan Feleo to come to Manila in August 1946. While returning to their jungle bases, Felco and the other Huk leaders were ambushed by police forces, with Felco's head was found floating in the Pampanga River. The ambush was intended to cripple the Huks, but instead led to a civil war as the police and the army rapidly lost control of much of Luzon to
SECTION 60
#173277530454310540-481: The Huks joined forces with socialists and peasant unions to form a new party, the Democratic Alliance. The party won six seats in Congress on a platform of punishing collaborators, land reform and opposing the Bell Trade Act. Among the Huk leaders elected to Congress was the party's leader Luis Taruc . In what was described as "a monstrous abrogation of democratic procedure", Roxas expelled all members of Congress from
10710-413: The Huks. Strongly opposed to the guerrilla movement Hukbó ng Bayan Laban sa Hapón (Nation's Army Against the Japanese, also called "the Huks"), Roxas issued a proclamation outlawing the Huk movement on March 6, 1948. At the same time, Roxas pardoned the Filipinos who had collaborated with the Japanese. The pardon of the collaborators lent some substance to the charge by the Huks that his administration
10880-454: The Japanese in 1942, their commissions were restated. When the Congress of the Philippines re-convened in 1945, legislators elected in 1941 Roxas as Senate president . Of all members of the 1st Commonwealth Congress , 8 out of 14 senators and 19 out of 67 representatives had collaborated with the Japanese during the occupation. In an attempt to undermine Osmeña's chances of winning the 1946 Philippine presidential election , MacArthur forced
11050-522: The Laurel government until April 1945, when he surrendered to American forces at Baguio. After his capture, MacArthur publicized Roxas' contributions to the resistance movement. MacArthur may have been blackmailed by Roxas, who threatened to reveal the guaranty he accepted in 1942. This was dangerous for The General, as MacArthur had ambitions to run as the candidate of the Republican Party for
11220-486: The Laurel government, short supply and high demand drove the prices up for everyone. Eventually as the war progressed, Japan managed to divert most of the rice harvest to feed the Japanese forces in Southeast Asia. The ruthless policies of confiscating rice harvests pushed many of the Filipino peasantry to the brink of starvation and made Roxas into one of the most hated men in the Philippines. Roxas served in
11390-407: The Local Government Code in 2022, exempting a municipality qualified for cityhood from the land or population threshold if the municipality has a locally generated average annual income of 400 million pesos for the previous 2 years according to 2012 constant prices, though this amount "shall be increased by five percent" for every three years after the law's effectivity. Members of Congress (usually
11560-860: The National Economic Council, chairman of the National Development Company, and served in many other government corporations and agencies. He also served as a brigadier general in the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), was a recognized guerrilla leader and military leader of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Roxas became one of the leaders of the Nacionalista Party , which was dominated by
11730-457: The Osmeña administration to make unpopular decisions while he groomed Roxas to run in the 1946 election. On April 12, 1945, President Roosevelt died and his vice-president , Harry S Truman , succeeded him. Truman had little interest in the Philippines, as he had more pressing concerns to face in his first months of office. When MacArthur left the Philippines for Japan to sign the armistice ending
11900-458: The Philippine Army and the settlement's leading pioneer. The nomadic B'laan people are the original inhabitants of present-day General Santos, and traces of their early settlements of the area are found in the city's place names, which are derived from their vocabulary. Their name for the city, Dadiangas , is from the Ziziphus spina-christi tree that was once abundant in the area and is now
12070-587: The Philippine archipelago. MacArthur had claimed that the American–Filipino forces under his command would stop any Japanese invasion "on the beaches", but instead the Japanese forces marched on Manila , the capital and largest city of the Philippines. Roxas accompanied President Quezon to Corregidor where he supervised the destruction of Philippine currency to prevent its capture by the Japanese. When Quezon left Corregidor, Roxas went to Mindanao to direct
12240-504: The Philippines , where he was elected president of his class and the student council. In 1913, Roxas obtained his law degree, graduated class valedictorian , and subsequently topped the bar examinations with a grade of 92% that same year. He then became professor of law at the Philippine Law School and National University . He served as secretary to Judge Cayetano Arellano of the Supreme Court . In 1917, Roxas became
12410-637: The Philippines . The school is administered by the Disciples of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (DST), a Catholic religious congregation. The school's campus is located along Purok Nopol Road, Sitio Nupol, Barangay Conel in General Santos. In 1992, Jovita Onez, a devout Catholic Christian from General Santos donated one hectare of land to the DST congregation. The Mother General at that time, accepted
12580-480: The Philippines to the United States, which wanted to retain its air and naval bases in the Philippines to maintain control of the South China Sea. The Americans made it clear that they were prepared to pay "handsomely" for the right to keep their Filipino bases, which Roxas exploited. On March 11, 1947, Philippine voters, agreeing with Roxas, ratified in a nationwide plebiscite the " parity amendment " to
12750-681: The Philippines#Legal classification A city is entitled to at least one representative in the House of Representatives if its population reaches 250,000. Cities are allowed to use a common seal. As corporate entities, cities have the power to take, purchase, receive, hold, lease, convey, and dispose of real and personal property for their general interests; condemn private property for public use ( eminent domain ); contract and be contracted with; sue; and exercise all powers conferred on them by Congress. Only an act of Congress can create or amend
12920-500: The Philippines, all of which are classified as either "Highly urbanized" or "Independent component" cities. A city classified as such: Currently, there are only four independent cities in two classes that can still participate in the election of provincial officials (governor, vice governor, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan members): Registered voters of the cities of Cotabato , Ormoc , Santiago , as well as all other highly urbanized cities, including those to be converted or created in
13090-427: The Philippines. In May 1930, Roxas reported to Manuel L. Quezon that both Hurley and Stimson had testified before the U.S. Congress saying that the Philippines were not ready for independence nor would be for anytime in the foreseeable future, which he thought had a major impact on the U.S. Congress. Roxas advised that Quezon should now try to appease Senators Harry B. Hawes and Bronson B. Cutting by sending them
13260-418: The Philippines. Though the $ 2 billion was intended to assist with the reconstruction of the war-devastated nation, the vast majority of the money was stolen by Roxas and his corrupt friends. The American journalist Robert Shaplen noted after a visit to Manila: "It may well be that in no other city in the world was there so much graft and corruption and conniving after the war". In the congressional elections,
13430-484: The Philippines. It is the regional center for commerce and industry of the Soccsksargen region, and it is also the only coastal as well as the largest city in the province of South Cotabato wherein it is geographically situated and grouped under the province by the Philippine Statistics Authority but administered independently of it. The city was named after Gen. Paulino Santos , a former Commanding General of
13600-905: The Rice Share Tenancy Act of 1933 effective throughout the country. However, problems of land tenure continued. In fact, these became worse in certain areas. Among the remedial measures enacted was Republic Act No. 34, likewise known as the Tenant Act, which provided for a 70–30 sharing arrangements and regulated share-tenancy contracts. It was passed to resolve the ongoing peasant unrest in Central Luzon. President Roxas, on January 28, 1948, granted full amnesty to all Philippine collaborators, many of whom were on trial or awaiting to be tried, particularly former President José P. Laurel (1943–1945). The Amnesty Proclamation did not apply to those collaborators, who were charged with
13770-544: The Roxas desiderata were incorporated in the final agreement as the Americans agreed to reduce the number of bases in the Philippines after independence. Roxas's argument against the U.S. Army having bases were also incorporated in the agreement, through the fact that the Pentagon saw the Philippines primarily as a place to project power into Asia led to most of the American bases being naval and air bases. Furthermore, as long
13940-493: The Treaty reserved for the United States some bases for the mutual protection of both countries; consented that the United States represent the Philippines in countries where the latter had not yet established diplomatic representation; made the Philippines assume all debts and obligations of the former government in the Philippines; and provided for the settlement of property rights of the citizens of both countries. Although Roxas
14110-408: The U.S. military was that the United States needed its Philippine bases to deter Japan from trying to seize control of all of East Asia. In 1933, Roxas and Osmeña flew to Washington to negotiate Filipino independence from the United States. The Americans agreed to grant the Filipinos independence, but only on the condition that the United States be allowed to retain military bases in the Philippines,
14280-435: The United States at the present rate. Roxas became seen as one of the less radical independence leaders, who favored "going slow" on independence to keep access to the U.S. market. At the time, Roxas cynically stated he and the other Nacionalistas had to make "radical statements for immediate, complete and absolute independence to maintain hold of the people". Filipino politics tended to be based more on personal loyalties to
14450-601: The United States that the Huks might come to power while the fact that the Kuomintang were clearly losing the Chinese civil war by this point led to the very real possibility that Chinese Communists might come to the power. In turn, there was much fear in Washington that a Communist China would grant the Soviet Union air and naval bases. The possibility of a Communist China vastly increased the geopolitical importance of
14620-589: The United States to discuss the approval for independence. On June 21, Roxas reappeared in front of another joint session of Congress and urged the acceptance of two laws passed by the Congress of the United States on April 30, 1946—the Tydings–McDuffie Act , of Philippine Rehabilitation Act, and the Bell Trade Act or Philippine Trade Act. Both recommendations were accepted by the Congress. Under
14790-408: The aid to the Philippines has not been used as wisely as we wish it had". Acheson wanted to cease aid to the Philippines until reforms were mounted to crack down on corruption, but was blocked by John Melby, the head of the Filipino desk at the U.S. State Department , who warned that to cut off aid would mean handing over the Philippines to the Huks. U.S. officials throughout the late 1940s that Roxas
14960-413: The ambiguity surrounding the third category of cities, by confirming that the residents of cities with such charters (such as Dumaguete and Davao City ) are ineligible to participate in provincial elections. Altering the right of city residents to participate in provincial elections was a power solely determined by the national legislature. Before 1979, this power was exercised in seven cases, affecting
15130-457: The cases made against the cityhood bids of many high-income and populous municipalities surrounding Metro Manila, most notably Bacoor and Dasmariñas (which finally became cities in June 2012 and November 2009 respectively), which for many years have been more qualified to become cities than others. In response to the rapid increase in the number of municipalities being converted into cities since
15300-536: The cities of Bais and Canlaon ( Negros Oriental ), and Ozamiz ( Misamis Occidental ). Despite the charter of the city of Cotabato being silent on the matter of electing provincial officials, the city was not legislated to be part of any of the successor provinces of the old undivided Cotabato province. Voters of the city therefore were still not eligible to vote in the provincial elections of either Maguindanao or North Cotabato and therefore remained independent from any province. The period between ratification of
15470-1029: The city and is one of the finest sea ports in the country. It is located in Barangay Labangal, away from the central business district. With a 740 metres (2,430 ft) docking length and a 19 metres (62 ft) width, the wharf can accommodate up to nine ship berthing positions all at the same time. The port is replete with modern facilities such as container yards, storage and weighing bridges. Several shipping companies operate regular inter-island ferry service to and from other major ports in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Negros Navigation , SuperFerry and Sulpicio Lines provide these inter-island shipping routes while numerous Indonesian shipping lines operate international ferry service between General Santos and neighboring ports in Indonesia carrying both passenger and cargo loads. Commuting in and around General Santos
15640-456: The city from terrorist attacks and other crime. Task Force GenSan is affiliated with the Philippine Army and headed by an army colonel. 8 Police Stations are built on each barangay to keep the safeness and a peaceful order in city. Agencies and Organizations are forming a good and peaceful will to group an order in a city. The average life expectancy of Gensanon is 70 for females and 65 for males. There are 19 hospitals, with more than 2,200 beds in
15810-464: The city having met the requirement. The cities of Angeles (October 13, 1986), Bacolod (September 27, 1984), Butuan (February 7, 1985), Cagayan de Oro, Iligan (both November 22, 1983), Olongapo (December 7, 1983), and Zamboanga (November 22, 1983) became HUCs in this manner. The residents in most of these cities lost their right to participate in provincial elections for the first time. The two exceptions are: Iloilo City , which had already been deprived of
15980-496: The city include B'laan , T'boli , Maguindanaon , Ilocano , and Kapampangan . The predominant religion in the city is Christianity , with the largest denomination being the Catholic Church , comprising almost 90% of the population. About 9% of the population belongs to Islam , mostly Sunnites . Poverty incidence of General Santos Source: Philippine Statistics Authority The city's major economic activity
16150-475: The city including General Santos Doctors Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, SOCSARGEN County Hospital , Mindanao Medical Center, R.O Diagan Cooperative Hospital, GenSan Medical Center, Sarangani Bay Specialists Medical Center, General Santos City District Hospital and the newly inaugurated Dadiangas Medical Center servicing a care for the people. In addition, there is an ongoing construction of ACE Medical Center to add more hospital bed capacity and medical services in
16320-654: The city streets offering commuters a choice of a more comfortable mode of transportation. Maintained by the City Engineers' Office, the city's major road networks are paved and endowed with safety road marks, signs and signals to ensure a secure and efficient traffic flow within the city. The Pan-Philippine Highway links the city by land to other major cities in Mindanao and to the rest of the country. The General Santos Terminal—popularly known as Bulaong Terminal; located in Barangay Dadiangas North
16490-495: The city under the province's control, to bring in more votes against the Sugbuak , the proposed partition of Cebu Province. A congressional amendment to the city charter enabling city residents to vote for provincial officials is required, followed by a plebiscite. Santiago 's status as an independent component city was briefly in question after the enactment of Republic Act No. 8528 on February 14, 1998, which sought to make it
16660-582: The city, notable ones are KCC Mall of Gensan , SM City General Santos , Robinsons Place GenSan, Gaisano Mall of GenSan, RD Plaza (Fitmart), Veranza Mall, and the newest addition to the city which is RD City Mall located at Barangay Mabuhay, Unitop Shopping Mall in Barangay Dadingas West and AllHome (soon in Barangay Katangawan, Circumferential Road). SM Savemore has two branches in the city and another branch will be built within
16830-417: The city, with Cebuano being widely spoken and being used by the local media outlets in the city (television, radio, and newspapers), followed by Hiligaynon , which is used mainly by settlers who came from the provinces of South Cotabato , Sultan Kudarat , North Cotabato and Maguindanao , as well as immigrants from the provinces of Negros Occidental , Iloilo and Guimaras . Other languages spoken within
17000-758: The city. Source: Local Government Code of 1991. Cities, like municipalities , are composed of barangays , which can range from urban neighborhoods (such as Barangay 9, Santa Angela in Laoag ), to rural communities (such as Barangay Iwahig in Puerto Princesa ). Barangays are sometimes grouped into officially defined administrative (geographical) districts. Examples of such are the cities of Manila ( 16 districts ), Davao ( 11 districts ), Iloilo ( seven districts ), and Samal (three districts: Babak, Kaputian and Peñaplata). Some cities such as Caloocan , Manila, and Pasay even have an intermediate level between
17170-678: The city. Aside from more than 50 Private Schools, such as The Quantum Academy, and the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges , and more than 100 public schools, General Santos hosts three universities. These are the Notre Dame of Dadiangas University , Mindanao State University – General Santos City , New Era University – General Santos Branch . It also houses colleges such as the Doña Lourdes Institute of Technology. The General Santos campus of
17340-495: The city. This composed of 46 commercial banks, 5 savings banks, 7 rural banks and 1 cooperative bank. Aside from this, there are 48 lending institutions as well as 49 pawnshops providing emergency loan assistance. General Santos is the shopping capital of the Soccksargen region. Residents from nearby towns and provinces visit the city to do shopping and enjoy life and leisure activities. There are several huge shopping malls in
17510-458: The cityhood laws, reducing once more the sixteen LGUs to the status of regular municipalities. The most recent development in the legal battles surrounding the League of 16 came on February 15, 2011. Voting 7–6, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that 16 towns that became cities in 2007 can stay as cities. This was the fourth time the SC has ruled on the case, and the third reversal. It said the conversion of
17680-484: The commission of common crimes, such as murder, rape, and arson. The presidential decision did much to heal a standing wound that somehow threatened to divide the people's sentiments. It was a much-called for measure to bring about a closer unity in the trying times when such was most needed for the progress of the nation. After persecuting the Hukbóng Bayan Laban sa Hapón , Roxas opened peace talks with
17850-421: The country from its dire economic straits. Reputed to be the most bombed and destroyed country in the world, the Philippines was in a sorry mess. Only Stalingrad and Warsaw , for instance, could compare with Manila in point of destruction. All over the country more than a million people were unaccounted for. The war casualties as such could very well reach the two million mark. Conservative estimates had it that
18020-555: The country's oldest academic institution, University of Santo Tomas , located in Barangay Ligaya, officially opened its first operations in school year 2024-2025. Notre Dame of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (NDST; formerly Canonico Antonio Institute, Inc.) is a private educational institution. It offers primary education , junior high school and senior high school , in adherence to the K-12 education system as implemented in
18190-485: The country. These include voice, data, internet and network solutions, among others, in both wired and mobile forms. GenSan and the whole of Soccsksargen can be reached by air, land, or sea. The General Santos International Airport is the largest airport in Mindanao . It has a 3,227-metre concrete runway capable of handling wide-bodied jets like Airbus A340 and Boeing 747 . It was also called Rajah Buayan Airport in
18360-517: The damaged school buildings alone cost more than ₱126,000,000,000. Pike noted that the Japanese as part of their efforts of "liberation" from American imperialism by bringing the Philippines into the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere "...had smashed industrial buildings, banks, government offices and hotels. Infrastructure including ports had been sabotaged or destroyed in the heavy fighting for Manila". The new republic began to function on an annual deficit of over P200,000,000 with little prospect of
18530-517: The district and barangay levels, called a zone. However, geographic districts and zones are not political units; there are no elected city government officials in these city-specific administrative levels. Rather, they only serve to make city planning, statistics-gathering, and other administrative tasks easier and more convenient. Republic Act No. 11964, or the Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units Act,
18700-473: The donation and decided to establish a convent and school in the said place. The construction of the new convent started in 1999. Both buildings were finally established in 2001 with all its furnishings and were officially blessed and opened on January 3, 2001. By the following months, the DST Sisters were accepting enrollees for preschool and primary education. The school had officially set into operation on
18870-511: The downtown area. There are also news about building an Ayala Mall and Puregold. These malls are home to both national and international brands of retail merchandises as well as restaurants and cafes. There are many merchandise and large groceries owned by local and foreign Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean businessmen in the city. Modern and state-of-the-art communication facilities at par with global standards are readily available and are provided in General Santos by major telecommunication companies in
19040-464: The educated class which had been responsible for governance since the time of the Spanish. Osmeña was opposed to MacArthur's rehabilitation of Roxas, only to receive the reply that: "I have known General Roxas for over twenty years, and I know that he is no threat to our military security. Therefore we are not detaining here". It has been reported that MacArthur disliked President Osmeña, whom he felt
19210-456: The election, regarding him as the Filipino politician most likely to allow the American bases to continue in the Philippines after independence. The British historian Francis Pike wrote that Roxas "effectively brought" the 1946 election, helped by the fact that he owned the largest newspaper empire in the Philippines. The Roxas newspapers election coverage were essentially campaign ads for the Roxas campaign. Osmeña refused to campaign, saying that
19380-472: The electorate of component cities shall be entitled to vote in the election for provincial officials of the province of which it is a part." This provision therefore overrides the 1951 Supreme Court decision on Teves, et al. v. Commission on Elections by providing voters in component cities whose charters are silent on the matter of electing provincial officials the right to again participate in provincial elections. BP 881 therefore again enfranchised voters in
19550-449: The eligibility criteria required for cityhood were endorsed by the LCP for cityhood conversion: Note: This section only lists attempts that reached the stage where a Republic Act was enacted for the purpose of achieving cityhood. Note: This section only lists name changes made upon or since cityhood. The following municipalities with pending bills for conversion into cities as filed in
19720-413: The enactment of the 1991 Local Government Code, municipalities and cities have both become more empowered to deal with local issues. Regular municipalities now share many of the same powers and responsibilities as chartered cities, but its citizens and/or leaders may feel that it might be to their best interest to get a larger share of internal revenue allotment (IRA) and acquire additional powers by becoming
19890-541: The enactment of the Local Government Code in 1991, Senator Aquilino Pimentel authored what became Republic Act No. 9009 in June 2001 which sought to establish a more appropriate benchmark by which municipalities that wished to become cities were to be measured. The income requirement was increased sharply from ₱ 20 million to ₱ 100 million in a bid to curb the spate of conversions into cities of municipalities that were perceived to have not become urbanized or economically developed enough to be able to properly function as
20060-997: The first President of the Independent Third Philippine Republic after the United States ceded its sovereignty over the Philippines . Roxas was born on January 1, 1892, in Capiz , Capiz (present-day Roxas City) to Gerardo Roxas y Luis and Rosario Acuña y Villaruz. He was a posthumous child , as his father died after being mortally wounded by the Spanish Guardia Civil the year before. He and his older brother, Mamerto, were raised by their mother and her father, Don Eleuterio Acuña. His other siblings from his father included Leopoldo and Margarita, while he also had half-siblings, Consuelo, Leopoldo, Ines, and Evaristo Picazo after his mother remarried. Roxas received his early education in
20230-457: The first formal settlement in the city was established in Alagao, which is now known as Barangay Lagao. Lagao was known then as the "Municipal District of Buayan" under the jurisdiction of the deputy governor of the Municipal District of Glan, until it officially became an independent Municipal District of Buayan on October 1, 1940, appointing Datu Sharif Zainal Abedin, an Arab mestizo married to
20400-414: The first large batch of settlers to land in the area with the mission to industriously cultivate the region. After this first influx of pioneers, more Christians from Visayas and Luzon subsequently migrated into the area, gradually driving some of the B'laan residents to the hills and mountains, where they have lost their livelihood and somewhat displaced Maguindanaon living in the area. In March 1939,
20570-702: The first president of the new republic before Supreme Court Chief Justice Manuel Moran . The inaugural ceremonies took place at Luneta Park in the City of Manila . On the Grandstand alone were around 3,000 dignitaries and guests, consisting of President Roxas, Vice President Quirino, their respective parties, and the Cabinet; first United States Ambassador to the Philippines Paul McNutt; General Douglas MacArthur (coming from Tokyo ); United States Postmaster General Robert E. Hannegan ;
20740-402: The future, cannot participate in provincial elections. In addition to the eligibility of some independent cities to vote in provincial elections, a few other situations become sources of confusion regarding the complete autonomy of independent cities from provinces: A component city, while enjoying relative autonomy on some matters compared to a regular municipality, is still considered part of
20910-462: The grant of easy-term loans in the amount of P177,000,000. Another proposal was the creation of the Central Bank of the Philippines to help stabilize the Philippine dollar reserves and coordinate and the nations banking activities gearing them to the economic progress. Concentrating on the sugar industry, Roxas would exert such efforts as to succeed in increasing production from 13,000 tons at
21080-529: The height of the last Commonwealth elections, Senate President Roxas and his friends left the Nacionalista Party and formed the Liberal Party . Roxas became their candidate for president and Elpidio Quirino for vice-president. The Nacionalistas, on the other hand, had Osmeña for president and Senator Eulogio Rodriguez for vice-president. Roxas had the staunch support of General MacArthur. The American military government strongly favored Roxas during
21250-560: The involving representative of the congressional district to which the proposed city belongs) then draft the legislation that will convert or create the city. After the bill passes through both the House of Representatives and the Senate and becomes an Act of Congress, the President signs the Act into law. If the Act goes unsigned after 30 days it still becomes law despite the absence of the President's signature. The creation of cities before 1983
21420-797: The legal status of any local government unit requires the ratification by the residents that would be affected by such changes. Therefore, all cities created after 1987 – after meeting the requirements for cityhood as laid out in the Local Government Code of 1991 and Republic Act No. 9009 of 2001 – only acquired their corporate status after the majority of their voting residents approved their respective charters. Although some early cities were given charters because of their advantageous ( Baguio , Tagaytay ) or strategic ( Angeles City and Olongapo , Cotabato , Zamboanga ) locations or to especially establish new government centers in otherwise sparsely populated areas ( Palayan , Trece Martires , Quezon City ), most Philippine cities were originally incorporated to provide
21590-409: The men of the hacendado class, such as Roxas, were capable of providing the Philippines with competent leadership. The general felt that whatever Roxas and the other hacendados had done during the Japanese occupation was irrelevant compared to the need to have the haendados continue as the dominant group as MacArthur believed that the Philippines would descend into anarchy without the leadership of
21760-411: The municipality's economy experienced a boom under Mayor Lucio A. Velayo, as several large agri-based and multinational firms such as Dole Philippines , General Milling Corporation and UDAGRI expanded into the area. Although it was then qualified to become a fourth class city from being a municipality, the residents rejected a move by Congressman Salipada Pendatun to convert the Municipality of Buayan into
21930-413: The new Constitution (February 1987) and the effectivity of the Local Government Code of 1991 (January 1992) was one of transition. During this time, BP 51 , BP 337 and BP 881 were still in force: the only legal classes of cities during this period were still "highly urbanized" and "component" cities. Altering the right of city residents to participate in provincial elections was once again exercised by
22100-442: The newly restored Congress in this period. A total of three cities were affected: Republic Acts Nos. 6641 (in 1987), 6726 (in 1989) and 6843 (in 1990), once again allowed the residents of Mandaue , Oroquieta and San Carlos to vote for provincial officials of Cebu , Misamis Occidental and Pangasinan respectively. Since BP 51 —which only considered cities as being either "highly urbanized" or "component"—was still in force at
22270-432: The next 19 years. Upon his return to the Philippines in 1930, Roxas founded a new pro-independence group called Ang Bagong Katipunan ("The New Association") that proposed disbanding all political parties under its fold and the unification of national culture in order to negotiate better with the United States. The plans for Ang Bagong Katipunan created widespread opposition, as the group was seen as too authoritarian and as
22440-421: The number of American bases be reduced and complained that the sweeping immunity from Filipino law enjoyed by American military personnel envisioned in the agreement would not be popular with Filipino public opinion. He also made it clear that he was more comfortable with the Americans mostly having naval and air bases in the Philippines, and wanted the number of U.S. Army bases kept to the minimum. Some aspects of
22610-495: The number of times a component city can attempt to become a highly urbanized city, should previous tries be unsuccessful. Reclassifying an HUC as a component city likely involves not only amending the concerned city's charter, but also the Local Government Code, as currently there is no provision in the LGC that allows this, nor are there any precedents. Some Cebu City politicians have previously indicated that they wish to bring back
22780-715: The opening of the academic year of the same year. Notable media publications in the city are the SusStar General Santos, Periodiko Banat, Sapol, and other local newspapers. Brigada Newspaper General Santos is the most popular newspaper company in the city. There are several television stations in the city that are owned and operated by broadcasting networks— ABS-CBN 3 Soccsksargen (now defunct), GMA 8 Soccsksargen , TV5 Channel 12 Gensan , GMA News TV 26, ABS-CBN Sports+Action Channel 36 (now defunct), Brigada News TV 39 . Most of these television networks reaches as far as Davao Region and Northern Mindanao; and caters
22950-399: The plans to impose heavy tariffs on Filipino agriculture after independence, which provided another reason to go slowly with independence. In Washington , Roxas lobbied U.S. government leaders such as Secretary of State Henry Stimson and Secretary of War Patrick Hurley . Roxas testified before the U.S. Congress that he favored Philippine independence, saying the Filipinos had fulfilled
23120-466: The preservation of individual rights and liberties of the citizenry; and honesty and efficiency of government. On June 3, 1946, Roxas appeared for the first time before a joint session of Congress to deliver his first State of the Nation Address . Among other things, he told the members of the Congress the grave problems and difficulties the Philippines face and reported on his special trip to
23290-519: The president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in a brief period, from May 28, 1946, to July 4, 1946, during which time Roxas helped prepare the groundwork for an independent Philippines. He was inugurated at the ruins of Legislative Building in Manila , which was ruined during the World War II . Chief Justice Manuel Moran administered the oath of office. Roxas's term as the president of
23460-472: The provinces of Bulacan and Rizal and made independent units in 1975, were converted to highly urbanized cities, beginning in 1994 with Mandaluyong . The most recent, Navotas , became an HUC in 2007. Only Pateros , which does not currently meet the population requirement of 200,000 inhabitants, remains the only independent municipality in Metro Manila. All that is needed is a congressional amendment to
23630-615: The public schools of Capiz and attended St. Joseph's College in Hong Kong at age 12, but due to homesickness, he went back to Capiz. He eventually transferred to Manila High School , graduating with honors in 1909. Roxas began his law studies at a private law school established by George A. Malcolm , the first dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law . On his second year, he enrolled at University of
23800-911: The ratification of the Constitution (February 11, 1987) but before the effectivity of the Local Government Code of 1991 (January 1, 1992), their residents were allowed to continue to participate in the election of provincial officials as per their respective charters (as amended), by virtue of Section 452-c of the LGC. Residents of General Santos were already excluded from voting for provincial officials of South Cotabato since achieving cityhood in 1968; they were therefore unaffected by this exemption. The Local Government Code of 1991 came into effect on January 1, 1992, and has remained in force ever since, though some amendments have been made. New requirements for creating cities, and upgrading cities to highly urbanized status, were instituted under this Act. The LGC of 1991
23970-482: The remaining 13 were "component" cities. Batas Pambansa Bilang 337 (Local Government Code of 1983), approved on February 10, 1983, further refined the criteria by which cities can be classified as highly urbanized cities. Under BP 337 a city that had at least 150,000 inhabitants and an income of at least ₱ 30 million was to be declared highly urbanized by the Minister of Local Government within thirty days of
24140-466: The residents to ratify the city charter, most notable of which were cities that were incorporated during the early American colonial period ( Manila and Baguio ), and during the Commonwealth Era (1935–1946) such as Cavite City , Dansalan (now Marawi ), Iloilo City , Bacolod , San Pablo and Zamboanga City . Only since 1987 has it been mandated under the Constitution that any change to
24310-404: The resistance there. It was prior to Quezon's departure that he was made executive secretary and designated as successor to the presidency in case Quezon or Vice President Sergio Osmeña were captured or killed. On January 3, 1942, President Quezon presented General MacArthur with a secret guaranty of $ 500,000. The payment was related to the Filipino concept of utang na loob , where one offers
24480-513: The revenues collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue . The resulting legal battles resulted in the nullification of the city charters of the 16 municipalities by the Supreme Court in August 2010. ( See #"League of 16" and legal battles ) Throughout the years there have been instances of changes to the city's status with regard to eligibility for provincial elections, as a result of the passage of laws, both of general effectivity and specific to
24650-439: The right to vote for provincial officials in 1959 by virtue of Section 2 of RA 2259, and Zamboanga City , which had been autonomously governed since its creation by virtue of Section 47 of its city charter ( Commonwealth Act No. 39 ). By virtue of Section 30 of Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 ( Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines ), approved on December 3, 1985, provided that: "unless their respective charters provide otherwise,
24820-556: The ruins of the Legislative Building (now part of the National Museum of the Philippines ) and were witnessed by about 200,000 people. In his address, he outlined the main policies of his administration, mainly: closer ties with the United States; adherence to the newly created United Nations ; national reconstruction; relief for the masses; social justice for the working class; the maintenance of peace and order;
24990-461: The same "special treatment". More importantly, the LCP argued that with the recent surge in the conversion of towns that did not meet the requirements set by RA 9009 for becoming cities, the allocation received by existing cities would only drastically decrease because more cities will have to share the amount allotted by the national government, which is equal to 23% of the IRA, which in turn is 40% of all
25160-429: The same way as before 1941. However, the U.S. government was apparently not aware of the change in public opinion, and favored Roxas as the man best able to allow the United States to keep its bases after independence. On May 10, 1946, a draft agreement was signed in Washington allowing the United States to keep its Filipino bases for 99 years after independence. Roxas was willing to sign the agreement, but demanded that
25330-499: The time disqualified it for the honour. Dadiangas was the seat of government for the Municipality of Buayan electing Irineo Santiago as its first Municipal Mayor on a local election that was held on November 11, 1947. Mayor Santiago was formally inducted on January 1, 1948. Six years later, in June 1954, the Municipality of Buayan was renamed General Santos as a tribute to the leading pioneer via Act No. 1107 authored by Congressman Luminog Mangelen of Cotabato Province. From 1963 to 1967,
25500-552: The time of the Philippine liberation to an all-high of one million tons. The war had burned cities and towns, ruined farms and factories, blasted roads and bridges, shattered industries and commerce, massacred thousands of civilians, and paralyzed the educational system, where 80% of the school buildings, their equipment, laboratories and furniture were destroyed. Numberless books, invaluable documents and works of art, irreplaceable historical relics and family heirlooms , hundreds of churches and temples were burned. The reconstruction of
25670-677: The time, the changes were not considered as switching between legal categories, but rather a simple change within the "component city" classification that did not require a plebiscite. The "independent component city" legal classification was only introduced through the Local Government Code in 1992. Under the same criteria set in BP 337 (Local Government Code of 1983), a total of three cities became highly urbanized: General Santos (September 5, 1988), Lucena (July 1, 1991) and Mandaue (February 15, 1991). Lucena and Mandaue were special cases, in that because their re-classification into HUC status took place after
25840-510: The tunnels, however, have since been damaged and even destroyed by treasure hunters and land developers. A year after the Philippines regained full sovereignty from the United States on July 4, 1946, the Municipality of Buayan became a 4th class regular municipality by virtue of the Executive Order Number 82, dated August 18, 1947, by President Manuel Roxas , absorbing the Municipal District of Glan, whose low income bracket at
26010-436: The war on August 30, 1945, the Philippines has been in a chaotic state, with the economy in tatters and the political status undecided. When he took over the American occupation of Japan, MacArthur in turn lost his interest in the Philippines, only returning to Manila on July 4, 1946, to witness the declaration of Filipino independence before promptly returning to Tokyo. Prior to the Philippine national elections of 1946 , at
26180-879: The whole Soccsksargen Region . Major and other minor cable and satellite television companies are also operating in the city. Most of the FM and AM radio stations are operating in the city 24 hours a day such as MOR 92.7 General Santos (now defunct), 89.5 Brigada News FM , iFM 91.9 , 94.3 Yes! FM General Santos , Radyo5 97.5 News FM , K101.5 Love Radio GenSan , Barangay 102.3 GenSan and others. There are three local newscasts programs in General Santos: TV Patrol Socsksargen ( ABS-CBN 3 Soccsksargen ) (now defunct), GMA Soccsksargen Flash Bulletin (GMA 8 Soccsksargen) now part as One Mindanao Flagship Newscast, Balita38 (EGTV Channel 46) and Ronda Brigada ( Brigada News TV channel 39 ). Cities of
26350-433: The whole of South Cotabato's coastline. General Santos has a tropical wet and dry climate ( Köppen climate classification ). With an average annual rainfall of less than 1,000 millimetres (39 in), it is one of the driest places in the Philippines. General Santos is politically subdivided into 26 barangays . Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios . There are two major languages spoken in
26520-491: Was a continuation of the wartime collaborationist puppet government. The Central Intelligence Agency in a report noted that the Philippines was dominated by "an irresponsible ruling class which exercises economic and political power almost exclusively in its own interests". Secretary of State Dean Acheson complained that the Philippines was one of the most corrupt nations in Asia as he commented with some understatement "much of
26690-487: Was a corrupt leader whose policies openly favored the hacendado class and that unless reforms were made, it was inevitable that the Huks would win. On August 5, 1946, Congress ratified the Treaty of General Relations that had been entered into by and between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States on July 4, 1946. Aside from withdrawing her sovereignty from the Philippines and recognizing her independence,
26860-401: Was also the first time the independent component city (ICC) category was introduced. These cities are those non-highly urbanized cities whose charters explicitly prohibited city residents to vote in provincial elections. They were finally made completely independent of the province from fiscal, administrative and legal standpoints. The municipalities of Metro Manila , having been severed from
27030-439: Was an incompetent leader, and much preferred Roxas to be the country's next president. The charismatic Roxas made for more appealing social company, which he used to his advantage in his dealings with The General. Moreover, Osmeña had often opposed MacArthur before the war. President Osmeña traveled to Washington in early 1945 to appeal for President Roosevelt's help against MacArthur, but he made tactless remarks in his meeting at
27200-596: Was declared a highly urbanized city of South Cotabato. Even after becoming a highly urbanized city independent from South Cotabato in 1988, General Santos remained part of the province's congressional representation. The city only gained a separate representative with the passage of Republic Act No. 11243 on March 11, 2019, which segregated General Santos from the first congressional district of South Cotabato to be its 3rd congressional district . On September 15, 2021, House Bill No. 10021 authored by Representative Ferdinand Hernandez, that officially mandate General Santos as
27370-606: Was its sphere of influence. In a role reversal, it was the Filipinos who were opposed to immediate independence, which was proposed in the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Bill being debated within the halls of Congress. In early 1930, Roxas flew to the United States with Sergio Osmeña to lobby the U.S. Congress to go slow on the granting of independence in the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Bill. Aside from the fear of Japan, many Filipinos were deeply worried about
27540-519: Was made liaison officer between the Commonwealth government and the USAFFE headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur . On December 7, 1941, Japan went to war against the United States, bombing the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor , Hawaii, while also bombing American bases in the Philippines. Shortly after, Japanese invasion forces landed on Luzon , the largest and most populous of the islands of
27710-405: Was marred by graft and corruption; moreover, the abuses of the provincial military police contributed to the rise of the left-wing (Huk) movement in the countryside. His heavy-handed attempts to crush the Huks led to widespread peasant disaffection. The good record of the Roxas administration was marred by notable failures: the failure to curb graft and corruption in the government (as evidenced by
27880-618: Was power politics in Manila. President Laurel and Roxas, as chief of the Government Rice Procurement Authority, secretly blocked Japanese access to the rice stores controlled by the agency—they wanted to project that the largest possible supply of the staple food would be available to the civilian population at the lowest possible price. They managed the system successfully. But when the Japanese occupiers were forced to use their own procurement methods outside of
28050-446: Was signed by President Bongbong Marcos on October 26, 2023. The law classifies cities into five classes according to their income ranges, based on the average annual regular income for three fiscal years preceding a general income reclassification. The classification are as follows: The Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160) classifies all cities into one of three legal categories: There are 38 independent cities in
28220-420: Was solely at the discretion of the national legislature; there were no requirements for achieving 'city' status other than an approved city charter. No income, population or land area requirements had to be met to incorporate cities before Batas Pambansa Bilang 337 (Local Government Code of 1983) became law. This is what made it possible for several current cities such as Tangub or Canlaon to be conferred such
28390-476: Was successful in getting rehabilitation funds from the United States after independence, he was forced to concede military bases (23 of which were leased for 99 years), trade restriction for the Philippine citizens, and special privileges for U.S. property owners and investors. On March 21, 1947, the United States granted the Philippines some $ 17.7 million in military aid and another $ 25 million to assist with reconstruction. The Communist Huk rebellion led to fears in
28560-417: Was the Philippine equivalent of the fabled French statesman Charles Maurice de Tallyrand who was able to blend with the wind, able to work with authority wherever he found it". The American historian Richard Bernstein stated: "If Japan had won the war...the top man in the Philippines today would probably have been Manuel Roxas". During Japanese occupation, Roxas provided intelligence to General MacArthur and
28730-502: Was to the United States, which made accepting such a payment as morally wrong in his viewpoint. Roxas was one of the few people who did know about Quezon's gift to MacArthur. Roxas was captured in April 1942 by the Japanese invasion forces. He became chief advisor to the collaborationist government of Jose P. Laurel . The American journalist Richard Rovere described Roxas as typical of the Filipino hacendado class (the wealthy owners of
28900-405: Was unable to serve until 1945 because of the outbreak of World War II . The United States was scheduled to grant the Philippines independence in 1945 while Japan started to make claims for a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere from 1940 onward. In common with other members of the Filipino elite, Roxas started to cultivate ties with Japan as it was unclear whatever the Philippines would remain in
#542457