Understand
Chroniclers say that centuries ago, long before Legaspi's expedition reached the Philippines in 1565, the Tala-andigs and the Banhawons, two of the known peace-loving Higa-onon tribes of Mindanao, had to build an ilihan or iliyan, meaning a "fortress of defense" on the coastal plain to secure them from the frequent attacks of pirates and savage tribes. Hence, the place to be called as Iligan. Some say its name was derived from the seasonal surge and outflow of its two major rivers. Local folks call this alluvial phenomenon "ilig". This is the reason why Iliganons consider the monsoon season a blessing because the soil along the riverbanks are fertilized. Its Cebuano-speaking inhabitants likes to believe that Iligan means "where good fortune gravitates".
Obviously, Mother Nature has blessed this city of more than 300,000 inhabitants. Not only is it situated on a limestone-rich area, it is also way out of the typhoon belt, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Iligan is also ringed with more than twenty waterfalls earning the monicker "City of Majestic Waterfalls" and more than a dozen springs distributed evenly within a 30-kilometer radius of the city.
Its rivers and tributaries practically caused Iligan to move forward economically and make it the industrial center of Mindanao today.
Besides its rich natural resources, it is also the home of nationally acclaimed artists, poets, cultural workers and writers.
Iligan is predominantly Christian 93.61%. Iliganons are the mixture of the Muslim and Cebuano population with a minority of Tagalog and some other cultural minorities and immigrants from other places.
