Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines.

Zamboanga del Sur Province, Philippines
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Zamboanga del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Zamboanga Peninsula region in Mindanao. Its capital is Pagadian City, which is also the regional center of Region IX. The province borders Zamboanga del Norte to the north, Zamboanga Sibugay to the west, Misamis Occidental to the northeast, and Lanao del Norte to the east. To the south is the Moro Gulf.

As of the 2000 census, Zamboanga del Sur had a population of 836,217, making it the 16th most populous province. The population density was 3,480/km², the 20th most densely populated province.
The most commonly spoken language is Cebuano, spoken by 61.31% of the population. Also spoken are Tagalog, Subanon, Chavacano, Ilonggo, Maguindanao, Iranun, Boholano, and Ilocano.
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Zamboanga del Sur is subdivided into 26 municipalities and 1 city. These divisions are further subdivided into 681 barangays. The province has two congressional districts.

Capital City: Pagadian

Municipalities:
Aurora, Bayog, Dimataling, Dinas, Dumalinao, Dumingag, Guipos, Josefina, Kumalarang, Labangan, Lakewood, Lapuyan, Mahayag Margosatubig, Midsalip, Molave, Pitogo, Ramon Magsaysay, San Miguel, San Pablo, Sominot, Tabina, Tambulig, Tigbao, Tukuran, Vincenzo A. Sagun

June 30, 2007

Pope appoints new bishop of Zamboanga Sur

By LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO

Pope Benedict XVI yesterday appointed Monsignor Julius Sullan Tonel as new bishop for the prelature of Ipil in Zamboanga del Sur.

Tonel’s appointment was officially published in the Vatican yesterday and announced here by outgoing Papal Nuncio Archbishop Fernando Filoni.

This is, indeed, welcome news for the faithful of Ipil since they have been without a bishop for more than a year already, Filoni said.

Ipil’s former bishop, Antonio Ledesma S. J., was transferred to the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City in March, 2006.

Born in Davao City on Aug. 31, 1956, Tonel studied philosophy at Saint Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Davao, and theology at the Central Seminary of the University of Santo Tomas, in Manila. Ordained to the priesthood on April 12, 1980 in Davao at the age of 23, Tonel earned his Licentiate in Liturgical Theology at the Saint Anselmo Pontifical Institute of Liturgy in Rome.

He also served as director of the Archdiocesan Family Apostolate in Davao, then as rector of the Archdiocesan Seminary, and president of the Commission for Basic Ecclesiastical Communities.

For five years, he was also the rector of the Regional Major Seminary and since 2002, he has been the vicar general of the archdiocese of Davao. No date has been set yet for Tonel’s ordination and installation as bishop of the Prelature of Ipil.