Pagadian
— the bay city built on a hillside.
Not only on a wall.
“Pagadian sits where the hills of Zamboanga del Sur drop straight into the sea. The streets tilt; the tricycles are tipped onto one wheel to keep the sidecars level on the climb. The Dao-Dao islands sit a short outrigger ride off the seawall. The municipal market opens before dawn and runs on the tide. — from the studio
Pagadian, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
Pagadian is the capital of Zamboanga del Sur Province on the western coast of Mindanao, set on the northern shore of Pagadian Bay within the larger Illana Bay. The chartered city covers roughly 333 square kilometres and reported about 210,400 residents in the 2020 census. Its hillside grid drops from the inland foothills to the seawall along the bay. The Pan-Philippine Highway runs through the city, linking Pagadian west to Zamboanga City and east toward Cagayan de Oro on the northern coast.
Pagadian Bay is a sheltered arm of Illana Bay on the Moro Gulf, calm enough to anchor outrigger bancas and small inter-island ferries. Three Dao-Dao islands sit within easy paddling distance of the seawall: Dao-Dao Dako, Dao-Dao Gamay, and the smallest islet, all ringed by coral shoals. Local crews run day trips for swimming and grilled fish. The Rotunda Plaza and Pagadian City Boulevard look directly over the water; the sunset side faces west across the Moro Gulf toward the open sea.
The city is reached most easily by air through Pagadian Airport, about 12 kilometres north, served by daily flights from Manila and Cebu. The Rotunda Plaza, with its white clock tower and pavement compass, sits at the centre and is the usual orientation point for arrivals. The hillside tricycles, with sidecars tilted to handle the gradient, are a recognised local emblem and the everyday form of city transit. The municipal market on JS Alano Street runs from before dawn and is the busiest morning of any week.