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During the last quarter of 2006, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9355, the voters in Surigao del Norte’s 27 municipalities approved, in a plebiscite conducted by the COMELEC on December 2, 2006, the creation of Dinagat Islands, into a distinct and independent province in Caraga Region.

Dinagat Islands is composed of 7 municipalities from Surigao del Norte, namely: Basilisa (Rizal), Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo (Albor), Loreto, San Jose (Capital) and Tubajon. It also includes all the 100 barangays of these 7 municipalities.

As a result, the Caraga Region now has a total of 5 provinces, 3 cities, 70 municipalities and 1,310 barangays as of December 31, 2006.

The history of Caraga can be traced back to the 15th century when explorers discovered the existence of the “Kalagans,” believed to be of Visayan origin, in one of the three districts of Mindanao.  The name Kalagan was derived from two Visayan words: “Kalag” meaning soul or people, “An” meaning land.  They had a long history of being brave and fierceless people.  Thus, the region was called by early chroniclers as the “Land of the Brave and Fierce People.”  They were also found to be already trading with Asian neighbors.

The Kalagans, called “Caragans” by the Spaniards occupied the district composed of the two provinces of Surigao, the northern part of Davao Oriental and the Eastern Misamis Oriental.  The two Agusan provinces were later organized under the administrative jurisdiction of Surigao and became the independent Agusan province in 1914.  In 1960, Surigao was divided as Norte and Sur, and in June 1967, Agusan followed suit.  While Butuan then was just a town of Agusan, the logging boom in the 1950’s drew businesses and businessmen to the area.  On August 2, 1950, by virtue of Republic Act 523, the City Charter of Butuan was approved

The area’s vast agricultural, timber and mineral resources, natural treasures, and the people’s skills and ingenuity form the bases of Congresswoman Charito B. Plaza’s initiative for the separation of the area as another region. On February 23, 1995, his Excellency Fidel V. Ramos approved Republic Act 7901, creating Region XIII, the Caraga Administrative Region. ¹

 

Table 1 - Number of Regions and Local Government Units (LGUs) In Caraga
As of Dec. 31, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2006

 

Caraga LGUs	Dec. 05	Dec. 06	% Increase
Provinces	4	5	25.0
City	3	3	0.0
Municipalities	70	70	0.0
Barangays	1,310	1,310	0.0

 

Table 2 - Breakdown of Geo-Political Subdivisions in Caraga
As of December 31, 2006

 

ARMM	Prov.	City	Mun.	Bgy.
	6	3	70	1,310
Agusan del Norte		1	11	252
Agusan del Sur			14	314
Surigao del Norte		1	20	335
Surigao del Sur		1	18	309
Dinagat Islands		-	7	100

 

 

1 http://caraga.neda.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_ content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=118

 

 

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