Caraga (Region XIII)

Caraga (Region XIII) is the newest region of the Philippines, also designated as Region XIII. Region XIII, the Caraga Administrative Region or the Caraga Region was created through Republic Act Number 7901 as approved by President Fidel V. Ramos on February 25, 1995. 

Regional center: Butuan City

Total Area: 21,471 km2 (8,290 sq mi)

Population (2007)

• Total: 2,293,480
• Density: 106.8/km2 (276.7/sq mi)

Time zone: PST (UTC+8)

Provinces: 5

Cities: 6

Municipalities: 70

Barangays: 1,310

Cong. districts: 7

Languages: Surigaonon, Cebuano, Butuanon, Manobo, other minority langauges

CITIES

1. Bayugan
2. Butuan
3. Cabadbaran
4. Surigao
5. Tandag
6. Bislig

PROVINCES

1. Agusan del Norte
2. Agusan del Sur
3. Surigao del Norte
4. Surigao del Sur
5. Dinagat Islands

1. Dinagat Islands had been a part of the First District of Surigao del Norte Province until becoming a province on its own on December 2, 2006 with the approval of Republic Act No. 9355, the Charter of the Province of Dinagat Islands, in a plebiscite.On February 11, 2010 the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the creation of Dinagat Islands Province null and void on grounds of failure to meet land area and population requirements for the creation of local government units. Dinagat Islands then reverted to Surigao del Norte Province. On March 30, 2011, however, the Supreme Court reversed its ruling from the previous year, and upheld the constitutionality of RA 9355 and the creation of Dinagat Islands as a province.

Political divisions

Province(City) / Capital / Population(2007) / Area(km²) 

• Agusan del Norte / Cabadbaran City / 285,570 / 1,773.2
• Agusan del Sur / Prosperidad / 559,294 / 8,966.0
• Surigao del Norte / Surigao City / 481,416 / 1,936.9
• Surigao del Sur / Tandag City / 501,808 /4,552.2
• Butuan City / — / 307,942 (2009) / 817.3

Butuan City is a highly urbanized city; figures  are excluded from Agusan del Norte.

History

The history of Caraga can be traced back to the 15th century when explorers discovered the existence of “Kalagans”, believed to be of Visayan Origin in one of the three districts in Mindanao. The word Caraga originated from the Visayan word “Kalagan”: “Kalag” meaning soul or people and “An” meaning land. The “Kalagans have a long history of being brave and fearless. Thus, the region was called by early chroniclers as the “Land of the Brave and Fierce People”. The “Kalagans”, called “Caragans” by the Spaniards occupied the district composed of the two provinces of Surigao, northern part of Davao Oriental and 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 1950’s drew business and businessmen to the area. On August 2, 1950, by virtue of Republic Act 523, the City Charter of Butuan was approved .