Caraga 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. The region is composed of four (4) provinces: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur; three (3) cities: Butuan, Surigao and Bislig; seventy (70) municipalities and 1,346 barangays.
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 .
Location and size
Caraga Region, situated in the northeast section of Mindanao, is located between 8000’ to 10030’ latitude and 125015’ to 126030’ longitude. It is bounded on the north by the Bohol Sea; on the south by the provinces of Davao, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental of Region XI; on the west by Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental of Region X; and on the east by the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
The region has a total land area of 18,846.97 square kilometres. This represents 6.3 percent of the country’s total land area and 18.5 percent of Mindanao. 47.6 percent of the total land area of the region belongs to Agusan del Sur.
Topography
The region is characterized by mountainous areas, flat and rolling lands. Mountain ranges divide Agusan and Surigao Provinces and sub-ranges separate most of the lowlands along the Pacific Coast. The most productive agricultural area of the region lies along the Agusan River Basin. The famous Agusan Marsh also sits in the middle of Agusan del Sur. Among the lakes in the region, Lake Mainit is the widest. It traverses eight (8) municipalities: Alegria, Tubod, Mainit and Sison in the Province of Surigao del Norte and Tubay, Santiago, Jabonga and Kitcharao in Agusan del Norte.
Land classification and major land uses
Of the total land area, 71.22 percent is forestland and 28.78 percent is alienable and disposable land. Major land uses include forestland comprising 31.36 percent and 23.98 percent of agricultural and open spaces.
Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP)
The region performed fairly well in terms of regional output contributing 8.01 percent in 1998, 8.25 percent in 1999 and 8.29 percent in 2000 to the Mindanao GRDP. The region contributed 1.44 percent in 1998, 1.48 percent in 1999 and 1.50 percent in 2000, to the Philippine economy. In terms of growth rate, the region accelerated faster and outpaced the other regions in Mindanao from 1998 to 2000, except for the Southern Mindanao Region which posted a 6.06 percent increase in 1999-2000. Caraga Region recorded a 5.42 percent increase during the same period.
GRDP in 2000 amounted to P14.336 Billion as against the 1999 performance of P13.599 Billion. The deceleration of the region’s economy from 6.03 percent in 1999 to 5.42 percent in 2000 was attributed to the slowdown of the Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (AFF) and Services sectors. The improved performance of the Industry sector, from 5.69 percent in 1999 to 6.69 percent in 2000, cushioned the effects of what could have been a slowdown of the region’s economy.
Population
Based on the final results of the 2000 census, the total population of the region was 2,095,367 which was 7.86 percent higher than the 1995 population of 1,942,687. The annual population growth rate over the last five years was pegged at a manageable 1.63 percent, one of the lowest in the country.
Among the four (4) provinces, Agusan del Sur registered the largest population at 559,294, and Surigao del Norte the smallest at 481,416. In terms of growth rate, Surigao del Norte was the fastest growing province with an annual average growth rate of 1.84 percent over the last five (5) years, while Surigao del Sur was the slowest at 1.35 percent over the same period.
Butuan and Surigao Cities which were included in the census tabulation have total population of 267,279 and 118,534, respectively. Butuan City registered an annual growth rate of 1.70 percent in the last five (5) years, while Surigao City posted 2.65 percent.
Poverty
Poverty incidence in the region continues to upsurge from 51.2 percent in 1997 to 60.1 percent in 1998. Both numbers are way above the national average of 31.8 percent in 1997. On the other hand, the region-wide average annual family income based on the 1994 and 1997 Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES) years posted 36.17 percent increase, from P52,508.25 in 1994 to P71,498.50 in 1997. In 1997, the increase in average annual family income outpaced the increase in average annual family expenditures of P61,540.25 thereby translating to an average annual savings of P9,958.25 per family.
Economy
The region has an agriculture-based economy with rice, corn, coconut, bananas, mango and root crops as major products. Other crops which are also propagated in the region include palm oil with more than 100 square kilometres planted at present, rubber, abaca, coffee, pineapple and papaya. The region is also noted for its wood and wood-based products which are utilized primarily for housing and other industrial uses.
Climate
Caraga Region has Type II kind of climate, with no pronounced wet and dry season. It has been observed that during the months of November to February, occurrence of heavy rains is usually experienced in the region.
Caraga is also a municipality in the province of Davao Oriental.
