2. Caraga is an administrative region of the Philippines, on the northeastern
portion of the island of Mindanao, also called Region XIII.
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.
3. The CARAGA Region was created through Republic Act No. 7901 on
February 25, 1995.
The region is composed of five provinces: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del
Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands;
six cities:; Bayugan, Butuan, Cabadbaran, Surigao, Tandag, Bislig
67 municipalities and 1,311 barangays.
Butuan City is the regional center but later considered as another province
because of its highly urbanized area.
4. TOTAL LAND AREA
The region has a total land area of 18,846.97 km².
This represents 6.3% of the country’s total land area and 18.5% of the
island of Mindanao.
47.6% of the total land area of the region belongs to the province of
Agusan del Sur.
5. POPULATION,RELIGION,LANGUAGE
AND CULTURAL GROUPS
Based on the final results of the 2012 census, the total population of the
region was 2,293,480.
Agusan del sur registered the largest population and Surigao del norte
was the lowest.
Surigaonon is the primary language that is inherent to the region, is
spoken by 33.21% of the households, followed by Butuanon by 15%;
Kamayo, by 7.06%, and Manobo, by 4.73%.
Cebuano is widely spoken by 33.79% of the households in the region. The
rest speak Boholanon, by 5.87%; Hiligayon, by 2.87%; and other dialects
by 7.20%.
6. The dominant religion in the region was Roman Catholic accounting from
79% of the total household population in the region.
The majority of the inhabitants of the region are of Visayan heritage.
Minority groups are manobos with 43.35% of the population of ethnic
minorities, the Kamayo, Higa-onon, Banwaon, Umayamnon, and
Mamanwa and were mostly occupied in Agusan del sur.
7. NATURAL RESOURCES AND MAJOR
PRODUCTS
Agusan del Norte
Lake mainit, Agusan and aciga rivers
Historica lattractions include the Balangay Shrine Museum, the
Diocesan Liturgical Museum, and Butuan Regional Museum, whose exhibits
date back to the 11th Century.
Agusan del sur
Agusan River and the Agusan Marsh,
Binaba Falls, Mt. Diwata Hot and Cold Springs, the Gibong River, the
giant Toog trees in San Francisco, and the underground river near the capital
of Prosperidad.
8. Surigao del norte
Siargao Island
Surigao del sur
white beach and lazuna bay
9. Rich in natural resources, the region has large tracts of land available for
development.
The region is noted for its wood based economy, its extensive water
resources and its rich mineral deposits such as
iron, gold, silver, nickel, chromite, manganese and copper.
It has excellent tourism potentials because of its unspoiled and beautiful
beaches, abundant and fresh seafood, ancient and historical
landmarks, hot and cold springs, evergreen forests and balmy weather.
10. Its long stretch of shoreline promises abundance in production of fisheries
and aquatic products. With its large tract of fertile lands, the region has a
great capacity in producing varied commercial crops as well as livestock
and poultry.
Major agricultural products of the region are
rice, corn, coconut, gold, banana, rubber, oil
palm, calamansi, prawns, milkfish, crabs, seaweeds, soy
beans, coffee, abaca and other high value crops.
11. ATTRACTIONS
SURFING
SIARGAO-reputed as the surfing capital of the Philippines, and hosts an
annual international surfing event. Its waves combine the best features of top-
rated waves of Hawaii's fabled "pipeline" and the top-billed waves of Indonesia.
Island-hopping
Hop from island to island while you discover the picturesque landscapes
and feast on the rich marine delights like the fresh blue
marlin, crabs, squids, seaweeds, giant clams and lobsters.
Once in Caraga, you can take your pick of which to visit. The alluring
islets and islands of Guyam, Daku, Naked or Pansukian, La Janosa, Pig-
ot, Dinagat, Bucas Grande,Britania and the General island in Cantilan have
white-sand beaches and are ringed by teeming coral reefs that are ideal for
swimming and snorkelling.
12. Mountain-biking
Great trails run all around the Cities of Butuan and Surigao, Surigao
del sur, Agusan del Norte and Siargao. There are regular cross-country and
downhill competitions done in these areas which are participated by local and
international bikers.
Trekking
Mt. Mas-ai and Mt. Hilong-Hilong are the best sites for trekking or
mountain climbing. The views from the mountains are superb, taking in the
full scope of the vast lower Agusan Valley. Close to Mt. Mas-ai lies the
picturesque Lake Mainit, which is considered the fourth-largest lake in the
country, with a total land area of 147 km².
13. Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a new sport in the region, the coasts of Surigao offer
interesting dive site while the islands of Sagisi and Corregidor are excellent
for snorkelling activities.
Spelunking
Located within the towns of Tagbina and Bislig, Banbow and Tatol
caves (which are ranked the 6th and 9th longest caves in the Philippines)
have recently been declared by the Japanese cave explorers as the third
longest cave in the country.
14. Bird-watching
The Agusan Marsh in Agusan del Sur is the biggest marsh in the
country and is host to diverse species of birds.
Events and Festival
The events and festivals offer an experience in color and
character, giving a good view of the rich culture that makes up Caraga's
heritage.
15. ECONOMY OF THE REGION
Caraga’s economy posted the fastest growth among the country’s 17
regions with an accelerated rate of 9.6 percent in 2011 from 7.4 percent in
2010.
The region’s impressive growth was fueled by the 9.7 percent expansion
of its Service sector and the rebound of its Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry
and Fishing Sector to a growth of 3.4 percent in 2011 from a decline of 9.6
percent in 2010.