| City of Surigao Siyudad nan Surigao |
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| — City — | |||
| Surigao City aerial view | |||
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| Map of Surigao del Norte showing the location of Surigao City. | |||
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City of Surigao
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Philippines | ||
| Region | Caraga | ||
| Province | Surigao del Norte (capital) | ||
| District | 2nd district of Surigao del Norte | ||
| Founded | June 29, 1655 | ||
| Cityhood | August 31, 1970 | ||
| Barangays | 54 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Ernesto Matugas (Liberal Party) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 245.34 km2 (94.7 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 138,228 | ||
| • Density | 566/km2 (1,465.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | PHT (UTC+8) | ||
| ZIP Code | 8400 | ||
| Income class | 1st Class Component City | ||
The City of Surigao (Filipino pronunciation: (sů-rēh-GAŮ) (Filipino: Lungsod ng Surigao; Surigaonon: Siyudad nan Surigao) is located at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island in the Philippines and the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte, Philippines. It has a total land area of 245.34 km2 which is roughly 1.4% of Caraga Region. According to the 2010 census, 138,228[1] people live in the city. With an annual growth rate of 1.52%, it is the most densely populated urban area in the entire Caraga Region with 563 persons per square kilometer. The demonym for a Surigao resident is Surigaonon or Surigueño.
The absence of a fort in Surigao belies its significance and sphere of influence during the Spanish period. It was the capital of the expansive province of the same name from 1750 until its dissolution in 1911, covering a third of Mindanao Island's total land area. It is the oldest town in Mindanao, founded by Spanish colonizers in 1655 who named it Distrito de Caraga. It was a vital port town for transport of goods to neighboring islands in the archipelago. Today, Surigao is one of the most important seaports in Mindanao for gross registered cargo handled [1]. It is ranked consistently by the Asian Institute of Management as one of the most competitive cities in the Philippines with a total income of approximately 500 million pesos in 2010.
The city has abundant mineral reserves including gold, iron, manganese, silica, cobalt, copper, chromite and among the world's largest nickel deposits in Nonoc Island. Diverse species of fish and aquatic life can be found within its territorial sea boundaries. The city falls under the tropical climate type and prone to brief afternoon downpours and thunderstorms. Its location makes it an ideal jump-off point for tourists visiting nearby adventure islands of Siargao, Dinagat and Bucas Grande. It is also Mindanao's closest landmass to the Visayas region, separated 11 nautical miles by Surigao Strait and a 40-minute ferry ride to Panaon Island. Surigao is the center of politics, commerce, industry and education for the entire province as well as parts of neighboring provinces of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Bohol and Southern Leyte.
According to local historians, there are many versions regarding the meaning of Surigao and how this was derived. Like Sulo, which means sulog or current, the name Surigao may have been originally coined from the Spanish word surgir, meaning swift current.
There is also a popular legend about Visayan fishermen who went adrift on a stormy day at the mouth of today's Surigao River. With boats wrecked, they were unable to sail back to sea. They were met by a docile village chieftain named Solibao who offered them his abode. The fishermen helped the chieftain procure food for daily subsistence for everyone in the village in exchange for his hospitality. One day, with much luck, they were able to paddle back home after other fishermen came close to the village they now named after Solibao. Some of the men eventually returned and settled in the area, lured by their fortunate experience with Solibao. Years later during the 15th century, the Spanish galleons dropped anchor near the settlement and came ashore. The Spanish historian, worn from the long transpacific journey misheard the people when he asked for the name of the place, and wrote in his diaries Surigao instead, referring to the land at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island.
The town was renamed Caraga after its founding, derived from the word Calagan which means "land of the brave" or "fierce people". The Italian adventurer Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri, who published a book of travel in the country, cited Francisco Combes, S.J. as a source in saying that Calagan is derived from the two Visayan words, kalag for soul and an for people. Today, Caraga is the official name referring to the entire Region XIII, created through Republic Act No. 7901 on February 25, 1995, making it the newest region in the Philippines.
Ferdinand Magellan sailed into the Philippine Archipelago, reaching the island of Homonhon, in an epic voyage of discovery and eventual circumnavigation of the world in 1521. Magellan's fleet proceeded to Limasawa through Surigao Strait, a notch northwest of the city's pelagic boundaries, before dropping anchor on the waters off the island of Cebu, ushering the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
Present day Surigao originated from a site in the city proper formerly known as Bilang-Bilang where it served as a port of call for inter-island vessels. Later, it was renamed Banahao which became an integral part of the old district of Caraga, a town founded on June 29, 1655. After Caolo, present day Siargao, burned in 1750, Surigao became the capital of the expansive geopolitical, eclessiastical and military district of Surigao which reached the fringes of Davao and would include today's provinces of Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, parts of Compostela Valley, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental. It officially became the permanent residence of the Augustinian Recollects on February 1, 1752 when all the canonical books were moved from Caolo to Surigao. The first canonical books bore the signature of Fr. Lucas de la Cruz. Previously, the place was just a "vista" of the parish in Caolo. Its strategic location and new status as the seat of government was costly. Surigao witnessed violent territorial struggles as it suffered ultimately from relentless Moro raids. In 1752, the town was devastated. Most of its 2,000 inhabitants were either killed or taken as slaves by the Moros.
First and Official Flag Raising in Mindanao. Father Alberto Masoliver, S.J., during his stint as the parish priest of Surigao in 1898, kept a compilation of his diaries, entitled Diario de la Casa de Surigao. His diaries are currently stored in the Jesuit archives at Centro Borja, Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain. He thus wrote in December 26, 1898, “Before 10:00 AM, the tri-color was hoisted from Casa Real ( seat of provincial government) and the Tribunal … without any formalities … without anybody’s attention being drawn…..these people have no idea of what it is all about, and if they have… how peaceful and without malice they are.". Surigao then was the cabecera and the seat of government of the province of Caraga which had jurisdiction over Surigao, Butuan and Cagayan de Misamis ( Cagayan de Oro City). Alejandro ( Jantoy) Gonzalez was the president of the Junta Provincial of Surigao during the time of the first flag hoisting.
At the turn of the century in 1901, the American colonizers established a civil government in the province of Surigao, keeping the town of Surigao as its capital. Surigao was then among the largest municipalities in land area with a jurisdiction of 949.90 square kilometers, larger than today's Butuan. During this period, there was only one main road, the Old Spanish road. The commercial area, market and plaza ( Luneta) were all situated in one small area. In 1930, the Old Spanish road was abandoned and a new provincial road was constructed. The Casa Real was built where municipal administrators would hold their official functions.
Surigao featured prominently in World War II's Pacific theater. On May 23, 1942, the Japanese Imperial Army under Colonel Yoshie occupied Surigao after arriving from Butuan. They formally took over on May 28, 1942 under Lieutenant Ichichara, taking control from Mayor Amat. Filipino guerrilla units based in Surigao continued to operate in the hinterlands. Liberation from the Japanese rule dawned on September 9, 1944. American planes started their campaign by bombing the town in the early morning. It was followed by a strafing of all Japanese warships docked at the Surigao wharf, which came to transport fresh troops and supplies to their forces in Leyte. No less than fifty warships were sunk by the raiding American bomber planes. After the attack, not a single Japanese ship was seen afloat. The following month, on October 24–25, the famous Battle of Surigao Strait, the final line battle in naval history, was fiercely fought by allied forces against the Japanese fleet. By April 12, 1945, the whole province of Surigao was liberated from Japanese occupation.
Massive reconstruction followed the destruction brought by the war. The Surigao Provincial Capitol was completed in 1946 atop the hill overlooking the city. Other facilities were built including schools, athletic field and municipal jail. In 1948, the first election of municipal officials was held. In the same year, construction of the Surigao Provincial Hospital commenced. Six years later in 1954, construction of the first municipal building started and was completed in 1955. Economic activities continued to flourish with the launching of gold mining operations by Mindanao Mother Lode Mines in Mabuhay, 10 kilometers away from the city. Rapid economic growth and immigration resulted to losing some of its fishing and agricultural barrios as they were converted into towns of Malimono (July 31, 1956), Anao-aon (May 24, 1957) and Sison (September 15, 1959). Also in 1956, settlements including Capalayan, Libuac, Catadman, Mat-i, Lipata, Dakung Patag, Bunyasan, Cantapoy, Balite, and Bambanon were elevated into barrios, the forerunner of modern day barangays.[2] At that time, Surigao was classified as a 1st Class B municipality with an annual income of P160,000.00 and a population of nearly 50,000. It was primarily an agricultural town producing mainly copra and basic staples including rice, corn, bananas and rootcrops. Fishing was also a major source of livelihood. On September 18, 1960, pursuant to the Republic Act 2786 dated June 19, 1960, the province of Surigao was divided into Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.[3] The town of Surigao remained as a capital, this time for the province of Surigao del Norte.
The town's growth seemed unstoppable. Already, it had a domestic airport, three movie houses, three hotels and two hospitals. However, on November 19, 1964, tragedy befell the town as it saw its most massive destruction yet. It was in the direct path of supertyphoon Ining, internationally code- named Louise [3], with peak winds at 190 miles per hour. The wrath of the storm was severe and devastation wide, both in infrastructure and human lives. Just as they overcame the destruction of the war, the townspeople's tenacity was again proven as they participated in the town's rebuilding. In a short time, three years later in 1967, Pacific Cement Corporation [4] started commercial operations in Mabuhay, producing among the highest quality cement in the country. In 1969, Marinduque Mining Industrial Corporation started nickel exploration in Nonoc Island with an initial capitalization of Php1.0 billion pesos, ushering a new era of prosperity.
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 6134, Surigao was converted to a chartered city on August 31, 1970 with Pedro Espina as its first city mayor.
Surigao is home to one of the country's oldest and most colorful tribes, the Mamanwa. They are similar to the Negritoes of Luzon Island in features and stature. They are generally short, dark-skinned with a crop of short kinky hair. Forced to settle in the hinterlands due to development, they continued to practice their customs and traditions. The faith about Kahimunan, one of their many tribal festivities, highlights music and graceful dancing. Revelers chant and play while accompanied by native musical instruments including the gimbar (drum), gong and bamboo percussion called kalatong and katik. Wild pigs, chicken and indigenous fruits including the rare kayape are among the offerings. A baylan ( priest) presides the celebration as a tribute and invocation to their god Magbabaya and departed ancestors for good health and abundant harvest.
Mamanwas are also known for their creative patterns, brass jewelries and indigenous crafts, displayed proudly on their costumes as they fill the streets at the height of the Bonok Bonok Maradjao Karadjao Festival every September 9, celebrated on the occasion of the feast of San Nicolas de Tolentino, Surigao City's patron saint. Bonok-bonok and its prehistoric origins was another ritual to thank their gods, presided by various village chieftains and their wives. Happiness and friendship are expressed through dancing, chanting and singing. They wave scarves of banay as symbols of goodwill, wealth and blessings for all tribal villages.
Today, Mamanwas remain in the highland hinterlands and occasionally descend to sell or barter handicrafts and fresh harvests. Their numbers are unknown as groups still move constantly in search of budding greens. Bands still subsist on foraging even as their hunting and gathering lifestyle has changed over the years.
Periods of boom attracted many residents from various ethnic groups around the country including Boholanos, Tagalogs, Ilonggos, Warays, Cebuanos and other Visayan groups who eventually settled here.
The Diwata mountain range and wilderness is a formidable backbone emerging from Mindanao's northern tip in Surigao to its southernmost end in Davao. Locals believe these mountains are alive and home to nonhuman elements roaming its vastness. They warn mountain trekkers of keeping an eye for the Tikbalang or demon horse, a patchwork of a creature with a head and hooves of a horse and a body of a man. Legend tells how these creatures mislead travelers, eventually losing their way inside the dense forests and never finding their way out.
Thinking of a refreshing swim in one of Surigao's swift rivers or immerse in Lake Mainit's serene waters? Beware of the Bakunawa, a winged giant serpent with a red tongue, saw- like teeth and gigantic bulging eyes peering occasionally above the water. It is known to swallow small children and babies at the snap of its wide fleshy mouth.
While these mysterious creatures' presence is unpredictable and only often heard lurking around when kids misbehave, adventurous visitors are mostly tempted to make a pitstop in coastal villages at the foot of this rugged terrain, eager to hear stories about them. If one would ask, he will almost certainly be guaranteed to hear firsthand accounts of close encounters with these creatures. The stories are told by elders, usually as the sun sets and darkness falls, the sound of the leaves rustling and branches breaking as the wind forces its way through the dense underbrush, as the full moon shimmers at waters edge, foreboding the arrival of an impending danger as children gather close to home, away from the shadows of the cunning Tikbalang and Bakunawa.
Surigaonon, the official dialect in the city and province is unique among the Visayan dialects. It is also spoken by the majority of the population in the province of Surigao del Sur and around Lake Mainit in Agusan del Norte. Similarities with the Cebuano language is undeniable, however, staunch Cebuano speakers can hardly understand people who speak Surigaonon. It is still debated whether Surigaonon existed as a pure and distinct dialect, slowly pelted overtime by Visayan words as migrants settled in the area. Today, Surigaonon is the most widely spoken dialect inherent in the entire Caraga region.
Surigaonon has similar consonant and vowel sounds, stress, intonation patterns to the Cebuano language and Boholano languages. Surigaonon underwent certain morphophonemic processes, such as assimilation, deletion, alternation and metathesis (Dumanig, 2005). In the study conducted by Dumanig (2005) on Descriptive Analysis of Surigaonon language it was found that there are 18 consonants (b,d,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,ng,p,r,s,t,w,y,o,?) with 18 sounds and 3 vowels (a,i,u) with 5 sounds. It has also 25 noun clusters (br, bl, bw, by, dr, dy, dw, gr, gw, kr, kl, kw, mw, my, nw, pr, pl, pw, py, sw, sy, tr, tw, ty, hw) and 4 diphthongs (aw, ay, iw, uy), which are similar to the Cebuano language (Rubrico, 1999). There are Surigaonon words that are spelled similarly but they differ in meaning depending on how each syllable is stressed (Dumanig, 2005). Surigaonon language follows two intonation patterns like the rising and falling intonation. The rising intonation is common in asking yes or no questions and the falling intonation occurs in ending declarative and imperative statements (Dumanig, 2005)[5]
Surigao City is geographically situated (9.783333, +125.483333).[4] at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island. It is bounded by Municipalities of Dinagat and Basilisa to the north, Philippine Sea and the Municipality of Cagdianao to the east, Municipalities of Sison and Tagana-an to the south, Mindanao Sea and the Municipality of San Francisco to the west and the historic Surigao Strait to the northwest.
Surigao City is marked by rolling hills that gently buffers its eastern and western boundaries. To the southwest towers the Kabangkaan Ridge which divides the city from the municipality of San Francisco ( formerly called Anao-aon). Kinabutan River ( otherwise known as Surigao River) meanders Surigao valley before it empties to the Surigao tidal basin, a shrinking mangrove swamp fast overtaken by the city's expansion. It has an average elevation of 19 meters or 65.5 ft. above sea level. The highest elevation on the mainland at the Kabangkaan Ridge has a peak elevation of 465 meters above sea level. Along the border of Tagana-an is Mapawa Peak with an elevation of 245 meters above sea level. Barangays Cabongbongan, Nabago and Capalayan are at the foot of its slopes.
More than two dozen islands and islets make up two fifths of the city's total land area. They are separated from the mainland by Hinituan Passage, which connects Mindanao Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The largest island of Nonoc is marked by a rusty-red weathering mantle of lateritic nickel ore, visible from any vantage point on the mainland coast. Its highest elevation at 263 meters above sea level typifies most of its hilly terrain. Across the channel at Hikdop Island, the highest point is Mt. Telegrapo at 100.05 meters. Hinituan Island is similar to Nonoc's bare and rusty-red hilly appearance. Other notable islands of Hanigad, Sibale, Bayaganan and Awasan are generally flat, covered mostly by coconut trees and assorted hardwoods. Large swaths of mangrove and nipa palm forests cover its brackish waterways and shallow fringes of its coastlines.
Like most of the country, Surigao is officially considered to have a tropical rainforest climate type, Köppen class Af with an average precipitation of above 10 inches a year. The city is normally spared of destructive typhoons that visit the northern parts of the Philippines annually, however, it is distinctly wettest between the months of October until April. During the drier season from May until mid-September, it uniformly receives afternoon rain and thunderstorms. The evenings are typically cooler during the dry season, mitigated by breezes from the surrounding seas.
| Climate data for Surigao City, Philippines | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
32 (89) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
32 (89) |
31 (87) |
29 (85) |
30.92 (87.66) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (74) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (74) |
23 (73) |
23 (74) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 582.4 (22.93) |
389.1 (15.32) |
283.5 (11.16) |
196 (7.7) |
123.4 (4.86) |
114 (4.5) |
137 (5.4) |
115.1 (4.53) |
122.4 (4.82) |
216 (8.5) |
378.2 (14.89) |
429.5 (16.91) |
1,015.5 (39.98) |
| Source: http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayIntlNORMS.asp?CityCode=98653&Units=english | |||||||||||||
Surigao City is subdivided into 54 barangays, 34 in the mainland and 20 in the islands. Of the 36 coastal barangays, 15 are in the mainland and 20 are in the islands. The urban area covers 13 barangays or approximately 16% of the total land area. These include barangays Taft, Washington, San Juan, Sabang, Canlanipa, Cagniog, Luna, Togbongon, Rizal, Ipil, Mabua, Lipata and Punta Bilar.
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Surigao traces its roots to formal schooling in the year 1906 when the last group of Spanish Benedictine Missionaries, who had worked zealously to have founded the Cartilla or Doctrina School ( Escuela Catolica de San Nicolas), vacated Surigao. Soon after their departure, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Dutch Fathers, succeeded them, created the parish of Surigao, and made the Escuela Catolica de San Nicolas a parochial school which later became San Nicolas College. In 2002, Surigao became the first town or city in the entire Caraga region to host a university after San Nicolas College changed its nomenclature to become part of the Saint Paul University system.
In 1969, Surigao School of Arts and Trades was established on 1.2 hectares of land donated by the provincial government. It focused on curricula geared towards technology at a time the city saw rapid transformation with the onset of nickel exploration at the Nonoc island refinery. While the school was built, it initially held classes at the Provincial Sports Complex with a core census of 14 teachers and 103 students. In 1998, the school was renamed Surigao State College of Technology after it merged with Malimono School of Fisheries. Today, it has 3 major campuses including the former Siargao National College of Science and Technology in Siargao Island.
In 1996, Caraga Regional Science High School was established in San Juan, providing students in the entire region opportunity to join an academe of reputable standards, now nationally recognized. Students undergo a rigorous highly accelerated 4- level curriculum which includes two years of general studies and two years of a chosen major. With much success as it garnered consistent topnotchers in the National Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT), students also have opportunities to carry out independent research and compete in Intel Science Fairs.
San Sebastian College Institute of Law- Surigao Extension located in Taft, opened in 1997.
Surigao City underwent rapid economic growth that spanned nearly two decades beginning in the late 1960's. Pacific Cement (PACEMCO) started commercial operations manufacturing Portland cement and the Canadian- owned company Marinduque Mining and Industrial Corporation ( MMIC) also started extracting nickel and iron ore in Nonoc Island. This was a boon to the city as it generated more commerce to meet an increasing demand for goods and services. At the end of the decade in the 1970's, within a short period from cityhood, Surigao attained first class status. Likewise, mining activities increased by a manifold in other parts of the province, primarily extracting gold and copper. The city became the nexus of mining operations for the entire Region X, at the time among Philippines' largest regions encompassing nearly half of Mindanao Island. Philippines' Bureau of Mines and Geosciences moved its regional headquarters in the city at Km. 1. In 1983, MMIC stopped commercial operations due to financial losses and heavy debt as a result of plummeting prices of nickel. Commercial activities in the city slowed, relying on basic services, small scale industries, agriculture and fishing. Even the copra processing plant Surigao Coconut Development Corp. ( SUCODECO) in Lipata folded, another casualty from the weak prices of commodities in the world market. Added blow to Surigao's already weak economy came when typhoon Nitang ( internationally codenamed Hurricane Ike) struck the city in September 1984. The devastation was severe and wide. There were lots of casualties numbering close to 2000 human deaths. This extract from The Times on 6 September 1984 reports on the aftermath:[5]
While more than 300 people are now known to have died, Mr Salvador Sering, the deputy governor, believes 1,000 died in the provincial capital Surigao City alone. The city has run out of coffins and people are being buried in mass graves. Some 200 residents of the town of Mainit were reported to have drowned when a lake burst its banks. As the clearing up continues, cholera and typhoid vaccines have been flown to the devastated areas.
From the mid 80's until the turn of the 21st century, Surigao's economic woes mirrored the rest of the nation, returning to a bedroom community as it saw some of its original families leave looking for opportunities in other places, both local and overseas.
During the last decade, the city saw gradual economic resurgence. As its population increased, more businesses moved in. The city's potential as a major port was enhanced with increased handling capacity after its port expansion was completed in 2009. Today, it is one of the country's top seaports for gross registered tonnage handled [9], also posting the highest cargo and passenger traffic in Region XIII.
A tuna canning factory is also planned, a first in the Caraga region.
Presently, there are about two dozen national and rural banks operating in the city including major financial institutions Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company, Allied Bank, Banco De Oro, Philippine National Bank, One Network Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, United Coconut Planters Bank, China Bank, East West Bank and Bank of the Philippine Islands. Automated teller machines (ATM) are widely used in the city, connected to interbank networks BancNet, Expressnet and MegaLink.
For many years retail activity in Surigao is centered around its park, Luneta and are almost all located along the streets of San Nicolas, Borromeo and Rizal. In recent years, although more department stores were built, the city's main shopping area remained here. Among the major stores are Metro Surigao, Palma, Absolute Essentials, Unicity, Eduhome, WSS, Asialink and TT & Company. A new uptown shopping district is fast shaping up in the city's Barangay Luna. Construction of Gaisano Capital Mall, Central Warehouse and Citihardware are earmarked for full opening in 2012 while major mall chains like SM, Robinson's Place and Gaisano Grandmall are mulling branches in the city.
The once prosperous Nonoc Island has been identified as a special economic zone ( Ecozone) by the national government, a boon older residents are quite familiar not too long ago. Once fully realized, this project will put back the island's existing infrastructure, including a 1300-meter concrete airstrip and two 60,000 dwt seaport, back in operation. China's Jinchuan Group Ltd. has renewed its interest to pursue a proposal to invest as much as USD 1.5 billion in the rehabilitation of the Nonoc nickel refinery. The recent entry of major international mining company Sumitomo with USD 1.3 billion investment in the province sparked renewed interest of its vast mineral reserves and has helped spur secondary economic activities in the city. Other mining companies like Philex Mining Corporation [10], Mindoro Resources Ltd. and Anglo Ashanti are in various stages of exploration.
Tourism helped spur the city's economy during the last decade. Local tourism receipts have benefited from Siargao Island's increasing exposure to the international tourist market. This burgeoning industry is attracting adventure seeking tourists from every corner of the globe making Surigao the unofficial tourism capital of Caraga. Latest figures showed 145,739 foreign arrivals in the city in 2010, registering a 31.21 % growth. An array of activities are increasingly popular among the visitors in the province including snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, kayaking, mangrove canoeing and game fishing.
In February 11, 1997, the Congress of the Philippines enacted Republic Act 8244 converting Surigao Provincial Hospital into a regional training hospital and renamed it Caraga Regional Hospital[11], effectively expanding its scope and services that would include the entire Caraga region with a catchment population of nearly 2 million people. Today, this 150- bed tertiary hospital, a core referral facility, is rapidly expanding with intensive care units that includes Coronary, Pediatric, Surgical and Burn.
In October 2010, the city opened a PP35 million Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Anomar. Established under the aegis of the Department of Health, it is the first and only facility in the entire Caraga region solely focused on the treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers.
There are multiple modes of transportation in the city and are all privately-owned. The tricycle, a motorcycle with locally made sidecar that can accommodate as many as six passengers, is the main taxi that ply the city streets. Buses and jeepneys follow fixed routes for longer distance trips to outlying barangays, towns and neighboring provinces. The city is also served by outrigger water taxis called pump boats that follow scheduled sea routes to island barangays. Larger boats called Lantsa also have scheduled trips to Siargao, Dinagat and Bucas Grande. Regular ferry service connects the city to ports in Southern Leyte, Cebu, Manila and Agusan del Norte. There are direct flights to Manila and Cebu originating from the city's airport with occasional chartered flights to Siargao, Butuan and Tandag.
This historic port completed a PP414 expansion and upgrading in 2009 to meet world standards and increasing cargo demand from a revitalized mining industry in the province. Additional 2000 square meters of reclaimed area and 120 meters of berthing space were added, enhancing its role as one of the major ports in the region. This serves as a port of call for numerous local and international shipping lines including Cokaliong Shipping Lines [12], Sulpicio Lines [13], Montenegro Lines [14], Cebu Ferries [15] and Super Ferry [16].
Touted as the Gateway to Mindanao, Lipata Port serves as the entry point to Mindanao Island forming part of the extensive Pan Philippine Highway also called Maharlika Highway AH26 that originates from Laoag City to its southern terminus in Zamboanga City. The port has ro-ro capabilities that provides regular service to the ports of Liloan and San Ricardo, both in Southern Leyte.
Classified by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as a principal domestic airport, Surigao Airport ( IATA code SUG), is one of the two airports that serve the province of Surigao del Norte and northern parts of Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Norte. It has a 1708 meter concrete runway and handled an estimated 100,000 passengers in 2010. Plans are underway for the airport's expansion and runway extension to accommodate bigger aircrafts and increased passenger volume. Philippine Airlines[17], Cebu Pacific[18] and Air Philippines[19] have regular scheduled flights from Surigao to Manila and Cebu. Small private planes operate chartered fights to Siargao's Sayak Airport.
| Destination | Airport | Distance (Km) | Distance (Miles) | Est.Travel Time (TPE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siargao | Sayak Airport | 58 | 36.03 | 18 minutes |
| Butuan | Bancasi Airport | 90.14 | 56.01 | 25 minutes |
| Tandag | Tandag Airport | 107.76 | 66.96 | 30 minutes |
| Tacloban | Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport | 170.35 | 105.85 | 40 minutes |
| Cebu | Mactan-Cebu International Airport | 175.34 | 108.95 | 45 minutes |
| Davao | Francisco Bangoy International Airport | 293.55 | 182.4 | 1 hour |
| Manila | Ninoy Aquino International Airport | 717.42 | 445.79 | 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Clark | Diosdado Macapagal International Airport | 805.82 | 500.72 | 2 hours |
Pan- Philippine Highway AH26's northernmost terminus in Mindanao winds up in this city, dissecting the Surigao Valley before the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road spurs at Bad-as, Placer town. Surigao is a vital stopover in the highway system, often preferred by travelers because of its laid-back appeal. An integrated bus and jeepney terminal serves companies with routes that reach major destinations including Ormoc, Tacloban, Legazpi, Manila, Butuan, Tandag, Davao, Bislig, and Cagayan de Oro. Bus companies serving this terminal includes Bachelor Express, Philtranco[20], PP Bus Line and Surigao Express.
Cashing in on a 21-ton average daily collected garbage in the city, the local government of Surigao, with a PP150 million grant from the Swedish government and assistance from the Land Bank of the Philippines, built a sanitary landfill in Sitio Looc in 2009. It is considered a model for solid waste management through its P45 million-worth Waste Treatment Facility, the first in Mindanao. Likewise, it has a Material Recovery Facility, which treats recyclables, and a Leachate Collector, which extracts and treats liquids from garbage.
This historic sports complex hosted numerous national and regional events in the past. It underwent several renovations, the most recent in 2009 at a cost of PP320 million. The latest renovations are state-of-the-art, among a few in the entire country. The complex is situated on the 2- hectare Vasquez field and includes a 3500 person capacity grandstand, a fully airconditioned 3500 seating capacity gymnasium, a brand new amphitheater, an olympic-size swimming pool and a fully rubberized track and field oval.
Located at the provincial capitol complex, the Surigao Provincial Convention Center had hosted various national and regional conventions held in the city. It has a seating capacity of approximately 2500 persons.
Completed in 2007, it connects the Port of Lipata to downtown Surigao, cutting the travel time in half. It includes a series of bridges across coastal barangays San Juan and Sabang. The longest, Banahaw, spans the Surigao tidal basin.
Eight radio stations, frequency modulated (FM) stations and amplitude-modulated (AM) band cover the broadcast media. There are also five regular and cable TV stations- UNTV Channel 39, ABS-CBN Channel 12, GMA Channel 10, Studio 23 Channel 23, GMA News TV Channel 27. Two local publications, Surigao Today[21] and Periodico Surigao cover the print and world wide web media containing news of city's current events.
Leading telecommunication companies built facilities in Surigao paving way for clear connections to other parts of the country and the rest of the world. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Bayan Telecommunications ( Bayantel), Sun Cellular, Globe Telecom and Smart Communications operate vital transmission towers in the city.
Apart from its own, Surigao is in the midst of myriad world class natural attractions that extends beyond its boundaries and is henceforth true to its moniker, "The City of Island Adventures". Sohoton National Park, Bucas Grande Island, Guyam Island, Daku Island, General Luna's Cloud Nine Surfs, Pilar, Del Carmen Mangroves are among the frequently visited sites in the nearby islands. Among the notable hotels and resorts in the city are Hotel Tavern [22], Philippine Gateway Hotel [23], Almont Hotel and Beach Resort [24], Daydream Laguna Resort [25] and Fiesta Diving Resort [26].
Nightlife in the city is sparse, almost all concentrated along the Port Area, Boulevard, Luneta Park, major hotels and resorts. Except for the cacophony of tricycles on the main streets, most areas of the city goes to a slumber before midnight. The Port Area is a popular outdoor venue for locals as the entire strip is known for its smoky chicken barbecue stalls, especially at night.
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