Carmen, Agusan del Norte

Carmen
Municipality
Municipality of Carmen
Municipal Hall
Seal
Nickname(s): Mango Capital of Caraga
Map of Agusan del Norte with Carmen highlighted
Carmen Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 08°59′N 125°18′E / 8.983°N 125.300°E / 8.983; 125.300Coordinates: 08°59′N 125°18′E / 8.983°N 125.300°E / 8.983; 125.300
Country	Philippines
Region	Caraga (Region XIII)
Province	Agusan del Norte
District	2nd district of Agusan del Norte
Founded	July 1, 1949
Barangays	8
Government[1]
• Mayor	Ramon M. Calo
Area[2]
• Total	311.02 km2 (120.09 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	19,781
• Density	64/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	8603
Dialing code	85
Income class	4th

Carmen is a fourth class municipality in the province of Agusan del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,781 people.^[3]

Geography

The municipality of Carmen is the first town of Agusan del Norte that is strategically located in the Western Agusan Corridor. It is bounded on the north by the Butuan Bay, on the south by the municipality of Buenavista, on the east by the municipality of Nasipit and on the west by the province of Misamis Oriental.

Carmen has a total land area of 21,142 hectares. Its rolling hills are planted with different kinds of orchard, where some 500 hectares are devoted solely to mango plantations. About half of these are fully developed and are already producing sweet mango fruits which are being sold in volume in Cebu and Manila and to neighboring municipalities and Butuan City.

Barangays

Carmen is politically subdivided into 8 barangays.^[2]

Barangay	Land Area (km2)	Barangay Captain
Cahayagan	6.2328	Baltazar, Jimlan
Gosoon	6.89136	Pepito, Danilo
Manoligao	67.12396	Cabatingan, Alfreda
Poblacion	92.97312	Samaco, Gilda
Rojales	14.24656	Lauro, Ricardo
San Agustin	6.00078	Cabiltes, Ernesto
Tagcatong	14.48	Coñado, Anabelle
Vinapor	6.49244	Calo, Elizabeth Marie

History

Formerly, Carmen was called Kabayawa by the Manobo natives. Carmen got its present name from the miraculous image of the Virgin of Mount Carmen, believed to have been instrumental in killing the leader of the bandits who used to inhabit the place.

A Spanish Soldier named Juan Cardoniga was supposed to have fired his rifle at the leader of the outlaws who possessed an amulet of some source. Since his rifle did not work, Cardoniga got the image of the virgin from his necklace and place it inside the hole of the barrel after which he succeeded in firing the rifle and in killing the outlaw chief.

It was Rev. Saturnino Urios, the famous Jesuit priest of Agusan, who suggested that the name Kabayawa be changed to Carmen in honor of the secret image.

In 1949 the barrios of Carmen, Tagcatong, Cahayagan and San Agustin, formerly part of the municipality of Nasipit, became the town of Carmen by virtue of Republic Act No. 380 which was approved on June 15, 1949.^[4] This law was sponsored by Congressman Marcos M. Calo. The town came into being on July 1, 1949.

Demographics

Population census of Carmen
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	15,503	—
1995	15,967	+0.55%
2000	17,307	+1.74%
2007	18,116	+0.63%
2010	19,781	+3.25%
Source: National Statistics Office[3]

Local government

Elected government officials of Carmen for the term of 2013-2016:^[1]

• Mayor: Ramon "Monching RMC" M. Calo
• Vice-Mayor: Wilfredo T. Taglucop
• Sangguniang Bayan:
  • Erma R. Estoque
  • Maria R. P. Ledesma
  • Diosdado R. Palang-at
  • Marites Y. Mercado
  • Gilda A. Samaco
  • Raul M. Aparecio Sr.
  • Francisco C. Lopez
  • Leobel Tomas S. Luis

• SB Secretary
  • Felomino Palisan

List of Municipal Mayors

Mayor	Years of Service
Honculada, Nicanor O.	1949–1951
De Guzman, Arturo	1952–1955
Malimit, Jose	1956–1960, 1964 - 1967
Degamo, Esteban	1960–1963
Calo, Tranquilino Jr.	1968–1969, 1972 - 1985, 1988 - 1993
Campos, Ernesto	1969–1971
Pacon, Dionesio	1986–1987
Aparecio, Joaquin	1987
Battad, Arnulfo	1987 - 1988 (until January only)
Luneta, Eliseo	1993–1995
(*)Calo, Ramon	1996–2004, 2007 - present
Calo, Jovitte	2004–2007
Calo, Jesus	?

Note:

(*) - Incumbent

? - Currently unknown

Attractions

• Carmen Municipal Hall: Carmen has its new municipal hall which has a glamorous palace-like architectural design. Officially opened on July 1, 2011.

• Plaza Beach Resort: It is a beach covered with white sands in its coast located at Sitio Bulihon, Barangay Tagcatong.

• Mount Carmel View Park: A park commonly called by Carmenanons as "Marcos Park", located at San Isidro, Barangay Tagcatong. In this, you can view the whole Carmen and its nearby municipalities, and the island province of Camiguin.

• Punta Diwata Cave: It is one of the popular destinations in Carmen which consists of 43 caves. The awesome caves,the friendly people around them and the spectacular view of the sea in which you can also see the nearby Camiguin Island are more than enough to make tourists visit the place again and again. It is located in Barangay Vinapor.

• Balite Beach Resort: Located in Barangay Vinapor.

• Vinapor Blue Waters: Located in near in the Cliffs of Barangay Vinapor, this resort which consist of carved stones formed into a dinosaurs, that's why it is commonly known as Jurassic Park. Its picturesque view of the blue waters of the sea makes tourists attracted and relaxed. It has facilities that would suit to your relaxation needs like restaurant, open cottages, air-conditioned cottages, air-conditioned dormitory, sea pool, etc..

• Veranda I and II Resorts: A beach resort, hotel and convention venues which is located at Barangay Tagcatong and Barangay Rojales. It has air-conditioned rooms and suites, air conditioned cabañas and other facilities like cottages fronting beachfront, seafood and Chinese restaurants, mini bar, convention hall and swimming pool.

• Scuba Diving Sites: Carmen is known for its adventurous dive sites along the Punta Diwata Reefs and Balete Wall. It has six dive sites. Diving in Carmen is an excellent 80 ft. of visibility. Reef life is rich with soft and hard corals plus abundant reef and pelagic fishes. Profile ranges from sloping wall to cliffs with depths from 40 ft. to over a hundred, with generally sandy floors. Prime sites are located in Brgys Vinapor, Tagcatong & Poblacion. These sites makes divers explore these reefs because of its beautiful coral reefs and abundance in marine wildlife like sea turtles, coral reefs, etc..

• Cabatuan Beach

• Kibanlag Falls

Schools

Elementary:

Secondary:

• Carmen National High School
• Our Lady of Carmen Academy of Caraga, Inc.
• Manoligao High School
• Cahayagan High School
• Vinapor National High School

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information

		Bohol Sea	Butuan Bay
	Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental		Nasipit
	Carmen
	Gingoog, Misamis Oriental	Buenavista

Province of Agusan del Norte Cabadbaran (capital) Municipalities Buenavista Carmen Jabonga Kitcharao Las Nieves Magallanes Nasipit Remedios T. Romualdez Santiago Tubay Component city Cabadbaran Highly urbanized city Butuan (Administratively independent from the province, but grouped under Agusan del Norte by the National Statistics Office)