- For the municipality in the province of
Davao
Oriental
, see
Caraga, Davao
Oriental
Caraga is an administrative
region of the Philippines
, on the northeastern portion of the island of
Mindanao
. It
is the newest region in the Philippines, and is also called
Region XIII. The Caraga Region was created through
Republic Act No. 7901 on
February 25
1995.
The region is composed of five (5) provinces:
Agusan del
Norte
, Agusan del
Sur
, Dinagat
Islands
, Surigao del Norte
and Surigao del Sur
; three (3) cities: Butuan
, Surigao
and Bislig
; seventy
(70) municipalities and 1,346 barangays. Butuan City
is the regional center.
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 a 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, the 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 into Norte and Sur, and in
June 1967, Agusan followed suit. While Butuan then was just a town
of Agusan, the logging boom in the 1950s drew business to the area.
On
August 2 1950, by
virtue of Republic Act 523, the City Charter of Butuan was
approved.
It is reported that during the early years of the Caraga region,
its inhabitants came from mainland Asia, followed by Malayans,
Arabs, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Americans. Migrants from the
Visayan and Luzon provinces later settled in the area. Most of its
inhabitants speak Cebuano and reside in the rural areas.
Political divisions
Caraga is
subdivided into 5 provinces and Butuan City.
¹ Butuan City is a highly urbanized city; figures are excluded
from Agusand del
Norte.
Location and size
Caraga Region, situated in the northeast section of Mindanao, is
located between 8 00’ to 10 30’ N. latitude and
125 15’ to 126 30’ E. 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 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.
TopographyThe 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, Jabango and Kitcharao in
Agusan del Norte.
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.
Land classification and major land uses
Of the total land area, 71.22% is forestland and 28.78% is
alienable and disposable land. Major land uses include forestland
comprising 31.36% and 23.98% of agricultural and open spaces.
Gross regional domestic product (GRDP)
The region performed fairly well in terms of regional output
contributing 8.01% in 1998, 8.25% in 1999 and 8.29% in 2000 to the
Mindanao GRDP. The region contributed 1.44% in 1998, 1.48% in 1999
and 1.50% 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% increase in 1999-2000. Caraga Region
recorded a 5.42% 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% in 1999 to 5.42% 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% in 1999 to 6.69% in 2000, cushioned the effects of what
could have been a slowdown of the region’s economy.
Demography
Population
Based on the final results of the 2000 census, the total population
of the region was 2,095,367 which was 7.86% 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%, 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% over
the last five (5) years, while Surigao del Sur was the slowest at
1.35% 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%
in the last five (5) years, while Surigao City posted 2.65%.
Language
Cebuano was spoken by 43.79% of the household population in the
region.Other dialects spoken were Surigaonon, spoken by 25.21%;
Kamayo, by 7.06% ; Boholanon, by 5.87%; Manobo, by 4.73%; Butuanon,
by 31.9%; Hiligayon, by 2.87%; and other dialects by 7.20%.
Religion
The
1995 census revealed that the dominant
religion in the region was
Roman
Catholic, with the population of 1,397,343 or 79% of the total
household population in Caraga. Most numerous in this census were
the manobos with 294,284 or 43.55% of the total population of
cultural communities. Most of them reside in the province of Agusan
del Sur. Other cultural communities in the region with significant
population were the Kamayo, Higa-onon, Banwaon, Umayamnon, and
Mamanwa.Surigaonon is a local Philippine language spoken in the
province of Surigao del Norte, and some portion of Agusan del Norte
especially in towns near Mainit Lake. It is related to the Butuanon
and Tausug languages.
Cultural Groups
The majority of the inhabitants of the region are of Visayan
heritage. The province is also home to several minority groups,
totaling 675,722 in 1995, representing 34.7% of the region's
population. Most numerous were the Manobos with 294,284 or 43.55%
of the total population of ethnic minorities. Other cultural groups
in the region with significant population were the Kamayo,
Higa-onon, Banwaon, Umayamnon, and Mamanwa.Most members of these
cultural groups reside in the province of Agusan del Sur.
It is reported that during the early years of the Caraga region,
its inhabitants came from mainland Asia, followed by Malayans,
Arabs, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Americans. Migrants from the
Visayan and Luzon provinces later settled in the area. Most of its
inhabitants speak the Cebuano dialect and reside in the rural
areas.
Poverty
Poverty incidence in the region decreased by 1.7% from 44.7% in
1997 to 42.9% in 2000. Another positive development is the increase
in the regional annual family income based on the 1997 and 2000
Family Income and Expenditure Survey, which increased by 13.65%
from PhP 71,7126.00 in 1997 to PhP 81,519.00 in 2000. Regional
annual family expenditures also posted a 16.65% increase, from PhP
61,815.00 in 1997 to PhP 72,108.00 in 2000. The average annual
savings slipped by 5% from PhP 9,911.00 to PhP 9,411.00. Poverty
incidence data for 2003 is not yet available.
On a national and Mindanao-wide perspective, Caraga Region is one
of the most impoverished regions in the country. The region has the
fourth highest poverty incidence level of families among all the
regions in the country for years 1997 and 2000 while among Mindanao
regions, Caraga has the third highest poverty incidence (in terms
of incidence of families).
Regional economy
From 2001-2003, Caraga Region consistently maintained its
performance vis-à-vis other regions in Mindanao, Philippines.
Caraga posted a 0.9% growth rate compared to the 9.5% growth rate
of Region 12 and the 2.6% growth rate of the Autonomous Region for
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Caraga’s growth rate in 2001-2002 and the
2002-2003 period was the same (0.9%). This was much less than the
growth of the population. This performance was better however than
the region’s performance in 2000-2001 period, where the region’s
economy declined by 1.4%.
The region’s contribution to Mindanao’s domestic product is 7.58%
in 2003. In terms of per capita income, Caraga has the second
lowest per capita income among Mindanao regions and nationwide. In
2003, the region accounted for 1.35% of the country’s GNP.
Caraga’s GRDP: 2001-2003
Caraga’s economic performance, in terms of the GVA and the GRDP,
was not as robust as expected. Nevertheless, some bright spots in
the region’s economic sector emerged from 2001-2003 which the
region can capitalize to further increase economic growth and
maximize social welfare.
From the 1.4% decrease in the GRDP in 2000-2001, the GRDP bounced
back in 2001-2002 by a 0.9% growth. The positive trend was
maintained in 2002-2003, with the region’s GRDP growing by 0.9%,
the same growth rate from the previous year.
The agriculture, fishery and forestry (AFF) sector is Caraga’s
banner economic sector, exhibiting an increasing growth trend of
3.8% and 6.8% growth rates in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Despite
the decreasing growth trend of the agriculture and fishery
subsectors, the sizeable growth rate of the forestry subsector more
than compensated for the decrease. The forestry subsector grew by
36.3% in 2003, the highest growth rate for any subsector in the
region. It is also important to note that Caraga region has the
highest GVA in the forestry subsector among all regions in the
Philippines.
The services sector is also one of the bright spots in the region’s
economy. After experiencing a decelerated growth rate in 2002
compared to the previous year’s 6.1% growth rate, the sector
bounced back in 2003 with a 5.6% growth rate. Moreover, the trade
subsector continued to be the dominant subsector posting a 5.6%,
6.6% and 6.3% growth rate in 2001 to 2003 respectively. It is
significant to note that all the subsectors posted positive growth
rates in 2001 and 2003. The transportation, communication and
storage sub-sector posted the highest growth rate of 8.4% among the
sub-sectors in the services sector.
The industry sector was the worst performing sector of the regional
economy with a continuous decline from 2001-2003. Although the
sector’s slide slightly decelerated in 2002 (-6.7% in 2002 from
-13.3% decline in 2001), it contracted by -12.1% in 2003. The
construction subsector had the largest decline of 16.6%, 11.3% and
33.5% in 2001, 2002 and 2003 respectively. The mining subsector
also posted negative growth rates but the decreasing trend in this
subsector decelerated. The manufacturing offset the decrease in the
two sub-sectors by growing at 8.9% in 2003, making it the biggest
contributor to this sector. It should be noted that even with the
negative performance of the mining and quarrying sector, Caraga was
the second highest producer of metallic minerals, with metallic
mineral productions valued at PhP 1.25 billion in 2001 (Philippine
Yearbook, 2003).
Exports and investments
The amount of exports from the region and investments pouring in
the region are concrete indicators of a region’s economic dynamism,
progress and development. It also serves as an indirect indicator
of the business climate in the region and a barometer of investor
confidence in the region.
Investments in the region fell by 25.4% from PhP 6.3 billion in
2002 to PhP 4.6 billion in 2003. All provinces in the region posted
a negative growth rate in investments, with Agusan del Sur posting
the biggest year-on-year decline of 62.6% for the 2002-2003 period.
Agusan del Norte’s percentage share on investments increased from
64.8% to 79.5% despite an 8.5% decline. Per DTI Caraga’s advise,
the data on investments are partial at best and is not reflective
of the whole investment level in the region. DTI Caraga’s data does
not include public investment figures.
Exports decreased by 19.08% in the 2000-2001 period and 57.52% in
2001-2002. Agusan Norte, Surigao Norte and Surigao Sur posted
negative growth rates in the 2000-2001 period, with Surigao Sur
posting the biggest decrease in exports (81.31%). In 2002, Agusan
Norte posted an impressive 741.04% increase in exports, a harbinger
of increased economic activity in the province. Surigao Norte
posted the biggest decrease in exports for 2002 (63.17%).
It is of interest to note that Caraga’s percentage contribution to
Mindanao’s exports has been erratic. In 2000, the region
contributed 1.87% to Mindanao’s exports; this expanded to 2.68% in
2001 only to decrease to 0.77% in 2002.
Natural resources
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. Its leading crops are palay, banana and coconut.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.
Major products
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 palay, corn, coconut, gold,
banana, rubber, oil palm, calamansi, prawns, milkfish, crabs,
seaweeds and mango. Caraga's proximity to Cebu and Manila makes it
a favorable shipping point for products to and from these markets.
Nasipit Port can serve as a secondary shipping hub to Cagayan de
Oro when traffic volume from other points in Mindanao increases.
With a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ferry service now in place, Surigao
City serves as a vital transportation link for trucks and buses
bound for Luzon.
| Agusan Del Norte |
Agusan Del Sur |
Surigao Del Norte |
Surigao Del Sur |
| rice, coconut, corn, mango, bananas, palm oil, vegetables, and
prawns |
diamond, gold |
Ironwood, nickeleferous laterite ore, gold, chromite, lode ore,
and laterite ore; limestone, silica deposits, guano, rock
phosphate, sand, and gravel; chromate; Marlin, tuna, lapu-lapu,
molluscs, crabs, even squids, stingrays, and octopuses |
palay, corn, coconut, abaca, soybeans, coffee, and other high
value crops; prawns, milkfish, and crabs; are Narra, red and white
Lauan, Mayapis, Almon, Apitong, Yakal, Bagtikan, Tanguile, Rattan
and Bonbon |
Tourist attractions
Surfing
Lying at the edge of the Philippine archipelago,
Siargao is 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
. The huge and powerful "pacific rollers"
have been ranked among the top five breaks in the world, including
the "Cloud Nine" which is considered one of the world's top surfing
waves.
Other excellent breaks, which offer the
adventurous surfer top-class exploratory surfing without crowds,
are found in the towns of Cantilan
, Tandag and Lanuza
.
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.
Among the region's tropical treat include: a boat ride along the
naturally-carved water channels amidst the jade-colored lush of
mangrove forest in Barangay Manjagao; a journey to the floating
village of Barangay Dayasan, and to Buenavista Cave; and a visit to
the tropical island paradise of white sand beach, deep blue crystal
water in Sagisi island. The Britania in San Agustin-Surigao del Sur
hosts 25 unspoiled islets and islands of sugary-white sand and
clusters of limestones hills, much like the fabled hundred islands
in pangasinan. After having enough sightseeing, swimming and
snorkeling, you can spread your picnic blankets in the sand and eat
with gusto amidst the serenade of slashing waves and the whispering
winds. But you have to bring your food and drinks since there are
no restaurants yet in the islands.
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. Caraga has an
active and hospitable biking scene. Butuan or Surigao-based bikers
regularly tour the rugged terrain of the region and are eager to
show their routes to new comers. ΣΧΕ fraternity and sorority is a
part of this.
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. Through the years, the lake has been a known lair for
pidjanga, tilapia, kasili, banak, haw-an, gingaw, saguyon and igi.
Migratory birds, pagosi and tabokali flowers are its intermittent
added attractions. From the coastal areas of Lake Mainit to the
hills of Jabonga, Tubay, and Santiago, hikers are offered the
opportunity to explore the quiet and interesting life of these
places. There are a few established treks in the region, but
everywhere else you will be hiking in areas virtually untouched by
tourism.
Surigao first became famous for its surf, so kayakers who like big
waves enjoy it very much. There are also mangrove swamps in the
island where you can paddle both in the main channel and through
narrow passages in the mangroves while seeing some wildlife and
enjoying the serenity of the place. The first is just behind the
Pansukian Tropical Resort while the other one is in del Carmen,
where the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the Philippines is
located. The "must see" place in Caraga where you can paddle around
spectacular limestone formations to a point where you can enter a
narrow channel which soon becomes a cave is in Sohoton Cave and
Lagoon in Bucas Grande Island, which is more than an hour boat ride
from Siargao. Since the sport is new here, only Pansukian Tropical
Resort offers kayak tours in several locations around Siargao.
Aside from sea kayaking, Masao & Agusan Rivers, Lake Mainit and
the Agusan Marshland have tremendous potential for paddling using
wooden canoes.
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a new sport in the region, so there are no dive
resorts available in the area but the Butuan Divers Club offers
dive safari at Bito Wall in Bolobolo-Jabonga, Lipatan Shoal in
Karihatag-Malimono, Punta Diwata Reefs and Balete Wall in
Vinapor-Carmen, and artificial reefs in Calibunan-Cabadbaran. For
adventurous divers, the coasts of Surigao offer interesting dive
site while the islands of Sagisi and Corregidor are excellent for
snorkelling activities.
Caving
The limestone karst bedrock of some areas in Surigao and Agusan
provinces (particularly in the towns of San Agustin, Tagbina,
Lianga, Rosario, and Bislig) features dozens of caves, but none of
these are regular destinations for recreational cavers. 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. Further expeditions are expected
as more cave systems are discovered. Some of the most frequently
visited and accessible caves in the region are Buenavista and Silop
Caves in Surigao City and Libas Cave in Jabonga-Agusan del Norte.
These caves have impressive limestone formations and naturally
carved stalagmites, stalactites and columns.
Bird-watching
Agusan Marsh in Agusan del Sur is the biggest marsh in the country
and is host to diversified species of birds.
Events and festivals
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. Whatever time of the year, there will always be
an event or festival to experience and enjoy, like Naliyagan of
Agusan del Sur,Kahimunan, Balangay, Kaliguan, Lisagan and
Bonok-Bonok Maradjao Karadjao festivals. Surfers from around the
world converge in Siargao to pit their skills against each other
during the annual international surfing competition.
Facilities
The entire region is connected by roads from and to the major
commercial, trading and processing centers of Cagayan de Oro and
Davao. Butuan City is being developed as the regional center with
modern facilities. There are secondary seaports and airports in the
region.
It
has an increasing number of telecommunication facilities and the
presence of the Nasipit International Seaport in Nasipit
, Agusan del Norte as the major baseport in the
region.
Social development
Education and skills development
The region's literacy rate of 93% in 1990 was marginally higher
than the National Average of 92.57%. Supporting the education of
the region in 1997 were the 1,478 public and 49 private elementary
schools, 110 public and 71 private secondary schools, 26 secondary
school annexes, and 7 vocational schools.
The region has a total of 49 higher education institutions
comprising 45 private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and 4
State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). Among the Higher Education
Institutions, San Nicolas College (now St. Paul University-Surigao)
is identified as the center for development in teacher education
and the regional center for gender and development, it being the
seat of CARAGA Women's resources center. While one of the SUCs, the
Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology
(NORMISIST), is the seat of the CARAGA center for environmental
studies and management (CCESM), acts as the focal point of
capability building and coordination for environmental efforts in
the region.
The oldest school in Caraga, the Urios College, was founded by
Caraga's most loved Spanish missionary, Fr. Saturnino Urios S.J. in
1901. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recognized Urios
College as one of the best schools in the region producing
topnotchers in national board examinations in Nursing, Engineering
and Accountancy. Its performance in the Licensure Examinations for
Teachers (LET) and the Philippine Bar (BAR) is also relatively
high. On July 12, 2006, Urios College formally announced its
elevation into a University and is now renamed Fr. Saturnino Urios
University (FSUU), the second home-grown university in
Caraga.
For the school year 1996–1997, the participation rate for public
elementary schools was 93.65%. Public secondary schools registered
a lower rate, 56%. The teacher-to-pupil ratios for both levels were
within the standard of one (1) teacher per forty (40) pupils.
Cohort survival rates were considered low for both the elementary
and secondary levels at 66.23% and 68.93%, respectively. For the
school year 1996–97, dropout rate at the secondary level was high,
especially in Butun City (9.5%) and Surigao Del Sur (7.8%). This
can be one of the causes why the majority of the population
finished only up to the elementary school level.
Health and nutrition
All the vital health indicators from 1992–1997 showed a decreasing
trend except for maternal mortality rate. The crude birth rate
decreased from the 1992-1996 five-year average of 21.02 to 18.71 in
1997. The crude death rate also decreased from 3.60 in the
1992–1996 average to 3.0 in 1997. The infant mortality rate
increased from an average of 1.33 in 1992–1996 to 1.56 in
1997.
All of the leading causes of morbidity from 1992–1997 were
communicable diseases, and showed a reduction in rates for every
1,000,000 population, except for pneumonia (836.30 to 1,200.23),
diarrhea (1,059.40 to 1,133.11), influenza (655.36 to 926.74), and
malaria (216.80 to 366.5). With regards to the leading causes of
mortality, lifestyle-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases
and cancer top the list, replacing the communicable diseases.
The region is faced with problems of endemic diseases like
schistosomiasis and
malaria. Although there was a slight reduction in
its prevalence for the past three years, still Caraga ranked as
number two in schistosomiasis cases and number six in malaria cases
nationwide.
Malnutrition rates were posted at 49.25%, of which 34.05% were
classified as mildly underweight, 11.66% as moderately underweight,
1.43% as severely underweight and 3.60% as overweight.
Life expectancy for the region, based on the 1995 census, was 65.73
years old for males and 70.98 years old for females.
As of 1997, there were 62 hospitals in the region, of which 35 were
government and 27 were private. Out of the 27 private hospitals, 20
were primary, 4 secondary and 3 tertiary. Out of the 35 government
hospitals, 18 were primary, 14 were secondary and 3 were tertiary.
There were 73 main health centers, 489 barangay health stations
manned by 76 doctors, 147 nurses, 35 medical technologists, 45
dental aides, 52 dentists, 608 midwives and 137 sanitary
inspectors. All of these were devolved to the local government
units in accordance with the 1991 local Government code.
Social welfare services
In 1996, Caraga had 1,619 welfare facilities of which 1,238 were
Day care Centers;8 were Senior Citizens' Center; 3 were
Productivity Skills capability Building for Disadvantaged Women
(PSCBDW); and with 1 each were the child Learning and Resource
Center, Women Center, Home for the Girls, Regional Rehabilitation
Center for Youth, Lingap Center, Balay Silongan, Foster Home for
Exploited Children And Women, and Halfway Home for Improved Mental
Patients.
On the community-based services, only the PSCBDW is being managed
by DSWD while the rest are managed by the LGU's.
Housing
The region had unique housing profile in 1990. While other areas
complained of housing shortage, a significant number of houses,
particularly in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte were vacant.
However, available statistics do not give the magnitude of
substandard of units to be replaced and current housing backlog.
Currently, the cities of Butuan and Surigao and other
municipalities are not spared from housing problems, i.e. squatters
bought by urbanization.
Infrastructure-utilities development
Roads and bridges
The region is connected to the major centers of its neighboring
regions by the Maharlika Highways that runs from Davao City to
Butuan, Cagayan de Oro and Surigao Cities. The provinces are
interlinked with concrete roads, except for Surigao del Sur. Total
road length of the region runs to 7,515.596 km. Road density was at
0.3988 as of 1995. There were 1,325.558 km classified as national
roads in the region and 1,289.774 km of city and proivincial roads.
The total municipal road length for the region was 696.46 km.
The region had bridges with the combined length of 23,775.49 meters
linear. Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur had the longest
bridge length 9,288.520 m linear and 7,853,4 m linear,
respectively.
Ports and airports
As the overland gateway to Visayas and Luzon, the region is
accessible by sea through the baseport of Nasipit in Agusan del
Norte, Lipata Ferry Terminal in Surigao city and other terminal
ports of Surigao Cit, Tandag, and Bislig.
Fast craft ferry
services also ply Surigao-Cebu
everyday. Private ports can also be found in the different
municipalities of the region, however, only three of these 42 ports
are operational.
The
region is also serviced by commercial flights to and from Manila
and Cebu through the airports of Butuan, Surigao, and Tandag.
The
Bislig airport used
to serviced commercial flights before its operation were
suspended. There are six other private owned airports in the
region. The ports and airports are supported by the road natworks
that connect the provinces within and outside the region.
Telecommunication facilities
All provincial centers have access to domestic and international
telephone facilities, both landlines and cellular phones. Three (3)
telephone companies serve the region, namely BAYANTEL, CRUZTELCO,
TETCO and PHILCOM. The three cellular phone companies in the
Philippines (Globe, Smart and Sun) have facilities in the region.
There are four Internet Service Providers (ISP) serving Butuan City
and two in Surigao City.
References
- Final results - 2007 Census of Population
- Caraga Regional Development Plan 2004-2010
See also
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