Dinagat Islands

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Dinagat island, main part of Dinagat Islands province

Dinagat Islands ( Tagalog : Kapuluang Dinagat) is a young province on the island of Dinagat and offshore islands. It is located in the northeast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines .

The seat of the provincial government is in the municipality of San Jose in the southwest of the island. The governor was Geraldine Ecleo-Villaroman until 2010, since then it has been Glenda B. Ecleo.

geography

The Gulf of Leyte extends in the north of the island province , in the west lies the island of Leyte , opposite the Strait of Surigao . In the south is the province of Surigao del Norte , the northeastern part of the island of Mindanao with the islands of Gaboc Channel and Nonoc belonging to it. The islands of Awasan Bay, Hanigad and Hikdop, also belonging to Surigao del Norte, are located in the southwest. The Philippine Sea opens to the east . 30 km to the southeast are the islands of Siargao and Bucas Grande .

The province has a total area of ​​802.12 km², including around 47 smaller islands that are under the legal administration of the municipalities.

The highest point is the Redondo in the north of the island of Dinagat with 929 m.

The island province is a well-known tourist destination and is characterized by numerous large and jagged rock formations, interesting caves, mountain lakes and bays. These are home to sea ​​eagles , green turtles and an area where gem stones can be found .

Population, language and religion

Dinagat Islands has a population of 120,813 people according to the 2007 census. The average population density is 150.6 inhabitants per km².

The Surigaonon ethnic group is the largest of the ethnic groups in this area. Other ethnic groups in the province are Filipinos of Chinese , Japanese and Arab origins. European and American influences are also evident in the culture of this area.

About 95% of the people use the Surigaonon dialect. The languages Cebuano and Boholano are, though with a Tausug provided -Akzent but equally common. Other minorities speak Wáray-Wáray and Tagalog , although most of them speak English .

The dominant religion is Roman Catholic . Other popular beliefs are the Aglipayan Church and Protestants .

The headquarters of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Inc., a pseudo-Christian sect founded in 1965 on the island of Dinagat, is located in the San Jose community.

The province is regarded as a “holy land” in the local pre-Christian religion, since the god of the typhoons was persuaded by Da , the god of peace, to stop his attacks on the islands.

Administrative division

Dinagat Islands is divided into 7 independently administered municipalities:

The communities in turn are subdivided into a total of 100 barangays (districts).

The province forms a congress district.

It is the fifth province of the Caraga District , Region XIII.

history

In 1609, the Caraga district was established by the Spanish colonial administration, extending over the present-day provinces of Surigao del Norte , Surigao del Sur , the northern part of Davao Oriental and the east of Misamis Oriental .

In 1860, the entire island of Mindanao was divided into a total of six districts. Surigao and Agusan comprised the territory between Butuan Bay and Caraga Bay. Together they were initially referred to as the Eastern District and from 1870 onwards as the "Distrito de Surigao".

In 1901, under American rule, Agusan was made a subdivided command of Surigao with the name Butuan and in 1911 an independent province.

During the Second World War , the waters off the island of Dinagat were the scene of one of the most important battles of the Pacific War, the sea ​​and air battle in the Gulf of Leyte , which also took place in the Strait of Surigao . Dinagat Island was the gateway to the Filipino-American Liberation Forces before General Douglas MacArthur's return to Leyte . (→ Battle of Leyte )

On June 19, 1960, the large province of Surigao was divided into the independent provinces Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte with effect from Republic Act No. 2786 - Dinagat Islands became part of Surigao del Norte.

On December 2, 2006, the result of a referendum on a split from the province of Surigao del Norte , which voted for an independent province of Dinagat Islands with a narrow majority of 70,058 to 63,144 votes, was implemented with Republic Act No. 9355 . Dinagat Islands thus became the 81st province in the Philippines.

Attractions

  • The Mancono jungle
  • The Cambinli Falls and the river at Loreto
  • The island of Pangabangan near Libjo
  • Biasong Beach near Diganat
  • Key Island near Diganat

Web links

Commons : Dinagat Islands  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 10 ° 6 '  N , 125 ° 36'  E