Surigao City Charter Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: August 31, 2024

Surigao City is a first class component city in the Philippine province of Surigao del Norte. It is the provincial capital of Surigao del Norte, as well as one of major centers of politics, banking, commerce, industry, and education in Carago Region.

The name Surigao is believed to derive from the word suligao, which means “spring water”, or surogao (suyogao), meaning “water current”. Either way, it is probably a reference to the Surigao River. Another theory claims that it is derived from Solibao, the name of a local chieftain.

The first Europeans to set foot in the area were Ferdinand Magellan and his men in 1521. Once the Spaniards started their colonization of the Philippines, the site of what is now Surigao served as a port of call for inter-island vessels. A proper settlement was founded there on June 29, 1655, making Surigao one of the oldest port towns in Mindanao. It was originally named Carago after the Kalagan people.

In 1750, the town became the capital of the surrounding district of Surigao after the previous capital of Caolo had burned down. At the time, the district of Surigao covered about a third of the land area of Mindanao, encompassing several present-day provinces or their parts. Two years later, the town was devastated by Moro pirates, who killed or enslaved most of its inhabitants, but it managed to rebuild in the years that followed.

After its defeat in the Philippine-American War, the Philippines came under the American administration. The new civil government established by the Americans kept Surigao as the provincial capital. During World War II, Surigao was occupied by Japan in May 1942 and liberated by allied forces in the fall of 1944.

The Japanese occupation brought massive destruction to Surigao, but the town was rebuilt after the war and soon began to thrive economically, largely due to its abundant reserves of chromite, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, manganese, nickel, and silica. The mining industry attracted laborers from all over the area, and Surigao grew and developed significantly during the post-war years.

In 1960, the province of Surigao was split into two new provinces, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur; the town of Surigao became the capital of Surigao del Norte. Surigao continued to grow economically event after the split, and was finally converted from a municipality into a chartered city on August 31, 1970.

The anniversary of Surigao’s cityhood was designated as a special non-working holiday in the city. It is marked by various festivities that include a solemn thanksgiving mass, celebratory speeches, the Grand Float Parade, sports competitions, concerts, and other events and activities organized by the Surigao City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, as well as other agencies, organizations, and local businesses.