Sagay Foundation Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: July 31, 2026

Situated on the island of the same name, Camiguin is the second-smallest province in the Philippines after Batanes. It has no cities and only five municipalities, including Sagay. Before the arrival of Europeans, various merchants from the surrounding areas used the island as a trading stop.

The first major Spanish settlement on Camiguin was Catarman, which was established in 1679. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the area that is now Sagay was an outlying community under the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Catarman.

This changed in 1848 when Sagay became an independent parish under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary. The town’s name is believed to derive from that of a poisonous plant common in the area. Despite its parish status, Sagay still functioned as part of Catarman’s municipal administration. The community was primarily agricultural and produced abacá (Manila hemp), rice, coconuts, bananas, cacao, and coffee.

Sagay officially became a separate municipality after the end of Spanish colonial rule during the American colonial period. The United States gained control of the Philippines after they lost the Philippine-American War in 1902. During the reorganization of local governments, the American colonial government formally established the municipality of Sagay in 1909. At the time, it included what is now the municipality of Guinsiliban.

During World War II, Sagay was occupied by Japanese forces in 1942, as was the rest of Camiguin. Three years later, it was liberated by the 6th and 10th Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. In 1950, Guinsiliban was split off from Sagay to become its own municipality.

Today, Sagay consists of nine barangays and has a population of approximately 13,000 people. Although agriculture remains central to the local economy, tourism has grown in importance due to Camiguin’s popularity as a destination known for its volcanoes, hot springs, waterfalls, and beaches.

Sagay Foundation Day, which commemorates the establishment of Sagay as a municipality, is celebrated on July 31. This celebration should not be confused with Sagay City Charter Day. The latter is celebrated on June 11 in Sagay City, which is located in the province of Negros Occidental. It commemorates Sagay’s conversion from a municipality to a city in 2018.