Geographical Location
     Surigao del Sur is situated along the northeastern coast of Mindanao facing the Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the province of Surigao del Norte, in the east by the Philippine Sea, in the west by provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, and in the south by the province of Davao Oriental.
     The land area of the province is 4,552.2 sq. kms., constituting 1.5 percent of the total land area of the Philippines. Almost three-fourths of the land area consists of highlands and forest-covered mountains.
     Surigao del Sur was created as the 56th province of the Philippines on June 29, 1960 by the virtue of Republic Act. No. 2786. It was formally separated from its mother province, Surigao del Norte, on September 18, 1960.
     Today, Surigao del Sur is one of the four provinces of Caraga Region.

Brief History

The province's original inhabitants were Amanwas, Manobos, and Tagabaloyes. When Visayan fisherman, forced by the strong sea currents, sought refuge in the province, they occupied one of the huts of the Mamanwas. Thinking that these fisherman wanted to occupy the hut by force, the natives cried "Agaw!", which means "grab' in English. Later, immigrants added the prefix "Suri", hence, the province name Surigao was coined.

In the early 17th century, another expedition into Agusan-Surigao area was sent under Juan de la Vega in order to subdue the natives. During this time, many of the inhabitants became Christians, and peace and progress reigned in the capital.

Tandag, the provincial capital of Surigao del Sur, can be reached by plance (SEAIR) twice-a-week Cebu. It is also accessible through Butuan or Surigao City by plane or passenger boats from Manila and Cebu. Tandag is four hours away by bus while from Butuan via Agusan del Sur, the travel time is approximately six hours. All municipalities are served by jeepney that have intermunicipal routes.