17.NCR (National Capital Region)

GEOGRAPHICAL AREA

       Tagalog literature has been born, cradled, nourished and peaked into fruition in the provinces of  Southern Luzon, Central Luzon and the present Metropolitan Manila or the National Capital Region.

       Among the Southern Tagalog provinces are Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Aurora, Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Palawan and some towns of Rizal province. In Central Luzon, there are three provinces where Tagalog is predominantly used and these are the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bataan and Bulacan.  Metro Manila is comprised of cities composing the national capital region namely Manila, Quezon City, Pasay City, Caloocan City, Mandaluyong City, Pasig City, Marikina City, Muntinlupa City and suburban towns of Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Pateros and Taguig.  Some parts of the provinces that are not originally Tagalog cannot escape the onslaught of Tagalog language and culture, like some parts of the Bicol region and Pampanga.

THE CRADLE OF CULTURE

       Tagalog region is the birthplace of a rich tradition of Philippine culture in language, politics, economy and literature.

       The oldest university in the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas is located in Manila.   The first printing press was established in Manila. This gave way to the publication of the first book, Doctrina Cristiana in xylography in 1593, written in Spanish and Tagalog versions. The bible was first translated into Tagalog in Barlaan and Josaphat in 1708 and 1712.  The life of Christ in epic tradition known popularly today as Pasyon was written in Tagalog by various writers like Gaspar Aquino de Belen and Fr. Mariano Pilapil.

       The literary tradition in the Tagalog regions specially outstanding in the field of oral literature like bugtong(riddle), proverbs, native songs.  These oral literatures are always in poetic forms, usually seven-syllabic rhymes, so Asian in form and perspective.

       Considering this rich and envigorating cultural matrix, it is not surprising that it is the Tagalog region that was destined to be the birthplace of historic men in Philippine politics, culture and literature that includes Francisco Balagtas Baltazar, Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Jose P. Laurel, Claro M. Recto, Amado V. Hernandez, Lope K. Santos, Lazaro Francisco, Faustino Aguilar, Jose Corazon de Jesus, Alejandro Abadilla, Modesto de Castro.

       It is not noticeable that such men are not only man of history that played a great role in Philippine independence movement but men of letters as well.

THE LITERARY TRADITION

       It is the pens of these men that shaped the political consciousness of the Filipinos. 

       Balagtas could be said to have voiced out the first concept of nationhood in Philippine politics and literature in his epic poem, Florante at Laura.  Says Balagtas:

Sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi
Kaliluha'y siyang nangyayaring hari
Kagalinga't bait ay nilulugami
Ininis sa hukay ng dusa't pighati.

In and out of my miserable country
Repression is the dominant king
Goodness and well-meant intention are suppressed
Doomed in the grave of sufferings and grief.

       Although Balagtas used Albania as an allegory, the situations clearly spoke of the Philippines.  This epic poems of Balagtas had inspired a generation of young writers of the period, like Marcelo H. del Pilar, who spearheaded the Propaganda Movement in Europe and Jose Rizal, whose novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo set the conflagration of revolutionary spirit and movement.

       While Rizal was living in banishment in a far-flung town of Dapitan in Mindanao island, a man of the masses, Andres Bonifacio founded the Katipunan, a revolutionary organization that sought total independence from the Spanish yoke.

       Even the revolutionary struggle of the people was guided by the light of literature.   Bonifacio and Emilio Jacinto, his close associate in the revolutionary struggle were men of letters, both writing nationalist essays and poems.

       Jacinto in his essay, "Liwanag at Dilim" (Light and Darkness), discoursed on the spirituality of man's natural desire for freedom.  On the other hand, Bonifacio spoke of the dimension of love of country in his poem, "Pag-ibig sa Tinibuang Lupa" (Love for the Native Land).  He says:

Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya 
Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa
Aling pag-ibig pa, wala na nga, wala.Which love can be more powerful
More pure and noble
Than the love for one's native land
Which other love, there is no such.

       This tradition of Tagalog literature has been bequeathed upon the national consciousness of the Filipinos all over the Philippines.  Manila being the center of the country in all aspects of national life of the Filipinos becomes the logical conduit of national consciousness emanating from the literary legacy of the region's gifted minds.

       During the long period of Philippine subjugations by foreign dominations -- Spanish, American and Japanese -- vigorous literary traditions have been nurtured.

       In the contemporary Philippine society, Tagalog literature is continuing its role bequeathed upon it by historical development.

       However, Tagalog literature now, more and more is given a new name -- Filipino literature.  But this is another story.

16.ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao)

Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

NOTES:

§  ^a Figures exclude Isabela City.

§  ^b Rejected inclusion into the ARMM, still part of the Zamboanga Peninsula region.

§  ^c Figures exclude the independent component city of Cotabato.

Geography

The ARMM spans two geographical areas: the Mindanao mainland, where Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao are situated, and the Sulu Archipelago, made up of the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The region covers a total of 12,288 km².

Famous People

1.     Leonor Orosa-Goquingco (July 24, 1917 - July 15, 2005) was a 1976 Filipino national artist in creative dance. She could play the piano, draw, design scenery and costumes, sculpt, act, direct, dance and choreograph. Her pen name was Cristina Luna and she was known as Trailblazer, Mother of Philippine Theater Dance and Dean of Filipino Performing Arts Critics.

2.     Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat (also spelled Qudarat or Corallat) (1581–1671) was a Sultan of Maguindanao. During his reign, he successfully opposed the Spaniards who attempted to conquer his land and hindered the Christianization of the island of Mindanao. He was a direct descendant of Shariff Kabungsuwan, a Muslim missionary who brought Islam to the Philippines.

Famous Places

1.     Rio Grande de Mindanao - the longest river in Mindanao and the second largest in the Philippines. Its 320 kilometer journey starts somewhere near Butuan City as the Pulangi River then joins with the Kabacan River before emptying into the Moro Gulf through Cotabato City.

2.     Sitangkai -  an island in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines known as the 'Venice of the East' for its houses that are built on stilts above water

3.     Bulingan Falls - a majestic falls in Basilan, Philippines

Literature of ARMM

Tarasul - poems of Tausug. Tarasul are both entertaining and pedagogical. Although part of oral tradition, they are also written down. Topics of the tarasul are various-nature, cooking, love, among others.

Examples of Tarasul: 


1.  In ulan iban suga
Kagunahan ha dunya
Apu' Banuwa
In jambangan tulunga.


The rain and sun
Are essential on earth,
Oh, Apu' Banuwa ["grandfather chief" or angel Michael]
Help the garden.


2. Manggis iban buwahan
Kasusuban sin katan;
In marang iban duyan
Bungangkahuy manaman.


The mangosteen and the lanzones
Are the delight of everybody;
The marang and the durian
Fruits are tasty.


3. Tarasul ini iban daman
Ganti' pamintangan
Ha pasal ina' subay kalasahan
Di ha dunya ganti' patuhanan.


This tarasul and daman
Serves as a lesson
Concerning the obligation to love one's mother
Since she is God's representative on earth.


4. Mabugtang agun in baran ku
Pasal sin raybal ku.
Hangkan no aku di' no magkadtu
Sabab landu' susa in atay ku.


My whole being seems paralyzed
[Thinking] of my rival.
The reason I no longer pay [her] a visit
Is that my heart is grieving much.

Katakata – one of the four Tausug narratives:  the salsila (ethno-historical narratives), the kaawn kissa (creation stories), the usulan kissa (origin stories), and the katakata (marchen).

Märchen -  folktale characterized by elements of magic or the supernatural, such as the endowment of a mortal character with magical powers or special knowledge; variations expose the hero to supernatural beings or objects. The German term Märchen, used universally by folklorists, also embraces tall tales and humorous anecdotes; although it is often translated as “fairy tale,” the fairy is not a requisite motif.

Katakata are stories which are not historical and which are recited basically for entertainment. There are generally three types of katakata, one which resembles the legend, the marchen, and the trickster tale.

An example of the first type is:

"In Duwa bud" (The Two Mountains)

A man and a woman who have died become two mountains, which today are believed to be enchanted. Resting between the sea of Sulu and Zamboanga, the two mountains must not be referred to by travellers.

An example of the second type is the Tausug version of "Tom Thumb" folktales and is called"Hangdangaw" (literally, "a span high").

Despite his size, Hangdangaw is a voracious eater and grows with exceptional strength. He leaves his parents and -meets four powerful men who become his friends: Mamuk Bunga, Tumibik Batu, Sumagpih Ipil, and  Rumatag Bud. One day, Hangdangaw catches s big fish but discovers that he needs fire to cook it. He sends the four to get fire, but they are captured and imprisoned by a human-eating giant. Hangdangaw rescues them, and they finally get to eat the fish. After the meal, Hangdangaw throws away the fish bone, which, unfortunately lands on the maharajah's well. Hangdangaw helps the maharajah by throwing the fish bone a second time; it lands on the water hole of a panglima (headman). This is repeated two more times in the wells of the imam and the crown prince. As a reward, the daughters of the maharajah, panglima, imam, and crown prince are married off to Hangdangaw's four friends. From the crown prince's well, the fish bone lands on the sultan's. Hangdangaw intervenes again and ends up marrying the sultan's sister.

More popular among the Tausug are the trickster tales which involve Pusong and Abunnawas and which belong to the "clever lad" genre. In these tales, Pusong and Abunnawas always get away with the tricks they play on the sultan. The popularity of these tales and the irreverence they show towards the sultan betray the egalitarian attitude of the Tausug.

Other katakata deal with agassi (giants) like the "Baguinda Iban Hinda Apu" (Baguinda and Grand-father Agassi). There are also stories where handsome anak datu (royal princes) or beautiful putli (royal prin-cesses) are turned into ugly creatures only to be return-ed to their true selves after undergoing various trials. "Putli Pugut" and "Manik Buwangsi" are good examples of this type of katakata.

Animal tales such as that of pilanduk, a kind of mouse deer, are also types of the katakata. Pilan-duk has evolved into a human trickster as wily as Pusong and Abunnawas (Tuban 1977:93-94). Other examples of animal tales include the stories of "The Rabbit and the Lion," "The Tukling and the Crow," and "There was a King"

Tudtul - Maguindanao tudtul (folktales) are short stories involving simple events.  Two examples are presented.


The "Lagya Kudarat" tells the adventures of the two children of Lagya (rajah) Mampalai of Lum who are blown away after Mampalai laments the lack of viable partners for his children.  These two children are Lagya Kudarat and Puteli (princess) Sittie Kumala.  Puteli Kumala is blown to a forest where she meets a kabayan (in all Maguindanao stories, this character is associated with an old unmarried woman).  The kabayan adopts her, as she earlier did the prince named Sumedsen sa Alungan.  Although Kumala and Sumedsen live in the same house, they never speak to each other.  Later, because of peeping toms, Kumala leaves and Sumedsen goes with her.  They find their way to Lum, where a happy reunion takes place.  Sumedsen eventually marries Kumala.  Meanwhile, Lagya Kudarat is blown to Kabulawanan.  There he meets another kabayan who allows him to live with her.  One day while hunting, Kudarat hears the game of sipa (rattan ball kicked with the ankle) being played.  He proceeds to the direction of the game and is invited to play.  Not knowing how to play, he accidentally causes the sipa to fall in front of the princess who is sitting beside the window.  She throws him her ring and handkerchief.  The marriage between the princess and Kudarat is then arranged.  After the wedding, Kudarat feels homesick; his wife then suggests that they go back to Lum.  There is a happy reunion.  A week later, Kudarat and his wife returns to Kabulawanan to live with his in-laws.


"Pat-I-Mata" narrates the story of two brothers -- Pat-I-Mata and Datu sa Pulu.  The former rules Kabalukan while the latter reigns over Reina Regente.  Pat-I-Mata is so-called because he has four eyes; when his two eyes sleep, his other two are awake.  He is also known for his cruelty to women, marrying them when they are beautiful and returning them after they have gone ugly.  Because of this, the people of Kabalukan can no longer tolerate Pat-I-Mata's cruelty.  They approach his brother and ask for his help.  The Datu sa Pulu tries to advise his brother but to no avail.  He then decides to kill Pat-I-Mata.  So he builds a cage.  Seeing the cage, Pat-I-Mata asks what it is for.  The Datu replies that it is constructed to protect them from an incoming storm.  Being greedy, Pat-I-Mata asks for the cage saying that the Datu can make his own anytime.  The Datu pretends to hesitate but later accommodates his brother's wishes.  When Pat-I-Mata and his followers enter the cage, the Datu orders the door shut.  Realizing that he is tricked, he says before being thrown into the river: "Never mind, my brother.  We would always be enemies -- and we will never be reconciled till eternity.  I would die but I pray that whenever you go riding on a boat in the river, my spirit will capsize it".

Bidasari – an epic of Mindanao based on a Malayan epic. It resembles the tales of Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty all combined

Summary of Bidasari

When a simple merchant, his young son and mute servant are out in the woods, they chance upon a drifting boat, in which there is a baby girl and a bowl containing a live goldfish. The merchant realises that the baby is unusual because her life is bonded to the fish: if the fish leaves the water, she stops breathing. The merchant adopts the baby as her own and names her Bidasari. Years later Bidasari grows up into a beautiful young woman while the merchant has prospered into a wealthy businessman.


At the royal palace of this kingdom, the King has just remarried a beautiful woman, the Permaisuri (Queen). The Permaisuri is a proud woman who secretly practises witchcraft. Hidden in her chambers is a magic mirror that can show her anything she asks. She uses it to ask who the most beautiful in all the land is. One day when she asks the mirror this question, the image of Bidasari appears in it. She is enraged by this and carries out a search to find who Bidasari is.
Her search leads her to the merchant's house. Under the guise of kindness, the Permaisuri asks the merchant for permission to bring Bidasari to the palace to be her companion. Although the merchant is reluctant to part with his beloved daughter, he lets her go. But once Bidasari arrives at the palace, she is sent to the kitchens as a servant, where she is starved and given the dirtiest jobs.
After the Permaisuri is satisfied that Bidasari has been ruined, she once again asks her magic mirror who is the most beautiful in the land. When the mirror shows Bidasari yet again, the Permaisuri flies into a rage and runs to the kitchen where she grabs burning pieces of firewood which she tries to burn Bidasari's face with. She is shocked when the fire goes out and Bidasari's face is left untouched. Bidasari, who has by now realised that the Permaisuri's malice is targeted only at her and will never stop, begs for mercy and explains her life is bonded to that of a fish that is kept in a bowl in her father's garden.
The Permaisuri has a servant steal the fish for her from the merchant's garden, and as soon as the fish leaves the water, Bidasari collapses and stops breathing. Satisfied that Bidasari's life is in her hands, the Permaisuri hangs the fish around her neck as a trophy. When she asks the mirror who is the most beautiful in the land, the mirror shows her own image.
The merchant realises that the fish is missing, and is told that Bidasari died mysteriously at the palace. Her body is returned to him and he builds a small tomb for her in the woods where her body is laid out in peace.
Meanwhile, the Permaisuri's stepson the Prince has been having dreams about Bidasari, although he has never met her. The dreams plague him even in his waking hours, despite his father's advice that such a beautiful woman cannot exist. The Permaisuri sees her stepson acting this way and plants a painting of Bidasari in his room. The Prince finds the painting, which leads him to the merchant who explains the sad tale of Bidasari's death and the mysterious disappearance of the fish.
The Prince decides to visit Bidasari's tomb to see her beauty with his own eyes. Coincidentally at this time, back at the palace the Permaisuri is having a bath in the royal bathing pool. The fish manages to break free of its locket and drops into the water where it starts swimming. This causes Bidasari to wake up right before the Prince's eyes. Bidasari tells him of what the Permaisuri did to her, which confirms the Prince's suspicions of his stepmother.
When the Permaisuri finishes her bath, she discovers that the fish has gotten free. She manages to catch it just as the Prince is about to help Bidasari leave the tomb, causing her to fall unconscious again. The Prince places Bidasari back in the tomb and promises to make things right.
The Prince returns to the palace in a fury, demanding that the Permaisuri give him the fish. The Permaisuri pretends not to know anything, and when the King listens to the Prince's explanation, the King declares that his son has gone insane and calls the royal guards. A fight ensues, during which the Permaisuri is injured and dies.


Just before the Prince is about to be captured, the merchant and the Prince's loyal manservants arrive with Bidasari on a stretcher. The merchant explains that the story about the fish being bonded to Bidasari's life is true. The Prince takes the fish from the locket around the Permaisuri's neck and puts it into a bowl of water. As soon as the fish enters the water, Bidasari comes back to life. The King apologises to his son, and the Prince and Bidasari are married.

15.CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region)

Anthropologists and historians believe that the Igorots have been in the Cordillera mountains with their own cultural laws and political divisions 3,000 years ago. However, written records came only in the late 16th century.

Spanish Colonial Times
The Spaniards were able to reach the Cordillera via Ilocos. In the late 1590s, they established the encomienda (district) of El Abra de Vigan (Opening of Vigan) under the comandancia politico-militar (province) of Ilocos. They established missions in Bangued and started spreading Catholicism in the area.

In 1620, drawn by the fabled golds of the Igorots, the Spaniards explored Benguet reaching as far as La Trinidad. In 1663, the Spaniards marched to Kayan in Mountain Province.

But the colonizers did not stay long in the region.

The Spaniards' attempt to conquer the Igorots intensified again in the 19th century. They established the comandancia of Kiangan in Ifugao in 1841 and of Abra in 1846 separating it from Ilocos Sur (which became a separate province from Ilocos Norte in 1818). New districts were also created in 1846, Amburayan (covering parts of Ilocos Sur and Apayao), Lepanto (encompassing parts of Mountain Province) and Benguet (which was placed under La Union comandancia and contains La Trinidad Valley and adjacent areas).

In 1847, the Tiagan comandancia was created which include the boundaries of present day Abra, Ilocos Sur, and Mountain Province.

The district of Lepanto which covered the area from Mainit to Banaue became a province in 1852. Benguet, made up of a stretch from Buguias to Itogon, followed suit in 1854 .

In 1859, the comandancias of Magaogao in Kalinga and Bontoc in Mountain Province were created. The Saltan commandancy (1859) covered the area from Pinukpuk to Tinglayan.

In 1889, the Spaniards changed Saltan to Itawes comandancia which ruled Conner, Tabuk and Paracelis. They also re-established the comandancia of Kiangan which took Banaue from the Bontoc comandancia and covers the whole Ifugao area. Bontoc, in return, got Lubuagan, Tanudan and Tinglayan.

In 1891, before the century ends and so is their domination in the Philippines, the Spaniards created the provinces of Kayapa from the boundaries of Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya and by elevating Amburayan from being a district.

Just like their earlier expeditions in the Cordillera, the later efforts of the Spaniards to dominate the highlanders were short-lived and made a very little impact. For all those years the colonizers subjugated most of the country, the Igorots lived free.

American Colonial Times
Within a short span of time, the Americans were able to penetrate the whole of Cordillera. And in more than four decades of ruling the country, they open the area for mining explorations and the Igorot culture to world scrutiny.

The Americans started some political re-organization as soon as they took over. In June 1901, they created Amburayan Province which occupies vast part of the Mountain Province today. Then in 1902, they established the Lepanto-Bontoc Province.

In 1905, Abra was annexed to the bigger Ilocos Sur.

On August 18, 1908, through Act No. 1876, the sub-province of Apayao (which was then part of Cagayan), and the provinces of Benguet, Amburayan, Lepanto-Bontoc, Kiangan (Ifugao) and Itawes (Kalinga) were solidified under the newly created Mountain Province.

One act during the American colonization that made the biggest impact in the Cordillera was the declaration of Baguio as a chartered city on September 1, 1909. The city was envisioned to be a health resort to American soldiers and civilian employees and resting place from the sweltering heat of the lowland. But the creation of good roads leading to the city also made way for the mining boom in the region.

In March 1917, Act No. 2683 was promulgated re-creating the province of Abra and separating it from Ilocos Sur.

The last re-organization conducted by the Americans took place in 1920. The western border of the Mountain Province was pushed eastward. In effect, the entire subprovince of Amburayan and Lepanto were dissolved. The Amburayan towns and villages were transferred to the provinces of Ilocos Sur and La Union while Lepanto areas were integrated to the sub-provinces of Benguet and Bontoc and to Ilocos Sur. The boundary re-creation also lead to the cessation of some Benguet towns to Ilocos Sur and La Union.

Philippine Independence up to Present
The political division in Cordillera as left by the Americans remained the same for 45 years. Change took place only whenTheRA No. 4695 was passed in June 18, 1966 dividing the old Mountain Province into four - Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao, and the merged Kalinga-Apayao.

In 1972, under President Marcos' Integrated Reorganization Plan, Kalinga-Apayao and Ifugao is placed in Cagayan Valley Region (Region 2) with Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Batanes while Mountain Province, Benguet and Abra were fused with Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and La Union to form the Ilocos Region (Region 1). Several times, many Cordillerans requested the merging of the old Mountain Province into one region but were denied.

The clamor to have a separate region for the Cordillera was granted in 1987 when Pres. Cory Aquino signed EO No. 220. The order joined the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, Mountain Province and the chartered city of Baguio into the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). EO No. 220 was supposed to facilitate the creation of an autonomous region in the Cordillera, however, subsequent bills passed by Philippine Congress were rejected in plebiscites. In effect, Cordillera remains an administrative region as to this day. (Click here to read more about the creation of CAR.)

On February 14, 1995, through RA No. 7878, Apayao and Kalinga were made separate provinces increasing the number of CAR composite provinces to six.

14.CARAGA

Caraga is an administrative region of the Philippines, on the northeastern portion of the island of Mindanao. It was created through Republic Act No. 7901 on February 25, 1995. Butuan City is the regional center. The region is composed of five provinces: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands

Information:

Topography

    The 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 sits in the middle of Agusan del Sur. Among the lakes in the region, Lake Mainit is the widest. It traverses eight municipalities: Alegria, Tubod, Mainit and Sison in the Province of Surigao del Norte and Tubay, Santiago, Jabango and Kitcharao in Agusan del Norte.

  Agusan Marsh 

 Lake Mainit

Location and size

Caraga Region, situated in the northeast section of Mindanao, is 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.

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 provinces, Agusan del Sur registered the largest population at 559,294, and Surigao del Norte was the smallest at 481,416. Surigao del Norte was the fastest growing province with an annual average growth rate of 1.84% over the last five years, while Surigao del Sur was the slowest at 1.35% over the same period.

Butuan and Surigao cities were included in the census tabulation in 2007 with total populations of 267,279 and 132,151, respectively. Butuan City registered an annual growth rate of 1.70% in the last five years, while Surigao City posted 2.65%.

Language

Surigaonon is the primary language that is inherent to the region, is spoken by 33.21% of the households, followed by Butuanon by 15%; Kamayo, by 7.06%, and Manobo, by 4.73%. Cebuano is widely spoken by 33.79% of the households in the region. The rest speak Boholanon, by 5.87%; Hiligayon, by 2.87%; and other dialects by 7.20%.

Surigaonon is a local Philippine language spoken in the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur and some portion of Agusan del Norte especially in towns near Mainit Lake.

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.

Cultural Groups

The majority of the inhabitants of the region are of Visayan heritage. The province is 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.

13.Central Mindanao

CENTRAL MINDANAO/SOCCSKSARGEN

 (pronounced [sokˈsardʒɛn])

Is a region of the Philippines, located in central Mindanao, and is officially designated as Region XII. The name is anacronym that stands for the region's fourprovinces and one of its cities: SouthCotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat,Sarangani and General Santos City. The regional center is Koronadal City located in the province of South Cotabato.^[2]Cotabato City, though geographically within the boundaries of the province of Maguindanao, itself is part of SOCCSKSARGEN, and is independent of that province. Maguindanao province is, in fact, a part of theAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which has its seat in Cotabato City. SOCCSKSARGEN and the province of Maguindanao were once part of the original Cotabato province.