Tandag

Tandag
Component City
City of Tandag

Seal

Map of Surigao del Sur with Tandag City highlighted
Tandag

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 09°04′N 126°11′E / 9.067°N 126.183°E / 9.067; 126.183Coordinates: 09°04′N 126°11′E / 9.067°N 126.183°E / 9.067; 126.183
Country Philippines
Region Caraga (Region XIII)
Province Surigao del Sur
Congr. districts 1st district of Surigao del Sur
Cityhood 23 June 2007
Barangays 21
Government[1]
 • Mayor Roxanne C. Pimentel
 • Vice Mayor Ruel D. Momo
Area[2]
 • Total 291.73 km2 (112.64 sq mi)
Elevation 4 m (13 ft)
Population (2010)[3]
 • Total 52,114
 • Density 180/km2 (460/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 8300
Dialing code 86
Income class 5th class
Website www.tandag.gov.ph

Tandag, officially the City of Tandag and often referred to as Tandag City, is a fifth income class city and the provincial capital of the province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines, on the island of Mindanao. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 52,114 people.[3]

The city celebrates the "Diwatahan Festival" on the third week of January in honor of Señor Sto. Niño. It also celebrates "Araw ng Tandag" every September 10 showcasing the city's blissful achievements through the years.

Farming and fishing are the main economic activity for most of the people in Tandag. Chief farm products are rice, corn, and coconut. Livestock and poultry raising are also important sources of income. Tandag has a national secondary airport and a seaport.

Geography

Houses in Telaje near Capitol Road

Tandag City is located along the northeastern coast of Mindanao Island facing the Philippine Sea. It is bounded on the north by the municipalities of Cortes and Lanuza, on the east by the Philippine Sea, on the south by the towns of Tago and San Miguel, and on the west by the province of Agusan del Sur. It is located 448 nautical miles from Manila and 150 nautical miles from Cebu. The distance from Surigao City in the north to Tandag is about 200 kilometres (120 mi) and 331 kilometres (206 mi) is the distance from Davao City to the south.

It consists of twenty-one (21) barangays. Six of which are urban barangays, five are coastal barangays, four are built-up expansion and six are hinterland barangays. The urban barangays comprise 1,594.10 hectares; 3,464.61 hectares for coastal barangays; 2,233.15 hectares for built-up expansion barangays and 4,964.34 hectares for hinterland barangays.

Climate

The municipality falls under the Type II of climate in the country, which is characterized by rainfall distributed throughout the year, with a negligible short dry season.

Wet season is highly pronounced from September to February with an annual average rainfall of 458.94 millimetres (18.069 in) and an average temperature of 26.3 °C (79.3 °F). Dry months are from March to August.

Barangays

Tandag is politically subdivided into 21 barangays.[2] Majority of the barangays are considered rural areas.

  • Awasian (Tandag Airport)
  • Bag-ong Lungsod (Poblacion)
  • Bioto
  • Bongtud (Poblacion)
  • Buenavista (includes Mahayag)
  • Dagocdoc (Poblacion)
  • Mabua (Poblacion)
  • Mabuhay
  • Maitum
  • Maticdum
  • Pandanon
  • Pangi
  • Quezon
  • Rosario
  • Salvacion
  • San Agustin Norte
  • San Agustin Sur a.k.a. Dawis
  • San Antonio
  • San Isidro
  • San Jose
  • Telaje (Poblacion)

History

Cityhood

During the 11th Congress (1998–2001), Congress enacted into law 33 bills converting 33 municipalities into cities. However, Congress did not act on a further 24 bills converting 24 other municipalities into cities.

During the 12th Congress (2001–2004), Congress enacted into law Republic Act No. 9009 (RA 9009), which took effect on 30 June 2001. RA 9009 amended Section 450 of the Local Government Code by increasing the annual income requirement for conversion of a municipality into a city from ₱20 million to ₱100 million. The rationale for the amendment was to restrain, in the words of Senator Aquilino Pimentel, "the mad rush" of municipalities to convert into cities solely to secure a larger share in the Internal Revenue Allotment despite the fact that they are incapable of fiscal independence.

After the effectivity of RA 9009, the House of Representatives of the 12th Congress adopted Joint Resolution No. 29, which sought to exempt from the ₱100 million income requirement in RA 9009 the 24 municipalities whose cityhood bills were not approved in the 11th Congress. However, the 12th Congress ended without the Senate having approved Joint Resolution No. 29.

During the 13th Congress (2004–2007), the House of Representatives re-adopted former Joint Resolution No. 29 as Joint Resolution No. 1 and forwarded it to the Senate for approval. However, the Senate again failed to approve the Joint Resolution. Following the suggestion of Senator Aquilino Pimentel (Senate President), 16 municipalities filed, through their respective sponsors, individual cityhood bills.[4] The 16 cityhood bills each contained a common provision exempting it from the ₱100 million income requirement of RA 9009 –

"Exemption from Republic Act No. 9009. — The City of x x x shall be exempted from the income requirement prescribed under Republic Act No. 9009."

On 22 December 2006, the House of Representatives approved the cityhood bills. The Senate also approved the cityhood bills in February 2007, except that of Naga, Cebu which was passed on 7 June 2007. These cityhood bills lapsed into law on various dates from March to July 2007 after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo failed to sign them.

The point of law at issue in 2007 was whether there had been a breach of Section 10, Article X of the 1987 Constitution, which provides –

No province, city, municipality, or barangay shall be created, divided, merged, abolished or its boundary substantially altered, except in accordance with the criteria established in the local government code and subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite in the political units directly affected.

– and in each case the established criteria were far from met.

In November 2008, Tandag lost its cityhood, along with 15 other cities,[4] after the Supreme Court of the Philippines granted a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines, and declared unconstitutional the cityhood law (RA 9392) which had allowed the town to acquire its city status.[5] The Supreme Court ruled that they did not pass the requirements for cityhood.[6][7]

On 10 December 2008, the 16 cities affected acting together filed a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court. More than a year later, on 22 December 2009, acting on said appeal, the Court reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled that "at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory law" (regarding the criteria for cityhood as set by Congress) "is no different from the enactment of a law, i.e., the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivision from the criteria earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting law/s, effectively decreased the already codified indicators."[8] Accordingly cityhood status was restored.

But on 27 August 2010, the 16 cities lost their city status again, after the Supreme Court voted 7-6, with two justices not taking part, to reinstate the 2008 decision declaring as "unconstitutional" the Republic Acts that converted the 16 municipalities into cities. A previous law required towns aspiring to become cities to earn at least ₱100 million annually, which none of the 16 did.[9]

On 15 February 2011, the Supreme Court made another volte-face and upheld for the third time the cityhood of 16 towns in the Philippines.[10]

And on 12 April 2011, a Supreme Court en banc ruling delivered in Baguio City, promulgated and resolved that:

We should not ever lose sight of the fact that the 16 cities covered by the Cityhood Laws not only had conversion bills pending during the 11th Congress, but have also complied with the requirements of the LGC prescribed prior to its amendment by R.A. No. 9009.[9] Congress undeniably gave these cities all the considerations that justice and fair play demanded. Hence, this Court should do no less by stamping its imprimatur to the clear and unmistakable legislative intent and by duly recognizing the certain collective wisdom of Congress. WHEREFORE, the Ad Cautelam Motion for Reconsideration (of the Decision dated 15 February 2011) is denied with finality.[10]

So affirming the finality of the constitutionality of the 16 cityhood laws.

On 28 June 2011 the Supreme Court directed the Clerk of Court to issue forthwith the entry of judgment on the cityhood case of 16 municipalities. Sealing with "the finality of the resolution upholding the constitutionality of the 16 Cityhood Laws absolutely warrants the respondents' "Motion for Entry of Judgment", the SC ruled."[11]

This entry of judgment ended the cityhood battle of the 16 cities in the Philippines.

NB The income classification limits have been revised more than once since RA9009.

Source: Income Classification for Provinces, Cities and Municipalities

Etymology

Many versions have been given regarding the name of Tandag. One such version said that Father Calan, Father Encarnacion and another priest were on their way to visit chieftain Suba to baptize his people. When one of the missionaries asked a native rowing their boat what name of the place was with fingers pointing downward, the native who naught the priest meant the school of fish, answered "tamda", meaning look down. This name later became Tandag. Father Encarnacion, the member of the group was later killed by the natives.

The other version says that when De la Vega landed in Tandag to subdue the ferocious Caragas as the rebellios natives were called then, he did not know the name of the place so he inquired from the native who was gathering the leaves of herbs locally known as tangad. The native who did not understand Spanish answered hesitantly "tangad". Later, the name was changed to Tandag.

Another story tells a group of Spanish soldiers and missionaries who lost their way. When they asked for correct direction, the natives who could not understand a word they said only laughed at them all while saying the word "tank", meaning lost. Thus the name Tandag aptly means lost.

Demographics

Surigao del Sur Provincial Capitol, Tandag City
Population census of Tandag City
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 34,351—    
1995 39,222+2.52%
2000 44,327+2.66%
2007 50,459+1.80%
2010 52,114+1.18%
Source: National Statistics Office[3][12]

Languages

Major languages spoken are Surigaonon/Tandaganon, Cebuano and Tagalog. English is widely used in schools, business and government offices.

Culture and festivals

Diwatahan Festival

Tourism

Lamp posts in Boulevard, Tandag City
Provincial Capitol during Holiday Season

Other notable places of interest

Transportation

City proper

Accessibility

By air

Bachelor Tours 402 Davao - Tandag with Wi-Fi onboard

By land

By sea

Hospitals

Education

Basic Education

3rd Year department grounds of Jacinto P. Elpa National High School (JPENHS) with the Principal's Office going to the left and the Main Library going to the right.

Baccalaureate

Media

Radio

FM

  • 89.3 MHz Real Radio
  • 93.3 MHz Energy FM
  • 95.9 MHz Radyo Natin
  • 97.5 MHz Shure FM
  • 99.1 MHz Prime FM
  • 107.7 MHz Win Radio

AM

  • 837 kHz Radyo ng Bayan Tandag DXJS AM

Internet Radio

For desktop users, you may click this link:
http://tunein.com/radio/MOR-Davao-1011-s115259/
For Android Smartphones/Tablet/iPhone/iPod users, you may download TuneIn App via Google Play Store or iTunes

Television

Cable providers

Telephone providers

  • TETCO

Internet Service Providers

Cellular Network Providers

Sister city

References

  1. ↑ "Official City/Municipal 2013 Election Results". Intramuros, Manila, Philippines: Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 11 September 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Province: SURIGAO DEL SUR". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  4. 1 2 The 16 were:
    MunicipalityProvince
    Batac Ilocos Norte
    Baybay Leyte
    Bayugan Agusan del Sur
    Bogo Cebu
    Borongan Eastern Samar
    Cabadbaran Agusan del Norte
    Carcar Cebu
    Catbalogan Samar
    El Salvador Misamis Oriental
    Guihulngan Negros Oriental
    Lamitan Basilan
    Mati Davao Oriental
    Naga Cebu
    Tabuk Kalinga
    Tandag Surigao del Sur
    Tayabas Quezon
  5. ↑ Republic Act No. 9392 of 15 March 2007 Charter of the City of Tandag
  6. ↑ G.R. No. 176951 et al. (First appeal) of 18 November 2008 Consolidated petitions for prohibition assailing the constitutionality of the subject Cityhood Laws and enjoining the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and respondent municipalities from conducting plebiscites pursuant to the Cityhood Laws.
  7. ↑ Napallacan, Jhunex (2008-11-21). "Cities’ demotion worries DepEd execs". Cebu Daily News. Inquirer.net. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  8. ↑ G.R. No. 176951 et al. (First reversal) of 21 December 2009
  9. 1 2 Republic Act No. 9009 of 24 February 2001 An Act amending section 450 of Republic Act no. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, by increasing the average annual income requirement for a municipality or cluster of barangays to be converted into a component city.
  10. 1 2 G.R. No. 176951 et al. (Second appeal) of 15 February 2011 League of Cities of the Philippines v. COMELEC
  11. ↑ G.R. No. 176951 et al. (Final Resolution) of 28 June 2011 Supreme Court has directed the Clerk of Court to forthwith issue the Entry of Judgment
  12. ↑ "Province of Surigao Del Sur". Municipality Population Data. LWUA Research Division. Retrieved 1 April 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tandag City.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tandag.
 Lanuza / Cortes
Bayugan, Agusan del Sur Philippine Sea
   Tandag  
San Miguel / Tago
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 26, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.