Also known as: Lalawigan sa Dinagat Islands
Dinagat Islands is a province in Region XIII (Caraga). Population 121K (PSA 2024 census), 0 cities + 7 municipalities, 100 barangays total, land area 817.47 km². Provincial capital: San Jose.
Dinagat Islands is a province in Region XIII (Caraga). Its capital is San Jose.
Dinagat Islands had 120,533 residents in the 2024 census (PSA 2024 Census of Population (POPCEN 2024), reference date July 1, 2024). That is the most recent official count. There is no 2026 census result, so any 2026 population figure is an estimate.
Dinagat Islands covers 817.47 km², per the PSA Philippine Statistical Yearbook figure used on this page.
Dinagat Islands has 0 component cities and 7 municipalities (7 LGUs under the province), per PSA's Philippine Standard Geographic Code (2Q 2026), and 100 barangays.
Dinagat Islands has no component cities. Its 7 municipalities are Basilisa, Cagdianao, Dinagat, Libjo, Loreto, San Jose and Tubajon.
Dinagat Islands has one of the most significant legal histories of any Philippine province: created in 2006 by Republic Act No. 9355 and ratified by plebiscite that December, its very right to exist as a province was challenged in the Supreme Court on the grounds that its land area and population fell short of Local Government Code requirements. In February 2010, the Court declared the law unconstitutional and nullified the province's creation entirely. In an extraordinary move, the Court then granted a motion to recall its own final entry of judgment, and on April 12, 2011 reversed itself, ruling RA 9355 constitutional. That reversal was made final in September 2012 and has not been challenged since.
Key industries: Nickel mining (10 active mines covering roughly 24,221 hectares), Fishing, Agriculture (limited by mineralized, rocky terrain)
The province's economy is now heavily shaped by nickel mining, with roughly 24,221 hectares under active extraction across multiple concessions — residents have raised documented concerns about deforestation-driven siltation of farms and waterways during the rainy season. Dinagat Islands is also home to two critically endangered endemic mammals, the Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat and the Dinagat gymnure.
Key industries: Nickel mining (10 active mines covering roughly 24,221 hectares), Fishing, Agriculture (limited by mineralized, rocky terrain)
More on the regulatory framework: CLUP explainer · RA 7160 explainer · SGLG explainer · full glossary. Working a CLUP review cycle? Run the CLUP readiness self-check or see CLUP compliance monitoring.
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