Also known as: Lalawigan ng Surigao del Sur
Surigao del Sur is a province in Region XIII (Caraga). Population 649K (PSA 2024 census), 2 cities + 17 municipalities, 309 barangays total, land area 4,932.7 km². Provincial capital: Tandag City.
Surigao del Sur is a province in Region XIII (Caraga). Its capital is Tandag City.
Surigao del Sur had 648,858 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.
Surigao del Sur covers 4,932.7 km², per the PSA Philippine Statistical Yearbook figure used on this page.
Surigao del Sur has 2 component cities and 17 municipalities (19 LGUs under the province), per PSA's Philippine Standard Geographic Code (2Q 2026), and 309 barangays.
Surigao del Sur's 2 component cities are Bislig City and Tandag City. Its 17 municipalities are Barobo, Bayabas, Cagwait, Cantilan, Carmen, Carrascal, Cortes, Hinatuan, Lanuza, Lianga, Lingig, Madrid, Marihatag, San Agustin, San Miguel, Tagbina and Tago.
Surigao del Sur was created as the Philippines' 56th province on June 19, 1960 by Republic Act No. 2786, splitting the old undivided Surigao province into Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur — Tandag was fixed as capital from creation and remains so today (now a component city, not to be confused with Surigao City, the separate capital of the separate province of Surigao del Norte).
Key industries: Nickel and mineral mining (Cantilan, Carrascal, Madrid), Tourism (Hinatuan Enchanted River, Tinuy-an Falls), Agriculture (rice, banana, tropical fruits), Marine fishing and aquaculture
The province's most significant recent hazard event: a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck offshore on December 2, 2023, epicentered roughly 29 km northeast of Hinatuan, with the highest recorded intensity felt in Tandag City and a non-destructive tsunami confirmed at Hinatuan and Bislig City. That same offshore geology that produces earthquakes also underlies the province's mineral wealth — nickel and other metallic mining, concentrated in Cantilan, Carrascal, and Madrid, is a major economic driver alongside tourism anchored by the Hinatuan Enchanted River.
Key industries: Nickel and mineral mining (Cantilan, Carrascal, Madrid), Tourism (Hinatuan Enchanted River, Tinuy-an Falls), Agriculture (rice, banana, tropical fruits), Marine fishing and aquaculture
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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