Dinagat Islands is a province in the Philippines, located on the south side of Leyte Gulf. Leyte is to its west, across Surigao Strait, and Mindanao is to its south. Its main island, Dinagat, is about 60 km from north to south.
Best known for its great rock climbing sites and white sand beaches, it is the country's 81st & newest province and the fifth province in the Caraga Region.
The islands and mushroom islets of the province offer a Shangri-La for the adventurers. Its caves, rock formations, waterfalls, bonsai forests, white beaches, and mountain lakes provide a perfect ambiance for the thrill seekers and nature-loving individuals.
It is also the site of the greatest and historic Battle of Surigao Strait during World War II. Loreto, the northernmost municipality of the province, is the entry point in the Philippines of the American and Filipino Liberation Forces under Gen. Douglas MacArthur before proceeding to Leyte to fulfill his promise to return and liberate the Philippine Islands from the Japanese Imperial Army.
San Jose is the capital of the province and is where the headquarters of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Inc., founded by the late Ruben Ecleo, is located.
The province is known as one of the archipelago's holiest sites in the Pre-Christian native religion. It is here where the God of Hurricanes was persuaded to relent his attacks on the islands by Da, the God of Peace.
Today, Dinagat Islands styles itself as the "Mystical Island Province of Love." |
