Gigaquit
Municipality in Surigao del Norte, Philippines
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Gigaquit, officially the Municipality of Gigaquit (Surigaonon: Lungsod nan Gigaquit; Tagalog: Bayan ng Gigaquit), is a municipality in the province of Surigao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 22,949 people.[5]
Gigaquit | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Gigaquit | |
|
Flag | |
 Map of Surigao del Norte with Gigaquit highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Gigaquit | |
.svg)  Gigaquit Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 9°35′41″N 125°41′51″E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Caraga |
| Province | Surigao del Norte |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Barangays | 13 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Chandru T. Bonite (NP) |
| • Vice Mayor | Jennifer Pearl B. Bonite (NP) |
| • Representative | Bernadette S. Barbers (NP) |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 14,842 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 138.11 km2 (53.32 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 222 m (728 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 22,949 |
| • Density | 166.16/km2 (430.36/sq mi) |
| • Households | 5,229 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 4th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 34.62 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 242.9 million (2024) |
| • Assets | ₱ 670.9 million (2024) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 232.9 million (2024) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 15.24 million (2024) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative (SURNECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 8409 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)86 |
| Native languages | Surigaonon Agusan Cebuano Tagalog |
| Website | www |
The name is derived from the words gigad (meaning "shore") and gakit (meaning "bamboo raft") and refers to the means of transportation that the early settlers used to travel from the inland to the shore.[6]
History
Gigaquit was established in 1850 by Cero, a native who fortified the place to make it safe from Moro raiders. During this period, the local population was Christianized by priests from religious orders who made Saint Augustine their patron saint.[6]
Bacuag and Claver, which had been part of Gigaquit, became separate municipalities in 1918 and 1955 under Executive Order Nos. 61 and 126 respectively.[6]
Geography
Barangays
Gigaquit is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
Climate
| Climate data for Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
28 (82) |
29 (84) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 210 (8.3) |
161 (6.3) |
123 (4.8) |
85 (3.3) |
148 (5.8) |
186 (7.3) |
164 (6.5) |
157 (6.2) |
141 (5.6) |
190 (7.5) |
223 (8.8) |
200 (7.9) |
1,988 (78.3) |
| Average rainy days | 21.0 | 16.8 | 18.5 | 18.2 | 24.9 | 27.7 | 28.4 | 27.0 | 26.1 | 27.6 | 24.6 | 22.0 | 282.8 |
| Source: Meteoblue[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 5,290 | — |
| 1918 | 14,244 | +6.83% |
| 1939 | 13,676 | −0.19% |
| 1948 | 14,431 | +0.60% |
| 1960 | 8,368 | −4.44% |
| 1970 | 11,097 | +2.86% |
| 1975 | 11,810 | +1.26% |
| 1980 | 13,186 | +2.23% |
| 1990 | 13,715 | +0.39% |
| 1995 | 15,261 | +2.02% |
| 2000 | 16,155 | +1.23% |
| 2007 | 18,870 | +2.17% |
| 2010 | 18,784 | −0.17% |
| 2015 | 20,864 | +2.02% |
| 2020 | 21,849 | +0.98% |
| 2024 | 22,949 | +1.19% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11][12] | ||