Madrid, Surigao del Sur
Definition
Madrid is a fourth-income class agricultural municipality in Surigao del Sur, Caraga Region, Philippines. Established on February 2, 1953, it covers 14,122 hectares (about 3.17 percent of the province) and has 14 barangays, with Linibunan and Quirino forming the Poblacion. The 2024 census recorded 16,872 residents. The economy is driven by agriculture, especially rice farming.
Identities (Wikipedia/Wikidata/DBpedia)
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid,_Surigao_del_Sur
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35103
- DBpedia: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Madrid,_Surigao_del_Sur
Also Known As
Madrid was historically a settlement known as Linibunan, a Visayan term for a place covered by soil deposits. A Spanish priest suggested renaming it after Spain’s capital. The town grew as immigrants cleared fertile land for rice farming, eventually separating from Cantilan.
Examples and Analogies
Madrid exemplifies a municipality created from agricultural settlement on fertile land where a major river sustains irrigation, comparable to rice-producing towns whose growth followed irrigated lowland farming.
Usage Scenarios
The municipality is relevant to irrigated rice production, river-basin-based agriculture, and the pattern of immigrant-driven settlement and municipal creation.
Strategies
The Carac-an River is the main source of irrigation water supplying all irrigable lands. Madrid became the center of trade and commerce in its area. Sand and gravel from the river are commercially distributed regionally, supplementing agricultural revenues.
Security and Safety Measures
Flood management along the Carac-an River, watershed protection to sustain irrigation, and disaster preparedness for agricultural areas are priorities. Sustainable extraction of sand and gravel requires safeguards to prevent river degradation.
Historical Context
Madrid was established on February 2, 1953, by President Elpidio Quirino via Executive Order No. 561. Originally the settlement of Linibunan, it was renamed at the suggestion of a Spanish priest. Immigrants cleared fertile land for rice farming, and the town separated from Cantilan.
Challenges and Controversies
Challenges include maintaining irrigation supply from the Carac-an River, regulating sand-and-gravel extraction, and sustaining agricultural productivity amid economic pressures on farming communities.