THE BRIEF HISTORY OF SAN ISIDRO
The Municipality of San Isidro is strategically located at the eastern part of Siargao Island. It is bounded in the Northern: Municipality of Burgos; South: in the between Municipalities of Pilar & Del Carmen; East: Binoni Point of the Municipality of Pilar: and West: in between the Municipalities of Del Carmen and San Benito.
San Isidro used as one of the Spanish settlements renamed from the former name Sitio Barodong (Barodong is the local term of mushroom) considering the abundance of mushroom in the area. When a missionary priest came over and settled down in honor of Patron Isadore, the patron and guardian of farmers.
On October 9, 1959 by virtue of Executive Order No. 359, issued by President Carlos P. Garcia, San Isidro became and independent municipality. The Charter Act was made possible through the initiative of the native people who had contributed their morals, donations of lot and financial support to process the necessary documents to make San Isidro a separate town from Numancia. Originally, it has an approximated total land area of 5,500 hectares more or less and it started with one hundred (100) population.
During the period of Mayor Nicarito L. Tiu, Mr. Justines Saragoza and family donated certain parcel of land with an area of 10,430 square meters, more or less covered by Tax Declaration No. 12590 for education of the youth and other improvement thereon. It was received by Mayor Nicarito l. Tiu with Resolution No. 56, s. 1960, dated September 15, 1960 on October 1, 1960 at San Isidro, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.
Originally , San Isidro was composed of thirteen (13) barangays, viz 1) Pacifico 2) Tigasao 3) Landahan now Sta. Paz 4) Del Pilar 5) San Miguel 6) Matin-ao 7) Pelaez 8) Borawin now BuhingCalipay 9) Roxas 10) Macapagal 11) Sto. Nino 12) Tambacan 13) Del Carmen (proper town). However, in 1980 Barangay Matin-ao was given to Municipality of Burgos by Nicarito L. Tiu, thus, reduction of its land area of 5,500 to 4,695 hectares more or less and its population occurred.
People of San Isidro came partly from the neighboring town of Siargao Island but mostly came from the provinces of Bohol and Leyte. They migrated to explore entrepreneurship of selling goods such as tobacco, farm tools and engaging barter trade system. San Isidrohanon or lumad is the common calling of the people living in the locality. They are friendly, accommodating and peace-loving people. Migrants from Socorro in Bucas Grande Island are now scattered living in Barangays, like Barangay Sta. Paz, Sto. Nino, Roxas, Del Pilar and now immigrating to other areas of San Isidro as their second home.
San Isidrohanon prefers a simple living showing hospitality and friendship especially during fiesta celebration. Customs and beliefs of this municipality made use of a traditional practice of diwata, both in sea and land to obtain gifts and graces are now gradually vanishing in the new generation.
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 359 DATED OCTOBER 9, 959
CREATING THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAN ISIDRO IN THE PROVINCE OF SURIGAO DEL NORTE
Upon the recommendation of the Provincial Board of Surigao and pursuant to the provision of Section 68 of the Revised Administrative Code, the barrios and sitios of San Isidro, BuhingCalipay, Pacifico, Tambacan, Landahan, San Miguel, Roxas, and Tigasao, all of the municipality land organized into an independent municipality in the said province, to be known as the Municipality of San Isidro with the seat of government at the barrio of San Isidro.
The municipality of San Isidro as herein organized shall have the following boundaries:
“Beginning at the point of intersection of the boundary of Pilar and Numancia, on Landahan River marked “A” on the map, on a north-westerly directions to the point of top of Mag-ilo mountain marked “B” thence on a north-easterly direction to the center of rock called Bil-at, along the boundary line of Sapao and Numancia, marked “C”, thence following the same boundary line of Sapa Numancia on an easterly direction to point “D” the eastern territorial limit of Numancia, thence following the eastern territorial limit boundary line of Numancia on southerly direction to point “E” thence following the boundary limit of Numancia and Pilar on a westerly direction to point “A” point of a beginning” (This technical description is taken from the sketch or the map showing the territorial limit of the proposed municipality of San Isidro, prepared and submitted by the Office of the Highway District Engineer of the Province of Surigao del Norte.
The Municipality of San Isidro shall begin to exist upon the appointment and qualification of the mayor, vice mayor, and majority of councilors thereof but not earlier than January 1, 1960, nd upon the certification by the Secretary of Finance that said municipality is financial capable of implementing the provision of the Minimum Wage Law and providing for all the statutory obligations and ordinary essential services of a regular municipality and that the mother municipality of Numancia, after the segregation therefrom
The territory comprised in the Municipality of San Isidro, can still maintain creditably its municipal government, meet all statutory and contractual obligations and provide for the essential municipal services.
Done this City of Manila, this 9th day of October, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Fifty Nine and of the independence of the Philippines, the fourteenth.
SGD CARLOS P. GARCIA
President