Cateel History

Cateel is one of the oldest towns in the region and was once a part of the encomienda system during the Spanish regime.  A certain province of Caraga was composed of four encomiendas namely: Encomienda de Butuan, Encomienda de Surigao, Encomienda de Tandag and Encomienda de Bislig.  Cateel formed part of Encomienda de Bislig. This remarkable event is recorded in the history of Cateel.  It was created as regular municipality on October 29, 1903, by virtue of Organic Act No. 21, creating Cateel as one of the municipalities in the entire region. This Act emanated from the Philippine Commission through the passage of the Legislative Council of the Moro Province. As provided for in this Act , the town’s territorial jurisdiction shall include all territories bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by the eight parallel of north latitude, on the west by the watershed of the mountains parallel  the coast and on the South  by the parallel of latitude about seven degrees thirty-five minutes north which runs through the middle of the swamp lying between the Rio Matuban and the puegle of Quinablangan, and all islands within the three marine league limit.

Sergeant Juan Camacho dela Peña and Father Miguel de Sto. Tomas arrived in Cateel in 1610.  They landed at the northern side of the river bank now called Sitio Lapad, Barangay San Rafael.  After giving their offering for a safe landing, the two (2) encomenderos entered within the vicinity following the path. They came to a land where a man was busy splitting a piece of rattan vine.  Then the strangers asked the man what the place was called. The man thinking that what the strangers were asking him was what he was splitting the man replied ‘CATEEL’ From then on, the valley and the river has been called “CATEEL”.

In 1840, Governor Luis Lardizabal sent an expedition to the eastern Mindanao to organize municipalities and settlements having a considerable number of inhabitants.  Cateel was one of these places that had been organized.  Several events happened in the succeeding years.  In 1856, the town site was moved from Lapad to the seacoast where it is presently located in the poblacion.

Shortly after the Spanish regime in 1901, the American Military Government was established. Remegio Magno was the first Municipal President appointed to the town’s premier post. The American Civil Government followed after the Military Government. The appointment to the post of Mariano Dacuycuy as the town’s Municipal President was timely because his most famous act at that time was primarily focused on the ‘giving of freedom to the slaves in Cateel’. Few years later, Cateel was created under Organic Act No. 21 October 29, 1903.

The inauguration of the Philippine Republic on July 4, 1946 marked another milestone for the Philippine History.  Francisco Castro became the first elected mayor while Gregorio Dacuycuy, Sr. was elected member of the provincial board.  The town’s chief executives had the titular post as municipal presidents during the early part of the American Regime. The titular post Municipal Mayor has been addressed to the town’s Chief Executives since the Commonwealth period to present are as follows: The following town’s Chief Executive who were either appointed or elected to office are the following:

Town’s Chief Executives- from 1900 up to the Present

Municipality of Cateel Barangays

The Municipality of Cateel is composed of sixteen (16) barangays with the opposite legal basis for its creation as illustrated below: