Placer, officially the Municipality of Placer ( Surigaonon: Lungsod nan Placer; tl, Bayan ng Placer), is a 4th class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Surigao del Norte Surigao del Norte ( Surigaonon: ''Probinsya nan Surigao del Norte''; ceb, Amihanang Surigao; Tagalog: ''Hilagang Surigao''), officially the Province of Surigao del Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Caraga region of Mindanao. ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,616 people.

History

In 1850, the town was founded by Captain Felipe Custodio and Capitan Luis Patino. It was named "''Placer''" (Spanish for "pleasure" or "delight") by Custodio in reference to the happiness derived from local gold mining, as well as the abundant fish and rice harvests. In 1860, this name was officially approved. In 1930, the municipality lost some of its territory when the Municipality of

Mainit Mainit, officially the Municipality of Mainit ( Surigaonon: Lungsod nan Mainit; ceb, Lungsod sa Mainit; tl, Bayan ng Mainit), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Surigao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...

was formed, and again in 1947, when the Municipality of

Tagana-an Tagana-an, officially the Municipality of Tagana-an ( Surigaonon: Lungsod nan Tagana-an; tl, Bayan ng Tagana-an), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Surigao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...

was established.

World War II

After the Japanese obtained the surrender of American and Filipino troops on Mindanao in May and June 1942, Placer, along with much of Mindanao, remained free of Japanese occupation. In late September 1943, Japanese troops landed and occupied Placer. Their goals seemed to be to fill drums with oil from a storage tank there for their use and to search for lumber. About 300 to 400 Japanese troops were in town. Some began moving south toward Claver. On October 10, guerrillas under American leadership attacked with 135 men from both the north and south to dislodge the Japanese from Placer. This attack failed, leaving the town in Japanese hands.

Geography

Placer is in the northeast of

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

Island, facing the Hinatuan Passage to the east. Its territory includes the small islands of Tinago, Banga, and Mahaba, as well as half of Masapelid Island where barangays Ellaperal, Lakandula, and Sani-sani are located. Its topography consists of low rising hills that are interspersed by plains.

Barangays

Placer is politically subdivided into 20

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

s. In 1956, the sitios of Santa Cruz, Anislagan, Alangalang, Soyoc, and Pananay-an were converted into barrios, while barrio Macalaya was divided into Upper and Lower Macalaya. * Amoslog * Anislagan
Bad-as
(contains the intersection of the

Pan-Philippine Highway The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway ( tl, Daang Maharlika; ceb, Dalang Halangdon), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in t ...

(or National Highway) & the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road) * Boyongan * Bugas-bugas * Central (Poblacion) * Ellaperal (Nonok) * Ipil (

Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...

) * Lakandula * Mabini * Macalaya * Magsaysay (Poblacion) * Magupange * Pananay-an * Panhutongan * San Isidro * Sani-sani * Santa Cruz * Suyoc * Tagbongabong

Climate

Demographics

Economy

References

External links

Placer Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
*

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

br>Philippine Census Information
{{DEFAULTSORT:Placer, Surigao Del Norte Municipalities of Surigao del Norte