Veruela

Veruela is a municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is regarded as the oldest town in upper Agusan del Sur and serves as a local administrative center for a largely rural area along the Agusan River system. The municipality covers approximately 385.45 square kilometres and is politically divided into 20 barangays. According to the 2024 Philippine census, Veruela had 43,085 residents, equivalent to an average population density of about 110 people per square kilometre. The area has a long history associated with Indigenous Manobo communities. Historical accounts describe early Manobo settlement along the Agusan River, including at Manning, also known as Linongsuran. An earthquake in 1916 destroyed that settlement and led survivors to relocate and reorganize in the area that became the present poblacion. Earlier traditions also recount conflict between Manobo communities and Muslim groups from the Davao area. The Manobo leader Eladio Manguyod is identified in local historical tradition as having led resistance against the invading groups. Over time, Christian practices were adopted and Saint John became the community's patron. The name Veruela is commonly linked to the Spanish word or concept associated with disease. Local historical explanations connect the name with smallpox and cholera outbreaks that affected the area when Spanish missionaries encountered Manobo communities in the late eighteenth century. This etymology is presented as a historical tradition rather than as a conclusively documented linguistic derivation. Veruela became a formally constituted municipality through Executive Order No. 147, proclaimed by President Diosdado Macapagal on March 31, 1965. Congressman Guillermo Sanchez was associated with the municipality's establishment and later served as its mayor. Since municipal creation, Veruela has passed through multiple local administrations. Its civic identity is defined primarily by public administration, local services, community institutions, agriculture, and the management of a geographically extensive rural territory rather than by commercial products. The municipality is located near 8°04′N, 125°58′E. It has a boundary issue with the nearby province of Compostela Valley, now officially known as Davao de Oro, concerning the boundary in Barangay Del Monte. Veruela's municipal government maintains an official web presence through the veruela.gov.ph domain. No evidence in the supplied reference material indicates that Veruela is a commercial consumer brand, a listed company, or part of a corporate brand portfolio.

Veruela is considered one of the oldest settlements in upper Agusan del Sur. Its early history is closely associated with Manobo communities that lived along the Agusan River and its surrounding territories. One settlement identified in local historical accounts was Manning, or Linongsuran. The community was later disrupted by a major earthquake in 1916, after which survivors moved and reorganized in the area that developed into the present municipal poblacion. Local tradition also records conflict in the eighteenth century between Manobo groups in Agusan and Muslim communities that entered from the direction of Davao. Eladio Manguyod is remembered as an early Manobo leader who resisted the incursions. The community subsequently underwent Christianization and adopted Saint John as its patron. Accounts of the municipality's name connect Veruela with disease-related terminology, reflecting traditions that smallpox and cholera affected the area around the period when Spanish missionaries encountered the local Indigenous population. The modern municipality was created through Executive Order No. 147, proclaimed by President Diosdado Macapagal on March 31, 1965. Guillermo Sanchez, then a congressman, was associated with the municipality's formal establishment and later served as mayor. Veruela has had eight local administrations since its creation as a municipality, although the supplied reference does not identify the officeholders or dates for each administration. Geographically, Veruela occupies about 385.45 square kilometres in Agusan del Sur and is divided into 20 barangays. Its territory is predominantly rural and forms part of the wider upper Agusan landscape. A continuing boundary dispute concerns Barangay Del Monte and the neighboring province of Compostela Valley, now called Davao de Oro. The municipality remains an active local government unit of the Philippines. The 2024 census recorded a population of 43,085, while the municipality's official website provides a public-facing channel for local government information and services.

• 2024

  Census records population of 43,085

  [1]Veruelaen.wikipedia.org

  The 2024 Philippine census reported 43,085 residents in Veruela, with an average population density of approximately 110 inhabitants per square kilometre.

• 1965

  Municipality formally established

  [1]Veruelaen.wikipedia.org

  President Diosdado Macapagal proclaimed Executive Order No. 147 on March 31, formally creating Veruela as a municipality.

• 1916

  Earthquake destroys the Manning settlement

  [1]Veruelaen.wikipedia.org

  An earthquake destroyed the Manobo settlement at Manning, also known as Linongsuran, prompting survivors to relocate and reorganize in the area of the present municipal poblacion.

A local government municipality and civic identity centered on public administration, community services, Indigenous and regional heritage, and rural development in upper Agusan del Sur.

1. 1Veruelaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of the Municipality of Veruelaveruela.gov.ph