Veruela

Veruela, officially the Municipality of Veruela (Lungsod sa Veruela; ), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,708 people.

History
Veruela is considered the oldest town of upper Agusan del Sur. It is believed the name "Veruela" derives from the word "virus", as the area suffered from smallpox and cholera in the late 18th century when Spanish missionaries encountered the indigenous Manobo tribes.

The Manobo later moved to Manning, also known as Linongsuran, along the Agusan River. In 1916, an earthquake destroyed the settlement, forcing the survivors to evacuate and reorganize themselves into another place, now the barangay poblacion of the municipality.

In the 18th century, Muslim tribes in Davao invaded the Manobos in Agusan, and the two sides fought. The first known leader of the Manobo was the datu Eladio Manguyod, who drove the Muslims out after a hard-fought battle. During this period, the tribe converted to Christianity and adopted Saint John as their patron.

Veruela became a municipality through Executive Order No. 147, which was proclaimed by President Diosdado Macapagal on March 31, 1965 during the term of Congressman Guillermo Sanchez, who once also served as mayor of the town. Since its formal creation as a municipality, Veruela has seen eight different administrations.

The municipality of Veruela has a silent dispute with the nearby province of Compostela Valley regarding the boundary between the two in Barangay Del Monte.

Geography
Veruela is located at °N, °W.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 385.45 km2 constituting NaN% of the 9,989.52 km2 total area of Agusan del Sur.

Barangays
Veruela is politically subdivided into 20 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Demographics
In the 2020 census, Veruela had a population of 39,708. The population density was undefined PD/km2.