Bayabas was created as the 12^th Municipality of Surigao del Sur on November 20, 1961 by virtue of Executive Order No. 452 issued by the late President Carlos P. Garcia, and was formally inaugurated, organized and separated from its mother Municipality of Cagwait and Tago on May 3, 1961. It was categorized as a 5^th Class Municipality under the Local Government Finance Memorandum Circular No. 97-3(71) dated May 21, 1997.

At its birth as a town, it had only Cabugo, Bayabas, La Paz and Panaosawon as her barangays with Bayabas as the seat of Government. In ensuing years, Barangays Amag, Cagbaoto and Magobawok were created and the original name of Barangay Bayabas which was the seat of Government was change to Barangay Balete which now constitutes, together with Barangay Magobawok, as Poblacion barangays. The name Bayabas is retained as the name of the entire Municipality.

Before the immigrants came in 1917, the original inhabitants of Bayabas were the first wave of Boholano settlers when the place started becoming a community. Her name was derived from a big trunk of guava tree near the seashore where fishermen from La Paz and Tago used to take their shelter. Bayabas is the native name for guava tree or its fruit and from then on the place was called Bayabas.

During 1943 and 1944 much of the east cost of Mindanao was occupied by the Japanese, Bayabas was not occupied, although at times Japanese navy ships anchored in the harbor off the coast of the town. As the Japanese occupied an increasing number of area coastal towns, refugees trickled into town. The prewar rector of San Nicolas School, in Surigao City, was one of a number of priest who sought refuge to Bayabas. Food supplies soon failed to reach town from the outside, since Japanese troops disrupted distribution.

Bayabas is located between Tago and Cagwait. The Tago River separates the municipalities of Tago and Bayabas. Bayabas is consist of seven barangays mostly located along the coastlines. Though Bayabas is a small municipality, it is also abundant in natural resources especially seafoods.

Bayabas is politically subdivided into 7 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Panaosawon

Amag

Balete (Poblacion)

Cabugo

Cagbaoto

La Paz

Magobawok (Poblacion)

Bayabas was created as the 12^th Municipality of Surigao del Sur on November 20, 1961 by virtue of Executive Order No. 452 issued by the late President Carlos P. Garcia, and was formally inaugurated, organized and separated from its mother Municipality of Cagwait and Tago on May 3, 1961. It was categorized as a 5^th Class Municipality under the Local Government Finance Memorandum Circular No. 97-3(71) dated May 21, 1997.

At its birth as a town, it had only Cabugo, Bayabas, La Paz and Panaosawon as her barangays with Bayabas as the seat of Government. In ensuing years, Barangays Amag, Cagbaoto and Magobawok were created and the original name of Barangay Bayabas which was the seat of Government was change to Barangay Balete which now constitutes, together with Barangay Magobawok, as Poblacion barangays. The name Bayabas is retained as the name of the entire Municipality.

Before the immigrants came in 1917, the original inhabitants of Bayabas were the first wave of Boholano settlers when the place started becoming a community. Her name was derived from a big trunk of guava tree near the seashore where fishermen from La Paz and Tago used to take their shelter. Bayabas is the native name for guava tree or its fruit and from then on the place was called Bayabas.

During 1943 and 1944 much of the east cost of Mindanao was occupied by the Japanese, Bayabas was not occupied, although at times Japanese navy ships anchored in the harbor off the coast of the town. As the Japanese occupied an increasing number of area coastal towns, refugees trickled into town. The prewar rector of San Nicolas School, in Surigao City, was one of a number of priest who sought refuge to Bayabas. Food supplies soon failed to reach town from the outside, since Japanese troops disrupted distribution.