General No. 30. It was originally called Mabua due to the ever-foaming river that runs right into the center of the community. It was named Loreto in 1881 by the Spanish priest who frequents the town, in honor of the wife of the Alcalde Mayor of the Province of Surigao. The province was the site of the historic Battle of Surigao Strait during the Second World War. The Municipality of Loreto became the entry point of the American Liberation Forces on October 17, 1944. It was on this shore that the 6th Ranger Battalion of the 6th U.S. Army under Col. Mucci landed at Sitio Campintac of Barangay Panamaon in Loreto. It was during this landing that the first American flag flew on Philippine soil since the Japanese invasion in 1941. The Americans named the place "Black Beach No. 2." The northern part of the island served as a refuge for the American soldiers, while the western border was held by Japanese forces. Capsized vessel structures are still found today in the waters of Basilisa. On December 23, 1959, Cagdianao was created into a municipality under Executive Order No. 367. Its name came from the Spanish word Cada dia linao meaning "everyday peaceful and calm". However, some scholars say that its name came from the Visayan word Taga Danaw meaning "the lake people". Libjo was created into a municipality and named Albor on February 29, 1960, under Executive Order No. 381. It was taken from the municipalities of Dinagat and Loreto. Albor came from the surname of the mayors of Loreto and Dinagat — Alfaro and Borja. It was renamed as Libjo on June 17, 1967. The name came from the word Liboo, a kind of mussel clam. In 1965, Ruben Edera Ecleo Sr. founded the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) at Sitio Puyange, now Poblacion in San Jose. PBMA is a non-sectarian organization bounded by a strong spirit of brotherhood. Not long after that, members from all over the Philippines migrated to the island to be in constant association with their founder. Meanwhile, Basilisa became a municipality on June 17, 1967, under Republic Act No. 4986. It was then named as Rizal, after the country's national hero. The municipality was renamed as Basilisa on June 21, 1969, under Republic Act. No. 5775. Tubajon, which was once a barangay of Loreto, became a municipality on June 21, 1969, under Republic