ana o . ▁Early ▁historical ▁accounts ▁record ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁as ▁Sul iga o , ▁Sur iga o , ▁or ▁Zur igan . ▁ ▁Another ▁possibility ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁Vis ay an ▁su ro ga o ▁or ▁su y og ao , ▁meaning ▁" water ▁current ". ▁From ▁su y og ▁( also ▁sul og ▁or ▁su rog ), ▁" current "; ▁c f . ▁Sin ul og , ▁Sul u , ▁and ▁T aus ug ▁( S ul uk ). ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁pre colon ial ▁times , ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Sur iga o ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁the ▁Vis ay an ▁Sur iga on on ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁L um ad ▁groups ▁in ▁the ▁inter iors ▁like ▁the ▁Mand aya , ▁Mans aka , ▁M aman wa ▁and ▁Man ob o . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Occ up ation ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁six ▁military ▁districts ▁were ▁created ▁in ▁Mind ana o , ▁with ▁Sur iga o ▁and ▁Ag us an ▁forming ▁the ▁" E ast ▁District ". ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁the ▁district ▁was ▁renamed ▁to ▁" Dist rito ▁de ▁Sur iga o ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁Dist rito ▁de ▁Sur iga o ▁became ▁char tered ▁province . ▁Ag us an ▁became ▁an ▁independent ▁province ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁era , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁separated ▁from ▁Sur iga o . ▁ ▁Independent