Centuries before the Province of Camiguin was created, the Island of Mindanao used to be part of the Diocese of Cebu. The Island of Camiguin which on June 18, 1966 was converted into an independent island, separated from the province of Misamis Oriental. Camiguin is now composed of five municipalities: Catarman, Guinsiliban, Mahinog, Sagay, and Mambajao, the capital.
In the 1886 book of Fr. Felipe Redondo, the Island of Camiguin is revealed to be composed of the following parishes:
Sagay, erected as a parish by Diocesan decree on June 11, 1848. It is under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary, it was separated from its mother parish Catarman. It used to have an annex town called Guinsiliban.
Majinog, the parish was erected by Diocesan decree under the patronage of St. Michael Archangel, on October 18, 1860. Its mother parish is Sagay. The book, “A Brief Survey of What was and what is the Diocese of Cebu” translated into English by Azucena L. Pace describes that the town of Majinog is situated in the eastern coast of the Island of Camiguin, one kilometer from the shore. Its boundaries are, on the south the town of Guinsiliban, an annex of Sagay, one and half leagues away, on the north the town of Mambajao, three hours away.
Mambajao, it was erected as parish by Diocesan decree, under the patronage of St. Nicholas Tolentino, on June 6, 1855, through Superior approval of January 4 of the same year. It was separated from its mother parish, Catarman.
Catarman, it was erected under the patronage of St. Roch in 1622, according to the parish priest. The report is noteworthy and tells us of what happened before: “This town was transferred because a volcano appeared beside the place where the old town used to be, on May 1, 1871, which is why there is a poor church made of bamboo and cogon grass roof.”
The volcano referred by the report is Hibok-hibok, also known as the Catarman Volcano. Though there were eruptions on February 16, 1871, the famous eruption occurred on December 4, 1951 which killed thousands of its residents.