', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people. It is located on Siargao Island, bounded by the Municipality of San Isidro to the north, Municipality of Del Carmen to the west, Municipality of Dapa to South and Philippine Sea to the east. It used to be a barrio of Dapa until its creation as a separate municipality on October 31, 1953 by virtue of Executive Order No. 638 issued by then President Elpidio Quirino. Pilar has a natural harbor through a small inlet called Port Pilar.
Barangays
Pilar is politically subdivided into 15 barangays, listed here with 2010 populations. Town Proper Barangays
Magpupungko is the most popular tourist destination in Pilar. It is famous for its lagoons which can only be seen during low tide. It also features picturesque limestone rock formations.
Other Beaches and Rock Formations
Other areas that can be explored by tourists are Taglungnan Beach and Tagbayanga Islets, which are across town proper and can be reach in 15–20 minutes by boat ride. Other beaches are Lukod Beach and Caridad Beach.
Surfing
Pilar is also one of the surfing spots in Siargao and is less crowded. It is one and a half hour boat ride from General Luna, where the more popular surfing spot Cloud 9 is located. It holds many good lefts and is best surfed during NE swells. There are good breaks in front and near the town proper and in Barangay Caridad.
Game Fishing
Pilar is popular to game fishing enthusiasts. The town hosts an annual invitational sport fishing event dubbed as Siargao International Game Fishing Tournament.
Mangrove Forest
Pilar has an extensive mangrove forest reserve.
Philippine Freshwater Crocodile
Thirty-six Philippine freshwater crocodile were released in Paghongawan Marsh in Barangay Jaboy last March 2013 as part of conservation effort to bolster the population of this endangered reptile. The released crocodiles are all yearlings and were bred in captivity. The marsh extends 300 acres in the dry season and more than 1,500 acres in the wet season. These crocodiles are not endemic to Siargao and are smaller compared to saltwater crocodiles which can be found in the western side of Siargao, in the mangrove forest of Del Carmen town.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Pilar is connected to Surigao City through the Port of Dapa. Jeepneys ply between Pilar and Dapa daily. It is connected to Cebu City and Metro Manila through Sayak Airport in the adjacent Municipality of Del Carmen. Habal-habal can also be rented to service transportation needs.
Healthcare
Pilar has a district hospital but now mostly serve lying-in and maternity services. There is also a rural health center in the town proper.
Pilar is served by 2 high schools, Pilar National High School in the town proper and Pilar National High School - Caridad Annex in its biggest barangay, Caridad. There are also 12 elementary schools led by Pilar Central Elementary School.
