First posted 00:50am Sept 11, 2005
By Joel V. Nigos
Inquirer News Service
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, SITUATED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF Mindanao, is a small and quiet province rich in heritage and culture. At the same time it boasts of several wonderful gifts of nature that are perfect for people on the lookout for some adventure.
Butuan City, the province’s capital, is the site of the oldest settlement in the Philippines dating back to the 3rd century. Recent archeological findings prove the existence by the river of a prehistoric city.
It is believed that Butuan City is where Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan proclaimed Spanish sovereignty over the Philippines in 1521.
The 1872 Magellan marker, which claimed that the first Mass was held in Butuan on April 8, 1521, was erected by the Spanish governor José Maria Carvallo. A monument containing the marker can be seen by the bank of the Agusan River, at Butuan’s former poblacion known today as the town of Magallanes after the Spanish conquistador.
Also in Magallanes is the 500-year-old Bita-og tree.
At over 300 ft in diameter and situated along the national highway, the tree is the oldest and the largest specimen in the Philippines still accessible to people. It will take about 12 people with arms outstretched to fully embrace the tree’s trunk.
Unique phenomenon
Relics and cultural artifacts abound in Agusan del Norte, among them the balanghai boat, which was discovered in Ambangan, Libertad. This wooden plank-built and edge-pegged boats averaged 15 meters in length and three meters wide across the beam. The maritime vessel and the cultural artifacts found with it are associated with an affluent seafaring people. The finds have no parallel in Southeast Asian prehistoric archeology.
At present, and with research and excavation still ongoing, 11 boats have been dug so far. The first boat, the biggest so far, is 16 meters long and three meters wide. It is now displayed at the Shrine Museum in Butuan City. The second boat is displayed at the National Museum in Manila.
So far, relics and artifacts that have been found date back to 320 A.D. This proves that the area was a big flourishing settlement and trade center in Southeast Asia at around 700 B.C.
Old churches and houses that date back to the 1800’s also dot some towns of Agusan del Norte. In Cabadbaran are the Atega Mansion and the Candelaria Church. At nearby Jabonga is the Our Lady of Assumption Parish. Built in 1878 in native molave or tugas, its original retablo made of fine wood and with very elaborate designs is still intact.
The original church bell can be found in the nearby parochial museum, as well as chalices, crucifixes and a Latin Missal that were all used in early church celebrations.
Natural wonders
The province is also blessed with great natural wonders. Eco-tourism activities like spelunking, canoeing and kayaking use indigenous materials. This makes them highly sustainable and not capital intensive. The canoe used by residents for fishing and for cruising are made of native narra. They are usually referred to as dug-out canoe.
At Lake Mainit, the famed freshwater lake so-called because of its warm water, is where the fluvial procession in honor of Our Lady of Assumption, Jabonga’s patroness, is observed. It is also where the Caraga 30-km Baroto Marathon is held during the celebration of the Araw ng Agusan del Norte in June.
A confluence of 28 rivers, this 17,430-ha lake situated 80 ft above sea level with a mean depth of 128 meters is the 4th biggest in the country. It also has a total of 87,072 ha of total watershed areas.
Kalinawan River
The Kalinawan River, where the lake empties its water, is where endemic as well as endangered flora and fauna are found.
The pidjanga, regarded as a delicacy by both local and visiting folks, as well as the gabot, freshwater eel (kasili), carp and tilapia (nilotica) are a source of livelihood to residents. Freshwater flowers such as the pink and white pagosi (sacred lotus) and tabukali (water hyacinth) add splendor to the lake. These flowers are also used to make handicrafts such as slippers, baskets and bags.
The river’s lush vegetation that typifies the Agusan marshland and the migratory birds which frequent the area make it simply perfect for cruising and game fishing. Eagles gliding over the water waiting for their preys create a wonderful scene. Giant purple herons and fowls believed to be from Siberia come during summer for breeding. It takes 45 minutes by motorboat to cruise the entire river.
Dive sites
Scuba diving is also a growing activity in the area. A total of 22 dive sites dot the entire province—with 15 in the municipality of Carmen, six in Jabonga and one in Tubay. The waters at Carmen provide an excellent 80 ft of visibility. The profile ranges from sloping walls to cliffs ranging from 40 to over 100 ft. Its reef life is bountiful, with soft and hard corals plus abundant reef and pelagic fishes, and has generally white sandy floors.
The Jabonga and Tubay dive sites, meanwhile, are generally rock formations—crevices, caves, alleys, overhands, walls—with depths ranging from 45 to over 200 ft. Pelagics abound together with snappers, sweetlips and trevallies. Fish life is bountiful.
Lepanto Tunnel 240
A walk through the stretch of the first level of the Lepanto Tunnel is an added attraction. It leads to what was in the ’60s and the ’70s a mining site for gold, silver and copper by the Lepanto Mining Company (hence the name).
The whole tunnel stretches up to 1.5 km which can be traversed via normal pace in about an hour. Its height and width are both 14 ft and has five lateral levels with vertical connections at the rear end of the tunnel. Currently, only the first level is open for viewing to the public. Located in the municipality of Cabadbaran, a large number of gold millers are still around the area. Gold panning from resident millers can be frequently viewed.
Going to the province is no problem since there are daily flights from Manila and Cebu. It is also easily accessible by ship from Manila, Cebu and Bohol. The peace and order situation should not be a concern since the province belongs to the Caraga Region, which statistics would show, is the country’s most peaceful region.
