Agusan del Sur
Encyclopedia
Agusan del Sur is a landlocked province
of the Philippines
located in the Caraga
region
in Mindanao
. Its capital is Prosperidad
and borders, from the north clockwise, Agusan del Norte
, Surigao del Sur
, Davao Oriental
, Compostela Valley
, Davao del Norte
, Bukidnon
, and Misamis Oriental
.
The dominant religion is Roman Catholicism (79% of the population). Other major religions include the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, Aglipay
, Iglesia ni Cristo
, United Pentecostal Church, Born Again and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
.
Five tribal groups are found in the province: Aeta
, Mamanwa, Bagobo, Higaonon, and Manobo. The Manobos live along the national highway and river towns towards the boundary with the Compostela Valley
. The Higaonons live mostly on the western side of Agusan River
, generally in Esperanza
towards the boundary with Bukidnon
.
The Agusan del Sur population is predominantly composed of immigrants from the Visayas
. Intermarriages between immigrants and natives have pulled down the percentage of the lumad stock.
, 75% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture
and forestry
. Rice, corn and fruits are among the major agricultural crops.
-speaking workforce. The province also keeps abreast of technological developments elsewhere, with some of these educational establishment offering skills development courses in Information Technology.
Corn plantations cover 255.25 km² for both white and yellow corn with a total production of 55,767 t in 2000 with surplus corn grits of 31,106 MT enough to feed more than 2 million people, four times greater than the province's population.
Banana is another abundant crop covering an area of 127.45 km² and could be seen everywhere but not in conventional plantation form. Banana chips are also processed in the province.
Oil palm plantation covers 118 km². The plantation is a Malaysian-Filipino joint venture, with agrarian reform beneficiaries as land owners. Crude oil is processed in the sites of Rosario
, and Trento
.
Coconut trees are widespread in the province, covering 393.36 km².
and Cagayan de Oro City
.
and other provinces for the supply of marine products. However, the province has abundant supply of fresh water fish like mudfish, catfish and tilapia.
, Butuan City
and with the creation of Sibagat
, Agusan del Sur now has an area of 8966 km².
The municipalities of Loreto
, La Paz
, Esperanza
, and San Luis
are the four largest municipalities in land area comprising almost 60 % of the provinces total land area. Santa Josefa
and Talacogon
, also river towns, have the smallest land area.
Forestland constitutes 76% of the total land area or 6,827.5 km² while the alienable and disposable constitutes about 24% or 2,137.5 km². Present land use, however showed that settlements and commercial areas already occupy some of the forestlands.
Through the years, the province has lost so much of its forest resources because existing industries are extractive in nature.
, which flows from Compostela Valley
in the south towards Agusan del Norte
in the north, runs almost in the middle of the valley and empties at Butuan Bay
. The river has twelve tributaries: Wawa, Gibong and Simulao Rivers in the eastern side and Ojot, Pusilao, Kasilayan, Libang, Maasam, Adgawan, Cawayan, Umayam and Ihaon Rivers in the western side. These tributaries are fed by streams and creeks. The southern half of the province from the municipality of Veruela
is an area filled with swamps and lakes, the biggest of which is Talacogon Lake.
Type II climate has no dry season with very pronounced wet season of heavy precipitation. Maximum rainfall generally occurs from December to January although there is no single dry month. Its average monthly rainfall is 355 mm. and average temperature is 27.15 degree Celsius. Areas characterized by this climate type are generally along or very near the eastern coast thus are open to the northeast monsoon.
The Augustinian Recollects
established a mission in Linao, in the vicinity of present day Bunawan, in 1614. However, mission work was hampered by the hostility of the surrounding Manobo tribes. At the height of the power of the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the mid-17th century, the Manobos of the Agusan Valley were in alliance with Sultan Kudarat. Linao was attacked several times during the 1629 Caraga Revolt and the 1649 Sumuroy Revolt. Nevertheless, the Recollects were able to establish themselves in their mission work, and remained there until the middle of the 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the Recollects (under protest) turned over many of their mission territories, including those in the upper Agusan region, to the reconstituted Jesuit order (the Jesuits had been banned by Papal edict in the 1760s, and ejected from the Philippines in 1768). Missionary work was interrupted by the Philippine Revolution when the Jesuits either fled or were arrested by revolutionaries. During the American occupation, lumbering became an important activity in Agusan del Sur. Visayan migrants settled in the cleared plains, pushing indigenous communities farther into the mountainous slopes.
The territory of Agusan del Sur was governed as part of the province of Caraga during most of the Spanish period. In 1860, it was placed under the comandancia of Butuan, a district of the province of Surigao. In 1914, the province of Agusan was created by the American government.
In the Second World War, Japanese troops landed in the province of Agusan in 1942 and occupied the province until their defeat by combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth troops as well as recognized guerilla units in 1945 at the Battle of Agusan.
The province of Agusan del Sur was born on June 17, 1967 under Republic Act No. 4969 providing for the division of the province of Agusan into Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. In January 1970 the first set of provincial officials assumed office after the provincial election of November, 1969. The same law provided that the capital of Agusan del Sur be the municipality of Prosperidad. The Government Center has been set up in Barangay Patin-ay.
Rufino C. Otero was elected as the first Provincial Governor and Democrito O. Plaza the first Congressman in the election of November 1969. The term of office of Congressman Democrito O. Plaza would have continued until December 1983 had it not for the proclamation of Martial Law on September 21, 1972, which in effect abolished the Congress. When the Interim Batasang Pambansa was convened in 1978 after almost a decade of absence under the martial Law, Edelmiro Amante represented the province in the National Assembly.
The history of Agusan del Sur is essentially linked with that of its sister province, Agusan del Norte, for most of their historical existence, they were but one province under one governor or under one local civil government.
Agusans pre-Hispanic cultural history is traced back to the great influence of the Majapahit Empire through the discovery of an eight-inch (200 mm) tall image of a woman in pure gold at Maasam, Esperanza in 1917 and molten jars unearthed at Bah-bah, Prosperidad. The aborigines of Agusan del Sur are the ancestors of the present day Mamanwas, who were driven to the hinterlands by waves of Malay immigrants. These immigrants, in turn, sought the protection of the interior jungles because of the forays and the constant raids of "moro" pirates. The "moros" being seafaring people confined themselves to the coastal areas, where they started their settlements.
is one of the most ecologically significant wetlands in the Philippines. Found in the heart of Mindanao's Agusan Basin, this vast expanse of marsh covers an area roughly the size of Metro Manila. It contains nearly 15 % of the nation's fresh water resources in the form of swamp forests.
During the rainy season, when the water rises to create large lakes, vast number of ducks come to Agusan Marsh to nest. In the dry months, thousands of birds come from as faraway as Japan, China and Russia to escape the chilly winter winds of Northern Asia. Over 200 individual species have been known to spend at least part of the year in the marsh, making it one of Asia's most important transit points for wild birds.
In the very heart of the marsh is a semi-permanent lake where many square kilometres of lily pads, hyacinths and other hydrophytic plants spread out like an enormous green quilt. In the dark tea-colored waters live untold numbers of catfish, carp, soft-shell fresh water turtles, and crocodiles.
Agusan Marsh is also host to "Wonderland", where you can see natural "bonsai" trees crafted by nature. It can be reached from Barangay Caimpogan or from Barangay New Visayas in the municipality of San Francisco.
The tiny community of mostly ethnic Manobos have made their permanent homes deep within the marsh, living on floating homes. The small houses made of bamboo and nipa lashed to hard wood logs, freely rise or fall with the level of the marsh itself. The marsh provides virtually everything the Manobos need.
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
located in the Caraga
Caraga
Caraga is an administrative region of the Philippines, on the northeastern portion of the island of Mindanao. It is the newest region in the Philippines and is also called Region XIII. The Caraga Region was created through Republic Act No. 7901 on February 25, 1995...
region
Regions of the Philippines
In the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into 17 regions...
in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. Its capital is Prosperidad
Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur
Prosperidad is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of the province. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 70,815 people in 13,064 households....
and borders, from the north clockwise, Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga, a region in Mindanao. Its capital is Cabadbaran City and it borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Surigao del Sur to the east, Agusan del Sur to the south, and Misamis Oriental to the west...
, Surigao del Sur
Surigao del Sur
' is a province of the Philippines located in the CARAGA region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tandag City and borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur to the west, and Davao Oriental to the south...
, Davao Oriental
Davao Oriental
Davao Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Mati and borders Compostela Valley to the west, and Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur to the north. Davao Oriental is the easternmost province of the country with Pusan Point as the easternmost...
, Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. The province, called Comval for short, used to be part of Davao del Norte until it was made independent in 1998. It is the third newest province of the Philippines, behind Dinagat Islands and Zamboanga...
, Davao del Norte
Davao del Norte
Davao del Norte , and once known simply as Davao, is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tagum City. It borders the province of Agusan del Sur to the north, Bukidnon to the west, Compostela Valley to the east, and the city of Davao to the south...
, Bukidnon
Bukidnon
Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...
, and Misamis Oriental
Misamis Oriental
Misamis Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital and provincial center is Cagayan de Oro City...
.
Demographics
In 2000 the province had a population of 559,294. This represented an increase of 44,558 persons or 7.96 % since 1995. The annual population growth rate was 1.79 %. There were 103,637 households with an average household size of 5.39 persons. The population density was 62 persons per square kilometer with a male to female ratio of 107:100.The dominant religion is Roman Catholicism (79% of the population). Other major religions include the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, Aglipay
Philippine Independent Church
The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, (officially the or the IFI, also known as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church or in Ilocano: Siwawayawaya nga Simbaan ti Filipinas (in in Kinaray-a/Hiligaynon: Simbahan Hilway nga...
, Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in...
, United Pentecostal Church, Born Again and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
.
Five tribal groups are found in the province: Aeta
Aeta
The Aeta , Agta or Ayta are an indigenous people who live in scattered, isolated mountainous parts of Luzon, Philippines. They are considered to be Negritos, who are dark to very dark brown-skinned and tend to have features such as a small stature, small frame, curly to kinky afro-like textured...
, Mamanwa, Bagobo, Higaonon, and Manobo. The Manobos live along the national highway and river towns towards the boundary with the Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. The province, called Comval for short, used to be part of Davao del Norte until it was made independent in 1998. It is the third newest province of the Philippines, behind Dinagat Islands and Zamboanga...
. The Higaonons live mostly on the western side of Agusan River
Agusan River
Agusan River is a river located in the eastern part of Mindanao island in the Philippines, draining majority of the Caraga Region and some parts of Compostela Valley province. It is the third largest river basin of the Philippines with a total drainage area of 10,921 km² and an estimated...
, generally in Esperanza
Esperanza, Agusan del Sur
Esperanza is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It renowned as the "Tilapia Capital of the Province" and has an official moniker of "The Home of Cultural Diversity"...
towards the boundary with Bukidnon
Bukidnon
Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...
.
The Agusan del Sur population is predominantly composed of immigrants from the Visayas
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
. Intermarriages between immigrants and natives have pulled down the percentage of the lumad stock.
Economy
Based on the 1995 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, 75% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. Rice, corn and fruits are among the major agricultural crops.
Human resources
Agusan del Sur has a labor force of 287,000 people, mostly in the agriculture and forestry sector. Several colleges, including a university, add to a well educated, highly trainable, EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-speaking workforce. The province also keeps abreast of technological developments elsewhere, with some of these educational establishment offering skills development courses in Information Technology.
Agriculture
Rice occupies the largest cultivated area, with 243.85 square kilometres of irrigated area with a yield of 410 t/km², and rainfed rice with an area of about 165.73 km² with a yield of 300 t/km². The province's rice production has the estimated capacity to feed 1,072,456 people—far more than the provinces population. Ironically, rice insufficiency persists, especially in the upland and hard to reach barangays.Corn plantations cover 255.25 km² for both white and yellow corn with a total production of 55,767 t in 2000 with surplus corn grits of 31,106 MT enough to feed more than 2 million people, four times greater than the province's population.
Banana is another abundant crop covering an area of 127.45 km² and could be seen everywhere but not in conventional plantation form. Banana chips are also processed in the province.
Oil palm plantation covers 118 km². The plantation is a Malaysian-Filipino joint venture, with agrarian reform beneficiaries as land owners. Crude oil is processed in the sites of Rosario
Rosario, Agusan del Sur
Rosario is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 28,675 people in 5,487 households.-Barangays:Rosario is politically subdivided into 11 barangays.* Bayugan 3...
, and Trento
Trento, Agusan del Sur
Trento is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 41,696 people in 7,850 households...
.
Coconut trees are widespread in the province, covering 393.36 km².
Poultry and Livestock
Despite of the government's efforts to increase poultry and livestock production, deficits in meat supply persist. Processed poultry and beef are imported from Davao CityDavao City
The City of Davao is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines....
and Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...
.
Fish
Agusan del Sur is highly dependent on Surigao del SurSurigao del Sur
' is a province of the Philippines located in the CARAGA region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tandag City and borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur to the west, and Davao Oriental to the south...
and other provinces for the supply of marine products. However, the province has abundant supply of fresh water fish like mudfish, catfish and tilapia.
Municipalities
|
San Francisco, Agusan del Sur San Francisco is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It has a population : 62,881 people in 14,917 households with registered voters of : 33,577. The municipality's land area is 39,253 ha.... San Luis, Agusan del Sur San Luis is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 25,901 people in 4,743 households... Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur Santa Josefa is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 22,730 people in 4,333 households.-Barangays:Santa Josefa is politically subdivided into 11 barangays.* Angas... Sibagat, Agusan del Sur Sibagat is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 28,685 people in 5,289 households. The town is 29 kilometers away from Butuan City. Its economy is dependent heavily on subsistence agriculture.The word Sibagat... Talacogon, Agusan del Sur Talacogon is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 45,233 people in 6,521 households.-Barangays:Talacogon is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.... Trento, Agusan del Sur Trento is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 41,696 people in 7,850 households... Veruela, Agusan del Sur Veruela is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 36,222 people in 6,960 households.... |
Land area
In 1976, the province's land area was 8,568 square kilometres, making it the seventh largest province in the country. After claiming the disputed boundary between Davao del NorteDavao del Norte
Davao del Norte , and once known simply as Davao, is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Tagum City. It borders the province of Agusan del Sur to the north, Bukidnon to the west, Compostela Valley to the east, and the city of Davao to the south...
, Butuan City
Butuan City
The City of Butuan is the regional center of Caraga, serving as an administrative region of the Philippines; it is a highly urbanized city. It is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley, Mindanao, sprawling across the Agusan River. It is bounded to the north, west and south by Agusan del...
and with the creation of Sibagat
Sibagat, Agusan del Sur
Sibagat is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 28,685 people in 5,289 households. The town is 29 kilometers away from Butuan City. Its economy is dependent heavily on subsistence agriculture.The word Sibagat...
, Agusan del Sur now has an area of 8966 km².
The municipalities of Loreto
Loreto, Agusan del Sur
Loreto is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 31,365 people in 5,572 households.-Barangays:Loreto is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.* Binucayan* Johnson...
, La Paz
La Paz, Agusan del Sur
La Paz is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 20,880 people in 3,754 households.-Barangays:La Paz is politically subdivided into 15 barangays.* Bataan* Comota...
, Esperanza
Esperanza, Agusan del Sur
Esperanza is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It renowned as the "Tilapia Capital of the Province" and has an official moniker of "The Home of Cultural Diversity"...
, and San Luis
San Luis, Agusan del Sur
San Luis is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 25,901 people in 4,743 households...
are the four largest municipalities in land area comprising almost 60 % of the provinces total land area. Santa Josefa
Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur
Santa Josefa is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 22,730 people in 4,333 households.-Barangays:Santa Josefa is politically subdivided into 11 barangays.* Angas...
and Talacogon
Talacogon, Agusan del Sur
Talacogon is a 1st class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 45,233 people in 6,521 households.-Barangays:Talacogon is politically subdivided into 16 barangays....
, also river towns, have the smallest land area.
Forestland constitutes 76% of the total land area or 6,827.5 km² while the alienable and disposable constitutes about 24% or 2,137.5 km². Present land use, however showed that settlements and commercial areas already occupy some of the forestlands.
Through the years, the province has lost so much of its forest resources because existing industries are extractive in nature.
Topography
Agusan del Sur is an elongated basin formation with mountain ranges in the eastern and western sides forming a valley, which occupies the central longitudinal section of the land. The Agusan RiverAgusan River
Agusan River is a river located in the eastern part of Mindanao island in the Philippines, draining majority of the Caraga Region and some parts of Compostela Valley province. It is the third largest river basin of the Philippines with a total drainage area of 10,921 km² and an estimated...
, which flows from Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley
Compostela Valley is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. The province, called Comval for short, used to be part of Davao del Norte until it was made independent in 1998. It is the third newest province of the Philippines, behind Dinagat Islands and Zamboanga...
in the south towards Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Caraga, a region in Mindanao. Its capital is Cabadbaran City and it borders Surigao del Norte to the north, Surigao del Sur to the east, Agusan del Sur to the south, and Misamis Oriental to the west...
in the north, runs almost in the middle of the valley and empties at Butuan Bay
Butuan Bay
Butuan Bay is a bay in the northeast section of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is part of the Bohol Sea. The Agusan River empties into the bay. Butuan City lies at the base of the bay....
. The river has twelve tributaries: Wawa, Gibong and Simulao Rivers in the eastern side and Ojot, Pusilao, Kasilayan, Libang, Maasam, Adgawan, Cawayan, Umayam and Ihaon Rivers in the western side. These tributaries are fed by streams and creeks. The southern half of the province from the municipality of Veruela
Veruela, Agusan del Sur
Veruela is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 36,222 people in 6,960 households....
is an area filled with swamps and lakes, the biggest of which is Talacogon Lake.
Climate
The province is geographically situated below the typhoon belt but is usually affected by depressions forming in the typhoon regions of Visayas and the province of Surigao del Norte. The climate map of the Philippines based on the modified coronas classification shows that the province falls under Type II.Type II climate has no dry season with very pronounced wet season of heavy precipitation. Maximum rainfall generally occurs from December to January although there is no single dry month. Its average monthly rainfall is 355 mm. and average temperature is 27.15 degree Celsius. Areas characterized by this climate type are generally along or very near the eastern coast thus are open to the northeast monsoon.
History
The Agusan Valley was settled by a variety of cultural communities like the Manobos, Mamanwas and Higaonons. Archeological excavations in the lower Agusan valley plains have uncovered evidence of strong relationships between the region and the Southeast Asian states. A golden image of Javan-Indian design unearthed in the 1920s and molten jars uncovered in Prosperidad are indications that the region had commercial and cultural ties with the coast.The Augustinian Recollects
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
established a mission in Linao, in the vicinity of present day Bunawan, in 1614. However, mission work was hampered by the hostility of the surrounding Manobo tribes. At the height of the power of the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the mid-17th century, the Manobos of the Agusan Valley were in alliance with Sultan Kudarat. Linao was attacked several times during the 1629 Caraga Revolt and the 1649 Sumuroy Revolt. Nevertheless, the Recollects were able to establish themselves in their mission work, and remained there until the middle of the 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the Recollects (under protest) turned over many of their mission territories, including those in the upper Agusan region, to the reconstituted Jesuit order (the Jesuits had been banned by Papal edict in the 1760s, and ejected from the Philippines in 1768). Missionary work was interrupted by the Philippine Revolution when the Jesuits either fled or were arrested by revolutionaries. During the American occupation, lumbering became an important activity in Agusan del Sur. Visayan migrants settled in the cleared plains, pushing indigenous communities farther into the mountainous slopes.
The territory of Agusan del Sur was governed as part of the province of Caraga during most of the Spanish period. In 1860, it was placed under the comandancia of Butuan, a district of the province of Surigao. In 1914, the province of Agusan was created by the American government.
In the Second World War, Japanese troops landed in the province of Agusan in 1942 and occupied the province until their defeat by combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth troops as well as recognized guerilla units in 1945 at the Battle of Agusan.
The province of Agusan del Sur was born on June 17, 1967 under Republic Act No. 4969 providing for the division of the province of Agusan into Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. In January 1970 the first set of provincial officials assumed office after the provincial election of November, 1969. The same law provided that the capital of Agusan del Sur be the municipality of Prosperidad. The Government Center has been set up in Barangay Patin-ay.
Rufino C. Otero was elected as the first Provincial Governor and Democrito O. Plaza the first Congressman in the election of November 1969. The term of office of Congressman Democrito O. Plaza would have continued until December 1983 had it not for the proclamation of Martial Law on September 21, 1972, which in effect abolished the Congress. When the Interim Batasang Pambansa was convened in 1978 after almost a decade of absence under the martial Law, Edelmiro Amante represented the province in the National Assembly.
Cultural history
Agusan derived its name from the local dialect, "agasan", meaning "where the water flows", referring to the great river splitting the land and meandering south to north in a 250-kilometer rush to Butuan Bay. Agusan River - the third largest in the country - served as highway for the Spanish colonizers in gaining access to inner northeastern Mindanao.The history of Agusan del Sur is essentially linked with that of its sister province, Agusan del Norte, for most of their historical existence, they were but one province under one governor or under one local civil government.
Agusans pre-Hispanic cultural history is traced back to the great influence of the Majapahit Empire through the discovery of an eight-inch (200 mm) tall image of a woman in pure gold at Maasam, Esperanza in 1917 and molten jars unearthed at Bah-bah, Prosperidad. The aborigines of Agusan del Sur are the ancestors of the present day Mamanwas, who were driven to the hinterlands by waves of Malay immigrants. These immigrants, in turn, sought the protection of the interior jungles because of the forays and the constant raids of "moro" pirates. The "moros" being seafaring people confined themselves to the coastal areas, where they started their settlements.
Agusan Marsh
Agusan MarshDuring the rainy season, when the water rises to create large lakes, vast number of ducks come to Agusan Marsh to nest. In the dry months, thousands of birds come from as faraway as Japan, China and Russia to escape the chilly winter winds of Northern Asia. Over 200 individual species have been known to spend at least part of the year in the marsh, making it one of Asia's most important transit points for wild birds.
In the very heart of the marsh is a semi-permanent lake where many square kilometres of lily pads, hyacinths and other hydrophytic plants spread out like an enormous green quilt. In the dark tea-colored waters live untold numbers of catfish, carp, soft-shell fresh water turtles, and crocodiles.
Agusan Marsh is also host to "Wonderland", where you can see natural "bonsai" trees crafted by nature. It can be reached from Barangay Caimpogan or from Barangay New Visayas in the municipality of San Francisco.
The tiny community of mostly ethnic Manobos have made their permanent homes deep within the marsh, living on floating homes. The small houses made of bamboo and nipa lashed to hard wood logs, freely rise or fall with the level of the marsh itself. The marsh provides virtually everything the Manobos need.
Bega Falls
The hidden treasure of Agusan del Sur, located in Brgy Mabuhay, Prosperidad, a haven for mountain trekkers, adventure lovers, environmentalists and bio-diversity researchers. You can find the Bega Falls by mountain or river trekking from the Baranggay proper. Once within the realm of the falls, the three-tiered main falls, twin falls, torqouise-green and pristine waters will surely soothen your weary soul. Press onto the whole length of the river channel and you will be lured into the exotic enchantment of jungle paradise. And be sure to know your numbers because you will not be counting only one falls but 18 falls, plus the lagoons, cascades, wild flora and fauna, hardwoods and exotic birds, all cradled by a single channel of the river Bega.Gibong River
The Gibong River is a stretch of water with a view of unharmed vegetation in its banks. The river is the only gateway to Binaba Falls. It is also the source of water supply irrigating some 60 square kilometres of rice fields of three municipalities in the province.Binaba Falls
The Binaba Falls is situated in the heart of a jungle-like foot of the mountain, with clear waters emitting from the springs, cascading onto boulders of limestone. The falls offer a very refreshing bath after a fifteen-minutes ride on a motor-banca from the mini wharf of Prosperidad town passing along the Gibong River.But the previous municipal administration introduced tourism development related project which damages the topography and altered the landscape.Gone were the cascades that was replaced by a concrete steps leading to swimming pool on a narrow ridge. The need to increase the town's water supply also led to the construction of concrete reservoires adding destruction to the natural landscape.Tugonan Falls
The name derived from the word "Tugon" meaning a promise, Tugonan waterfalls in Barangay San Lorenzo of Prosperidad Town offers a natural wonder where one will surely promise to come back after a visit. The towering trees on its vicinity with wild ornamental plants and orchids hanging on branches, one could have dreamed having gone to paradise.External links
- Agusan del Sur provincial profile at Philippine Provincial Profiles (Archived 2009-10-24)
- The Official Website of the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur
- The Best Marshland in the Philippines in Agusan del Sur - Agusan del Sur Premiere Tourist Spot
- More info about Agusan del Sur at the Agusan–Surigao Historical Archive (Archived 2009-10-24)
- Agusan del Sur Reference