Butuan

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City of Butuan Dakbayan hong Butuan Lungsod ng Butuan
Seal
Nickname(s): The Home of the Balangays, Timber City of the South, Historic City, Ancient Kingdom of Butuan, The 3rd Largest City in Mindanao (in terms of land area)
Map of Agusan del Norte showing the location of Butuan City.
City of Butuan Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 8°57′N 125°32′E / 8.95°N 125.533°E / 8.95; 125.533
Country	Philippines
Region	Region XIII (CARAGA)
Province	Agusan del Norte
Districts	First District of Agusan del Norte
Barangays	86
Official Languages	Cebuano Widely Spoken, Butuanon, Filipino, English
Incorporated (town)	1902
Incorporated (city)	August 02, 1950
Government
- Mayor	Democrito D. Plaza II (1992-2000, 2001-2003 & 2007-2010)
- Vice Mayor	Dino Claudio M. Sanchez (2007-2010)
- Congress	Jose Aquino II (2007-2010)
Area
- Total	817.28 km2 (315.6 sq mi)
Population (August 2007)[1]
- Total	298,378
- Density	365.1/km2 (945.6/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	8600
Area code(s)	85
Patron Saint	Saint Joseph, the worker
Website	www.butuan.gov.ph

The City of Butuan (Filipino: Lungsod ng Butuan; Butuanon: Dakbayan hong Butuan) is the regional center of the Caraga Region in the Philippines. 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 Norte, to the east by Agusan del Sur and to the northwest by Butuan Bay. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 298,378 people.^[1]

The name "Butuan" is believed to have originated from the sour fruit "Batuan". Other etymology sources say that it comes from a certain "Datu Buntuan", a chieftain who once ruled over Butuan.

Butuan city is the regional center of Caraga Region. The regional offices of the different government agencies is located here almost all of it.

History

As early as the 10th century, people from Butuan had already established trading relations with the Kingdom of Champa (now southern Vietnam) and Srivijaya empire of Java.

By the 11th century, Butuan was the center of trade and commerce in the Philippines. The evidence to prove this fact is the discovery of 9 balangays (the Butuan Boat) and other archaeological find in the vicinities of Butuan City, particularly in Ambangan, Libertad near the old El Rio de Butuan and Masao River.

Much controversy and debate have been generated with regard to the holding of the first mass—whether it was held in Limasawa, Leyte in Masao, Butuan City, in the hidden isle made up of barangays Pinamanculan and Bancasi inside Butuan, in the latest discovered site in between agusan sur and surigao sur, the little barangay of Barobo, or elsewhere. It is sure, however, that Ferdinand Magellan did not drop anchor by the mouth of Agusan River in 1521 and hold mass to commemorate the event which was held at Mazaua, an island separate from 1521 Butuan which was in the geographical conception of Europeans who wrote about it was a larger entity than what it is now. Antonio Pigafetta who wrote an eyewitness account of Magellan's voyage described in text and in map a Butuan that stretched from today's Surigao up to the top edge of Zamboanga del Norte.

The first municipal election in Butuan took place on March 1902 in accordance with Public Law No. 82 which coincided with the American occupation of the place.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, Butuan was razed to the ground when the guerrilla forces attacked the enemy garrison during the middle of 1943. In 1945, entered of the Philippine Commonwealth troops in Butuan together with the recognized guerrillas attacked the Japanese forces during the Battle of Agusan. On October 20, 1948, still recovering from the war, the entire municipality was ruined by a fire.

The boom of the logging industry during the 1950s up the middle of 1970s has made Butuan the "Timber City of the South". The outcome of which was the influx of business and fortune seekers from other provinces. The once lethargic town suddenly became a bustling locality. The flourishing logging industry inspired and prompted Congressman Marcos M. Calo to file a bill converting Butuan into a city. On August 2, 1950, Butuan became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 523 otherwise known as the City Charter of Butuan.

From being a chartered city, Butuan was reclassified into a highly urbanized city on February 7, 1995 pursuant to the provision of section 166 and 168 of Local Government code of 1991 and Memorandum circular 83-49 of the ministry of local Government. The re-classification was based on its outcome and population as certified by the ministry of finance and national census and statistics office.

Geography

Topography

Butuan City has a land area of 816.62 km², which is roughly 4.1% of the total area of the Caraga region. With an estimated total population of 300,000, it has an average density of 367 persons per km², higher than the regional average density of 101 persons per km².

The existing land use of the city consists of the following uses: agriculture areas (397.23 km²), forestland (268 km²), grass/shrub/pasture land (61.14 km²) and other uses (90.242 km²). Of the total forestland, 105 km² is production forest areas while 167.5 km² is protection forest areas.

The forestland, as mentioned earlier, comprised both the production and protection forest. The classified forest is further specified as production forest and protection forest. In the production forest industrial tree species are mostly grown in the area. The production forest on the other hand, is preserved to support and sustain necessary ecological performance. One is the watershed areas will dry up and during heavy rain, rapid water run-off will occur creating flash floods. And in sunny days, rapid evaporation happens, leaving the area arid.

The city is endowed with swamplands near its coastal area. These swamp areas are interconnected with the waterways joined by the Agusan River. Most of the swamplands are actually mangroves that served as habitat to different marine species.

Filling material needs of the city are extracted usually from the riverbank of Taguibo River. Others are sourced out from promontories with special features and for special purpose.

The fishing ground of Butuan is the Butuan Bay of which two coastal barangays are located. It extends some two kilometers to the sea and joins the Bohol Sea. These are barangays Lumbocan and Masao.

Barangays

Butuan City is politically subdivided into 86 barangays (abbreviated as "Brgy." or "Bgy."). Of these, 27 are classified as urban and the remaining 59 are classified as rural.

Education

Butuan City is the center of education in the Caraga region. It has also the home grown university of the region the Father Saturnino Urios University. An upcoming university is the Caraga State University, though until the bill in Congress will become law, it will still remain as the Northern Mindanao Institute of Science and Technology (NORMISIST). There is also the Timber City Academy, the oldest Chinese school in the region. Other than the privately-run academic institutions that address the collegiate-level needs of the locals, most basic-level schools are publicly-run, notably the Butuan Central Elementary School, Butuan City SPED Center and the Agusan National High School - both adjacent to the other and found at the old center of the city. Teachers from these two schools have significant exposure to complimentary seminars and workshops with partnership programs such as the Philippine-Australia Project on Basic Education (PROBE) - and have enabled these two, among other schools to maintain high rating National Achievement Test results. There are also religious schools in the city that are aimed at producing "God-loving, smart and trust-worthy students" like the Liberty Foundational Christian Academy(LFCA).

Festivals

The Kahimunan Festival is celebrated every third Sunday of January in celebration of the city patron Sr. Sto. Niño. This celebration is the version of the Sinulog festival of Cebu City. Kahimunan is a Lumad term which means "gathering".

Cultural festival/tourism consciousness week is a long celebration that lasts from the last week of July up to August 2 in celebration of the Charter Day of Butuan.

Abayan Festival is part cultural festival in celebration of St. Anne patroness of Agusan River celebrated every last Sunday of July.

Adlaw Hong Butuan is the charter day celebration of Butuan, which includes a thanksgiving mass, motorcade, palagsing festival, street party recognitions of outstanding Butuanons and city government employees night.

Butuan celebrates its annual fiesta for the celebration of city patron St. Joseph every May 19 of the year. Many events will be seen such as summer league basketball championship game, thanksgiving mass, and more.

Food delicacies

“PALAGSING” is a local delicacy popularly made in Banza, one of the old poblacion of Butuan City. Butuan City is located in Northeastern Mindanao, bounded by Agusan del Norte to the south, west and north, Agusan del Sur to the east and Butuan Bay to the northwest. The popularity of making delicious “Palagsing” in Banza is attributed to the abundance of Nipa or Asiatic palm tree (Nipa fruticans) where “Unaw”(nipa starch) is harvested from the Palm Tree. Another popular ingredient is young coconut meat taken from coconut trees. The mixture of “unaw”, young coconut , and brown sugar make “palagsing” moist and chewy. They are delicately wrapped by banana leaves and are boiled for 30 minutes to create the soft consistency of “palagsing”.

Telecommunications

• Bayan Telecommunications
• Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)
• PhilCom
• Globe
• Smart

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

• bayanDSL
• PLDT myDSL
• Smart Bro
• Globelines Broadband
• PhilCom DSL

Radio and Television

Radio

AM

• Bombo Radyo Butuan 981 kHz
• RMN Radyo Agong 756 kHz
• Radyo ng Bayan 792 kHz
• Radyo Asenso 756 kHz

FM

• Real Radio 88.7 mHz
• Marjeyds FM 92.1 mHz
• HCCB FM 94.5 mHz
• Love Radio 95.1 mHz
• Magik FM 97.5 mHz
• Wild FM 98.5 mHz
• I-FM 100.7 kHz
• Lite FM 102.6 kHz

Defunct FM Stations

• Star FM 91.7 mHz
• Campus Radio 99.7 mHz
• Killer Bee FM 102.3 mHz

TV

• TV 11 ABS-CBN DXAJ
• TV 7 GMA DXNS

List of Schools, Universities and Colleges in Butuan City

• Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology
• Father Saturnino Urios University
• Butuan Doctors College
• Saint Joseph Institute of Technology
• Holy Child Colleges
• AMA Computer Learning Center College
• Agusan Colleges
• Butuan City Colleges
• Sunrise Christian College
• Agusan Institute of Technology
• Timber City Academy (TCA) (Formerly Butuan Chinese School)
• Rainbow of Angels Learning Centre
• Butuan Grace Christian School
• Butuan Faith Christian School
• Butuan City Special Education (SPED) Integrated School
• Butuan City School of Arts and Trades(BCSAT)(tech.vocational school)
• Agusan National High School
• Angelicum Montessori School
• Butuan Central Elementary School
• Pearl of the Orient School
• Pinamanculan Elementary School

Transportation

Air

• Philippine Airlines (Manila)
• Cebu Pacific (Cebu, Manila)
• PAL Express (Cebu)

Sea

• Cebu Ferries (Cebu)
• Aboitiz Super Ferry (Manila, Cebu, Jagna)
• Gothong Shipping Lines (Cebu, Manila)

Land

• Jeepney
• Multicab
• Taxi
• Tricycle
• Van

Highlights

The Macapagal Bridge

Agusan river

Agusan River is the widest, deepest and longest navigable river in Mindanao. A cruise along the river barangays reveals much about Butuan's history, culture, arts, and people, and as a tribute to the Patroness of the Agusan River Senora Sta. Ana, the Abayan Festival was born – a day-long celebration of baroto races and fluvial procession at the Agusan River.

Balangay Shrine museum

Five kilometers east of the city proper lays the graveyard of the Balangay 1 dated 320 A.D. or 1688 years old. This wooden plank-build and edge-pegged boats measured an average of 15 meters in length and 3 meters wide across the beam. To date, 9 Balangays have already been discovered in Ambangan, Libertad sites. Three have been excavated and others are still in Situ.

Butuan regional museum

This museum is the repository of historical and cultural materials and artifacts that proves Butuan's prehistoric existence and rich cultural heritage. There are two exhibit galleries. The Archaeological Hall and Ethnological Hall specimens of stone crafts, metal crafts, woodcrafts, potteries, goldsmith, burial coffins, and other archaeological diggings are exhibited. At the Ethnological Hall are exhibits of contemporary cultural materials the Butuanon or every Filipino for matter used for a living.

Mount Mayapay

Looming southwest of the Agusan Valley is this majestic mountain plateau. It rises to 2,214 feet (675 m) above sea level. Mount Mayapay got its name from the ancient Madjapahit Empire. The history behind the Sri-Vishaya period bears much meaning and influence of Butuan's pre-historic and archaeological discoveries.

Sister cities

• Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
• Bacolod City, Philippines
• Legazpi City, Philippines
• Marikina City, Philippines
• General Santos City, Philippines
• Mandaue City, Philippines
• Iligan City, Philippines
• Ozamiz City, Philippines

References

External links

• Butuan.gov.ph
• A History of Butuan City at the Agusan–Surigao Historical Archive
• Butuan statistics at the Philippines National Statistical Coordination Board

See also

• Kingdom of Butuan
• Agusan del Norte
• Father Saturnino Urios University