Early history

The history of Agusan del Sur is essentially linked with that of its sister province, Agusan del Norte.

Agusans pre-Hispanic cultural history is traced back to the great influence of the Majapahit Empire through the discovery of an 8-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.

Spanish colonial era

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. 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. Bienvenido Ronquillo Blanco, Former Deputy Leader of Gibung District of Agusan was named several place of Agusan.

American invasion era

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.

In 1914, the province of Agusan was created by the American government.

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.

Japanese occupation era

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 guerrilla units in 1945 at the Battle of Agusan.

The general headquarters and military camp and base of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active from January 3, 1942, to June 30, 1946, and the 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was active again from October 28, 1944, to June 30, 1946, are military stationed in the province of Surigao was composed to engaging operations against the Japanese Occupation.

In 1945, Filipino soldiers of the 6th, 10th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 107th and 110th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 10th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary together with the recognized Agusan guerrilla fighter units against the Japanese forces beginning the liberation in Northern Agusan during World War II.

During World War II, a unit of the joint Philippine-American defense force was located at Manot, Talacogon, in the interior of the Agusan Valley.

Philippine independence

The province of Agusan del Sur was established 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.^[4]

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.

Land area

In 1976, the province's land area was 8,568 square kilometres (3,308 sq mi), making it the seventh largest province in the country. After claiming the disputed boundary between Davao del Norte, Butuan and with the creation of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur now has an area of 8,966 square kilometres (3,462 sq mi).

The municipalities of Loreto, La Paz, Esperanza, and San Luis are the four largest municipalities in land area comprising almost 60% of the province's 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 square kilometres (2,636.1 sq mi) while the alienable and disposable constitutes about 24% or 2,137.5 square kilometres (825.3 sq mi). Present land use, however, showed that settlements and commercial areas already occupy some of the forestlands.

Through the years, the province has lost 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 River, which flows from Davao de Oro 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.

Climate

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 millimetres (14.0 in) and average temperature is 27.15 °C (80.87 °F). Areas characterized by this climate type are generally along or very near the eastern coast thus are open to the northeast monsoon.

Agusan del Sur is among the 20 most vulnerable provinces to climate change in the Philippines.^[5]

Administrative divisions

Agusan del Sur comprises 13 municipalities and 1 city. There are 314 barangays.

Political map of Agusan del Sur

Religion

The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism with 79% of the population and the Iglesia Filipina Independiente with 12%. Other religions include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, United Pentecostal Church, Born Again and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Islam and Latter Day Saints.

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 trainable, English-speaking workforce. The province also has educational establishments offering skills development courses in Information Technology.

Agriculture

Rice occupies the largest cultivated area, with 243.85 square kilometres (94.15 sq mi) of irrigated area with a yield of 410 t/km², and rainfed rice with an area of about 165.73 square kilometres (63.99 sq mi) 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 province's population. Ironically, rice insufficiency persists, especially in the upland and hard to reach barangays.

Corn plantations cover 255.25 square kilometres (98.55 sq mi) 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 square kilometres (49.21 sq mi). Banana chips are also processed in the province.

Oil palm plantation covers 118 square kilometres (46 sq mi). 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 square kilometres (151.88 sq mi).

Poultry and livestock

Despite the government's efforts to increase poultry and livestock production, deficits in meat supply persist. Processed poultry and beef are imported from Davao City and Cagayan de Oro.

Fish

Agusan del Sur is highly dependent on Surigao del Sur and other provinces for the supply of marine products. However, the province has abundant supply of fresh water fish like mudfish, catfish and tilapia.

History

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 1973 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.

Attractions

• Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary—the largest wetland in the Philippines and the biggest marsh in Southeast Asia
• Pinandagatan Falls—located in Barangay New Tubigon, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, a newly discovered untouched hidden paradise. According to Caraga Backpackers Group, Pinandagatan Falls could be the best waterfalls they saw in the entire Caraga Region
• Managong Falls—located in Barangay Padiay, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, known to be the tallest waterfalls in the province and the strongest running waterfalls in Caraga Region.
• Bega Falls—located in Barangay Mabuhay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur
• Camponay Falls—located in Barangay Tabontabon, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, a cave can be found in the middle of the waterfalls within secondary forests, which has potential as a local outdoor and recreation site
• Togongon Falls—located in Barangay Kolambugan, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur
• Binaba Falls—located in Barangay Mabuhay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur
• Tugonan Falls—located in Barangay San Lorenzo, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur
• Wawa River (Agusan del Sur)—located in the municipalities of Sibagat, Bayugan, and Esperanza, Agusan del Sur
• Agusan River—a 250-kilometer river located in the municipalities of Santa Josefa, Veruela, Loreto, Talacogon, San Luis, and Esperanza, Agusan del Sur
• Gibong River—located in the municipalities of Prosperidad and Talacogon, Agusan del Sur
• Bunaguit Sea of Clouds—Barangay Bunaguit, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur
• Naliyagan Cultural Center—Provincial Landmark, Provincial Capitol Complex, Barangay Patin-ay, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur
• Centennial Toog Tree—more than 300 years old and stands at 65-meters high, the tallest rosewood tree in the Philippines located in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur
• Mount Magdiwata Watershed—San Francisco, Agusan del Sur
• Puting Buhangin Cave—Barangay Poblacion, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur

Festivals

• Naliyagan Festival - a week long celebration of Agusan del Sur charter day anniversary