NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE PHILIPPINE FLAG IN MINDANAO.
Location: Rizal Park, Butuan City
This flagpole was erected to commemorate the first formal hoisting of the Philippine Flag in Mindanao on January 17, 1899 at this same site. The giant flag stays hoisted night and day which the Philippine Centennial Commission and the National Historical Institute installed an official marker which they considered as the National Shrine of Philippine flag for Mindanao.
BANZA CHURCH RUINS.
Location: Lilo, Barangay Banza
This site was one of the old poblacions of the city that lasted more than 200 years before transferring to Baug-what is now called Magallanes. The church built here in 1625 by the Recollect Friars but was reduced to ashes by the moro pirates in 1753. What remains of this church is its bell tower now enveloped by banyan (balite) trees. This was dubbed as the most beautiful church in the region before its destruction. Today is the oldest ruin of a stone church in the entire island of Mindanao.
ST. JOSEPH CATHEDRAL
Location: E. Luna Street.
This is the mother church of the Catholic dioceses of Butuan. The stained-glass windows of this Cathedral depict the life of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the church and the religious history of the historic city. At the Patio one can find the list of Butuan’s missionaries and parish priest since the 16th century. This church was raised to the honor of the Cathedral by virtue of a papal bull issued on March 20, 1967 when Papa Paul VI created a diocese (Eodem Officio, die 20 Martii MCMLXVII).
AGUSAN RIVER is the 3rd largest river in the Philippines and the most Navigable. While most rivers are drying up, this famous “sawgan” of Agusan Valley has the highest overflow of water. Through the ages this serves the civilization that ones dotted in banks and the recent communities of this riverine highway. Great civilization of man here always situated on great valleys and along the rivers that gave them life. “Agusan” is derived from the visayan word “agus” which means “where the water of life flows”.
BUTUAN REGIONAL MUSEUM
Location: Doongan
This museum is a branch of the National Museum entrusted by law as the repository & guardian of the Philippines’ national & cultural heritage particularly the historical materials & artifacts that proves Butuan’s prehistoric existence & rich culture. It also enhances the preservation & maintenance of Archeological finds that could be useful to scholars, students and researchers on Mindanao culture. It promotes public consciousness & awareness of the origin of the provinces & cities of the region.
There are two main galleries- a pre-history and Archeological Hall that features different artifacts recovered at different stages/periods of man’s existence, the Golden Tara that signifies our relation with Indonesia as well as other ceramic wares found in association with beautiful guild ornaments and beads among burial coffins. The newest addition to the display is the * bronze pestle (a foreign object in its time) dug up last March 2001 in Pinamanculan- a place believe to be an isle so obviously its brought by foreigners trading with the locals.
The Ethnology Hall features the cultural communities of the Manobo, Mamanwa, Higaonon & the lowland Butuanons.
Location: G/F, St. Joseph Cathedral Convent
Ecclesiastical Museum are uncommon places of interest in Mindanao but Butuan was lucky enough to establish her own Diocesan Repository in 1992. The items except here are gathered mostly from churches and parishes in the Diocese. These will tell us that the Diocese is leading the way in the apostolate of dissemination, appreciation, protection, preservation and promotion of the rich cultural heritage of the church in this part of the island.
BALANGAY SHRINE MUSEUM
Location: Ambangan, Libertad
The Balangay Shrine Museum is a unit of the National Museum. It keeps the remnants of the earliest watercraft called “Balanghai” and now more popularly known as the “Butuan Boat” and other cultural materials associated with the boat like human & animal remains, coffins, pots, jewelries, hunting tools, ceramics and other items used during for subsistence.
The Balangays are large, wooden plank-built and edge-pegged boats. This method of construction is typical to Southeast Asian boat making. The planks are one continuous piece carved to shape and made of hardwood identified as Heretiara Litorales, locally known as Dongon. The boat was 15 meters in length and 3 meters across the beam. Only in Butuan, in no other locality in the Philippines or in Southeast Asia for the matter, has there been such rare and extensive recovery of these maritime vessels and the cultural relics associated with an affluent seafaring people in this part of the globe.
These extraordinary finds became one of our country’s National Treasure by virtue of Presidential Proclamation no. 86 during the time of President Corazon C. Aquino. This is something all Butuanons should be proud of.
Location: Brgy. Pinamanculan, Butuan City
Situated on top af a small hill called in Butuanon language as “Bood” (promontory) in Brgy. Pinamanculan. On this hill an image of the cross was put up to celebrate the historic event of the first planting of the sign of the cross in Philippine soil. Pigafetta recorded this event which took place in the afternoon of March 31, 1531 after the Easter Mass was celebrated in the morning of the same date. Two Butuanon brother kings attended these Easter ceremonies of 1521. According to the chronicles of Pigafetta, rice fields and Balanghai boats could be seen on the hill where they were. The park was constructed not just for its historical significance but to provide to the constituents of Butuan & visitors to rekindle the past during the first landfall of Magellan in the Philippines.
MAGELLAN’S ANCHORAGE
Brgy. Masao, Butuan City
The significance of the word is explained by what Antonio Pigafetta (The official Chronicler of Magellan’s fleet) wrote… “as we had seen a fire on an island (masawa) that night before, we anchored near it.” The bright light was the beckon in the dark of night that guided them to that faithful isle. Bright light is “Masawa” in Butuanon the only language in the whole archipelago that contains the word. Magellan & his man spent days on that island. Blood compact with Raja Siaiu. Holy Mass (Easter) celebrated & cross planted on top of one of two hills.
BONBON SHELL MIDDEN
Brgy. Bonbon
Studied by the National Museum archaeologists, this is an ancient community dating back around 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic Period. Prominent in this site is vast manmade formation of fresh water shells which were the principal food source of these ancient people. Found in the shell midden were stone tools, fragments from a human being, a pi and a deer.
Brgy. Ambago
This was studied by the Summer Archaeological Field School of Xavier University under Dr. Erlinda Burton in 1976. There were evidences of human habitation and food sources of the people. This ancient community dated back to the age of contact or around 1200 A.D. when there was already an upsurge of trading among Asian Kingdom and Butuan was at its height as a trading port.
| < Prev |
|---|