Buenavista, Agusan del Norte
Encyclopedia
Buenavista is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Norte, 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...
. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 50,612 people in 9,384 households.
Barangays
Buenavista is politically subdivided into 25 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s.
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History
The written history of Buenavista start in the year 1877. It was said that during this year a group of nomadic Manobo from the frontiers of AgusanAgusan 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...
found an ideal place for their tempora-fishing retreat and rendezvous.
Soon, the village of Tortosa was founded by two Christian pioneers, Inocentes Paler and Marcelo Dalaguida, who were later on joined by Luis Gupana and a hadful of Manobo. Credited with a name to the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
were a group of natives and Spaniards who visited the place to trade with the villagers and found the place to be abundant with the sea tortoise.
The fame of Tortosa as a good fishing was heard by the people of the neighboring Butuan
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...
. Thus a fresh wave migrants came to settle. Notable of these new settlers were: Valeriano Farol, Mateo Bustillo, Anecito Sanchez, Sabas Galinato, Macario Sanchez, Lucas Yonson, Demetrio Ontong, Lino Danuco, Vicente Ebarle, Nicanor Beltran, Demetrio Mendoza, Teodoro Paculba, Marcelo Abad, Leon Manla, Marciano Bantolinao, and Matias Micabalo.
Later, the name Tortosa was renewed to Kihaw-an in memory of a white deer held sacred by the early earthen dwellers. It was said that this deer was found dead by the natives near the bank of the river which encircles the village. Its carcass was placed all over the village thus the village got the name Kihaw-an, a derivative of a local dialect "Baho-an", which literally mean to smell, or source of bad smell.
Soon the village got another new name. It was said that Adolfo Calo, a native of Butuan
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...
, together with some natives and Spaniards visited the place. They expanded their visits not only the coastal areas where flourishing because of the abundance of fish.
At the top of the hill they saw the village overlooking the sea. They appreciated the beauty of nature in abundance. They exclaimed "Bien Vista", which means "Good View" thus the present name Buenavista.
Enticed by the abundance of fish and the good prospect for agriculture, a new wave migrants from the neighboring areas continued to flock to Buenavista. Between the years 1897-1907, the following settlers and their families were known to have settled in the place: Esteban Nakila, Francisco Beltran, Bruno Boya, Alejandro Espallona, Leocadio Cabonce, Ceferino Sobrecaray, Pablom Sison, Isidro Montilla, Maximo Bangahon, Ireneo Ontong, Balbino Espana, Mariano Makiling, Hilarion Espallona, Perfecto Bahian, Antonio Calo, Leon Magpatoc, Crisanto Hangayo, Ruperto Alaan, Crispin Balbucena and Jorge Aldac.
Between 1907 and 1920 the following people were said to have led their families and relatives and settled in this village: Sesinado Makiling, Gregorio Asilom, Glecerio Balansag,Sesinado Borja, Agustin Butron, Francisco Laolao, Vicente Soriano, Antonio Lumahan, Abdon Ebarle, Isaac Alaan, Carlos Concon, Vicente Abuzo, Fausto Abad, Sergio Danuco, Benito Buntag, Juan Apduhan, and Benito Cabit.
During this years, the facilities for travel we have today were still unheard of. In fact, there was no road to talk about. The only means of transportation was by "banca" or fishing boats, and by horseback trudging the small mountain trails. For the most daring adventurous, days and weeks of hiking brought them to this prosperous village. Menace from brigands and bandits did not deter them from coming. Propelled by the hope of carving a new life this prosperous village, migrants continued to pour in and work together to develop the place. It was only sometime in the 1920's when Buenavista was connected to Butuan
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...
by the means of road.
Efforts of the pioneers paid off, because sometime in early 1920's, Buenavista was declared a regular barrio of the then Municipality of Butuan
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...
. As a barrio, Buenavista was able to form its own law-making body which was locally called Ang Tingug Sa Lungsod, whose members were known as podientes.
The following had at one time or another served as treasurers body: Luis Gupana, Lucio Kuizon, Apolonio Alaan and Placido Comiling. Simon Paler and Leonardo Boaquia served as secretaries.
The barrio of Buenavista prospered by leaps and bounds due to the efforts of its officials. Worthy to mention were the barrio lieutenants and municipal councilors assigned in the barrio.
The following were elected barrio lieutenants who took turns in running the affairs of the growing barrio: Luis Gupana, who served for 3 terms, Vicente Ebarle, Nicanor Beltan, Esteban Nakila, Perfecto Bahian, Balbino Espana, Francisco Beltran, Bruno Borja, Juan Maestrado, Rafael Mantilla, Ceferino Sobrecaray, Sesinado Makiling and Vicente Soriano who served for 3 terms.
The following had at one time or another, served as councilors: Adolfo Sanchez, Moises Tolibas, Nicolas Ruiz, Teresio Villa, Leon Amoroso, Rafael Mantilla, Ignacio Destreza, Jose Aban, Macario Flores, Marcial Gerona, Domingo Cinco, Jorge Satorre, and Braulio Fumar.
To the above mentioned barrio officials, the inhabitants of Buenavista is so grateful for their successful stirring of the affairs of the barrio during its period of infancy. The efforts of these officials were not in vain.
On January 1, 1937 the barrio of Buenavista, by virtue of Executive Order No. 65 issued by Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...
, became the Municipality of Buenavista through the efforts of assemblyman Apolonio D. Curato and Governor Jose R. Rosales, commissioner of Mindanao and Sulu Teofisto Guingona Sr., and secretary of Interior, Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino was a Filipino politician, and the sixth President of the Philippines.A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered politics when he became a representative of Ilocos Sur from 1919 to 1925. He was then elected as senator from 1925–1931...
, with a set of appointed officials to serve for a period of one year.
From then on, Buenavista, with the able guidance of the above-mentioned appointed and subsequent elected officials and the support of the populace, keeps on carving a name for herself.
Elementary
- Buenavista Special Education Integrated School (Elem.)
- Buenavista Central Elementary School
- Sacol Elementary School
- Manapa Elementary School
- Talo-ao Elementary School
- Sangay Elementary School
- Matabao Elementary School
- Abilan Elementary School
- Cogon Elementary School
- Manapa IS (Grade School)
- Buenavista Institute (Grade School)
- Agong-ong Elementary School
- Malapong Elementary School
- Rizal CElementary School
- F.S. OMAYANA Elementary School
- Dalao-an Elementary School
- TINAGO Elementary School
- Tanutao Elementary School
- Lomboyan Elementary School
- Kabalalahan Elementary School
- Linao-linao Elementary School
- New Bohol Elementary School
- San Roque Elementary School
- Tapnigue Elementary School
- Upper Olave Elementary School
- Lower Olave Elementary School
- Simbalan Elementary School
- Bagang Elementary School
- Labong Elementary School
- Monteverde Elementary School
- Tagpangi Elementary School
- Lekda Elementary School
- Calaitan Elementary School
- Macalang Elementary School
Secondary
- http://www.jamenian.co.cc/Saint James High SchoolSt. James High School (Philippines)St. James High School is a private school under the Roman Catholic order, founded by the priests of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, located in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte and run by the Diocese of Butuan, Butuan City, Philippines....
] - Buenavista Institute
- Buenavista National High School
- Buenavista SPED-ISS
- Guinabsan National High School
- Manapa ISS
- Sangay National High School
- Simbalan National High School
- Lekda National High School
- Agong-ong IS
- Rizal IS
- Alubijid IS