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The history of Agusan del Sur is intricately linked with
that of its sister province, Agusan del Norte, since
both comprised the original province of Agusan.
The juridical existence of Agusan del Sur began on January
1, 1970 when the first set of elected provincial officials
assumed office after having been elected in the election
of November 1969. However, Republic Act No. 4969 which
provided for the division of Agusan province into Agusan
del Sur and Agusan del Norte, was approved way back on
June 17, 1967 by the President of the Philippines.
Republic Act No. 4969 provided that the capital of the
Province of Agusan del Sur shall be the Municipality of
Prosperidad.
The original inhabitants of Agusan del Sur were diverse
tribes speaking diverse tongues. The first inhabitants
were the Negritoes and Mamanwas who were slowly driven
into the interior by the migrating tribes from nearby
Borneo, Celebes and Malaysia, and also by the Manobos.
The latter's descendants are still inhabiting the innermost
recesses of Agusan del Sur's forested areas and comprises
the great bulk of the cultural community in the province.
The immediately pre-Spanish population the Agusan
area was differentiated into Manobo, Higaonon, Banwaon,
Talaandig, Debabawon, Mamanwa and Duyog-batang headed
by tribal chieftains or datus. Spanish conquests supplanted
the native hierarchies with the Spanish system of
corregemientes, alcalders and encomiendas.
Predominant of the residents came from the Visayans,
although a great number also came from Luzon, with
Cebuano being spoken more than the Manobo and other
dialects.
PEOPLE
According to the records of the commission of
National Integration, there are only five tribes found
in the province, namely: Aeta, Mamanwa, Bagobo, Banwaon
and Manobo. However, only two of this tribes can be distinctly
located; the Manobos living along the National Highways
and river towns towards the boundary of Davao del Norte
and the Banwanons or Higaonons living in the western
side of Agusan, in the Municipality of Esperanza.
THE MANOBO TRIBE
The Manobos are of medium built body, light brown,
straight hair, with an exemption of a few who who have
kinky hair as that of the aborigines, stout and with
brown eyes.
This is the result of the inter-marriages between
the Duyag-Batang, Talandig and Mamanua aborigines and
the Indonesians during the Majapahit Empire; also the
succeeding mixed marriages of the natives with the
Malay River people during the Sri Visayan Empire upon
their eastward migration and the Chinese traders who
came to Agusan in the 11th and 12th Century. The coming
of the Spaniards bring to forth another contributions
of the webs of inter-racial and cultural marriages
which composes the genetic fiber of what we know as the
Manobo people. A concoction as they are, the Manobo
tongue is also a mixture of the native dialect and
acquired foreign language.
The name "Manobo", however, is traceable to
the influence of the Malay River people. These people
are called"Mansuba" from the word "suba" the Malayan
word for river, which mean people living near or in the
river (mostly in their floating houses). Later, Mansuba
is shortend to Manuba which eventually took it masculine
gender to become that we all know now as Manobo.
THE HIGAONON-BANWAON TRIBE
Higaonon-Banwaon Tribe is the second largest cultural
community in Agusan del Sur. The concentration of this
tribes populace is situated at Esperanza towards the
boundary of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.
Higaonon is derived from the native word "gaon"
which means mountain, literally, they are mountain people.
Higaonon are somewhat nomadic, that is, they travel from
one mountain village to another, looking for more fertile
soil and better harvest. The enclosure of civilization
made them settle their position to the confines of the
area which they now claim as their ancestral domain ; at
the boundaries of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Agusan
del Sur.
The Higaonon people are of medium built with
average height of about 5 feet and 2 inches, they are
of lighter skin complexion compared to the other tribes
in the province. Quiet a number of them have a very
recognizable European features, aquiline nose, deep-set
eyes and prominent cheeks, a legacy of the intermarriage
between the natives and the Spanish conquiestadores.
Generally, they are warm and friendly. They are
one of the fiercest warrior when intimidated and one of
the best organized and closely knitted as well. Higaonon
are good hunters and farmers
The Banwaon, on the other hand, is more likely to
be thought as the relative to the Manobo tribe. Derived
from the word "Banwa" Which means village or country,
the Banwaons are village settlers. So, while the Higaonons
occupy the mountainous area of Esperanza, the Banwaon
set their domain at the lowlands and upstream the Maasam Libang
and Adgawan Rivers. It is this geographical settlement
that made the Banwaon more comparably the same with the
Manobo, they are both adept in fishing and farming, and
almost of the same built and complexion.
Being neighbors, (the Higaonon and the Banwaon)
groups are constantly at odd with each other. Disputes
as to property, domain and the likes usually disrupt
the peaceful co-existence which they are trying to mentain.
To address this problem, the datus of each tribe will
marry women from the other to settle things up, to expand
the authority of his power and to extend his personal
relationship to the other tribe. Males of both tribes
are allowed to marry as many as they want, for as long
as the tribal elders and their wives will consent. Eventually,
the intermarriages between the Higaonon and Banwaon people
close the gap between the tribal differences and bring
forth what we now call as the Higaonon-Banwaon tribe.
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