AGUSAN DEL NORTE 

      Agusan del Norte has been greatly influenced by Spanish colonization as well as the heavy influx of migrants from the outlying Visayan islands.

The cultural environment of the province which is quite different from the rest of   Mindanao, is basically a mixture of several mainstreams of culture found in Central Philippines.

    The province is accessible by land, sea, and air. It has four shipping lines and a national airport at Bancasi, which is adjacent to Butuan City. Commercial fishing is done in Butuan Bay and in the rich waters of Mindanao Sea.

 Former Name: None

Land Area: 2,590.3 square kilometers

Capital: Butuan City

Population: 365,421 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Cebuano

Income Classification: Fifth Class Province

No. of Cities: 1 (Butuan) 

No. of Municipalities: 11 (Buenavista, Cabadbaran, Carmen, Jabonga, Kitcharao, La Nievas, Magallanes, Nasipit, Santiago, Tubay, and Remedios T. Romualdez) 

No. of Municipal Districts: None

Topography: Mainly composed of lowland plains. The Agusan River drains the province together with its tributaries. It also shares Lake Mainit with Surigao del Norte. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (with Agusan del Sur)

No. of Mountains: 16 (with Agusan del Sur) 

Climate: Characterized by the lack of a dry season and pRonounced rainfall throughout the year. There is an even distribution of Rainfall. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 6 inches in Butuan City; 46 inches in the southern portion of the province.

Principal products/crops: Corn, palay, banana, rubber, abaca, coconut, and vegetables. 

Industries: Logging (major industry), and cottage industries such as dressmaking, needlecraft, food preservation, metalcraft, and rattan manufacturing.

Mineral Resources: Copper, gold, silver, iron, and serpentine 

Forest Resources: Commercial hardwood such as mayapis, apitong, bagtikan, and tanguile. 

Tourist Attractions: Lake Mainit, Tinago Beach in Buenavista and the plywood, lawanit and lumber factories. 

Governor: Eduardo L. Rama Jr.

Congressman: Charito B. Plaza, Edelmino A. Amante 

AGUSAN DEL SUR 

     Agusan del Sur was separated from Agusan del Norte by the virtue of Republic Act. 4979, issued on June 17, 1967. Its capital today is Prosperidad, an agricultural town 56 kilometers from Butuan City.

     Although the province does not have any beach resorts, it still has the ability to lure tourist because of its toog trees, which are said to be the biggest in the country, averaging some seven meters in diameter. Agusan del Sur also boasts of large rubber plantations, vast grasslands for cattle raising, dense forest that yield timber in abundance and a deep humus soil which produces various crops. 

Former Name: None

Land Area: 8,965.5 square kilometers

Capital: Prosperidad

Population: 265,030 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Cebuano

Income Classification: Third Class Province

No. of Cities: None

No. of Municipalities: 14 (Bayugan, Bunawan, Esperanza, La Paz, Loreto, Prosperidad, Rosario, San Francisco, San Luis, Santa Josefa, Sibagat, Talacogon, Trento and Veruela)

No. of Municipal Districts: None

Topography: Terrain is generally rugged. Its valley is on the central section, bisected by the Agusan River which flows from Davao del Norte to Agusan del Norte. In the lower half of the province, from the town of Talacogon, are lowlands with many swamps and lakes. Lake Lanao is the biggest and most important. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 3 (with Agusan del Norte)

No. of Mountains: 16 (with Agusan del Norte) 

Climate: The province has no dry season but a pronounced rainfall from October to February. Floods are frequent, more because of the amount of Rainfall than of the frequency of typhoons. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 127.9 inches

Principal products/crops: Rice and corn 

Industries: Logging (major industry)

Mineral Resources: Silver, iron, lead, chromite, and asbestos

Forest Resources: Timber and grazing lands 

Tourist Attractions: Several beaches (with Agusan del Norte) such as the Dagani Beach, Ata-Atahon Beach Resort, Bulihan Beach Resort, and Lake Mainit. 

Governor: Ceferino S. Paredes Jr.

Congressman: Democrito Plaza. 

BUKIDNON 

    Bukidnon is noted for its seven plateaus of varying heights and the seven mountains that rise from them, separated by deep canyons and valleys. The province is a �melting pot�, for aside from the Bukidnons, there are Manobos, Muslims, Visayans, Tagalogs and Ilocanos.

 Most of these immigrants work in the pineapple plantations or were engaged in cattle raising.

   Under the Spanish rule in 1860, Bukidnon became one of the six districts of Mindanao. The Americans made it a sub-province of Misamis. In 1903, it became a separate province, but was formally created on March 10, 1917 under Republic Act 2711. 

Former Name: None

Land Area: 8,293.8 square kilometers

Capital: Malaybalay

Population: 613,634 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Cebuano

Income Classification: Second Class Province

No. of Cities: None 

No. of Municipalities: 22 (Baungon, Cabanglasan, Dumulog, Dangcagan, Don Carlos, Impasugong, Kadingilan, Kalilangan, Kibawe, Kitaotao, Lantapan, Libona, Malaybalay, Malitbog, Manolo  Fortich, Maramag, Pangantocan, Quezon, San Fernando, Sumilao, Talakag, and Valencia) 

No. of Municipal Districts: None 

Topography: The terrain is dominated by plateaus, rolling uplands, deep canyons and wide valleys. Tall mountains abound in the area, three of which are extinct volcanoes. The greater part of the province are rolling hills cut by deep and wide canyons. Average elevation in the province is 950 meters above sea level. 

No. of Principal Rivers: None

No. of Mountains: 28 (Mt. Kitanglad is the highest) 

Climate: Relatively cool throughout the year and resembling that prevailing in Manila during December and January. There is little rainfall every month. This type of climate permits the growing of two or more different  kinds of crops a year. The warmest months are April and May; the coldest are December and January.

Average Annual Rainfall: 110 inches

Principal products/crops: Abaca (hemp) 

Industries: Cattle raising (major industry), farming and livestock 

Mineral Resources: Gold, copper, clay and limestone

Forest Resources: Rattan and almaciga 

Tourist Attractions: The vast pineapple plantations of the Philippine Packing Corporation, Camp Kasisang, and the Famous Alalum Waterfalls. 

Governor: Ernesto N. Tabios

Congressman: Socorro O. Acosta, Violeta T. Labaria, Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr. 

SURIGAO DEL NORTE   

     Surigao del Norte was first inhabited by the Mananua tribe. It was only toward the end of the 16^th century that some parts of Surigao were colonized by the Spaniards. At the end of the Spanish era, Gen. Prudencio Garcia wrested power from Juan Gonzales, the gobernadorcillo of Surigao, and his two sons. In 1901, however, Garcia uncondi-tionally  turned over the government  to the Americans.

     A civil government was established in Surigao on May 15, 1901 by the Americans. On June 19, 1960, the province of Surigao del Norte was created, by virtue of Republic Act No. 2786. 

Former Name: None

Land Area: 2,739 square kilometers

Capital: Surigao City

Population: 363,414 (1980)

Principal Dialect: Cebuano

Income Classification: Fourth Class Province

No. of Cities: 1 (Surigao) 

No. of Municipalities: 26 (Alegria, Bacuag, Basilisa, Burgos, Cagdianao, Claver, Dapa, Del Carmen, Dinagat, General Luna, Gigaquit, Libjo, Loreto, Mainit, Malimono, Pilar, Placer, San Benito, San Francisco, San Isidro, Santa Monica, Sison, Socorro, Tagana-an, Tubajon, and Tubod) 

No. of Municipal Districts: None 

Topography: The interior part of the province is rugged and mountainous. Almost all the municipalities are located along the coasts. The province is located at the very edge of the Philippine Deep, once known as the deepest part of the world. A cluster of mineral-rich islands also belong to the province. 

No. of Principal Rivers: 1 

No. of Mountains: 14 

Climate: Surigao del Norte is not visited by typhoons, unlike the other provinces exposed to the Pacific Ocean. Located outside the typhoon belt, the province still receives plenty of rainfall. Relatively dry months are from May to September. 

Average Annual Rainfall: 144.72 inches 

Principal products/crops: Coconut, rice, corn, banana, tobacco and sugarcane. 

Industries: Logging, mining, farming and weaving 

Mineral Resources: Nickel, iron, cobalt, gold, copper, manganese and chromite 

Forest Resources: Timber and hardwood

 Tourist Attractions: Casa Real in Surigao City, the nickel quarries on Nonoc Island, Lake Mainit and Mabua Beach. 

Governor: Moises E. Ecleon

Congressman: Constantino C. Navarro Jr.

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