Excerpt of its history begins when the Jesuits came to introduce Christianism to the native living along the coast of Agusan and Surigao. In February, 1877, Father Saturnino Urios, a Jesuit priest together with Fathers Famies and Caseles began their mission by traversing the Agusan Valley using the Agusan River as its highway. Two months later, in April 1877, he reported to his Jesuit Superior in Manila that he found five villages along the river namely: Las Nieves, Remedios, Esperanza, Guadalupe and San Luis.

It was then believed that Father Saturnino Urios had given the name Las Nieves after his hometown patroness, the Nuestra Senora de las Nieves of Valencia, Spain.

The first traders that entered Las Nieves were natives of Butuan City. They traveled by wooden banca (Baroto) along Agusan River using Ga-o (a longitudinal wooden flat instrument through manual operation can plush the banca forward) which took approximately one and a half days of travel from Butuan City to Las Nieves.

The Manobo tribes were the first dominant ethnic group in the area. Leaders like Lino Jovillar, popularly known as Datu Dagohoy, Manuel Jovillar popularly known as Datu Kulisan, represented that of the position of the Mayor in the present.

The old folk handed down some of their ways like the use of Camuyot, a woven abaca fiber popularly used now as shoulder bag. The famous of the old folk festival were called Sinulog, (a war dance interpretation) and the Binaylan (a courtship ceremonial dance), which are accompanied by a musical instrument called Agong.

The President of the Philippines formally executed the creation of Las Nieves as a municipality on June 25, 1963, under Executive Order No. 42. Las Nieves lies 9 degrees north latitude and 125 degrees 30 minutes east longitude on the northeastern part of Agusan del Norte. Its boundaries are Butuan City to the north; Buenavista to the west; Esperanza, Agusan del Sur to the south; and Sibagat, Agusan del Sur to the west. It is 35 kms. away from Butuan City.

The community celebrates its town fiesta on August 5. They have Nuestra Sra. De las Nieves as their Holy Patroness. Orchid is the town flower; marang as its fruit; tuog , for the tree; Alimocon for the bird; and Yellow for the official color.

Source: Agusan del Norte Brochure
Produced by the Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte
in cooperation with Community Affairs Public Assistance and Information Office
and the Provincial Planning and Development Office.