Butuan, oldest trading port

BUTUAN City - A national cultural treasure, estimated to be more than 1,600 years old, is housed in an old dilapidated structure near the east bank of the Libertad river in this historic city and trade center of Agusan del Norte province.

The Balanghai shrine, a one-storey building being maintained by the National Museum, houses two of the three ancient boats discovered and excavated from 1976 to 1986.

Mario Bongay, a restorer at the Balanghai Shrine since 1993, said radiocarbon tests administered by Japanese experts on one of these boats suggested that the wooden boat could have existed as early as 320 AD. Another boat was carbon dated to be more than 1000 years old.

The National Museum in Manila houses the other boat. No other remains of the ancient boats, locally known as balanghais, were found elsewhere.

These archaeological findings in Butuan prompted former President Corazon Aquino to issue in 1987 Proclamation No. 86, which declared the boats, locally known as balanghais, as national cultural treasures and the sites where they were discovered as archaeological sites.

However, Leonides Theresa Plaza, chairperson of the Caraga regional tourism council admitted that the Balanghai Shrine is at a "dilapidated" state, threatening the restoration of what is perhaps the most important evidence of pre-Hispanic Filipino civilization.

Plaza said they are now talking with the National Museum on how to improve the Balanghai Shrine, and signed a memorandum of agreement, where the local government of Butuan can help finance the upgrading of the facilities.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who graced the celebration of Araw ng Caraga, also cited the need to improve the Balanghai Shrine.

Durano said his office also contributed P2.5 million for a project of the Butuan city government to promote its Balanghai tradition.

The city government of Butuan is undertaking a P7-million project to launch within six months the so-called Agusan river cruise on board replicas of Balanghais.



Durano said the project is expected to drive tourism activities not only in Butuan, but also in the whole Caraga region (Region XIII), which apart from its historical value is being promoted as an adventure tourism destination.

Aside from the Balanghai Shrine, other major attractions in Caraga are the surfing destination of Siargao, the Agusan Marsh wildlife sanctuary, Lake Mainit, Bucas Grande Island, Mount Hilong Hilong, and Tinuy-an Falls.

Cecilia Lopez, an assistant regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority in Caraga, said the growth of tourism in the region is proving to be beneficial for the expansion of various industries.

Durano supported this, saying that tourism is an important contributor to employment generation and creation of livelihood opportunities.