The allure of Agusan del Sur

MANILA, Philippines -  The obscure province of Agusan del Sur became an overnight tourism sensation in 2011 when the giant alligator  “Lolong” was caught at the Agusan River in Bunawan town.

Declared by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest of its kind, the 6.17-meter and 1,075-kilo reptile lured tens of thousands  of visitors until his demise in February 2013. But long before Lolong became an instant star, this bucolic province has been quietly luring tourists with an eye for nature and culture.

Agusan del Sur is not your typical tourist getaway, as it has no white sand beaches or crystalline waters, no glitzy hotels, restaurants or watering holes. But if your personality is like that of famed herpetologist Brady Barr of NatGeo Wild’s Dangerous Encounters, this biodiversity hotspot is a must-see. And even without Lolong, these seven reasons are enough to lure you to this natural wonderland

Agusan Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. A protected area covering more than 14,000 hectares in the heart of the 250-kilometer Agusan River. Spread out over several towns, it is perhaps the country’s most significant wetland, habitat of endangered animals. It was inscribed in the elite Swiss-based Ramsar List Wetlands of International Importance in 1999.

Within this vast expanse is Lake Mambagongon Bird Sanctuary in La Paz, which has over 200 migratory birds from Northern Asia, with a woodpecker’s park located along the river channel. Visitors can observe nesting sites in bungyas trees, Javan pond herons perched on bangkal trees darting at water hyacinths to catch small fish and insects for food.

A soft-shelled giant turtle called dinata and sailfin lizard are only some of the 1,332 species of birds, 112 species of flowering plants and ferns, 2 crocodile species, golden-crown flying fox and 65 types of butterflies who find sanctuary in this lush marshland.

With access points in Bunawan and Talacogon towns, the full tour around the narsh can run to two days, but an abridged version at Lake Panlabuhan in Loreto town is a viable alternative. It is a swamp habitat for crocodiles and home of floating houses of Manobos. The indigenous people here still practice the ancient panagtawag ritual offering to celestial spirits to protect their guests.

Lake Himbang in Talacogon is another option where you can cruise on a pumpboat or a dug-out canoe while admiring the breath-taking lakeshore scenery and Manobo floating huts.

 Bega Falls. Situated in a 290-hectare protected area in the Ugnop Cave landscape forest reserve in Prosperidad, it is the centerpiece of the Bega River System comprising seven major waterfalls, most of which have been identified for biodiversity research. Its massive water curtain against the limestone rocks create a mesmerizing vista and a huge natural pool where hikers can get a refreshing hydromassage.

Within the ecosystem is Puting Buhangin Cave, consisting of three sections, with running streams and natural pools of varied depths. It is named for the white sand on the floor of the cave river.

As a footnote, you can also do a short cruise along the Gibong River which ends at a watershed park downstream.

Mt. Magdiwata. A lush virgin forest in San Francisco with a series of 14 waterfalls where one can enjoy the endemic flora and fauna, the natural swimming pools and cold springs and the biggest Bagrass tree. The 592-meter mountain, popular in folk legend, is a tropical rainforest reserve, a potable water source and a sanctuary to deer, monkeys and tarsiers.

Upon descent, you can cool off at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Wildlife Park and Campsite, a popular local excursion site because of its cool spring-water swimming pools and picnic gazebos.

Also within San Francisco is the Inepan Cave, a subterranean cave where a creek is submerged. A ritual place of the lumad “baylan” or priest, it has chambers full of stalactites and stalagmites. The cave was claimed by Faustino Espana Sr., known as Datu Anawa Kalipay, who died at the age of 120, and whose incorruptible remains can be seen at a hilltop nipa hut. 

Another must-see in the periphery is the 300-year-old Toog tree, scientifically known as combretodenton quadrialatum, which thrives only in Mindanao. Standing proudly at 65 meters along the roadside in Barangay Alegria, it is acclaimed as the world’s third tallest tree. 

Agusan Peatland. An extreme outdoors destination in San Francisco, this swampland is part of the Agusan Marsh ecosystem and has about 22.8 million tons of carbon deposit (52.53 ton per hectare), the highest in the country. Peatswamp forests are important ecosystems, being the most carbon-dense in the terrestrial biosphere. The topsoil is composed of forest litter and the bottom is dominated by organic soil or peat, which is a shelter and habitat of diverse fauna including deer, tarsier, monkey, wild boar, duck, wild chicken, owl species and migratory birds.

Time Travel in Esperanza. Dubbed as the “Home of Cultural Diversity,“ this interior town is one of Agusan’s oldest settlements evident in the 13th-century 21-carat Golden Tara Hindu statue unearthed here. This 4-pound icon, now on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, is the earliest known image identified to be of Indian origin, attesting of the rich pre-colonial civilization of the area.

Esperanza is also home to the Higa-onon Tribal Council house where lumad groups converge for the Kaamulan Festival held every Sept. 23, highlighted by the performance of indigenous rituals by the baylan.

Provincial Capitol Complex. A sprawling 200-hectare government center in Prosperidad is among the most postcard-pretty in the country with lots of open spaces and greenery. The centerpieces of the complex are the contemporary designed Capitol Building and the Naliyagan Cultural Center, which serves as the venue for socio-civic activities.

The Naliyagan Festival, the provincial foundation day festivity, is held here to showcase the indigenous people’s cultural heritage through music and dance, exhibit of native products and ethnic games of the Manobo, Higaonon, Aeta, Bagobo and Mamanwa.

The mid-June festival celebrates the birth of the modern-day Agusan del Sur province and its rich pre-colonial history which dates back to the Majapahit Empire in the 13th century.

Laze at spring resorts. For a rejuvenating dip after a cultural interlude,  hie off to Kalingayan Hot Spring in this southern town, which is believed to have therapeutic properties that can heal common illnesses such as arthritis. It has a thick vegetative cover of terminalia species and algae in water. 

Laze in the countryside comfort of Sarnimian Inland Resort in Rosario whose recreational facilities include pools with a giant crocodile-inspired slide  and the Skycle or bicycles suspended on cables. 

For more information, log on to www.agusandelsur.gov.ph