Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

Buenavista
Municipality
Location within Agusan del Norte province
Buenavista Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 8°58′N 125°25′E / 8.97°N 125.41°ECoordinates: 8°58′N 125°25′E / 8.97°N 125.41°E
Country	Philippines
Region	Caraga (Region XIII)
Province	Agusan del Norte
District	2nd district of Agusan del Norte
Founded	January 1, 1937
Barangays	25 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Norbert B. Pagaspas (Liberal)
Area[2]
• Total	475.61 km^2 (183.63 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	61,614
• Density	130/km^2 (340/sq mi)
• Voter (2016)[4]	39,936
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	8601
IDD : area code	+63 (0)85
Income class	1st class
PSGC	160201000

Buenavista, officially the Municipality of Buenavista (Filipino: Bayan ng Buenavista), is a municipality in the province of Agusan del Norte in the Caraga (Region XIII) of the Philippines. The population was 61,614 at the 2015 census.^[3] In the 2016 election, it had 39,936 registered voters.^[4]

History

The written history of Buenavista start in the year 1877. It was said that during this year a group of nomadic Manobo from the frontiers of Agusan found an ideal place for their tempora-fishing retreat and rendezvous.

Soon, the village of Tortosa was founded by two Christian pioneers, Innocentes Paler and Marcelo Dalaguida, who were later on joined by Luis Gupana and a handful of Manobo. Credited with a name to the village were a group of natives and Spaniards who visited the place to trade with the villagers and found the place to be abundant with the sea tortoise.

The fame of Tortosa as a good fishing was heard by the people of the neighboring Butuan. Thus a fresh wave migrants came to settle.

Later, Tortosa was renamed to Kihaw-an in memory of a white deer held sacred by the early inhabitants. It was said that this deer was found dead by the natives near the bank of the river which encircles the village. Its carcass was placed all over the village thus the village got the name Kihaw-an, a derivative of a local dialect "Baho-an", which literally mean "to smell", or "source of bad smell".

Soon the village got another new name. It was said that Adolfo Calo, a native of Butuan, together with some natives and Spaniards visited the place. They expanded their visits not only the coastal areas where flourishing because of the abundance of fish. At the top of the hill they saw the village overlooking the sea. They appreciated the beauty of nature in abundance. They exclaimed "Bien Vista", which means "Good View" thus the present name Buenavista.

Enticed by the abundance of fish and the good prospect for agriculture, a new wave migrants from the neighboring areas continued to flock to Buenavista. Between the years 1897-1907, settlers and their families were known to have settled in the place.

The only means of transportation was by banca or fishing boats, and by horseback trudging the small mountain trails. It was only sometime in the 1920s when Buenavista was connected to Butuan by means of road. It was also given power by the Marcon Electric Company of the Marcon family but later on, operation was taken over by the government-owned electric distribution facility.

Efforts of the pioneers paid off, because sometime in early 1920s, Buenavista was declared a regular barrio of the then Municipality of Butuan. As a barrio, Buenavista was able to form its own law-making body which was locally called Ang Tingug Sa Lungsod, whose members were known as podientes.

On January 1, 1937 the barrio of Buenavista, through Executive Order No. 65 issued by Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon, became the "Municipality of Buenavista"^[5] through the efforts of Assemblyman Apolonio D. Curato and Governor Jose R. Rosales, Commissioner of Mindanao and Sulu Teofisto Guingona Sr., and Secretary of Interior, Elpidio Quirino, with a set of appointed officials to serve for a period of one year.

Geography

Buenavista is located at 8°58′N 125°25′E / 8.97°N 125.41°E.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 475.61 square kilometres (183.63 sq mi)^[2] constituting 17.42% of the 2,730.24-square-kilometre- (1,054.15 sq mi) total area of Agusan del Norte.

Barangays

Buenavista is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.^[6]

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2015[3]		2010[7]
160201001	Abilan	4.5%	2,769	2,118	+5.24%
160201002	Agong-ong	2.5%	1,531	1,360	+2.28%
160201003	Alubijid	5.3%	3,259	2,970	+1.78%
160201004	Guinabsan	6.2%	3,833	3,456	+1.99%
160201027	Lower Olave	2.7%	1,688	1,506	+2.20%
160201007	Macalang	3.3%	2,037	1,728	+3.18%
160201008	Malapong	2.7%	1,661	1,651	+0.12%
160201009	Malpoc	2.5%	1,567	1,602	−0.42%
160201010	Manapa	8.2%	5,074	4,280	+3.29%
160201011	Matabao	6.9%	4,268	3,727	+2.61%
160201013	Poblacion 1	3.6%	2,216	1,939	+2.58%
160201022	Poblacion 2	4.0%	2,481	2,502	−0.16%
160201014	Poblacion 3	2.3%	1,435	1,390	+0.61%
160201015	Poblacion 4	5.4%	3,351	3,402	−0.29%
160201016	Poblacion 5	2.9%	1,780	1,639	+1.58%
160201017	Poblacion 6	1.8%	1,099	1,052	+0.84%
160201018	Poblacion 7	2.9%	1,783	1,609	+1.97%
160201019	Poblacion 8	1.7%	1,060	1,099	−0.69%
160201020	Poblacion 9	1.7%	1,043	1,208	−2.76%
160201021	Poblacion 10	2.4%	1,484	1,505	−0.27%
160201023	Rizal	5.4%	3,329	2,808	+3.29%
160201024	Sacol	4.9%	3,038	2,841	+1.28%
160201025	Sangay	6.2%	3,815	3,253	+3.08%
160201028	Simbalan	6.8%	4,188	3,853	+1.60%
160201026	Talo-ao	3.0%	1,825	1,641	+2.04%
	Total		61,614	56,139	+1.79%

Demographics

Population census of Buenavista
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 39,331 —     1995 45,011 +2.56% 2000 50,612 +2.55%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2007 53,059 +0.65% 2010 56,139 +2.07% 2015 61,614 +1.79%
Source: PSA[3][7][8]

In the 2015 census, Buenavista had a population of 61,614.^[3] The population density was 130 inhabitants per square kilometre (340/sq mi).

In the 2016 election, it had 39,936 registered voters.^[4]

Schools

Elementary

• Abilan Elementary School
• Agong-ong Elementary School
• Bagang Elementary School
• Buenavista Central Elementary School
• Buenavista Institute (Grade School)
• Buenavista Special Education Integrated School
• Calaitan Elementary School
• Cogon Elementary School
• Dalao-an Elementary School
• Datu Saldong Elementary School
• F.S. OMAYANA Elementary School
• Kabalalahan Elementary School
• Labong Elementary School
• Lekda Elementary School
• Linao-linao Elementary School
• Lomboyan Elementary School
• Lower Olave Elementary School
• Macalang Elementary School
• Malapong Elementary School
• Manapa Elementary School
• Manapa IS (Grade School)
• Matabao Elementary School
• Monteverde Elementary School
• New Bohol Elementary School
• Rizal Elementary School
• Sacol Elementary School
• San juan Elementary School
• San Roque Elementary School
• Sangay Elementary School
• Simbalan Elementary School
• Talo-ao Elementary School
• Tanutao Elementary School
• Tapnigue Elementary School
• TINAGO Elementary School
• Upper Olave Elementary School

Secondary

• Abilan IS
• Agong-ong IS
• Alubijid IS
• Buenavista Institute
• Buenavista National High School
• Buenavista SPED-ISS
• Guinabsan National High School
• Lekda National High School
• Manapa ISS
• Rizal IS
• Saint James High School
• Sangay National High School
• Simbalan National High School

Tertiary

• Don Edgar Shemacio College
• Sulhayan Community College

References

1. "Municipality". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
2. "Province: Agusan del Norte". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
3. "CARAGA". Census of Population (2015): Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
4. "2016 National and Local Elections Statistics". Commission on Elections. 2016.
5. "Executive Order No. 65; Organizing the Barrio of Buenavista, Together With the Sitios Belonging To the Said Barrio, Municipality of Butuan, Agusan, Into an Independent Municipality, Under the Name of Buenavista, With the Seat of Government in the Barrio of Buenavista". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Malacañan, Manila, Philippines. 19 November 1936. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
6. "Municipal: Buenavista, Agusan del Norte". PSA. Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
7. "CARAGA". Census of Population and Housing (2010): Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
8. "CARAGA". Census of Population (1995, 2000 and 2007): Total Population by Province, City and Municipality (Report). NSO. Archived from the original on 11 November 2011.