Agusan

Along the road between the cities of Butuan and Surigao is Lake Mainit, the country’s fourth largest lake with a total area of 17,060 hectares. The lake is so vast that it straddles four municipalities in two provinces. Every September, in the town of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte, the Baoto Festival is held. You’ll catch the race in which contestants use boats that are carved out from a solid piece of log.


Agusan Marsh, situated in the mountains of Agusan del Sur, is a beauty, with its still waters and exotic sceneries. It’s a wonder seeing locals, even children, rowing the baroto (“baoto” in the northern part of Agusan) so effortlessly as they move around the place. The 14,837-hectare-wide lake is also a wildlife sanctuary. It is a habitat of various water birds, like wild ducks, herons and egrets. Migratory birds from as far as Japan, China and Russia flock to the marsh to avoid the chilly winds of winter. So if you’re planning to go boating in the Agusan Marsh, bring a pair of binoculars, or, if you’re a shutterbug, bring the longest lens in your arsenal!

Article Source : Mabuhay Magazine (PAL)