Butuan

The City, Pre Magellan

Butuanons proudly declare that “In the beginning, there was Butuan.” Here are a few interesting facts to back up their claims: The fi rst Catholic church in all of Mindanao island was built in Butuan; plus the locals claim that the city is also the site of the fi rst Catholic mass ever held in the Philippines. Butuan also boasts a huge collection of 1,000-year-old artifacts — proof that the people were actively engaged in trade with their Asian neighbors long before Spain colonized the islands. Quite impressively, Butuan is also the home of the balangay – the ancient wooden boat used by seafarers to cross the vast seas of Asia. And that’s just scratching the surface.Now is your chance to delve deeper and explore the city with our guide to the best of Butuan’s past.

Butuan

Make your first stop the Butuan branch of the National Museum in Doongan, which is walking distance from City Hall. Upon entering the museum, look to the right wing — you’ll fi nd displays of the farming and fishing tools of ancient Butuanons. These include wooden boats called baoto, and animal traps ingeniously made by the Manobo and other tribal people.

On the left wing, there are archaeological artifacts: pottery from China, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, and gold ornaments dug up three decades ago. There are even Chinese treasures from various historical periods, with some dating back to the Yueh (207–111BC) and Song (960–1279AD) dynasties, according to museum curator Linricon Absuelo. There are coffi ns made of wood that contain skulls in golden masks, so the corpse’s eyes, nose, mouth and forehead are covered, and thus evil spirits cannot enter the body.

Photo and Article Source: Smile Magazine ( Cebu PAC)