BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews / 30 July) — Residents here welcomed with dancing and chanting the return Sunday morning of the traditional fluvial procession along the Agusan River, after a three-year hiatus brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abayan sa Agusan is coined from the word “abay” which means to guide. It served as the opening event of the 73rd Adlaw Hong Butuan, the charter day celebration of Butuan City.
Hundreds of residents from different riverside barangays lined along the banks performing dances and chanting as the procession of five colorfully decorated boats, smaller boats and fast rescue crafts of the Philippine Coast Guard, passed. The fluvial parade came right after a mass at the Philippine Ports Authority Complex.
With Mount Mayapay as backdrop, colorfully decorated boats participating in the Abayan sa Agusan fluvial procession sail along the Agusan River in Butuan City on Sunday morning, 30 July 2023, as the opening event of the 73rd Adlaw Hong Butuan, the charter day celebration of Butuan City. MindaNews photo by IVY MARIE MANGLAO
According to the Butuan City Public Information Office (PIO), this cultural event dates back to the 16th century, when the Agusan River was infested by crocodiles making it dangerous to travel especially at night.
“To drive these crocodiles away, the community paraded their boats in a fluvial procession along the Agusan River, with echoing drum beats and while shouting a thunderous ‘Viva Señora Santa Ana,’ the patroness believed to be the source of all water issuing from the Earth,” it said.
Residents in one of the riverside villages perform dances and chants as the fluvial procession along the Agusan Reiver in Butuan City passed Sunday morning, 30 July 2023. MindaNews photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
Republic Act 11137, passed in 2018, declared August 2 of each year as a special non-working holiday in the city of Butuan, in commemoration of its Charter Day anniversary, to be known as “Adlaw Hong Butuan.”
The run-up festivities include competitions such as the Baroto race and the Butuanon version of a triathlon called bugsay-labak-sikad.
Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada pointed out Agusan River’s substantial contributions to the growth and development of Butuan City throughout its history.
He highlighted ongoing projects aimed at safeguarding the riverbank residents and promoting the river as a potential tourist destination, offering visitors a glimpse of the city’s picturesque landscape and rich historical heritage.
The Abayan sa Agusan fluvial procession returns after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MindaNews photo by Ivy Marie MANGADLAO
Father Kitz Butardo, the parish priest of St. Joseph Cathedral, urged the faithful in his homily to contemplate the symbolism of the mighty Agusan River, which persists in its flow regardless of challenges it encounters.
“As we celebrate our fate and our city, let us ask the Lord to give us that grace, one to be grateful for the many people who have given themselves in building the city, and at the same time we pray that God (will give) us the grace to be more patient, tolerant, and generous in giving our share as an apostle. And that is what it means to ascend, to climb, and to sail the mighty Agusan River,” Butardo added. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao / MindaNews)
