Mythologies of the Butuanon People

The Butuanon are an ethnolinguistic group who inhabited in the region of Caraga. They are part of the wider ethnolinguistic group Bisaya people, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the country. Butuanons live in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. Some live in Misamis Oriental or in Surigao del Norte, all of which are in the northeastern corner of Mindanao. Butuanons number about 1,420,000. They are the descendants of Austronesian-speaking immigrants who came from South China during the Iron Age. The native language of Butuanons is the Butuanon language, but most Butuanon nowadays primarily speak the Cebuano language, because of the mass influx of Cebuano settlers to Mindanao, and Filipino, English as second languages. They founded the Butuan Kingdom in the 10th century. While historically Hindu, Buddhist and animist, today most are Roman Catholics due to missionary activity under Spanish colonization.

Butuanons inhabit northeastern Mindanao, particularly the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. A few live in Misamis Oriental and Surigao del Norte. The Butuanon are descendants of Austronesian-speaking settlers from South China, who came during the Iron Age. Butuanons prefer to be called Lapaknon, which in Libertad means “a person who lives in the swampy areas.” The Butuanon language had more than 30,000 speakers in 1990, but the number has dwindled precipitously since then. The language is closely related to Cebuano and has a very close affinity to Tausug of Jolo and Kamayo of Bislig. Historians believe that Butuanons come from the Manobo line in Agusan Valley. During the 11th century, when trading between Agusan and the Chinese was intense, the Tausug transferred from Butuan to the Sulu archipelago. The Kamayo language, on the other hand, might have developed from the very early relations between Butuan and CARAGA on the eastern coast of Mindanao. Culturally, Butuanon is very similar to Cebuano.

The Butuanon are thought to be related to the Manobo peoples in the Agusan Valley; however their language is mutually comprehensible with that of the distant Tausug and the Kamayo of Bislig, and their culture is much like that of the Cebuano. It has been suggested that the Tausug moved to the Sulu Archipelago from the general area of Butuan during the 11th century during a period of heavy trade between Agusan and the Chinese; this is supported by the rich archaeological record of the area. Butuanon contacts with the eastern coast of Mindanao may have produced the Kamayo. The Butuanon are now highly urbanized, and practice logging as well as cash agriculture.

Butuan, also called the Rajahnate of Butuan and the Kingdom of Butuan (Filipino: Kaharian ng Butuan; Butuanon: Gingharian hong Butuan; Cebuano: Gingharian sa Butuan; Chinese: 蒲端國; pinyin: Púduānguó), was a precolonial Bisaya polity (lungsod) centered around northeastern Mindanao island in present-day Butuan, Philippines. It was known for its gold mining, gold jewelry and other wares, and its extensive trade network across maritime Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Over its long history the lungsod had direct trading relationships with the ancient civilizations of China, Champa, Đại Việt, Pon-i (Brunei), Srivijaya, Majapahit, Kambuja, and areas now comprised in Thailand. The balangay (large outrigger boats) that have been found along the east and west banks of the Libertad River (the old Agusan River) have revealed much about Butuan's history. As a result, Butuan is considered to have been a major trading port in the Caraga region during the precolonial era. The name Butuan is believed to have existed long before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Philippine archipelago. One possible indication of this is a rhinoceros ivory seal with a design carved in ancient Javanese or early Kawi script (used around the 10th century CE), which, according to a Dutch scholar, was deciphered as But-wan. Another account suggests the name derives from the word batuan, a mangosteen-related fruit common in Mindanao. Another alternative is that the name derives from Datu Bantuan, possibly a former datu of the region.

Butuanon is an Austronesian regional language spoken by the Butuanon people in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, with some native speakers in Misamis Oriental and Surigao del Norte. It is a part of the Bisayan language family and is closely related to other Philippine languages. As of 2007, Butuanon is believed to be spoken by fewer than 500 youngsters in Butuan itself. Butuanon is very closely related to the Tausug language of distant Sulu and the Surigaonon language of neighboring provinces Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte.

The Butuanon is one of the ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines. The artefacts discovered by the locals and treasure hunters in Butuan City demonstrated that Butuanon is rich in history, culture, and tradition. However, they need more records of their traditional healthcare knowledge and practices. Therefore, this study documented Butuanon’s traditional knowledge and practices for managing illnesses and diseases using medicinal plants. Thirteen key informants were identified and interviewed through the snowball technique after obtaining their consent. The informants used a total of 132 plant species, which correspond to 116 genera and 57 families. The highest-represented family was Fabaceae, followed by Lamiaceae, with 11 and nine species, respectively. Many of the documented plants were herbaceous (37%), followed by trees (29%), shrubs (23%), and vines (11%). The informants commonly used leaves (43%), followed by roots (15%), bark (12%), fruit (7%), and flowers (5%). These plant species treated 93 different illnesses and diseases, of which fever had the highest number of plants used (18%), followed by diabetes (17%), urinary tract infection (16%), cough (15%), hypertension (14%), diarrhoea (11%), cuts and wounds (11%), relapse (8%), kidney dysfunction and disease (6%), and arthritis (6%). In conclusion, this study sheds light on the Butuanon community’s ongoing utilization of medicinal plants for their healthcare needs. This underscores the need to preserve their traditional alternative medicine and conserve Philippine medicinal plants.

Butuanon is a member of the Southern Bisayan branch of the Philippine language family. It is spoken mainly in Agusan del Norte and Agusan de Sul provinces, especially in Butuan city, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. In 2005 there were about 71,500 speakers of Butuanon. It is spoken mainly by older adults, while younger people tend to speak Cebuano.

Butuan’s history, culture, arts and people date back to the 4th century as showcased in museums which makes Butuan an exciting source of cultural artifacts in Mindanao. As early as the 10th century, according to the Chinese Song Shi (history), people from Butuan had already established trading relations with the kingdom of Champa in what is now South Vietnam. By the 11th century, Butuan was the center of trade and commerce in the Philippines. The best evidence to prove this fact is the discovery of 9 balangays (called the Butuan boat) and other archeological finds in the vicinities of Butuan City, particularly in Ambangan, Libertad near the old El Rio de Butuan and Masao River. Butuan is believed to be derived from the sour fruit "Batuan". Others says it came from the chieftain's name who once ruled Butuan "Datu Buntuan". Other insist it was derived from the word "But-an" which literally means a person who has sound and discerning disposition.

The city of Butuan, the regional administrative center of Caraga strategically linking the intra and inter-regional centers/areas of northern and southern Mindanao, is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley sprawling across the mighty Agusan River. “Butuan” is a term believed to have originated from the sour fruit “batuan”. Natives claim that it came from a certain Datu Buntuan, a chieftain who once ruled Butuan. Scholars believed that it came from the Visayan word “but-an”, which means a person who has sound and discerning disposition. Butuan’s history, culture, arts and people date back to the 4th century as showcased in several museums around the city which makes Butuan an exciting source of cultural artifacts in Mindanao. Butuan National Museum is the repository of historical and cultural materials and artifacts that proves Butuan’s prehistoric existence and rich cultural heritage. There are two exhibit galleries. The Archaeological Hall and Ethnological Hall Specimens hold the exhibits of stone crafts, metal crafts, woodcrafts, potteries, goldsmithing, burial coffins, and other archaeological diggings. At the Ethnological Hall is the exhibit of contemporary cultural materials the Butuanon uses for daily living.