Why the Timber City of the South?

        A description of Butuan is not complete without infusing it with the significance of the Agusan River and its tributaries that provide the valley with rich soil from periodic floods. Its serpentine route through the city and two Agusan provinces provided the people with easy means of transportation for trade and commerce encouraged settlement along its banks. The Agusan River greatly helped the booming of the “Logging Industry”. With the geographical location of the Butuan in Mindanao as in the South compared to Luzon and Visayas,  Butuan earned the name “Timber City of the South.”

Butuan City is also known as the Timber City of the South.  Logging is still present today as we can see from the Butuan photo of the day at http://layrayski.blogspot.com/. 

         Butuan City was crippled by a major fire during the Japanese occupation in World War II. The city was starting to stand on its feet again when another fire razed it. Its booming timber industry has aided the city’s development. My uncle was one of those who worked in the industry and I can personally say that it has really helped their family a lot. I have personally seen these logs along the river. Our house in Butuan is just situated in front of the river banks. So during my childhood years, me and my brothers often go near the river and play with the logs ready to be transported from our Barangay to other places.