Bayugan

Bayugan

Component City

City of Bayugan

Bayugan City Center

Seal

Nickname(s): City of Rice Corn and Flowers; Cut Flower Capital of

Map of Agusan del Sur with Bayugan highlighted

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 08°43′N 125°45′ECoordinates: 08°43′N 125°45′E

Country Philippines
Region Caraga (Region XIII)
Province Agusan del Sur
District 1st District of Agusan del Sur

Founded August 20, 1961

Barangays 43

Government
• Mayor Kim Lope Asis (NUP)
• Vice Mayor Charles Anggayong (NUP)

Area
• Total 688.77 km2 (265.94 sq mi)

Population (2010)
• Total 99,361
• Density 140/km2 (370/sq mi)

Demonym(s) Bayuganon

Time zone PHT (UTC+8)

ZIP code 8502

Income class 5th class

Bayugan is a city in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It has a population of 99,361
according to the census of 2010. The city is classified as a fifth class city according to Philippine
Statistics Authority (Republic Act No. 7160). Being the only city in the 1st Congressional District and
the only city in the province of Agusan del Sur, Bayugan serves as the growth center of the province.
Located at the northern part of Agusan del Sur, Bayugan is the "cut-flower capital" of the province
owing to its lucrative cut flower industry. The city's climate, especially in the highland barangays, is
conducive to high yield cut-flower production. The city is also one of the major producers of rice and
vegetables in the province, even providing the needs of neighboring municipalities and provinces.

Etymology
The name "Bayugan" is a Manobo term for pathway, since then the natives called the place,
Bayugan. Another version states that "bayug" trees grew abundantly in this place. It was also
believed that the natives used to make this place their meeting spot and that the means of gathering
the inhabitants was by knocking on a hollow piece of wood which they termed as the "bayug."

History
Bayugan was formerly a sitio of Barangay Maygatasan, Esperanza. Several versions abound on
how the sitio got its name. First, the place was located along the river which served as the pathway
of the natives in going to Esperanza.
In 1942, Japanese troops entered Bayugan.
In 1945, the town of Bayugan in Southern Agusan was liberated by Filipino soldiers and guerrillas
from the Japanese forces occupying the town.
In 1948, the Department of Public Works and Highways conducted a survey for a national highway
that would connect Butuan with Davao City. Simultaneously, the Bureau of Lands surveyed the
places that would be traversed by the proposed road. Possible town sites were identified and among
them was Barangay Maygatasan. However, the National highway passed through the sitio of
Bayugan instead of Barangay Maygatasan. Migrants started settling in the sitio of Bayugan, thus,
prompting the transfer of the proposed town site.
In the early part of 1960, the inhabitants led by Mr. Jose Joson passed a resolution creating the sitio
of Bayugan into a regular barrio. In April of that year, Barangay Bayugan was inaugurated with
Joson as the Teniente del Barrio. Brought about by the construction of the National Highway which
traversed the place, business activity sprouted rapidly in the area.
A year later, barangay officials led by the late Sergio Mullaneda worked out the creation of Bayugan
into a regular municipality through the assistance of Governor Democrito O. Plaza, Governor of
Agusan. By virtue of Executive Order No. 440 of the late President Carlos P. Garcia, the petition to
create the municipality of Bayugan was granted on August 6, 1961. Mr. Mullaneda, the first
appointed Municipal Mayor of Bayugan assumed into office on August 6, 1962 during the term of
President Diosdado Macapagal. In the year 2007 Bayugan was converted to a city.
Bayugan is a transportation highway nexus for the eastern part of Mindanao Island. Bayugan is now
one if not the fastest growing component city in Northern Mindanao.
Cityhood
Barangay Poblacion is the city proper of Bayugan.

During the 11th Congress (1998–2001), Congress enacted into law 33 bills converting 33
municipalities into cities. However, Congress did not act on a further 24 bills converting 24 other
municipalities into cities.
During the 12th Congress (2001–2004), Congress enacted into law Republic Act No. 9009 (RA
9009), which took effect on 30 June 2001. RA 9009 amended Section 450 of the Local Government
Code by increasing the annual income requirement for conversion of a municipality into a city
from ₱20 million to ₱100 million. The rationale for the amendment was to restrain, in the words of
Senator Aquilino Pimentel, "the mad rush" of municipalities to convert into cities solely to secure a
larger share in the Internal Revenue Allotment despite the fact that they are incapable of fiscal
independence.
After the effectivity of RA 9009, the House of Representatives of the 12th Congress adopted Joint
Resolution No. 29, which sought to exempt from the ₱100 million income requirement in RA 9009
the 24 municipalities whose cityhood bills were not approved in the 11th Congress. However, the
12th Congress ended without the Senate having approved Joint Resolution No. 29.
During the 13th Congress (2004–2007), the House of Representatives re-adopted former Joint
Resolution No. 29 as Joint Resolution No. 1 and forwarded it to the Senate for approval. However,
the Senate again failed to approve the Joint Resolution. Following the suggestion of Senator
Aquilino Pimentel (Senate President), 16 municipalities filed, through their respective sponsors,
individual cityhood bills. The 16 cityhood bills each contained a common provision exempting it from
the ₱100 million income requirement of RA 9009 –
"Exemption from Republic Act No. 9009. — The City of x x x shall be exempted from the income
requirement prescribed under Republic Act No. 9009."
On 22 December 2006, the House of Representatives approved the cityhood bills. The Senate also
approved the cityhood bills in February 2007, except that of Naga, Cebu which was passed on 7
June 2007. These cityhood bills lapsed into law on various dates from March to July 2007 after
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo failed to sign them.
The point of law at issue in 2007 was whether there had been a breach of Section 10, Article X of
the 1987 Constitution, which provides –
No province, city, municipality, or barangay shall be created, divided, merged, abolished or its
boundary substantially altered, except in accordance with the criteria established in the local
government code and subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite in the political
units directly affected.
– and in each case the established criteria were far from met.
In November 2008, Bayugan lost its cityhood, along with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court of
the Philippines granted a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines, and declared
unconstitutional the cityhood law (RA 9405) which had allowed the town to acquire its city status.
The Supreme Court ruled that they did not pass the requirements for cityhood.
On 10 December 2008, the 16 cities affected acting together filed a motion for reconsideration with
the Supreme Court. More than a year later, on 22 December 2009, acting on said appeal, the Court
reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled that "at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory
law" (regarding the criteria for cityhood as set by Congress) "is no different from the enactment of a
law, i.e., the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivision from the criteria
earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting law/s, effectively decreased the already
codified indicators." Accordingly cityhood status was restored.
But on 27 August 2010, the 16 cities lost their city status again, after the Supreme Court voted 7-6,
with two justices not taking part, to reinstate the 2008 decision declaring as "unconstitutional" the
Republic Acts that converted the 16 municipalities into cities. A previous law required towns aspiring
to become cities to earn at least ₱100 million annually, which none of the 16 did.
On 15 February 2011, the Supreme Court made another volte-face and upheld for the third time the
cityhood of 16 towns in the Philippines.
And on 12 April 2011, a Supreme Court en banc ruling delivered in Baguio City, promulgated and
resolved that:
We should not ever lose sight of the fact that the 16 cities covered by the Cityhood Laws not only
had conversion bills pending during the 11th Congress, but have also complied with the
requirements of the LGC prescribed prior to its amendment by R.A. No. 9009. Congress undeniably
gave these cities all the considerations that justice and fair play demanded. Hence, this Court should
do no less by stamping its imprimatur to the clear and unmistakable legislative intent and by duly
recognizing the certain collective wisdom of Congress. WHEREFORE, the Ad Cautelam Motion for
Reconsideration (of the Decision dated 15 February 2011) is denied with finality.
So affirming the finality of the constitutionality of the 16 cityhood laws.
On 28 June 2011 the Supreme Court directed the Clerk of Court to issue forthwith the entry of
judgment on the cityhood case of 16 municipalities. Sealing with "the finality of the resolution
upholding the constitutionality of the 16 Cityhood Laws absolutely warrants the respondents' "Motion
for Entry of Judgment", the SC ruled."
This entry of judgment ended the cityhood battle of the 16 cities in the Philippines.
NB The income classification limits have been revised more than once since RA9009.
Source: Income Classification for Provinces, Cities and Municipalities

Geography
Bayugan is bordered by the Municipality of Sibagat and the province of Surigao del Sur to the
north; the Municipality of Prosperidad to the east; the Municipality of Esperanza to the south;
and the Municipality of Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, to the west.
Climate
The city is geographically situated below the typhoon belt but is usually affected by depressions
forming in the typhoon regions of Visayas and the province of Surigao del Norte. The climate
map of the Philippines based on the modified coronas classification shows that the city falls
under Type II. Which also is the weather classification of the province of Agusan del Sur.
Type II climate has no dry season with very pronounced wet season of heavy precipitation.
Maximum rainfall generally occurs from December to January although there is no single dry
month. Its average monthly rainfall is 161.6 millimetres (6.36 in) and average temperature
 is 32 °C (90 °F). Areas characterized by this climate type are generally along or very near the
eastern coast thus are open to the north-east monsoon.

Barangays
Bayugan is politically subdivided into 43 barangays, of which 3 are urban and 40 are rural.
(Population is according to the 2010 Census of Population and Housing)

 Berseba (1,688)
 Bucac (3,367)
 Cagbas (1,575)
 Calaitan (2,385)
 Canayugan (1,167)
 Charito (1,529)
 Claro Cortez (654)
 Fili (2,923)
 Gamao (1,035)
 Getsemane (436)
 Grace Estate (651)
 Hamogaway (1,568)
 Katipunan (1,135)
 Mabuhay (1,750)
 Magkiangkang (1,628)
 Mahayag (554)
 Marcelina (3,508)
 Maygatasan (4,148)
 Montivesta (602)
 Mt. Ararat (821)
 Mt. Carmel (2,047)
 Mt. Olive (1,501)
 New Salem (663)
 Noli (3,380)
 Osmeña (1,573)
 Panaytay (624)
 Pinagalaan (1,108)
 Poblacion (city center) (17,596)
 Sagmone (1,157)
 Saguma (1,937)
 Salvacion (5,079)
 San Agustin (613)
 San Isidro (1,046)
 San Juan (3,391)
 Santa Irene (2,820)
 Santa Teresita (1,168)
 Santo Niño (1,643)
 Taglatawan (commercial center) (12,976)
 Taglibas (386)
 Tagubay (749)
 Verdu (1,373)
 Villa Ondayon (1,312)
 Wawa (Del Carmen) (1,413)