AgNor town lights up centennial tree
By Brian Jay Ceballos
AGUSAN DEL NORTE, Dec. 28 (PIA) - Dubbed as the
country's centennial tree, the Bitaug Tree of the municipality of Magallanes
this province was lighted-up with bright lights just in time for the Christmas
season.
During the ceremony, Historian Mr. Florante A.
More, said that the tree believed to have existed long before 1523 based on an
existing set of maps which shows the island of Mindanao with its Northeastern
side name Bitau and Betauo, undoubtedly referring to “Bitaug Tree” as it was
then the custom of Filipinos to name places after the trees.
"This surviving Bitaug Tree also has been a
mute witness to many Historical events, among others are the initial
evangelization of Mindanao, the birth of Caraga as a Region during the Spanish
Colonial Period, the struggle of the Agusanons against the Americans and the
quadricentennial of the evangelization of Mindanao on September 7, 1997,"
said More.
In the lighting ceremony, second district
representative Erlpe John M. Amante vowed to raise more money for the
improvement of the tree and its facilities to accommodate more and more
tourists.
It maybe recalled that Amante initiated the plan
and successfully raised money from his own pocket and from the private sector
to fund the lighting of the said tree. (NCLM/LGU-Agusan del Norte/PIA-Agusan
del Norte)
