Republic of the Philippines

Mindanao State University- Iligan Institute of Technology

Department of History
School of Graduate Studies
Master in History Program

Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental from 1940s to 2016

A Termpaper Submitted by
Christine Mae Detalla- Catmon
In Partial Fulfillment for the Course History 201 (Historiography)

Submitted to:

Ms. Maria Cecilia B. Tangian, PhD

November 2016

ABSTRACT
The Municipality of Bonifacio is located at the Southern part of the Province of Misamis
Occidental. The whole of the municipality of Bonifacio is made up of twenty-nine barangays.
There are 12 barangays from the coastal and lowland areas. These are Baybay, Bagumbang,
Digson, Lilo-an, Lower Usogan, Migpange, Tiaman, Linconan, port of Bolinsong, Demetrio
Fernan, Pisa-an and Buracan. The municipality has the biggest rice land in the province. As such,
it is considered as the leading rice producing municipality in the province of Misamis
Occidental. Its rice surplus is mostly delivered to the rice traders in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur
due to its distance and established marketing system1.
Agricultural land is the major land use category of the munipality. Almost all barangays of the
municipality are classified as agricultural based on land suitability and legal land classification 2.
This paper focuses on the agricultural history of Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental.
Lower Usogan was once part of Brgy. Lilo-an , until it was formally recognized as a barangay in
1940s. This paper aims to look into the agricultural history of Lower Usogan. Bonifacio,
Misamis Occidental and to get insights regarding the policies in the agrarian reform program in
this area.
The writer hopes, that with this paper, the readers will have an idea on the history and the lives
of the people in this part of the Philippines.

1 Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Bonifacio,Misamis Occidental

1

2 ibid

INTRODUCTION
The Philippines is still mostly an agricultural country even if there are already many big
cities. This is particularly true in the Misamis Occidental region. In the municipality of
Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, agricultural land is the major land use category. It has a total
land are of 15 166.87 hectares. Almost all barangays of the municipality are classfied as
agricultural based on land suitability and legal land classification. Agricultural land is 71.51% of
the total land area and agriculture is the main economic activity3.
The biggest agricultural land goes to coconut production with 6 385.83 hectares or
31.13% of the total land area. The second is corn land with 4 355.92 hectares of 20.71% and rice
land with 3 782.39 hectares of 17.99% of the total land area. Riceland is classified into three
corresponding categories. Irrigated, with 1 787.21 hectares, unirrigated with 827.81 hectares and
upland with 1 157.37 hectares4.
The general soil condition of the municipality is conducive for agriculture. The
municipality has no cases of volcanic erruptions, although in 1954, an earthquake occurred that
caused considerable damage in the lowland area. Flooding also occurs in the lowland barangays
of Linconan, a portion of Lower Usogan, Lilo-an, Tiaman and Bolinsong almost every five years.
This is mainly due to the inadequate drainage canal of Salug Valley in Zamboanga del Sur. At
3 Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Bonifacio,Misamis Occidental
2

4 ibid

present, almost 120 hectares of riceland are affected by flooding in barangay Linconan and
Lower Usogan5.
Apart from floodings, Lower Usogan has also experienced many calamities and problems
when it came to the croppings of their rice. There are also problems with land ownership in the
barangay.
The writer hopes, that with this paper, the readers will have an idea on the history and
the lives of the people in this part of the Philippines.

5 ibid

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. What were the problems faced by the people of Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis
Occidental with their rice lands from 1940s to 2016.
2. What are the interventions and the aids that the government are doing in Lower Usogan,
Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. This study aims to know the problmes faced by the people of Lower Usogan Bonifacio,
Misamis Occidental with their rice lands from 1940s to 2016.
2. What are the interventions and the aids that the government are doing in Lower Usogan,
Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental to address these problems.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be a significant endeavor to account the local history of Brgy. Lower
Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental. There were not much studies regarding the local history
of this side of the Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental as this barangay is very far from the municipal
capital and may have been neglected in terms of reforms and developments. By understanding
their local agricultural history, we may be able to tap on the local government units in order to
develop irrigation, better solutions for pests, farm to market roads as well as better policies on
the landholdings in this area.
This study will be helpful to the people of Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental
as this will account their local agricultural history. This would also serve as a reference for the
local government unit for the further development of the ricelands of Lower Usogan, Bonifacio,
Misamis Occidental. In turn, the lives of the people of Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis
Occidental will be better.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/ RESEARCH DESIGN/ RESEARCH SAMPLING

The research is qualitative in nature. The researcher wen to Lower Usogan, Bonifacio,
Misamis Occidental and talked to some key respondents which were inhabitants of the Barangay.
Most of the respondents were already second or third generation inhabitants since the first
inhabitants are already deceased or are too old to remember exact happenings in the barangay.
The researcher also went to the municipal hall of the Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental to
gather data regarding the history of the municipality as well as data from the barangay itself with
regard to the local programs being implemented.

LOCALE OF THE STUDY

The municipality of Bonifacio was formerly part of the Municipality of Tangub, now
known as Tangub City, in the Province of Misamis Occidental. With the pioneering settlers from
the Province of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Occidental, they were able to acquire land and
established permanent settlement. As the migrant land seekers continued to grow in number,
they formed and constituted the original six barangays. The said barangays are Bagumbang,
Bolinsong, Tiaman, Dimalco, Calolot and Buracan6.
According to Mr, Paulo, Nijarda delos Reyes, a resident of Liloan, Bonifacio, Misamis
Occidental and whose father was a Barangay Captain of Liloan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental,
Brgy. Lilo-an was once part of Brgy. Calolot. But because the number of residents already
reached the required number of residents, Brgy. Lilo-an separated from the Brgy. Calolot and
was established in October 1940 Lilo-an was named such because most of the migrant settlers
were from Lilo-an, Cebu. Later on, they went deeper into the lands and had the then forested
areas cleared by means of kaingin7.
6 Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Bonifacio,Misamis Occidental

7 Mr. Paulo Nijarda delos Reyes was former part of the Board of Directors of the Misamis
Occidental Electric Cooperative Inc., and is the brother of the present barangay captain of
Lilo-an, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, Peregrino delos Reyes.

The municipality has four types of soil. These are adtuyon clay, bantog clay, hydrosol and
kabakan clay. Kabakan and Bantog clay constitute most of the rice land areas. The municipality
has three major river systems, Usugan, Mapurog and Bagumbang. Usugan, the biggest river
system has its outlet in Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur and is utilized for irrigation. There are two
creeks, Diwat and Digson and recently identified as potential source for irrigation at Barangays
Linconan and Lower Usogan8.
Since the municipality is situated in the southernmost part of the province of Misamis
Occidental, its climate is greatly influenced by that of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur,
particularly of Salug Valley where the biggest lowland area are located9.

8 Municipal Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Bonifacio,Misamis Occidental

8

9 ibid

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The creation of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental
Upon petition of the inhabitants of the barrios of Bolinsong. Bagumbang, Buracan,
Dimalco, Galolot, and Tiaman that the said barrios be separated from the municipality of Tangub,
Province of Misamis Occidental, and organized into a regular municipality, and upon
recommendation of the Provincial Board of Misamis Occidental, the Secretary of Finance and
the Secretary, of the Interior, and pursuant to the provisions of section sixty-eight of the Revised
Administrative Code, the ten municipalities of the Province of Misamis Occidental, in
accordance with Act Numbered Three thousand five hundred and thirty-seven and Executive
Order Numbered two hundred and twenty, series of nineteen hundred and twenty-nine, are
hereby increased to eleven by segregating the above-mentioned barrios from the municipality of
Tangub, and organizing the same into a regular municipality under the name of Bonifacio, with
9

the seat of government in the sitio of Digson10.

10 Presidential Museum and Library Bureau of Printing. (1941). Executive Order No.
242. Messages of the President, 5 (1), 959.

On the Agrarian Reform Program of the Philippine Government

Most of the settlers in Lower Usogan were from Lilo-an, Bonifacio Misamis Occidental,
who were also originally from Lilo-an Cebu. According to Mrs. Lucrecia Juntong, most of the
settlers were called samohante, or peasants of the land. They settled, but did not own the land.
Their parents, Manding and Macario Pitogo, as well as other peasants cleared the lands and
settled in these lands. Some educated fellows stood up for these peasants and acquired lands for
them. They did not realize before that land titling was important and would be beneficial for their
families in the future. Through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform program, some of these land
were transferred to their families.
The Land Acquisition and Distribution involves the redistribution of private and
government-owned land to landless farmers and farm workers. Under Section 6 of RA 9700
( Section 16 of RA 6657 as amended) regarding Land Acquisition, the DAR identifies lands that
are eligible for distribution under the CARP with accordance to the law, acquires the land by
delivering a notice containing the offer with its corresponding value to the owner should he
choose to accept the payment. Following the acquisition of lands under Section 11 of RA
9700(Section 26 of RA 6657 as amended) the DAR distributes these to the qualified
beneficiaries, who then pay for the land through the Land Bank of the Philippines or directly to
their former owners11.

10

11 "CARPER RA 9700 - Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms". dar.gov.ph.
Retrieved 18 October 2016.

Under the CARP, a total target of 10.3 million hectares of land was programmed to be
distributed over a span of ten years. Out of the total land, 6.5 million hectares of public disposal
lands and Integrated Social Forestry areas are to be distributed by the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) while 3.8 million hectares of private agricultural
lands are to be distributed by the DAR. From July 1987 to June 1992, the DAR was able to
distribute 1.77 million hectares benefiting .933 million beneficiaries, while the DENR has
distributed 1.88 million hectares to .760 million farmers.

But to some, they still remain peasants of their lands. Such can be related to the article
below:
4 haciendas distributed; 270 sugar farmers cheer By: DJ Yap

Land in four big haciendas in Negros Occidental province covering almost 500 hectares has been
distributed to 270 sugar farmers under the countrys Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
(CARP), officials of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said on Friday.
In a news release, DAR said it had finished installing the farmers in the four sugar estates in the
cities of Cadiz and Sagay in Negros Occidental.
The biggest landholding distributed to farmers was that of Hacienda Cana-an in Barangay Mabini,
Cadiz City, with a total area of 386.85 hectares, of which 352 hectares were covered by CARP.
11

The rest of the land was composed of the retention area for the landowner, as well as roads and
eroded portions excluded from agrarian reform.

Five hectares max

Under the law, a landowner may retain only a maximum five hectares of land.
The three other estates portioned out to farmers were Hacienda Vicente, with 26.7 hectares
distributed, Hacienda Susan, with 37.7 hectares, and the 50-hectare Hacienda Rosemarie, all in
Sagay City.
DAR Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Teofilo Inocencio, who flew in from Manila to
supervise the two-day installation event, explained that the activities were meant to assist agrarian
reform beneficiaries in identifying and occupying their CARP-awarded lands.
In most parts of the country, the beneficiaries given certificates of land ownership awards
(CLOAs) assume possession of the land without the need of installation. We only resort to
installation to prevent the possible outbreak of violence as a result of the land distribution,
Inocencio said.
Tension
In some areas, tension is still high between previous landowners and beneficiaries. In other areas,
the tension comes from different farmers groups that have conflicting claims on individual farm
lots, he added.
Unlike rice lands where tenants occupy specific farm lots, Inocencio said that farm workers in
haciendas have no permanent farm lots to claim as their own.
12

We (also) embark on installation activities to help farm workers identify the specific farm lots that
they will now own, the DAR official said.

Fiesta
In its news release, the DAR described the new landowners as erupting in cheers and shedding
tears of joy when they were escorted by DAR officials and employees to the apportioned haciendas
on Monday and Tuesday to identify their individual farm lots.
The two-day installation event turned into a fiesta, the DAR release said, as the farm workers
celebrated their transformation into land owners by butchering pigs and chickens and serving them
as simple meals shared by the community.
The DAR said it was seeking to distribute all CARP-covered lands before President Aquinos term
ends in 2016.
As of January, there were still 93,000 landholdings covering 870,000 hectares that remained
undistributed. Of this number, more than 15,558 landholdings covering a gross area of more than
162,000 hectares have been tagged as problematic due to pending cases or technical problems.
An estimated 175,000 hectares of land are considered retention areas for landowners.
According to DAR, the remaining 694,181 hectares are targeted to be distributed to agrarian
reform beneficiaries within the next three and a half years under the following schedule: 160,000
hectares in 2013; 240,707 hectares in 2014; 180,707 hectares in 2015, and 112,767 from January to
June 201612.
12 DJ Yap. 4 haciendas distributed; 270 sugar farmers cheer June 29, 2013.
13
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/435005/4-haciendas-distributed-270-sugar-farmerscheer#ixzz4RHpR9JiN
retrieved:
Nov.
12,

2016.

Another article can also be related to the situation of the landholdings in Lower Usogan. There is
not much conflict that aroused in Lower Usogan, though.

Basilan farmers acquire lands fought for 17 years By John Unson

It was a tedious and expensive 17-year uphill struggle for land ownership they will never ever
forget.
The 54 peasants who fought it out had finally been grouped Tuesday into a communal bloc, the
Maloong-Canal Farmers Agrarian Reform Multi-Purpose Cooperative, as a positive aftermath of
a battle stymied by lack of money and connections.
The group, whose members are called, in technical parlance, agrarian reform partners (ARPs) of
Philippine government, was launched as a duly organized cooperative by the Department of
Agrarian Reform in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DAR-ARMM) during a
simple gathering at Barangay Maloong-Canal in Lamitan City.
The ARPs, during the launching rite, took turns thanking ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and his
regional agrarian reform secretary, Amihilda Sangcopan, for helping them achieve their goal,
something past governors of the autonomous region never did.
The cooperative now has full imprimatur to own a total of 153 hectares of rubber farms they had
14
sought
to own, via land reform, from the long defunct Basilan Agricultural Corporation

(BATCO).

The BATCO was originally owned by a wealthy clan, which first rejected rabidly all applications
by tenants for acquisition of the lands inside the plantation through the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program13.
Helping these farmers was a top priority of Gov. Hataman. Land ownership issue, land conflicts
are among the root causes of the long-time Moro rebellion in Southern Mindanao, Sangcopan
said on Wednesday.
The land acquisition issue that saddled the 54 workers of BATCO was dragged into various
forums, a legal process that lasted for 17 years and gained headway only after a very recent order
by Supreme Court, reversing previous judicial rulings that favored the owners of the plantation,
to yield to legitimate land reform claimants.
The well-armed private security group of BATCO, equipped with assault rifles and shoulder-fire
40 millimeter grenade launchers, even figured in a firefight in 1999 with policemen and DAR
officials who tried, but failed to divide the plantation to beneficiaries.
On Pests that Destroy Ricefields
Ricefields in Lower Usogan also experienced pest infestations that gravely affected their
harvest and made the lives of the people difficult and caused some of the land owners to sell their
lands. This was pretty much the trend in most ricefields in the Philippines.

15
13

Basilan farmers acquire lands fought for 17 years By John Unson.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/03/02/1558740/basilan-farmers-acquire-lands-fought-17-years. Retrieved
October 15, 2016.

Black bugs destroying Mindanao ricefields By Edith Regalado

Black bugs have reportedly infested several hectares of ricefields in most parts of Mindanao, and
experts

fear

these

pests

might

also

invade

areas

in

the

Visayas.

According to officials of the Mindanao Science and Technology Centrum Foundation Inc., the
black bugs had destroyed farmlands in the Cotabato provinces before they spread out to other
areas

in

the

eastern

part

of

Mindanao.

Black bug infestation has also been reported in Davao Oriental and the Agusan and
Surigao

provinces.

The black bugs, authorities said, originated from the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah and
appeared

in

Mindanao

and

Palawan

in

the

late-1990s.

Cases of black bug infestation were also reported in Bukidnon and in other northern
provinces

of

Mindanao.

The latest upsurge in black bug infestation has reportedly threatened the expected high
yield of hybrid rice, part of the agricultural modernization program of the Arroyo administration.
Authorities said the black bugs could be transported to other islands through vessels that
carry

agricultural

produce

from

Mindanao.

Scientists at the Philippine Rice Research Institute’s laboratory in Midsayap,

North Cotabato, are reportedly working on the commercial application of a locally cultured
fungus called metarrhizium sp which can help counter the black bug infestation.

The Arroyo administration has tasked the institute not only to come up with varieties of
16

hybrid rice but also to find technologies that will help fight infestation and other problems
attendant to rice production14.

17

14
Black bugs destroying Mindanao ricefields By Edith Regalado
http://www.philstar.com/nation/176422/black-bugs-destroying-mindanao-ricefields. Retrieved
October 15, 2016.

BODY OF THE RESEARCH

During the time of Manuel L. Quezon, upon the recommendation of the National
Economic Council, agricultural colonies were established in the country, especially in
Koronadal, Malig, and other appropriate sites in Mindanao. The government, moreover, offered
facilities of every sort to encourage migration and settlement in those places. The Agricultural
and Industrial Bank was established to aid small farmers with convenient loans on easy terms.
Attention was also devoted to soil survey, as well as to the proper disposition of lands of the
public domain. These steps and measures held much promise for improved economic welfare15.
The settlers in Lower Usogan were mostly from Lilo-an, Bonifacio, were also originally
from Lilo-an Cebu, according to Mrs. Lucrecia Juntong, one of the 2nd generation settlers of
Lower Usogan, they went to Mindanao in search for better life opportunities because as they
said, Mindanao was the Land of Promise. When they were able to reach the minimum
requirements for creating a barangay, they were able to create the Barangay, naming it Lower
Usogan16.
15
Molina, Antonio. The Philippines: Through the centuries. Manila: University of Sto. Tomas
Cooperative, 1961.

16
SECTION. 385. Manner of Creation. - A Barangay may be created, divided, merged, abolished,
or its boundary substantially altered, by law or by an ordinance of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
or Sangguniang Panlungsod, subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite to
be conducted by the Comelec in the local government unit or units directly affected within such
18
period of time as may be determined by the law or ordinance creating said Barangay. In the case
of the creation of Barangays by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the recommendation of the
Sangguniang Bayan concerned shall be necessary.
SECTION. 386. Requisites for Creation. - (a) A Barangay maybe created out of a contiguous territory
which has a population of at least two thousand (2,000) inhabitants as certified by the National
Statistics Office except in cities and municipalities within Metro Manila and other metropolitan

The first leader of the then, barrio, was Remegio Suico who was appointed in 1945. Next
was Wenceslao Dejon who was the first elected Brgy. Captain. The second barangay captain was
Cipriano Ponce who served three terms. Cipriano Ponce was then replaced by Sabrina Mayola,
the First councilor of the barangay, when Mr. Ponce won in the Sangguniang Bayan. Then, there
was Silverio Lucot, the fourth Brgy. Captain who served two terms. The first Brgy. Captain was
Romeo Suico and the present Brgy. Captain is Mr. Raymund Retubado.
Many of the settlers in Lilo-an as well as Lower Usogan did not have adequate education
to back them up. Some of the first settlers according to Mrs. Juntong, were Candido Paulin,
Leodigario Gapo, Eudigario Pitogo, Saturnino Alimoren, Primo Mayola, Fermin Juntong and
Minggoy Gahi. When the people like Julio Mendez and families with surnames Golez, Ylanan,
Fuentes and Salva were the first owners of land who were able to acquire land titles in the
barangay. But by virtue of the Comprehensive Agrarian reform program, these lands were slowly
transferred to the samohante and they were awarded certificates of land transfer. They would in
turn, be the ones to pay the real estate taxes for the lands acquired. But this was not the case for
all peasants. According to Mary Ann B. Manahan, the Programme Officer of the Focus on the
Global South,
As a key social justice mechanism, CARP and CARPER have yet
to fulfill their promise. Article XII, Section 4 of the Constitution provides
that the State shall, by law, undertake an agrarian reform program founded
on the right of farmers and regular farm workers, who are landless, to own
19

political subdivisions or in highly urbanized cities where such territory shall have a certified
population of at least five thousand(5,000) inhabitants: Provided, That the creation thereof shall
not reduce the population of the original Barangay or Barangays to less than the minimum
requirement prescribed herein.

directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other farm
workers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof. More than a decade in
2002, the National Statistics Office surveys showed household members
engaged in agricultural activity still worked in landholdings not their own.
This indicated that a considerable number of landless farmers have yet to
own directly or collectively the lands they tilled. Part of the reason for this
had been the inability of the DAR to distribute land already identified for
CARP, as well as the failure to have a database that could aid in accurately
identifying the landless farmers for land distribution targeting. Agrarian
reform is a major reform measure meant to address rural poverty, as rural
poverty has always been highly linked to access to land. Based on
government data (Table 1), poverty is highest in the top 15 provinces
where there have been large backlogs in land distribution. Strong political
will by DAR is therefore necessary. In 2011, these top 15 provinces
accounted for more than one-third the total LAD balance. This information
is significant because these provinces also figured prominently in the list of
provinces where the poorest families have been found. Negros Occidental,
Camarines Sur, Leyte, Iloilo and Lanao del Sur have been among the top
10 provinces with women in poor households, according to the 2009
National Household Targeting Survey for Poverty Reduction of the
Department of Social Welfare and Development. The National Statistics
20

Coordinating Board also reported that the poverty magnitude and share of

Negros Occidental, Camarines Sur, Leyte, Iloilo and Masbate in the total
number of poor families and population in 2003 were quite high.17
Pests and Disasters that Affect the Ricefields in Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis
Occidental
The life of a farmer in the Philippines is not easy. And farmers in Lower Usogan are in no
way different than other farmers in the Philippines. During the early settlements, the farmers did
not have much problems on croppings, though. According to Mr. Alfredo Gahi, one of the
respondents, there was what they called siete siyentos. Farmers would plant their seedlings and
would just return to their farmlands after seven months. They did not need fertilizers and there
were not pests.
But there were disasters that heavily affected the lives as well as the agricultural situation
of the barangay.
April 1955 Earthquake
On April 1, 1955, a series of very strong earthquakes beginning at 2:18 in the
morning, with epicenter between Panguil Bay and Lake Lanao, rocked all of Mindanao, and the
southern Visayas, with heavy damage done in Lanao and Occidental Misamis. Many lives were
lost in the towns along the shore of Lake Lanao as the water receded and then returned18.
17
Mary Ann B. Manahan. The State of Agrarian Reform Under President Benigno Aquino IIIs Government Beyond
the Numbers: A struggle for social justice and inclusive rural development. Focus on the Global South-Philippines.
#19 Maginhawa Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. 2013.
21

18
The Lanao Earthquake Philippines, Arturo Alcaraz and Roman Kintanar, Geophysical Abstract

The tremors reached up to intensity 8 using a Philippine adaptation of the Rossi-Forel

scale with maximun intensity of 9. The earthquake, according to Philippine geologists, was of
tectonic origin with epicenter at 7 55' N 124 5' E.
President Ramon Magsaysay on the same day, instructed Social Welfare Administrator Pacita
Madrigal-Warns to rush assistance to the affected areas. At a special meeting of the Cabinet,
Magsaysay organized the Relief and Reconstruction Authority (RRA), with Manuel P. Manahan
as Chairman and composed of representatives of all the departments of the Government, to
determine the needs in each of the stricken localities.
Later the President issued a proclamation declaring the existence of a state of public calamity in
Misamis Oriental and Occidental, Lanao, and Surigao and in the cities of Cagayan de Oro,
Ozamis, Iligan, and Dansalan, prohibiting the hoarding of prime foodstuffs and building material
or their sale at prices more than 25% higher than they were a month ago, and authorizing the
Constabulary to seize hoarded goods and goods sold at profiteering prices.
The report of RRA on April 6, showed that the number of persons known killed were
225; injured, 898; number of houses destroyed, 2,997; number of families affected, 14,985;
extent of disaster area, 382,737 hectares19.

156, April-June 1956.

22

19
The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Journal, Volume 31, Number 5, May
1955, Manila

In Lower Usogan, some were forced to transfer to Boniao, Dumingag, Zamboanga del
Sur. But some of them still stayed in the barangay.
Flashfloods
There were also flashfloods that happened in Lower Usogan. There were flashfloods that
happened in 1983, 1988, 2001 and 2013. One of the most notable disasters in Lower Usogan was
when the barangay was hit by typhoon Onsang in October 2001. Most of the provinces in
Mindanao were badly affected by the typhoon. According to the report gathered from the Brgy.
Lower Usogan records, about ninety percent of the ricefields, houses and othere properties were
affected and damaged.
Because of the threats of the of overflowing of the Salug Valley River that connects to
Usogan River when there are heavy rains, the people were shaken when they saw a heavy rain at
the upper part of the mountain adjacent to the province. Some people prepared ferryboats,
bangkas and motorboats for them to transfer to the evacuation center. The barangay disaster
council, municipal local government unit through the DSWD, the provincial government unit,
DILG and religious groups helped in assisting the needs of the inhabitants who temporarily lived
in the evacuation centers.
PESTS
In the early 1990s, according to Mr. Alfredo Gahi, there were many instances of attacks
of pests in the ricefields. Some of these are rats, stem borers, army worms, black bugs, and
23
leafhoppers
that transmit tungro disease.

Leafhoppers

Rice tungro disease is caused by the combination of two viruses, which are transmitted
by leafhoppers. It causes leaf discoloration, stunted growth, reduced tiller numbers and sterile or
partly filled grains. Tungro infects cultivated rice, some wild rice relatives and other grassy
weeds commonly found in rice paddies.20
Tungro disease viruses are transmitted from one plant to another by leafhoppers that feed
on tungro-infected plants. The most efficient vector is the green leafhopper.Leafhoppers can
acquire the viruses from any part of the infected plant by feeding on it, even for a short time. It
can, then, immediately transmit the viruses to other plants within 57 days. The viruses do not
remain in the leafhopper's body unless it feeds again on an infected plant and re-acquires the
viruses.
Tungro infection can occur during all growth stages of the rice plant. It is most frequently seen
during the vegetative phase. Plants are most vulnerable at tillering stage21.
Stem borers
Stem borers can destroy rice at any stage of the plant from seedling to maturity.
They feed upon tillers and causes deadhearts or drying of the central tiller, during vegetative
stage; and causes whiteheads at reproductive stage.

20
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/index.php?
option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=814&Itemid=739
24

21
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/index.php?
option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=814&Itemid=739

The stem borer larvae bore at the base of the plants during the vegetative stage. On older plants,
they bore through the upper nodes and feed toward the base.
Excessive boring through the sheath can destroy the crop. Its damage can reduce the number of
reproductive tillers. At late infection, plants develop whiteheads22.
1

Yellow stemborer damage can lead to about 20% yield loss in early planted rice crops,

and 80% in late-planted crops.

2

White stemborer is an important pest in rainfed wetland rice. It can cause outbreaks and

destroy rice fields.

3

Striped stemborer is one of the most important insect pests in Asia. Its damage can be as

high as 100% when severe.

4

Gold-fringed stemborer can cause yield loss of about 30%23.

Army worms
Armyworms are caterpillars that attack rice. There are at least three armyworm species attack
rice in Asia. These are therice swarming caterpillar, common cutworm, and the rice ear-cutting
caterpillar.

22
http://knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/pest-management/insects/item/stemborer
25

23
http://knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/pest-management/insects/item/stemborer

A single armyworm egg mass contains hundreds of eggs. Each female lays 8001000 eggs
during its lifetime of about one week.
Armyworm feeds on rice by cutting off leaves and young seedlings at the plant's base. They can
also cut off rice panicles from base.
Adult armyworms survive better and produce more eggs when the temperature is at 15 C
maximum, and when plants are naturally fertilized. Periods of drought followed by heavy rains,
and the presence of alternate hosts also sustain the development of armyworms.
The larvae usually feed in the upper portion of the rice canopy on cloudy days or at night; while
the adult feeds, mates, and migrates at night and rests in daytime at the base of the plant.
In dryland fields, armyworm pupa can be found in the soil or at the base of the rice plants. In
wetlands, they pupate on the plants or on grassy areas along the field borders.24

Black bugs
Black bugs remove the sap of the plant. They can cause browning of leaves, deadheart, and
bugburn. Their damage also causes stunting in plants, reduced tiller number, and formation of
whiteheads.
On severe cases, black bugs weaken the plant preventing them from producing seeds.

26

24
http://knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/pestmanagement/insects/item/armyworms

The insect is common in rainfed and irrigated wetland environments. It prefers continuously
cropped irrigated rice areas and poorly drained fields. Damages are observed more frequently in
dry season rice crops and densely planted fields.
Black bug flight patterns are affected by the lunar cycle; on full moon nights, large numbers of
adults swarm to light sources.
Staggered planting of the rice crop and excessive nitrogen also favor the buildup of the pest.
During non-rice periods, the presence of alternate breeding site favors population increase.25

Lack of Farm to Market Roads

It is important for the products of one community to reach the market in an efficient way.
However, in the case of Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, farm to market roads are
still not completed. There are portions in which the roads are already cemented. But most of the
roads are not. According to Ms. Jinky Wenceslao, the farm to market road has long been planned
and was allotted budget by the local government unit. However, these were never completed.

Solutions to Problems
27

25
http://knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/pest-management/insects/item/black-bug

With the problems that the people of Lower Usogan have encountered that gravely
affected their agriculture and way of living, they sought to find ways in solving such problems.
They needed these in order to alleviate themselves from poverty and be able to provide for their
families.
When it came to disasters, a local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council was
organized. This organizations major objectives are to save people who are the victims of flood
and other calamities and to help the barangay constituents who need special attention in times of
disaster and other related problems26. Their priority targets are to 1.) identify areas of puroks that
are prone to floods; 2.) to ensure that all BDRRMC team members are aware and do their
functions, duties and responsibilities; 3.) identify critical areas like ricefields and footbridges that
are at risk to damages; 4.) establish early warning systems and be alert of all disaster signs; 5.)
request for fundings from the Local government unit and to have access to foreign grants and
aids for the construction and rehabilitation of the road networks within the barangay and
construction of drainage system and flood control system27.
In order to address the problem of pest infestations, they residents and farmers agreed to
have two croppings in a year and to plant rice almost simultaneously. This is done so that even if
there are pests, the damage will not be extreme.
According to International Rice Research Institute, the best control for pests and disease
problems is prevention. To limit pest and disease damage:
26
Brgy. Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental Barangay Document.
28

27
Brgy. Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental Barangay Document.

1. Practice good cleaning of equipment and field between seasons

Diseases can be spread between fields or between seasons if you do not take proper precautions.
After harvest, be sure to clean the harvesting equipment to prevent the spread of infected plants.
Some diseases can live on the stubble between seasons and infect a healthy planted crop. In
general, plowing after harvest removes stubble that serves as remaining food and shelter for
pests, especially insects. In cases where your field was infested, you should remove all stubble
from the previous season.
Clean the bunds and patch all rat holes on bunds and around your field. If there are nearby fallow
fields or forested areas, you may want to have a community rat control effort or put up trap
barriers to keep rats from damaging your crop.
Ratooning (allowing your crop to sprout and continue growing after harvest) is not
recommended because diseases and insect hosts can be sustained from season to season. It is best
to clean the field of any crop and leave it fallow for a few weeks to a few months before planting
again.
2. Use clean seeds and resistant varieties
Certified seed is recommended but if you can't get certified seed, use clean seed that does not
have any discolored seeds, weed seeds or other rice varieties mixed in.
Many
varieties have been developed with resistance to different diseases. You should check with
29
your local extension agent or a nearby seed dealer to find out which resistant varieties they carry.

Use short-duration and resistant cultivars to decrease insect pest populations. In short-duration
cultivars, insects cannot compete as many generations, so populations may not reach damaging
levels. Resistant varieties experience less feeding damage on their leaves and stems, which
means less entry points for bacteria and fungal diseases.
IRRI has a major responsibility to develop rice varieties for the benefit of rice farmers and
consumers.
3. Plant at the same time as your neighbors
Planting at the same time (or within a 2 week window) as the neighboring fields can help to
minimize insect, disease, bird, and rat pressure on individual fields.
4. Do not over apply fertilizer
High nitrogen can increase susceptibility to certain pests and diseases that is why specific
fertilizer recommendations is very important.

5. Encourage natural pest enemies

Overuse of pesticide is common among farmers and can actually lead to pest outbreaks. Natural
insect enemies of the rice pests are also killed when pesticides are applied and this can lead to an
outbreak of other rice insect pests. Other ways to encourage natural pest enemies are to allow
30

plants on the bunds and between fields to flower (yellow and white flowers attract natural
enemies).

6. Do not apply pesticide within 40 days of planting

Generally, a rice crop can recover from early damage without affecting yield. The diseases
section show the information on specific diseases that require early management.
7. Properly store grain
Store grain at moisture content below 13-14%, preferably in an airtight container. Clean the grain
before storing so it is free of dust, chaff, and excessive broken grains. The storage area should be
clean and have a dampproof floor and waterproof walls and roofs. Ideally, the storage area
should be sealed to keep out rats and birds and to allow for fumigation if necessary. Stack bags
on a pallett with at least 50cm of space on every side of the stack.
Do not store grain for more than 6 months. Do not store new grain next to old grain that is
infested with insects. Store grain as paddy or rough rice because it is less prone to insect attack
than milled rice. Parboiled rice is also less susceptible to damage than raw rice28.

31

28
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-production/growth/pests-and-diseases

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

In this paper, we found out that inhabitants in Lower Usogan, Bonifacio, Misamis
Occidental originally came from Lilo-an, Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental, who were migrant
settlers from Visayas, particularly, Lilo-an, Cebu. They came to this land in search for better life
opportunities through agricultural development of vast lands in the area.
We also found out that while these lands were vast, there was still no concept of land
titling. Only the more educated ones were able to acquire land titles for themselves. But because
32

of the land transfer program of the government, some of the lands were awarded to the farmers
who tilled the lands.

We also found out that because of the nature and the location of the land, as these are
lowland areas, the barangay is prone to flash floods. We also found out that there was an
earthquake that happened in 1955 which caused other settlers to migrate to other parts of
Mindanao.
It is also important to take note that while disasters, calamities and pest infestations
resulted to problems in the agriculture and lives of the people, they were still able to survive. Yet,
survival is not easy. They needed to organize themselves in order to combat these problems in
their lands.
What is needed by this barangay is development of their farm to market roads because if
the roads to the markets are good, they will be able to transport their produce more quickly. They
also need more advanced technologies in order to have better qualities of rice and better yields.
This is particularly important so that these farmers will be able to emancipate themselves from
debts because of the failed croppings, pest infestations and disasters they have experienced.

33

APPENDIX
Executive Order No. 242, 1939
Signed on December 28, 1939
MALACAAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 242
ORGANIZING
A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF TANGUB,
34
MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL, INTO A REGULAR MUNICIPALITY UNDER THE NAME
OF BONIFACIO

Upon petition of the inhabitants of the barrios of Bolinsong. Bagumbang, Buracan, Dimalco,
Galolot, and Tiaman that the said barrios be separated from the municipality of Tangub, Province
of Misamis Occidental, and organized into a regular municipality, and upon recommendation of
the Provincial Board of Misamis Occidental, the Secretary of Finance and the Secretary, of the
Interior, and pursuant to the provisions of section sixty-eight of the Revised Administrative
Code, the ten municipalities of the Province of Misamis Occidental, in accordance with Act
Numbered Three thousand five hundred and thirty-seven and Executive Order Numbered two
hundred and twenty, series of nineteen hundred and twenty-nine, are hereby increased to eleven
by segregating the above-mentioned barrios from the municipality of Tangub, and organizing the
same into a regular municipality under the name of Bonifacio, with the seat of government in the
sitio of Digson,
The municipality of Bonifacio, as herein, organized, shall consist of the territory the boundaries
of which are technically described as follows:
Beginning at a point marked 1 which is identical to M. B. M. No. 2 (equal to P. B. M. No. 2)
Tangub cadastre, B. L. Cad. No. 271, N. 0 02 W. 436.45 m. to 2 which is M. B. M. No. 3
(equal to- P. B. M. No. 3) ; thence N. 0 01 W. 927.37 m, to point 3 which is M. B. M. No. 4
(equal to P. B. M. No. 4) : thence north 832.65 m. to point 4 which Is M. B. M. No. 5 (equal to
P. B. M. No. 5). thence north 967.40 m. to point 5 which is M. B. M. No. 6 (equal to P, B. M.
No. 6) : thence N. 0 01 W. 451.72 m. to point 6 which is M. B. M. No. 7 (equal to P. B. M.
No. 7) ; thence north 1006.55 m. to point 7 which is M. B. M. No. 8 (equal to P. B. M. No. 8);
35

thence north 922.77 m. to point 8 which is M. B. M. No. 9 (equal to P. B. M. No. 9) ; thence

north 898.63 m. to point 9 which is M. B. M. No. 10 (equal to P. B. M. No. 10); thence N. 0

02 E. 769.07 m. to point 10 which is M. B M. No. 11 (equal to P. B. M. No. 11); thence north

9177.15 m. to point 11 which is M. B. M. No. 12 (equal to P. B. M, No. 12) ; thence east
8,310.64 m. to point 12 which is the intersection of line 11-12. of the boundary and index map
of Tangub Cadastre, B. L. case No. 4 and the line due north from B. L. L. M. No. 89; thence
south 9,600.20 in. to point 13 which is B. L. L. M. No. 89; thence S. 88 43 W. 179.95 m. to
point 14 which is corner 10 of the boundary and index map of Tangub cadastre, B. L. case No.
S on the east bank of Macaias creek; thence following the course of the said, creek in a
southeasterly direction to point 15 which is ;B. L. L. M. No. 77; thence following the course of
the Dimalco creek in the same direction to point l6 which is M. B. M. No, 19 at the junction
of Bimaico creek and Bambang River; thence following the course of Bagumbang River in a
southeasterly direction to point 17 which is the north of the said river at Pangil Bay; thence
following the shoreline of the said bay in a southwesterly direction to point 18 which is the
mouth of Migpangi River; thence following the course of the said river in northwesterly and
southwesterly directions to the point of beginning. All points referred to herein are shown on the
boundary and index map of Tangub Cadastre B. L. Cad. No. 271, eases Nos. 3 and 4.
The municipality of Tangub shall consist of its present territory less the territory comprised in the
municipality of Bonifacio.
The organization herein, made shall take effect January second, nineteen hundred forty, subject
to the condition that the new municipality shall assume the obligation of paying its proportionate
share of the cost of the cadastral survey of the municipality of Tangub.
36

Done at the City of Manila, this twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of Our Lord,
nineteen hundred and thirty-nine, and of the Commonwealth, of the Philippines, the fifth.

MANUEL L. QUEZON
President of the Philippines
By the President:
JORGE B. VARGAS
Secretary to the President
Source: Presidential Museum and Library
Bureau of Printing. (1941). Executive Order No. 242. Messages of the President, 5 (1), 959.
IMAGES AND PICTURES

Brgy. Lower Usogan at the side of Mt. Malindang

37

Municipal hall of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental

Municipal hall of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental

38

Statue in honor of Andres Bonifacio

39

40

Memorial Center Donated by Candido Paulin

41

A farmer

tilling his fields.

42

43