Butuan City is a gateway to all other cities in Mindanao since it is strategically located along the shore with access to piers and sea travel.Butuan sprawls across the Agusan River nine kilometers from it's mouth towards this, to the north and seaward, roll the gently sloping hills over the Mount Mayapay 100m. to the east, the majestic Hilong-hilong and Diwata Mountain ranges protect the entire valley from fierce Pacific storms. The metropolis is also known as the timber city of the south and with all the timber and artifacts from it's history in between Butuan makes a special blend of a city. You can reach this city via plane or boat and you can use the bus if you are coming from central Mindanao or Southern Mindanao.
Butuan City is not only famous for its ancient existence but also for its cultural heritage. It is the house of treasure such as the Tara, golden figurine of Buddha, an array of lustrous, most intricate jewelry, collection of priceless ceramics from the Sung Dynasty and the remains of the early Balanghai which is sometimes referred to as Balangay. It is a wooden boat adjoined by planks. The Balanghai does not serve just as a wooden boat but a symbol of the basic social unit in the Philippines.
