The Forced Relocation of the Butuan-Agusan Natives

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‘Infernal Idea’: The Forced Relocation of the Butuan-Agusan Natives

19 November 2025 Feature | Surigao Historical Society | Local History

The Infernal Idea: Uprooting the Manobos in 1867

In 1867, nearly three centuries into Spanish colonial rule, the sprawling territory of Caraga, which then encompassed modern Surigao and the vast Agusan Valley, continued to be administered through the controversial system of reducciones. This policy aimed to consolidate scattered native populations, converting them into Christian, Spanish-style townships (pueblos) established within hearing distance of the church bells, or bajo de las campanas.

While coastal and river-mouth settlements were relatively controlled, the deep interior of the Agusan Valley remained the domain of the Manobos and other upstream tribes, who were the unchallenged rulers of their havens. These areas, particularly inland villages like Talacogon and Bunawan (the site of the old garrison of Linao), were notoriously difficult for the Spanish authorities to govern.

To exert better control, the colonial government issued a chilling decree ordering a sweeping forced movement known as the “reunion of Cabadbaran”.

This government decree mandated that all inhabitants of inland areas, including Talacogon, Bunawan, and surrounding hamlets, be forcibly moved to the coast. The goal was to establish a major new village near Cabadbaran to house the displaced interior natives.

The Clash of Cultures and Claimed Rights

For the natives, this was nothing short of an upheaval. The Manobos and other upstream populations in the Agusan Valley vehemently objected to the idea. They argued that the forced relocation would uproot them from the lands where they had lived and tilled the soil for generations. Critically, they asserted that they held proprietary rights over these ancestral hunting mountains and settlements.

The policy was so aggressive and detrimental that it triggered strong condemnation, not just from the natives, but also from some members of the religious establishment itself. Fr. Raymundo Peruga publicly denounced the government order as an “infernal idea”.

This clash highlights the deep philosophical divide in the colonial project. While the reduccion system was largely promoted by the religious orders (like the Jesuits and Recollects) to advance evangelization, the forced relocation often devolved into a tool of economic and military control.

As missionary Fr. Saturnino Urios observed, the Manobos and Mandayas indeed had proprietary rights not only to the ground where their huts stood but also to the mountains where they hunted. However, the primary effect of being consolidated into these coastal enclaves (reducciones) was that it made it far easier for the colonial government and clergy to impose tax burdens and enforce compulsory hard labor (labor obligation) on the native population.

The Reunion of Cabadbaran ultimately became a symbol of the “inhuman and brutal aspect” of the reduccion system.

It demonstrated how the colonial government, with support and tolerance from the clergy, could suppress the liberties of the people through a clerico-military regime obsessed with imposing Spanish rule and extracting tribute.

5 Questions to Spark Your Curiosity

Land Rights vs. Colonial Dominion: The Manobos asserted “proprietary rights” over their ancestral lands. How did the Spanish Crown reconcile, or ignore, this fundamental concept of indigenous ownership when their entire colonial structure was built on the assertion of royal domain over the entire archipelago?
The Geography of Control: The "Reunion of Cabadbaran" moved people from inland riverine systems (like Talacogon and Bunawan) to the coast (near Cabadbaran). How did this shift affect the traditional Manobo subsistence economy, which relied heavily on hunting, shifting agriculture (kaingin), and deep forest resources?
The Missionary’s Moral Dilemma: Why did certain missionaries, such as Fr. Raymundo Peruga, risk denouncing the mass relocation as an “infernal idea” when the reduccion policy that birthed it was itself a Jesuit and Recollect initiative designed to facilitate conversion?
Cultural Resilience: The Manobos were a formidable warrior race who gained political authority through the Bagani system (requiring multiple kills). How did the violent imposition of civilian policies, such as forced relocation, fuel continuous resistance and the legacy of the "upstream" versus "downstream" cultural identity in Mindanao?
Continuity of Displacement: Given that the Manobos were later displaced again by large mining projects in the 20th century, does the 1867 relocation serve as an early colonial blueprint for the ongoing displacement of indigenous communities in Mindanao?

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