Maragusan

Maragusan is a municipality in Davao de Oro, Philippines, situated in an inland valley associated with the upper Agusan River system. It is a local-government entity rather than a commercial consumer brand. The municipality is officially known as the Municipality of Maragusan; its Cebuano name is Lungsod sa Maragusan and its Tagalog name is Bayan ng Maragusan. The area’s precolonial and early local history is associated with the Mansakan people. According to the municipality’s historical account, the inhabitants referred to themselves as Man-Agusan, a term connected with communities living along the Agusan River and its source. Their livelihoods included slash-and-burn agriculture before the valley became a destination for later agricultural settlement. Administratively, the territory was initially included in Doña Alicia, a municipality established in 1953 under Executive Order No. 596. Doña Alicia was renamed Mabini in 1954. The valley remained relatively isolated from Mabini’s administrative center until its accidental discovery by a pilot and a rancher travelling near Lake Leonard in 1955. That event contributed to the development of a settlement around Aguakan Springs, the area that later became the municipal center. The settlement’s name evolved from the local term Man-Agusan into Maragusan. Maragusan became a barangay of Mabini in 1962. Distance from Mabini’s town center and limited access to government services encouraged residents to seek separate municipal status. Local advocacy for a municipality began by at least 1972. A proposed name was San Mariano, reportedly selected in connection with Mariano Marcos, the father of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. On November 25, 1977, Presidential Decree No. 1247 created San Mariano as a municipality in the former province of Davao del Norte, with Maragusan barangay serving as the seat of government. Following the 1986 change of national government, the municipality was officially renamed Maragusan on October 12, 1988. In 1998, it became part of Compostela Valley, a province later renamed Davao de Oro. The municipality is divided into 24 barangays and functions as a local administrative, social, agricultural, and economic center for its surrounding communities. Maragusan’s economy and settlement pattern are shaped by its valley geography, agricultural activity, natural resources, and links to the wider Davao region. Its public identity is tied to local government administration, community services, rural development, and the cultural history of the Mansakan population. The 2024 Philippine census recorded 67,759 residents, making Maragusan one of the more populous municipalities in the first district of Davao de Oro. No evidence in the supplied references indicates that Maragusan is a privately owned company, a listed entity, or an international commercial brand.

The territory of present-day Maragusan is an inland valley historically inhabited by Mansakan people. Local historical accounts connect the name to Man-Agusan, referring to people living along the Agusan River or near its source. Before the area became a formal settlement, residents practiced slash-and-burn agriculture and maintained communities adapted to the valley environment. The area was incorporated into the municipality of Doña Alicia after that municipality was created on May 28, 1953, through Executive Order No. 596 issued during the administration of President Elpidio Quirino. Doña Alicia was renamed Mabini the following year. Despite its inclusion in Mabini, the valley remained difficult to reach and was not closely integrated with Mabini’s principal administrative center. A significant change began in 1955, when a pilot and a rancher travelling near Lake Leonard reportedly entered the valley after going off course. Their discovery helped draw attention to the area and supported the establishment of an agricultural settlement around Aguakan Springs. Aguakan Springs later became the site of the present municipal center. As the settlement expanded, its name increasingly appeared as Maragusan, an altered form of the older Man-Agusan designation. Maragusan was formally recognized as a barangay of Mabini in 1962. Residents subsequently sought greater administrative independence because of the settlement’s growth and its lack of a direct and convenient route to Mabini’s government facilities. Calls for a separate municipality were being made by 1972. One proposal suggested the name San Mariano, associated with Mariano Marcos, the father of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. On November 25, 1977, Presidential Decree No. 1247 established San Mariano as a municipality in Davao del Norte. The decree placed the seat of the new local government in the barangay of Maragusan. The municipality retained the San Mariano name for the remainder of the Marcos period. After the 1986 political transition, it was officially renamed Maragusan on October 12, 1988, restoring the settlement name that reflected the area’s local history. In 1998, Maragusan became part of Compostela Valley province. Compostela Valley was subsequently renamed Davao de Oro. The municipality is divided into 24 barangays, each containing smaller administrative units known as puroks, with some also containing sitios. Maragusan’s present identity combines local government, rural settlement, agriculture, and the cultural history of the Mansakan population. Its geography is defined by a valley landscape and the upper Agusan watershed, while its administrative role covers public services and community development across the municipality. The 2024 census counted 67,759 residents, and the municipality ranked third by population among municipalities in the first district of Davao de Oro according to the supplied reference material. The available sources do not identify a private founder, corporate owner, commercial product portfolio, or stock-market listing.

• 2024

  Population recorded at 67,759

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  The 2024 census recorded 67,759 residents in Maragusan.

• 1998

  Transferred into Compostela Valley

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  Maragusan became part of Compostela Valley, later renamed Davao de Oro.

• 1988

  Municipality renamed Maragusan

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  The municipality officially adopted the name Maragusan on October 12, 1988.

• 1977

  San Mariano municipality created

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  Presidential Decree No. 1247 created the municipality of San Mariano, with Maragusan as the seat of local government.

• 1972

  Local movement for municipal status

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  Residents were seeking the creation of a separate municipality because of distance from Mabini’s administrative center and government facilities.

• 1962

  Maragusan becomes a barangay of Mabini

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  The growing settlement was formally organized as a barangay within Mabini.

• 1955

  Agricultural settlement develops around Aguakan Springs

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  The valley gained wider recognition after an accidental discovery by a pilot and a rancher, followed by the growth of an agricultural settlement near Aguakan Springs.

• 1954

  Doña Alicia renamed Mabini

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  The parent municipality was renamed Mabini, under which the Maragusan area was subsequently administered.

• 1953

  Territory included in Doña Alicia

  [1]Maragusanen.wikipedia.org

  The area of present-day Maragusan became part of Doña Alicia after the municipality was created through Executive Order No. 596.

A local-government municipality and community center in Davao de Oro, defined by its agricultural valley setting, Mansakan heritage, and role in administering 24 barangays.

1. 1Maragusanen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official website of the Municipality of Maragusanmaragusan.gov.ph