Assemble in Agusan Valley

Introduction to Agusan Valley

First, I want to begin by showing some of the sights of Agusan Valley and its beauty, wonders and dangers the place was known before as an "unexplored and inhospitable jungle." This was where the central theme of this story happened. Looking at the map below, Agusan is surrounded by Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Davao and Surigao provinces on the island of Mindanao.

Geography and Inhabitants

The valley is in the province of Agusan on the island of Mindanao, the second biggest of the 7,010 islands which comprise the country of the Philippines. The early inhabitants of the valley were from different tribes: Manobo, Bagobo, Mamanwa, Banwaon and mainly of Malayan race. The largest area of Agusan province is the rainforest.

Dangers in Agusan Valley

It has deadly predators such as the killer bees, crocodiles, pythons, scorpions, and leech. The leech is a blood-sucking worm that sticks its head into the exposed parts of the human body and injects a thinning solution; then slowly sucks the blood of a victim up to five times its size and sometimes more. In many cases, the victim is not even aware that it is happening during the attack.

Another annoying attack to humans is unleashed by buffalo gnats (a two-winged insect which sometimes bites) that swarm all around an exposed part of a human body, usually the head. When the gnats get into the eye, ear, or nose, a victim tends to panic and an awful consequence could happen.

The last, but not least, of the dangers is a suyak which is used as a booby trap by natives for hunting wild animals for food using razor-sharp bamboo poles positioned upright above the ground. Sometimes humans could be victims of this deadly animal trap.