Save the Hinabunganon Movement

Hinabunganon, a unique lingua franca of the people of Jabonga, Agusan del Norte since time immemorial, is feared to fade its authenticity because of the language evolution which has developed in the locality. This is happening due to the large migration of fortune-seeker strangers from other parts of the country. Unless drastic actions are taken to save this local dialect, it will soon vanish into oblivion as it did in Butuan, Tandag and Davao because the younger generation no longer use it.

The young Habunganons either mix their conversations and communications with Cebuano or Tagalog because they find it “in” to speak in mixed language or better yet, in “tag-lish,” and speaking in straight Hinabunganon will mean “bulay-og” to them.

The Hinabunganon dialect is a mixture of Surigaonon and Cachilla or Castilla, the language spoken then by the Spanish conquestadores who came to Jabonga and inter-married with the locals.

Hinabunganon deserves to be preserved because it is rich in culture, heritage, traditions and historic backgrounds that made Jabonga a once-upon-a-time center of culture and commerce in the Caraga Region. A lot of prominent illustrados of the province who helped in catapulting the region into a progressive haven and a melting pot came from Jabonga who spoke the language with much pride.

It is for this reason that each and every Habunganon, especially the young ones, are hereby urged to go back to speaking this local tongue that we love to speak and maybe we could probably have a movement to save the Habunganon language.

God bless the Habunganons!