THE GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE OF BARANGAY STA. CRUZ, TAGOLOAN, MISAMIS ORIENTAL, NORTHERN MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL LIVED EXPERIENCE

GSJ: Volume 13, Issue 10, October 2025, Online: ISSN 2320-9186

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THE GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE OF BARANGAY STA. CRUZ, TAGOLOAN,

MISAMIS ORIENTAL, NORTHERN MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES: A

PHENOMENOLOGICAL LIVED EXPERIENCE

by:

Frederick W Gomez, PhD Josie M Sardido, PhD

Dean – College of Education Chairman – Social Studies

gomez_072364@yahoo.com josiesardido4@gmail.com

Mae Ann N. Pabate Yula D. Ubalde

Social Studies researcher Social Studies researcher

maeannpabate022203@gmail.com ubaldeyula90@gmail.com

Abstract

This phenomenological study explores the geographic landscape of

Barangay Sta. Cruz Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao,

Philippines, on how it shapes the lived experiences of the inhabitants. The

barangay covers an area of 890 hectares and is located near the coastal and

industrial zones. The Salubsob and Linaw rivers, along with the manmade

structures such as the flood control and bridges, landscape the area. Using

visual ethnography and anecdotal recording and photography, document

analysis, GPS mapping, and observing the interaction between human and

natural landscape. The study revealed that water became the important

factor in Barangay Sta. Cruz. And landscaped agricultural God-given

richness to a complex socio-ecological system where water connects

natural and human landscapes.

Keywords: Geographic Landscapes_ Brgy Sta. Cruz

Introduction

The geographic landscape of Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, Northern

Mindanao Philippines has a low-lying and coastal topography. The barangay land area covered

890 hectares and with an elevation of 16.4 meters above sea level (MPDO, 2025), making it

vulnerable and prone to environmental hazard such as flood, soil siltation, erosion and washing.

Due to the urbanization and industrialization of the area risk increased due to the presence of the

PHIVIDEC (Philippine Veteran Investment Development Corporation) Industrial Estate holdings

of the government that the demand for land, water, and shelter rises and placing stress on natural

resources and infrastructure of the area.

Informal settlements along the dikes, wharf and rivers have become common, despite of

government regulations prohibiting such use of flood control structures. These challenges posed

safety and security risks for the human settlement and agricultural landscape. Understanding the

geographic landscape of Barangay Sta. Cruz making the residence aware and resilient made them

design protection of lives and property. Water sources such as rivers and wells are central to

household and farming activities, particularly in zones where access to piped water is unreliable.

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These human-nature interactions must be explored to create sustainable solutions that consider

both the needs of the inhabitant and the limitations of their environment (Lomas, 2023).

While it is true that water landscape the area of Santa Cruz its potability is merger.

Landscapes on physical environments are reflections of social and cultural identity. It defined the

natural features such as rivers, vegetation, and soil so with human interventions like roads, bridges,

and land-use decisions (National Geographic, 2024). Thus, the Socio-Ecological Systems (SES)

theory opined that communities and their environments are deeply interconnected, influencing

each other through both adaptive and disruptive behaviors. Similarly, the Coupled Human and

Natural Systems (CHANS) framework recognizes the feedback loop between human activities—

like farming and settlement—and environmental features like rivers and groundwater (Perera,

2024).

Riverine play a critical role in shaping agricultural productivity through natural irrigation

and moisture retention (Walling, 2025). However, the irregular use of chanty houses on the dikes

as housing compromises flood protection function (Giulia, 2024). In addition, when managed

properly, dikes as flood control contribute food safety and security for family and community

consumption (Decena, 2024). Likewise, the sedimentation in bridges and rivers can reduce water

flow and threaten infrastructure integrity. Thus, the importance of reliable water sources for

sustainable food safety and security in agriculture (Harvey, 2024), filtered groundwater

contamination (Goel, 2023). And, serves its potability. Which is why the study was planned and

made to personally explore the household perennial concern on water safety and security in

Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan Misamis Oriental Northern Mindanao Philippines.

As this study geographically landscape Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan Misamis Oriental

Northern Mindanao Philippines as intertwined to their lived experiences of the inhabitant. It

specifically, seeks to geographic landscape the Barangay in terms of its name, area, location,

distance, and the situation. And, its physical looks to the environment and human interaction of

the inhabitants.

Methods

Photography, videos, Images, conversation, dialogues and observations were critically

analyzed to validate verbal and non-verbal descriptions (Gomez, et al., 2025a; 2025b). Likewise,

the GPS tools were used for precise geolocation of zones. The GPS recorded coordinates to create

a detailed map of the area. Additionally, gridded map assisted in establishing and marking transects

across the area for pictorial analysis, which was phenomenologically, ethnographically, and

anecdotally recorded based on the roles of participants, main themes, sub-themes, and significant

statements (Gomez, 2025).

Thus, the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data it employed the ten-steps (10)

method in analyzing the transcribed data, included the following: 1) reading and re-reading the

transcripts recorded during the field work to familiarize the word or words nuances; 2) coding and

decoding names (hide) of the participants and its significant statement (according to their human,

physical, rural and urban geographic landscape); 3) extracting the significant statements from the

unrefined data (according to importance); 4) understanding the significant statement according to

their cultural peculiarity; 5) formulate the main-themes; 6) draw-out the sub-themes from the

main-themes; 7) then, go back to the source and origin of the information for validation and

allowing the participants to confirm by getting the reliability; 8) saturate the information or data

collected within three (3) confirmatory scene of acceptance for authenticity and novelty of the

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information and, 9) come-up a compiling exhaustive discussions of everything generated in steps

1-8 to draw-out the morale of the information.

And finally, 10) summarizing the exhaustive discussions so that there is an identification

of fundamental structure to the phenomenon. And, the credibility of the data is ensured through

discussions (Gomez et al., 2025a; 2025b). Then, go back to the area and revisit to what has been

written and allows the participants to listen, read and dissent their statement and confirm the

veracity of the information.

To that end, the saturation process of the collected and gathered data from the field of study

are handled with greatest care from the hands of the researcher(s) to preserved the authenticity,

veracity and novelty of the information from the end of the participants. Let it be known always

that the participants are human being where their memory and experiences are always subject to

the condition of the circumstances of “time and space.” The 5 Ws and 1 H on the ABC of research

are always condition “sine qua non” on the “lived experiences.”

Results and Discussions

Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao Philippines is a low-

lying area spanning approximately 890 hectares (MPDO, 2025) and located near coastal and

industrial zones (PhilAtlas, 2025). It lies at coordinates 8.5461°N latitude and 124.7684°E

longitude, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the town proper of Tagoloan with an estimated

elevation of 16.4 meters (53.8 feet). Its geographical features, including rivers, groundwater, and

zoning divisions, have influenced the inhabitant livelihoods and infrastructure.

In terms of situation, the barangay serves as both a residential and economic hub that

contributes to the socio-economic and cultural development of the municipality. It is highly

accessible and strategically located near the essential infrastructure and services, which supports

local commerce, transportation, and community-based activities. The area is also subdivided into

20 zones, originally consisting of 16 main zones, with subdivisions such as Zone 10A–C, 11A–B,

and 14A–B added for better administrative and geographic management. This zoning structure

allows more accurate data collection, effective planning, and targeted community programs.

The geographical boundaries of Barangay Sta. Cruz are defined by natural and man-made

landmarks: to the north, it is bordered by the Municipality of Villanueva; to the south, it reaches

the Tagoloan Bridge; to the west, it borders the Municipality of Malitbog; and to the east, it is

adjacent to the FDC Misamis Power Corporation. These features frame the barangay’s unique

position within the municipal and provincial landscape, reinforcing its role in shaping the growth

and identity of Tagoloan. The natural landscape of Barangay Sta. Cruz, particularly the Salubsob

River, plays a major role in shaping the daily lives and livelihoods of the inhabitants.

The Salubsob River, located in Zone 2, is a constant water source, never drying up even

during extreme summer, which supports agriculture and household use were very important to the

life on earth (Stanson et al., 2022). Accordingly, to local accounts, the river maintains its water

level due to a natural hole at its center that continuously releases groundwater. Groundwater should

have been used more considerately and recognized as an important part of the biosphere due to

climate change-exacerbated droughts

. The surrounding vegetation, including banana trees and

thick grasses promotes biodiversity and soil stability. It also avoided and prevented the washing of

the soil, gravel and sand.

Moreover, Zone 2 in Barangay Santa Cruz is also a hotspot for farming activities due to

the river’s proximity. Rivers were essential for agriculture, serving as major sources of freshwater

for irrigation, which was vital for the growth of key crops. Thus, this was tending to allow the corn

crops and other legumes plants for family and community consumptions. Water availability

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reduces dependence on irrigation systems and increases crop yield, saving farmers both money,

time and effort. This aligns with Walling (2025) observation, who said that, the natural moisture

near rivers promotes healthy root development and minimizes erosion for the roots that sip the

water for the cycle of its life. Stating the consistent irrigation system helps plants resist

environmental stresses and produce higher yields of production (Harvey, 2024).

Likewise, the Linaw River in Zone 15, though seasonal, plays a supporting role by

maintaining soft and moist soil due to groundwater retention, allowing farmers to grow crops even

without daily irrigation (Dunne et al., 2024). However, the river’s brown color during rains

indicates heavy sedimentation, which reflects suspended silt and clay particles transported by

water flow (Dunne et al., 2024). The river's dependency on heavy rainfall implies a limited and

unpredictable water supply which can affect local water availability, agricultural practices and

ecosystem stability.

Inhabitants utilize rivers for domestic chores such as laundry, especially near the Tagoloan

Wharf in Zone 7, demonstrating water’s dual role in economic and household activities. Washing

clothes by hand in a river was a common practice in some areas. Early civilizations often found

themselves laboriously washing clothes down by the local river—a tiring yet effective method still

practiced in many areas in the locales understudy. It is stated that hand, body washing and taking

a bath remains a culturally relevant and ecologically conservative method in developing

communities

.

The flood controls in Sta. Cruz, particularly those in Zones 2 and 6, were constructed for

running and increasing volume and level of water from the riverine. Yet, it was used by the

inhabitants as part of their chanty houses foundation. Flood controls usually ran parallel to a water

body (such as a river or a sea) and had water only on one side. Those flood control were built to

reclaim land from the sea and protect land naturally withered when disturb by the forces of water.

They also provided control against flooding from the sea during extreme events (Giulia, 2025).

Inhabitants who reside near the river shared their experiences and said that:

Sa una, mga year 2014, katong wala pa natukod ang dayik, nag bagyo diri

ug nag baha. Mag plano unta mig balhin kay na balaka na mi. Pagka himo

sa dayik, wala na mi nidayun ug balhin.

[Back then, around year 2014, a typhoon hit here and caused flooding. We

were planning to transfer because we were already alarmed, but we didn’t

push through with it after the dike was constructed]

Dike and wharf as flood control and also becomes the control of sea surges it really helps

inhabitant to continue living in the area away from risk. The protection on the loss of lives and the

damaged on property made the inhabitant safe and secured. The urban development continues

especially in the low-lying areas free from hazard. Flood control, wharf and dike helped protect

communities from the effects of rising water levels, storm surges, environmental degradation, land,

gravel, soil washing and relative natural and man-made activity. By containing water bodies and

controlling their activity it contributed land reclamation and the overall management of water

resources in urban settings (Fiveable, 2024).

It is being argued that flood control reduces flood risk, they must be part of a larger flood

mitigation strategy to remain effective (Cruza et al., 2024). However, residents in Zone 5 has

constructed an innovative dikes and wharf as pillars of their homes. These makeshift uses, while

resourceful, put pressure on the dike’s integrity and raise safety concerns (Cruza et al., 2024).

According to the national regulations, including those from the Department of Public Works and

Highways, dikes are classified as "no-build zones" and should not be used for housing (Respicio,

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2024) as it threatens the integrity of the dike and increasing flood risks (City Government of

Davao, 2023).

Moreover, Angel Sumagaysay, head of the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO),

stated that:

Dikes or wharf are for the resident protection against the rising level, rushing

and running water. Once constructed and the specification of the structural

design for flood control are not being followed its integrity weakens and

caused damaged from the property and loss lives.

Thus, the statement above mentioned by the DPWH (Department of Public Works and

Highways) personnel is evident that the construction of the flood control is to safeguard and safety

the general public. More so, when the dike or wharf was constructed the general public are assured

that the flood control facility can help preventing the untoward incident.

Furthermore, when the 13

th

largest river in the Philippines it traverses to Tagoloan bridge

(length of 0.56 kilometers) it landscape the Barangay Santa Cruz which helps very much in

defining the geographic behavior of the inhabitants. This vital infrastructure accommodates a wide

range of vehicles, including tracks, buses, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, dulogs (locally known

three-wheeled transport vehicles, also called bajaj), and even large vehicles. Designed to support

various forms of land transportation, the bridge serves as a crucial link for residents, businesses,

and commuters traveling within and beyond the area. It is a structure specifically engineered to

span physical obstacles like rivers, roads, valleys, or gorges, facilitating the uninterrupted passage

of vehicles and pedestrians of the Tagoloan Municipality.

The Tagoloan bridge situated at the span from Poblacion to the land area of Santa Cruz and

were built to connect the domestic goods and services within the places nearby separated body of

water and enabled the transportation, people, goods, and vehicles to travelled. As a bridge

facilitated mobility and transport in an urban area, its name came to reflect those most associated

with providing benefits to the municipality. For now, the Tagoloan bridge that is located in

Barangay Santa Cruz due to its integrity of strength was revisited by the structural engineer

evaluated and assessed whether it is still serviceable to the general public. The repair and

maintenance took so long and until this writing the bridge is still in its repairs period that caused

traffic congestion in the Sayre Highway. Its replacement was recommended due to the

accumulation of rust, mild material fatigue and somehow the soil, sand and gravel sediments

increased for the water pressure threaten the structural integrity during floods (Kundu et al., 2024).

Water infrastructure, such as pump wells and artesian wells, plays a key role in residential

water supply, especially during shortages from NAWASA (National Water Administration

Services Administration) and Mactan water provider. The participants opined that:

“Naa mi tubig sa gripo nga gikan sa Nawasa, pero naay mga panahon nga

mawala gyud ang agas, labi na kung taas ang konsumo sa among lugar o

kung naay problema sa linya. Inana nga mga panahon, dili na mi makasalig

sa gripo, mao nga didto dayon mi mugamit sa among poso o hand pump aron

makakuha ug tubig. Sa among kasinatian, importante gyud nga naa kay

alternatibong tinubdan sa tubig. Hinunoa naa man unta usab and Mactan

water services apan mao lamang gihapon ang among nasinatian.

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[We have water from the tap supplied by Nawasa, but there are times when

the flow completely stops, especially when consumption in our area is high

or when there’s a problem with the pipeline. During those times, we can no

longer rely on the tap water, so we immediately use our well or even hand

pump to get water. From our experience, it’s really important to have an

alternative water source. However, we’ve also the Mactan water services

provider but still the same]

These wells, such as the Dragon pump is a Philippine-made product Cebu Bionic Builder

Supply Inc. This pump is an authentic product uses a 14-inch diameter pipe ideal for drawing water

from wells, springs, or other water sources. Suitable for agricultural irrigation systems, can be used

for household water supply. So, during the geographic landscaping of the Barangay Santa Cruz

agricultural becomes the tough landscape identity. Thus, the quality of life (QuaL) are still

observable.

EXHAUSTIVE DISCUSSIONS

The geographic natural landscape of Barangay Sta. Cruz was limited due to its industrial

land holding of the PHIVIDEC – Industrial Estate properties. And, the natural features like the

river and human intervention shaped and landscape the lives of the inhabitants. The river

geographically supports agricultural activity by providing the zones with easy access to

groundwater. Typically, the groundwater can be explored and found just 1 to 2 meters below the

surface. However, this groundwater often had a musky appearance, raising concerns about its

safety for drinking and personal use, though it remained in use for farming. This highlighted the

community’s urgent need for safe and sustainable water sources. To address this, the barangay

turned to artesian wells, which offered a cleaner and more reliable alternative through natural

filtration.

Conclusions

The presence of a consistent groundwater source allowed communities to maintain

backyard gardens and perform essential household tasks even during dry seasons, emphasizing the

river’s vital role in sustaining both livelihood and basic needs.

However, the adaptive strategies of residents, such as digging shallow wells or building

homes on dikes, also brought forth pressing concerns. While these practices stemmed from

necessity and limited resources, they posed risks to public safety and infrastructure integrity. The

use of dikes for residential purposes, although common in certain zones, violated national laws

and weakened the integrity of the structures intended to protect communities from flooding.

The convergence of rivers, dikes, wells, and bridges in everyday life reflects how

geography influences economic, cultural, and survival practices. However, these benefits must be

balanced with effective land-use regulations and sustainable planning to ensure resiliency towards

urbanization.

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