200,000 year-old fossilized oysters found in Misamis Oriental

An area in Barangay Lapad in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental was declared a heritage site after 200,000 year-old oyster fossils were found in the area, according to a Balita Pilipinas report on Friday. The fossilized oysters are believed to date back to the Ice Age. "It proves that this place is very, very old,” said anthropologist Dr. Erlinda Burton. “It is significant also because it has become a part of your heritage here in Northern Mindanao," Burton added. Raul Ilogon, the owner of the property where the fossils were found told Balita Pilipinas that they had been seeing the fossils for 20 years thinking that they were ordinary rocks. "Dinala ko kay Doktora Burton. Pinatingnan ko. Nakita niya na this is authentic fossilized colony of oysters," he said. Experts continue to survey the area for further study. — Kim Luces/DVM, GMA News