Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental

Cagayan de Oro map location“The New Adventure Capital of the Philippines”

Cagayan de Oro City serves as the capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the north-southern Phillipines. It is also the regional center for the Northern Mindanao (Region X), and is part of a growing Metropolitan Cagayan de Oro.

History

 

Cagayan de Oro before was just an area inhabited by island natives who called the place as Himologan. These settlers were living in this area around 377 C.E. (during the late Neolithic period). In 1622, two Spanish Augustinian Recollect missionaries came in contact with these natives of Himologan who then converted them into Christianity.

In the year 1738, the influence of the Spaniards were felt throughout Cagayan de Oro. When Misamis gained status of province in 1818, one of its four districts was Partidos de Cagayan. In 1871, the “Partidos” became a town and was made a permanent capital of Misamis. One year after, Cagayan was declared as the permanent capital of Segundo Distrito de Misamis. The name of the town was changed into Cagayan de Misamis.

On June 15, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino signed Republic Act No. 521, which granted the status of a chartered city to the Municipality of Cagayan de Misamis.This was made possible through the efforts of then Cagayan de Oro Congressman Emmanuel Pelaez.

Cagayan de Oro was then declared a highly urbanized city by the Ministry of Local Government on November 22, 1983.

Population/ Language/ Area

 

Total land area of Cagayan de Oro reaches up to 488.86 km2 (188.75 sq mi) which is being inhabited by 602,088 of population (2010 census), making the city as the 10th most populous city in the Philippines. Much of these population speaks Cebuano as their main language due to the influx of Cebuano speakers from the Visayas. However, English is still used for business and in the academe. Most of the local population can also speak Tagalog.

Products and Services

 

Cagayan de Oro is famous for its hams (Jamon de Cagayan). Chicharon or pork rind is becoming a popular snack along with local meat products like beef jerky. Cashew nuts from Lumbia district are also abundant in the city.

Tourist Spots

 

  • Museo de Oro – located within the campus of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, where exhibits of the artifacts dug from Huluga Cave and repertoire of Bukidnon and Maranao cultures which have survived the ravages of time.
  • Monigue Cave – located at Barangay Mambuaya. This cave has a flowing water from underground which serves as the entrance in the cave. It only has a small opening and a narrow passage so all who desires to come inside it should submerge themselves in the water in order to enter. Inside, the cave will offer its visitors a beautifu; sparkling formations of Calcites. There are also other formations such as flowstone, gurpool-resembling terraces, transparent crystals and picturesque speleothems such as cathedral drapes and icons.
  • Palalan Falls – is surrounded by boulders and stones dubbed by the city as “oro” stone similar in characteristics with the Mangima stone.
  • Mapawa Nature Park – is for horseback riding, biking, zipline and nature trekking adventures.
  • Cagayan de Oro River – is one of the rivers draining the northern central part of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The river has its headwaters in the Kalatungan Mountain Range found in the central part of the province of Bukidnon. It traverses the Municipalities of Talakag, Baungon and Libona, picking up tributaries along the way. It finally empties into the Macajalar Bay at Cagayan de Oro City in the Province of Misamis Oriental.

 

Cagayan de Oro