Cagayan de Oro is a first class highly urbanized and capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in Mindanao, southern part of the Philippines. It serves as the regional center and business hub of Northern Mindanao (Region X), and part of the growing Metropolitan Cagayan de Oro area, which includes the city of El Salvador.
The City of Cagayan de Oro is located along the central coast of northern Mindanao island facing Macajalar Bay and is bordered by the municipalities of Opol to the west; Tagoloan to the east, and provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte to the south of the city. According to the 2010 Census of Population, the city has a population of 602,088, making it the 10th most populous city in the Philippines.
Cagayan de Oro is famous for its whitewater rafting or kayaking adventures, one of the tourism activities being promoted along the Cagayan de Oro River.
The region of Northern Mindanao, which included Cagayan de Oro, was granted as Encomienda to a certain Don Juan Griego on January 25, 1571. It was then former Vice President of the Philippines Emmanuel Peláez who appended de Oro to Cagayan.
There are also other places in the Philippines with the Cagayan name; these include the province of Cagayan in northern Luzon and the Cagayan islands in the Sulu Sea.
In 1738, Spanish dominance was felt in Cagayan de Oro. When Misamis gained the status of province in 1818, one of its four districts was the Partidos de Cagayan. In 1871, the "Partidos" became a town and was made a permanent capital of Misamis.
On February 27, 1872, Governor-General Carlos María de La Torre issued a decree declaring Cagayan the permanent capital of Segundo Distrito de Misamis. During this era, the name of the town was known as Cagayan de Misamis.
In 1883, the town became a seat of the Spanish government in Mindanao for the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte.
On January 10, 1899, Cagayan de Misamis joined the government of Emilio Aguinaldo and celebrated its independence from Spain. It was the second time the Aguinaldo government was declared and the new Philippine flag raised on the Mindanao island. By virtue of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States; this caused friction and resulted in the Philippine–American War.
After the troubled years, peace finally brought back the economic activities to normalcy under the guidance of the United States. Consequently, from a purely farming-fishing area, Cagayan de Oro emerged into a booming commerce and trade center.
In 1948, the barrios of El Salvador and Molugan with their sitios known as Sala, Sambulawan, Sinaloc, Lagtang, Talaba, Kalabaylabay and Hinigdaan were separated from Cagayan de Oro to form the town of El Salvador.
In 1950, the barrios of Opol, Igpit, and lower Iponan were separated from Cagayan de Oro to form the town of Opol.
The southern part of the city is bordered by the provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte. The municipality of Opol borders the city on the west and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental to the east. To the north lies Macajalar Bay facing the Bohol Sea.
Its total land area is 488.86 km² representing 13.9 percent of the entire Misamis Oriental province. It includes 25 kilometers of coastline and a harbor, Macajalar Bay. 44.7 percent of the surface of Cagayan de Oro is classified as agricultural land and 38.4 percent is classified as open spaces.
The city is frequently categorized and referenced according to geographic factors: the 1st District (west of the Cagayan River) consisting of 24 barangays which are mostly suburban, and the 2nd District (east of the river), made up of 17 barangays, including city proper barangays numbering from 1-40.
Cagayan de Oro does not receive an even amount of rainfall throughout the year. The driest months are March and April while August and September are the wettest months. The rainy or wet season lasts from June until November with the relatively drier seasons lasting from December until May. The city lies outside the typhoon belt but is affected by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.
The City of Cagayan de Oro is located along the central coast of northern Mindanao island facing Macajalar Bay and is bordered by the municipalities of Opol to the west; Tagoloan to the east, and provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte to the south of the city. According to the 2010 Census of Population, the city has a population of 602,088, making it the 10th most populous city in the Philippines.
Cagayan de Oro is famous for its whitewater rafting or kayaking adventures, one of the tourism activities being promoted along the Cagayan de Oro River.
Etymology
The name Cagayan de Oro (lit. River of Gold) can be traced back to the arrival of the Spanish Augustinian Recollect friars in 1622, the area around Himologan (now Huluga), was already known as "Cagayán". Early Spanish written documents in the 16th century already referred to the place as "Cagayán".The region of Northern Mindanao, which included Cagayan de Oro, was granted as Encomienda to a certain Don Juan Griego on January 25, 1571. It was then former Vice President of the Philippines Emmanuel Peláez who appended de Oro to Cagayan.
There are also other places in the Philippines with the Cagayan name; these include the province of Cagayan in northern Luzon and the Cagayan islands in the Sulu Sea.
History
The area was first inhabited around 377 C.E. (the late Neolithic period), island natives lived in a settlement then known as Himologan (now known as Huluga), eight kilometers from present-day Cagayan de Oro. The natives were polytheistic animists. Austronesian in origin with seafaring capabilities like the Badjaos. Their customs were closely related to the prosperous Rajahnate of Butuan with rich Sri Vijayan (Visayan) and Indian culture. Tribal and traditional costumes and dressings have similarities with Bali, Indonesia. Ceramics were found in the area, Chinese had probably visited from Song to Ming dynasty period. Possibly an old thriving port of Srivijaya Empire with overseas trading link to China, India and even America.Spanish colonial period
In 1622, two Spanish Augustinian Recollect missionaries came in contact with the natives of Himologan and in 1626, Fray Agustín de San Pedro persuaded the chief of Himologan, Datu Salangsang, to transfer his settlement down the Cagayan River, to the present-day Gaston Park. De San Pedro later fortified the new settlement against Sultan Kudarat's raiders.In 1738, Spanish dominance was felt in Cagayan de Oro. When Misamis gained the status of province in 1818, one of its four districts was the Partidos de Cagayan. In 1871, the "Partidos" became a town and was made a permanent capital of Misamis.
On February 27, 1872, Governor-General Carlos María de La Torre issued a decree declaring Cagayan the permanent capital of Segundo Distrito de Misamis. During this era, the name of the town was known as Cagayan de Misamis.
In 1883, the town became a seat of the Spanish government in Mindanao for the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte.
On January 10, 1899, Cagayan de Misamis joined the government of Emilio Aguinaldo and celebrated its independence from Spain. It was the second time the Aguinaldo government was declared and the new Philippine flag raised on the Mindanao island. By virtue of the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States; this caused friction and resulted in the Philippine–American War.
American colonial period
On March 31, 1900, Americans occupied the town of Cagayan de Misamis and on April 7, 1900, a battle erupted in the town center led by General Nicolas Capistrano and Filipino resistance fighters. This would later become known as the Battle of Cagayan de Misamis. The Americans won the war, and about forty years later, gave the Philippines its independence on July 4, 1946. The war years in Cagayan de Oro were prompted by the presence of the Americans in 1898. The Americans were initially and successfully repulsed by the Kagay-anons forces led by Mayor Don Apolinar Vélez at the historic Battle of Makahambus on June 4, 1900.After the troubled years, peace finally brought back the economic activities to normalcy under the guidance of the United States. Consequently, from a purely farming-fishing area, Cagayan de Oro emerged into a booming commerce and trade center.
In 1948, the barrios of El Salvador and Molugan with their sitios known as Sala, Sambulawan, Sinaloc, Lagtang, Talaba, Kalabaylabay and Hinigdaan were separated from Cagayan de Oro to form the town of El Salvador.
In 1950, the barrios of Opol, Igpit, and lower Iponan were separated from Cagayan de Oro to form the town of Opol.
Geography
Cagayan de Oro is located along the central coast of Northern Mindanao. It is situated on Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippine archipelago.The southern part of the city is bordered by the provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte. The municipality of Opol borders the city on the west and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental to the east. To the north lies Macajalar Bay facing the Bohol Sea.
Its total land area is 488.86 km² representing 13.9 percent of the entire Misamis Oriental province. It includes 25 kilometers of coastline and a harbor, Macajalar Bay. 44.7 percent of the surface of Cagayan de Oro is classified as agricultural land and 38.4 percent is classified as open spaces.
The city is frequently categorized and referenced according to geographic factors: the 1st District (west of the Cagayan River) consisting of 24 barangays which are mostly suburban, and the 2nd District (east of the river), made up of 17 barangays, including city proper barangays numbering from 1-40.
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification system, Cagayan de Oro has a tropical climate with an annual average temperature of 28 °C. In June 1998, the city recorded its highest temperature to date of 39 °C.Cagayan de Oro does not receive an even amount of rainfall throughout the year. The driest months are March and April while August and September are the wettest months. The rainy or wet season lasts from June until November with the relatively drier seasons lasting from December until May. The city lies outside the typhoon belt but is affected by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone.
Demographics
As of the 2010 Census of Population, the population of the city was 602,088, making it the 10th most populous city in the Philippines.About 44 percent of the household population in Cagayan de Oro classified themselves as ethnically mixed people, 22.15 percent as Cebuano, 4.38 percent as Boholano, while 28.07 percent as other ethnic groups. (2000 Census).
Religion
Most Reverend James T. G. Hayes, the first archbishop of Cagayan de Oro.
Roman Catholicism is the city's dominant religion, represented by almost 87 percent of the population. Other religious affiliations include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, Philippine Independent Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Christ's Commission Fellowship, United Methodist Church, Jesus Miracle Crusade, Islam, and others.
The archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. This archdiocese comprises three civil provinces of Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon, Camiguin and entire Caraga region. It is a metropolitan seat in the island of Mindanao.
The current archbishop in Cagayan de Oro is Most Reverend Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D. , who was installed on March 4, 2006, and its seat is located at St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral.
Recently, the Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo Church has also decided to move the replica statue of the Black Nazarene to Jesus Nazareno Parish Church in Cagayan de Oro along Claro M. Recto Avenue, so that the Black Nazarene devotees from Mindanao may not have to travel to Quiapo in Manila for their annual pilgrimage.
In recent decades, Protestants have grown in number in the city. One of the known Protestant groups in the city is Pentecostalism, which dramatically increased with 2.8 percent total population, about 20 churches have been settling in the metropolitan area. Celebration International Church has one of the highest member attendances with a record of 735 members. In addition, three main Pentecostal mother churches are situated in the suburban area and few in the metropolitan areas. Also, Adventists, Mormons, and Methodists have surged in the suburban areas.
Islam is practiced mainly by Maranao settlers and the Balik Islam. There is an estimated of about 10% Muslims in the city. There are several large mosques and about 30 small mosques that can be found in the city.
Buddhism and Taoism are practiced by majority of local Chinese. Their population is significant especially in Cugman and Gusa area.
Languages
Cebuano is primarily the spoken language in the city. Tagalog serves as the city's secondary language. Hiligaynon or erroneously called "Ilonggo", is spoken among residents near the city's port area and around Agora. English is mainly used for business and in the academe. Maranao is widely spoken within Maranao communities in the city.Economy
Cagayan de Oro is the melting pot of Mindanao because of its accessibility, business growth, attractions and its warm and hospitable people. Being the regional center and business hub of Northern Mindanao, the city is one of the most progressive and competitive cities in the Philippines.The city's economy is largely based on industry, commerce, trade, service and tourism. Investment in Cagayan de Oro City for the first six months of 2012 reached 7.4 billion pesos outpacing the local government's expectation of to nearly 100 percent. Investments in the city are dominated by malls, high-rise hotels and condominiums and convention centers. The net income for 2012 pegged at 2,041,036,807.89 billion pesos.
Culture and arts
There are several notable events in the city. Each barangay or barrio has its own feast locally known as Fiesta (or festivals) honoring their patron saints after achieving recognition in their own rights.The Higalaay Festival (formerly the Kagay-an Festival) is a week-long celebration in honor of Cagayan de Oro's patron saint St. Augustine, held every August.
Highlights of the Higalaay Festival are the Kahimunan Trade Fair that features the native products of the city and province particularly on agriculture products, Miss Cagayan de Oro, Folkloric Street Dancing Competition which features colorful attires and cultural dances of the Higaonon tribes, Higalas Parade of Cagayan de Oro Icons and Floats, Halad sa Lambagohan, PE Rhythmic Dance Competition, Kalo Festival and Kumbira, a culinary show and exhibit that started in 1996 by Kagay-anons hoteliers and restaurants. It has since evolved over the years and now hosts a culinary competition among students and professionals from all over Mindanao. The competition is divided into students and professionals where Hotel and Restaurant Management schools and professional chefs compete against each other in their respective categories. There are also cultural shows, competitions and celebrity concerts. As the festival acquired more years, some of these competitions were replaced with new and exciting ones. Just like of the Folkloric Street Dancing Competition which was replaced with Cagayan de Oro Carnival Parade that just started year 2014.
Charter Day is the city's celebration of its cityhood established on June 15, 1950. It is a non-working holiday and a roster of special activities is lined up annually to mark this special occasion.
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