Cagayan de Oro (abbreviated C.D.O.) is one of the important cities in Mindanao. It is the capital of the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines and the regional center for Northern Mindanao (Region X). According to the 2000 census, it has an estimated population of 461,877 people in 200,000 households.
The city has many names, it is called the Gateway to Northern Mindanao, the City of White Water Rafting and River Trekking. But most of all, it is through its warm and hospitable people that the city got its name as "The City of Golden Friendship".
Cagayan de Oro is base to multinational companies such as Del Monte Philippines (formerly Philippine Packing Corporation). It has been operating in Cagayan de Oro since the 1930's. Pineapples in nearby Bukidnon Province are transported to their Processing Plant in Barangay Bugo and shipped to the entire Philippines, Asia and the Pacific.
Cagayan de Oro City is the center of education in Northern Mindanao. The city is the site of large state-run educational institutions and universities.
Geography
It is located at 8°29′N 124°39′E, in Mindanao. It is bordered by the province of Bukidnon to the east and south and by the municipality of Manticao, Misamis Oriental to the west. On the north lies Macajalar Bay in the Bohol Sea. The Cagayan River divides the city in the middle. The river is crossed by four bridges in the city. The city is surrounded by municipalites. The city is located in the province of Misamis Oriental and Region X. The city is outside the typhoon belt, but it is affected by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. The city is bordered by Opol, Tagoloan, and Bukidnon.
Accessibility
Cagayan de Oro, as the gateway to Northern Mindanao, is very accessible. From Manila, it is an hour and fifteen minutes away by plane and from Cebu it is an hour and ten minutes. The Lumbia Airport caters daily flights to and from Manila and Cebu. Cagayan de Oro will soon have the Laguindingan International Airport that will cater international flights to South Korea and other parts of the world. By sea, there are regular trips to Manila, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Jagna, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Iloilo. By land, there are regular bus trips to Gingoog, Davao, Butuan and Surigao in the CARAGA Region, Valencia and Malaybalay in Bukidnon, Iligan, Ozamiz, and other parts of Mindanao.
Language
Majority of the people in Cagayan de Oro speak Cebuano (also called Bisaya), although most residents understand Tagalog. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino and all students in elementary and high schools in CDO take classes in Filipino. Most government employees and business people have good command of the English language.
People from Cagayan de Oro are called Cagay-anons.
History
The area of present Cagayan de Oro has been occupied by indigenous people for approximately 40,000 years. The first inhabitants were the Higaunons, and later on, the Visayan groups.
Two thousand years ago, there were already ancient Kagayanons living around the vicinity of the Huluga Caves. There were also ancient tools used by the ancient Kagayanons. When the Arab missionaries came, Kalambaguhan (or present Cagayan de Oro) was part of the sultanate of Tagoloan. Kalambaguhan was a small settlement of Bukidnons who lived along the riverbanks of Kalambaguhan River.
During this time, Sultan Kudarat would raid these places. Datu Salangsang, their leader, led the Bukidnons to transfer to the hills of Huluga. In 1622, Fray Agustin de San Pedro went to see Datu Salangsang and to transfer to present day Gaston Park. The raids of the Maguindanao warriors were repulsed by Fray Agustin de San Pedro.
Mindanao was divided into two districts. Cagayan de Misamis (or present Cagayan de Oro) became the capital of the district. Pope Pius XII created the first Catholic Archdiocese in Mindanao, which elevated the Diocese of Cagayan. During the American Occupation, revolutionaries fought with the Americans. However, the Americans gained victory. During the Japanese Invasion in 1942, many houses were burned. In 1945, Cagayan was liberated by the Americans.
It was from this settlement that the present Cagayan de Oro originated. In 1845, a stone church was built on the site, which later became the present San Agustin Metropolitan Cathedral. The Church was destroyed during the American liberation in 1945. Later on, the church was reconstructed through the efforts of Archbishop James T.G. Hayes, Cagayan de Oro's first Archbishop.
Through the efforts of Congressman Emmanuel Pelaez, the town of Cagayan de Misamis became a city on June 15, 1950 and its name changed to Cagayan de Oro. Since then, Cagayan de Oro became one of the peaceful and progressive cities in the whole archipelago.
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