Misamis was an Old Spanish town, which existed as far back as the Spanish era and was conquered strangely not by force of arms, but through faith by some Jesuit Missionaries. Though obscure, the origin of the name "Misamis" is believed to have been derived from the Subano word "Kuyamis" which is a variety of coconut. During the years the name persisted as an inference of geographical location and upon the advent of the Spanish settlers. The word "Kuyamis" easily gave way to the more conveniently pronounceable but corrupted word "Misamis"
By origin, Misamis was full of natives, particularly Subanos, the freedom loving people in Northern Mindanao. Shortly before the coming of the Spaniards, Misamis was threatened by the marauding pirates coming from the nearby provinces of Lanao. As a result, the Subanos migrated to the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Norte, particularly Dapitan, the places where peace still reigned in their domains. Later, inhabitants from Bukidnon retreated to Misamis followed by the steady influx of settlers from Cebu and Bohol and formed one of the early migration to the place.
In 1757, heightened by the piratical raids in the coastal towns of the archipelago. Misamis was chosen as the principal anchorage in Mindanao by the Spanish conquistadors. A stone fort of "Cotta" which took many years to complete was built and still stands today. With the town and f6rt established at Misamis the seat of the Military Government was transferred from Iligan to Misamis. Later, the town of Misamis became the capital of the district, which in the 18th and 19th centuries embraced much of the Northern Mindanao Province. During the Japanese occupation of Misamis in World War 11(1943-1945), the "Cotta" was garrisoned by a contingent of Japanese who dug foxholes near or under the walls. This undermining of walls later led to the destruction of the Southwest bastion in the earthquake of 1955.
Approximately three years after the World War II, Misamis became a Chartered City on July 16, 1948 by virtue of House Bill No.1656. This date coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The name Misamis was renamed Ozamiz City in honor of the late Senator Jose Ozamiz, a man who pioneered underground resistance activities in Misamis Occidental against Japanese colonialists and was imprisoned at Fort Santiago and finally executed at La Loma Cemetery together with other Filipino patriots.
Ozamiz has gone a long way from an Old Spanish settlement to its present enviable economic position in the region. It is now emerging as the one of the fastest growing cities in Northwestern Mindanao.
Among the major developments that took place which strengthened its role as the growth center of the Panguil Bay Sub-region were the putting up of the basic infrastructures that give the needed boast that its different sectors of the economy lacks. The volume of trade and commerce in the recent years has increased and is being favored by the adequate transportation facilities. The opening of the Oroquieta-Molave Road, a Kuwait Grant Project is an asphalt concrete highway that provides easy access from North to South bound commuters. What has transpired most are the Cagayan de Oro - Ozamiz - Dipolog route, Ozamiz - Kapatagan route which has been realized through the operation of the two competing barge companies plying across Panguil Bay from the Port of Ozamiz to Mucas port in Kolambugan del Norte. The massive concreting of major thoroughfares with street lighting providing the transport services for a better conveyance of the riding public. It is complemented with the on-going improvement of the seaport facilities costing P75.7 M and the expansion of the Labo airport makes the city a major modal transshipment port of Mindanao.
The newly operated Integrated Bus/Jeepney Terminal and Public Market, a USAID grant has spurred economic activities of the city. Modern Shopping Malls flourished offering wide range of local and imported products at reasonable prices. The proliferation of commercial banks from a less than ten before the sixties to more than twenty just recently is indicative of a progressive city.
Rural development was never left behind. Farm-to market roads have been concreted stretching towards the rem6test barangays allowing easy access for agricultural products to marketing channels. The development of water supply system at Poliken Spring is a full utilization of a natural water supply catering to households of sixteen barangays that in their lifetime has never been served with potable water.
The advent of cellular networks and landlines with digital direct dialing offers great advantage to the business sector and provide attraction to investors. Aside from the established reliable 220 volts power, the lowest electricity rates in the region, the reservoirs of MOWD, which provides quality water for agriculture, industry and domestic use.
Today it is strongly pursuing its development programs towards achieving its vision for sustainable growth and committing its resources to respond to the needs of its constituents.
PROFILE
Ozamiz City is nestled at the entrance of the rich Panguil Bay in Northwestern Mindanao with an estimated land area of 16,407 hectares. Behind it stands the 7,956 feet Malindang Mountain. It is bounded on the north by the Mindanao Sea; on the east by Iligan Bay and Panguil Bay which separate it from its twin city of Cagayan de Oro; on the south by the City of Tangub; and the Municipality of Don Victoriano on the west; Like many of the towns and cities of Misamis Occidental, it is straddled along the coast of Panguil Bay partly because of its extremely rugged terrain of the interior and its commercial activities which center around the coastal areas.
Ozamiz City is agricultural by resources, but it has potentials to become a commercial center in this part of Mindanao, considering its strategic location and its peaceful atmosphere. It is a few miles away from Maria Cristina Falls, the main source of hydroelectric power in Mindanao. The city has an excellent harbor location, its local port is the principal outlet of mineral deposits, agricultural and forest products of the rich provinces of the two Zamboanga which are Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental. The city comprises a total of 51 barangays wherein 23 are classified as urban and 28 classified as rural.
CLIMATE
Ozamiz City falls under VI or the intermediate Type B of the Corona Climate classification. Weather is fairly uniform or rainfall is more or less fairly distributed throughout the year although the months of February to April are quite drier. The wettest months occur during November to December while dry months occur from February to March. Temperature is about equal, averaging to 27 0C. The entire city is on the outside fringe of the typhoon belt and is seldom affected directly by tropical storms.
TOPOGRAPHY AND LAND FEATURES
Ozamiz City is characterized by its low flat elevation in urban areas rising in gentle slope upward to the west as it approaches the interior. The terrain toward the western border is particularly rugged and very sparsely settled as hills and rolling lands are among its physical features.
The elevation of Ozamiz City ranges from the flat lowland of the poblacion and its coastal barangays at about 1.9 meters above sea level to 562.55 meters above sea level of the nearest barangay approaching Mt. Malindang, Barangay Gala. Other highly elevated barangays are Guimad, Trigos and Sangay Daku having an elevation of 432.25 meters and 235.43 meters respectively. It is not surprising that the climates in these particular barangays are noted to be cool and chilly, the inviting charms that made them a promising potential for tourist development.
Mt. Malindang, the landmark of the city and of the province of Misamis Occidental has the highest elevation of approximately 2,411 meters above sea level. The mountain serves as a protecting wall against typhoons and strong winds.
GEOLOGY
Geologically, the City of Ozamiz is of volcanic origin. Indications are shown with the presence of hardened lahar in some barangays within the city particularly in Kinuman Norte and Gala. Pyroclastic rocks as well as its sedimentary sequence are found in barangays along Labo River such as Gala, Kinuman Norte, Capucao P, Capucao C and Pantaon.
MINERAL RESOURCES
So far, there is no detailed data on the presence of either metallic or non-metallic minerals in the city. The aggregate materials found abundant in Ozamiz City are sand and gravel in pebble, cobble and boulder sizes. Quarrying of the non-metallic minerals is located along Labo River. These aggregates are used for road construction, foundation and building works.
The aggregates are dominantly boulders of volcanic rocks being balsatic and andesitic. They are classified as dirty types, with a high percentage of deleterious matter. Width measures up to 10 to 15 meters. Most of the gravel is from pebbles to boulders. Their shapes are extremely variable from rounded to angular.
Along road cuts, large boulders with volcanic rocks were encountered enclosed in highly weathered lateretic soil. The un-weathered fragments could be crushed to pieces for gravel and the weathered matrix being just soil and clay could be used as a good binding material for an all purpose road.
Ozamiz City is nestled at the entrance of the rich Panguil Bay in Northern Mindanao with an estimated land area of 25,641 hectares. Behind it stands the 7,956 feet Malindang Mountain. It is bounded on the North by the Mindanao Sea, on the east by Iligan Bay and Panguil Bay, which separates it from its twin city of Cagayan de Oro, on the south by the province of Zamboanga del Sur. Like many of the neighboring towns and cities of Misamis Occidental, it is straddled along the coast of Panguil Bay partly because of its extremely rugged terrain of the interior and its commercial activities, which counter along the coastal area.
B. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
The City Government of Ozamiz as a corporate body is made up of several offices with distinct functions and responsibilities for effective and efficient service delivery. It is headed by the City Mayor as Chief Executive of the Local Government. The Legislative branch is headed by the City Vice-mayor with ten (10) elective City Councilors, an ABC President and SK President as Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Pursuant to the decentralization thrust of the government and on the interest of restructuring the bureaucracy’s organizational and functional set-up to make it more viable in terms of economic efficiency and effectiveness and make it more responsive to needs of public clientele, in the year 1993 the city council approved a resolution mandating the committee on Performance, Evaluation and Reorganization to effect the organization of the city government as prescribed by law and a new Reorganizational Structure and Staffing pattern was approved.
C. TOPOGRAPHY
Ozamiz City is characterized by its low flat elevation in urban areas rising in a gentle slope upward to the west as it approaches the interior. The terrain towards the western border is particularly rugged and very sparsely settled as hills and rolling lands are among its physical features.
The elevation of Ozamiz City ranges from the flat lowland of the poblacion and its coastal barangays at about 1.9 meters above sea level to 562.55 meters above sea level of the nearest barangay approaching Mt. Malindang, Barangay Gala. Other highly elevated barangays are Guimad, Trigos and Sangay Daku having an elevation of 432.25 meters and 235.43 meters respectively. It is not surprising that the climates in these particular barangays are noted to be cool and chilly, the inviting charms that made them a promising potential for tourism development.
Mt. Malindang, the landmark of the city and of the province of Misamis Occidental has the highest elevation of approximately 2,411 meters above sea level. The mountain serves as a protecting wall against typhoons and strong winds.
POPULATION
Ozamiz City has a population of 110,420.00
ECONOMY
Ozamiz City, in its attempt to attain a higher level of economic development has to face reality that it has to spend for endless lists of projects and needs. The up-trend of government expenditures calls for a corresponding increase in income owing to its limited actual resources and needs for economic advancement. The word “Suba” meaning river. Before the arrival of the Mohameddans and Spaniards, the Subanons held the entire country west of Panguil Bay sharing it only with the Negritos who have now disappeared from the region.
But based on the information gathered from personal interviews and written narration it is claimed that the Subanons originally settled in the rich valley of Salug now a municipality of Zamboanga del Sur called Molave and they later scattered into the different parts for Zamboanga and Misamis Occidental living mostly along the river.
The village of the Subanons was disintegrated when there was a change of sovereignty and Policy in the Philippines caused by the Spanish-American war. The Subanons were forced to live side by side with other Christian Filipinos.
Muslim culture influenced the Subanons who lived near the Muslim Communities or who were in contact with them through trade.
To monitor peace and order, leaders of the different communities controlled the different Subanon social groups. These leaders act as a judge during tribal trials. The Datu has the final say in all cases.
The typical house of a Subanon is a four-cornered affair, the roof of which is made of rattan leaves or cogon grass. The floor and walls are made of barks of trees. Usually the house has no windows and if there are, the windows are very small making the house dark and poorly ventilated. The house is either too low or too high or too small or too large. The ladder is made of Bamboo or tree trunk. At night, the ladder is pulled up to prevent intruders.
Subanons use the earthenware. Women are the usual potters and basket weavers. They also weave their own clothing.
Trade has long played an important part in the Subanon life and has been a great agent of civilization.
Subanons, either educated or uneducated, dress just like anybody but some still wear daily clothes similar to those of the ancestors. Men wear pants, which is tight at the knees and loose at the waistline. Women wear bright colored blouses with long and very tight sleeves. During festivals, women adorn themselves with several necklaces, earrings and bracelets made of beads and coins. Their favorite colors are red, black and green.
Subanons make use of the Kaingin System for farming. Primitive Subanons are dependent mostly on bolos and sharp pointed sticks for farming implements.
Planting is a joyous and noisy affair. As men bore holes in the ground for the rice and corn seeds, they chant, shout and laugh. Their women follow them gaily with chants and songs in a ballad form.
Staple foods of the Subanons are rice, corn, cassava, camote, fish and meat. They are excellent hunters and are efficient in the use of traps. For fishing, they use fish traps and the pantik – an improvised bow and arrow. No food is prohibited due to religious beliefs.
Subanon parents have great control over their children and are reluctant to allow their children to go to other places even for studies. To keep their children from leaving , one-solution parents resort is to marry them off early. As soon as a boy reaches the age of sixteen or seventeen, the parents start to look for a wife for him.
The wedding is a long drawn out affair which lasts the whole night or sometimes number of days. The marriage ritual is participated in by the couple, close kins of both and theguests. The rites consist of singing, dancing, drinking and partaking of food. The Timuay performs the most important part of the wedding ceremony; that of pronouncing the couple husband and wife.
Subanons bury their dead with precious possessions such as jewelry and jars. The dead body is wrapped with a mat or bark of trees and is left to decompose. The house where the death took place is believed to be inhabited by evil spirits.
Subanons do not have a place for worshipping. They just gather together for festivals and rituals performed in appointed places. Rituals are also held when natural phenomena like thunder and lightning occur during illness and other events.
OZAMIS CITY (Source: www.ozamis.com)
PROFILE
Ozamiz City is nestled at the entrance of the rich Panguil Bay in Northwestern Mindanao with an estimated land area of 16,407 hectares. Behind it stands the 7,956 feet Malindang Mountain. It is bounded on the north by the Mindanao Sea; on the east by Iligan Bay and Panguil Bay which separate it from its twin city of Cagayan de Oro; on the south by the City of Tangub; and the Municipality of Don Victoriano on the west; Like many of the towns and cities of Misamis Occidental, it is straddled along the coast of Panguil Bay partly because of its extremely rugged terrain of the interior and its commercial activities which center around the coastal areas.
Ozamiz City is agricultural by resources, but it has potentials to become a commercial center in this part of Mindanao, considering its strategic location and its peaceful atmosphere. It is a few miles away from Maria Cristina Falls, the main source of hydroelectric power in Mindanao. The city has an excellent harbor location, its local port is the principal outlet of mineral deposits, agricultural and forest products of the rich provinces of the two Zamboanga which are Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental. The city comprises a total of 51 barangays wherein 23 are classified as urban and 28 classified as rural.
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