Welcome To Cagayan
Misamis Oriental is the most progressive province of Northern Mindanao.
Bordered in the west by the province of Lanao del Norte, in the south
by Bukidnon, in the east by Agusan del Norte, and in the north by the
Bohol Sea. The province holds a central position.
It is a mountainous province with highest peaks around 2500 m. Many of
the mountains are dormant or extinct volcanoes. Most of the province,
except west of provincial capital Cagayan de Oro, has a very narrow
coastal plain.
Main sources of income: Agriculture, forestry, fishery and Industry.
In Iligan City, about 100 kms west of Cagayan de Oro, there is the
huge plant of the National Steel Corporation In Bugo, just 7 km. east
of Cagayan de Oro, is the main canning complex of Del Monte.
Provincial Capital is Cagayan de Oro City, a thriving city with close
to 400,000 inhabitants. The city has modern hotels, restaurants, a
big university (Xavier University), 23 churches, parks and large
shopping malls. It has a national airport, Lumba Airport, and a
major shipping port.
Cagayan de Oro was originally a village that was part of the Sultanate
of Kudarat. The Recollects Fathers established their mission here in
1622. The settlement was earlier the target of Muslim raids. The Recollect
Fathers organized strong defences for the town, which the Manobos razed to
the ground in 1649.
The town fought stubbornly against the American occupation in 1899. Foremost
leaders of the Filipino resistance were General Nicolas Capistrano, Major
Justo Gaerlan and Major Apolinar Velez, who, in June 1900, scored a victory
against the superior American forces in the Makahambus Cave, just over the
provincial border with Bukidnon. The main street of the city is named after Velez.
During the Pacific War, the town was occupied by the Japanese and was made
as a supply center for the Northern Mindanao area. In 1945, the Allied Forces
freed Cagayan de Oro from the Japanese invaders.
