City of Cagayan de Oro

The City of Cagayan de Oro (kă-gə'yăn dĕ ôrô); abbreviated C.D.O. or Cag. de Oro ; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro; is the capital of the province of Misamis Oriental, the regional center for Northern Mindanao (Region 10). According to the 2000 census, the city has an estimated population of 470,000 individuals in 200,000 households

Official Seal Of The City Of Cagayan de Oro

History

The area was first inhabited around 377 AD (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 animist and paid tributes to Sultan Muhammad Dipatuan Kuradat, the Sultan of Maguindanao. In 1622, two Spanish Augustinian Recollect missionaries came in contact with the natives of Himologan and in 1626, Fray Agustin de San Pedro persuaded the chief of Himologan, Datu Salangsang, to transfer his settlement down river, to the present day Gaston Park. Fray Agustin later fortified the new settlement against warriors who were sent by Sultan Kudarat.

On February 27, 1872, the Spanish Governor General Carlos Maria 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. On January 10, 1899, Cagayan de Misamis joined the Philippine 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 the1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States; this caused friction and resulted in the Philippine-American War. In March 31, 1900, the Americans occupied Cagayan de Misamis and on April 7, 1900, battle erupted in the town center led by General Nicolas Capistrano and Filipino resistance fighters. The U.S. won the Philippine-American war, and about forty years later, gave the Philippines Indepence on July 4, 1946. When World War II erupted on May 1, 1942, Japanese forces invaded Cagayan de Misamis, destroying most of the town. Cagayan was liberated from Japanese occupation on May 10, 1945, but in the process, suffered heavy aerial bombardment from the United States Air Force. Cagayan de Misamis was slowly transformed as the economic center of Northern Mindanao with the establishment of the Philippine Packing Corporation, presently known as Del Monte Philippines, Inc...

It was through the efforts of Congressman Emmanuel Pelaez, that the town of Cagayan de Misamis became a city on June 15, 1950 and its name changed to Cagayan de Oro. Congressman Pelaez appended "de Oro" to "Cagayan" in recognition of the gold mining activities in the area known to Spanish explorers.

Geography

Cagayan de Oro is located along the central coast of Northern Mindanao. To the south, the city is bordered by the Bukidnon Province. The Municipality of Opol, Misamis Oriental borders the city on the west andTagoloan, 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% of the entire Misamis Oriental Province. It includes 25 kilometers of coastline and a fine deep water harbor, Macajalar Bay. 44.7% of the surface of Cagayan de Oro is classified as agricultural land, and 38.4% is classified as open spaces

Economy

Cagayan de Oro is the base to both local and multi-national companies such as Del Monte Philippines, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, and others. The city's economy is largely based on industry, trade, service and tourism. Link2Support and Arriba are among the few call centers that have recently opened their doors to the city. Cagayan de Oro is a young city compared to other highly urbanized cities in the Philippines. The city's annual income has reached a local record of 1.345 Billion Pesos as of the fiscal year, 2006. With the ongoing construction of the Laguindingan International Airport, business analysts predict the entry of more foreign and local investments and an increase in tourism activity in the region will make Cagayan de Oro as one of the chief cities in the southern part of the Philippines.

Government

Cagayan de Oro City has been administered by elected and appointed officials since June 15, 1950. The city political government is composed of the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, sixteen City Councilors and one Sangguniang Kabataan Federation representative.

Barangays & Congressional Districts

The city is politically subdivided into eighty barangays (bä-räng-gīs) and two Congressional Districts. Cagayan de Oro was divided into two Congressional Districts with Cagayan de Oro river as its natural boundary in February 22, 2007. Each district elects eight City Councilors and one Congressional Representative. The first Congressional District is composed of twenty-five Barangays while the 2nd Congressional District is composed of fifty-five Barangays; forty of these barangays are located within the municipality.