About Cagayan de Oro

The City of Cagayan de Oro (abbreviated C.D.O. or Cag. de Oro ; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro) is the Trade and Services Center of Mindanao & the Premier City of Northern Mindanao. It is the capital of the province of Misamis Oriental 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. In 2006 census, the city experienced a phenomenal growth in population, which was reaching 705,087 (estimate) due to large-scale migration notably from (1) Mindanao: Northern Mindanao provinces and MisOR municipalities, Muslims from Lanao provinces, Zamboanga peninsula, Caraga region, (2) Visayas: Cebu, Bohol, Illongo Regions, Leyte, and lastly from (3) Luzon, especially from Metro Manila, making Cagayan de Oro now the 2nd most populous non-metro, highly urbanized city after Zamboanga City, and the new melting pot of Mindanao. People from Cagayan de Oro are warm and hospitable giving it the name the City of Golden Friendship. Ironically, Cagayan de Oro is one of the most peaceful cities as evidenced by her unstoppable progress in the Philippines, despite that whole Mindanao is always and unfairly associated with war and terrorism by Manila based and international medias.

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. It is located in the province of Misamis Oriental and Region X. Cagayan de Oro is outside the typhoon belt, but it is affected by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. The city is bordered by Opol, Tagoloan, and Bukidnon.

The area of present Cagayan de Oro has been occupied by indigenous people for approximately 41,114 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 convinced him to transfer to present day Gaston Park. The raids of the Maguindanao warriors were repulsed by Fray Agustin de San Pedro. During the American occupation in 1901, 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 (Taken over) by the Americans but was heavily bombarded.

Source: Wikipedia