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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL
FAST FACTS
Capital : Cagayan de Oro
Area : 3,575 sq. km
Population : 862,660
Cities : Cagayan de Oro, Gingoog
No. of Towns : 24
Click Here To View The List Of
Towns.
LOCATION
Misamis Oriental is in northern Mindanao. It is bounded on the
north by
Macajalar Bay and the Bohol Sea, on the east by Agusan del Norte,
on the
west by Iligan Bay, and on the south by Bukidnon and Lanao del
Norte.
Cagayan de Oro is a highly urbanized city. It has an area of 412
sq. km and a
population of 337,207.
THE LAND
The province has an irregular coastline indented by two-bays -
Macajalar and
Gingoog. The eastern part consists of angular hills cut by
streams in deep
gorges. The central part is characterized by sloping lowlands and
river valleys.
The western part has rough hills rising abruptly from the sea.
The coastal
lowlands are narrow. Cagayan de Oro is on the east bank of the
Cagayan
River which flows from the rugged interior mountains. Originally
called
Cagayan de Misamis, its name was changed to the present one after
the
Spaniards discovered gold in the river. The eastern part of the
province has
pronounced rainfall from November to January. The central and
western parts
are relatively dry from November to April and wet the rest of the
year.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The name "Misamis" comes from the word
"kuyamis," a local variety of
sweet coconut. The province's original inhabitants were the
Bukidnons and
the Manobos but they were driven into the interior when Visayas
settlers
arrives. Misamis used to be a part of the diocese of Cebu. In
1818, it became
a corregimento comprised of four divisions: Misamis, including
Iligan,
Dapitan, Cagayan, and Catarman, on the island of Camiguin. In
1850, it
included Bukidnon and the northern part of Cotabato.
At the close of the Spanish era, Misamis constituted one of the
seven districts
of Mindanao. On November 2, 1929, Legislative Act No. 3537
divided
Misamis into two provinces. However, it was not until November
28, 1939
that the division was formally implemented under Act No. 3777.
THE PEOPLE
The majority of the population in the coastal lowlands are of
Visayan descent.
The main dialect is Cebuano. In the hills may be found the
Bukidnon tribe
between Lugait and Balingasay towns in the province's western
part, and the
Higaonon and Manobo in Gingoog City and Magsaysay municipality in
the
eastern part. Other dialects spoken in the province are
Hiligaynon, Waray, and
Maranao.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Fishing is an important industry. Coconut, corn, coffee, and
bananas are the
major crops. In the mountain ranges are mineral lands that have
only recently
been exploited. Because of its strategic location, Misamis
Oriental is becoming
a center of industry, trade, and commerce. About 37 major
industrial and
manufacturing firms are located in the province, including the
country's largest
industrial estate, PHIVIDEC, which occupies portions of two
towns,
Tagoloan and Villanueva.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:February 02, 1999.
