• Physical Characteristics
• Demographic Profile
• Population Size, Growth and Distribution
• Population Density
• Population Age-Sex Structure
• Fertility and Mortality
• Labor Force
• Family Income

• Social Services
• Health
• Nutrition
• Social Hygiene
• Family Planning
• Health Resources
• Education and Manpower Development
• Social Welfare
  

• Housing and Resettlement
• Public Safety
• Transportion
• Water Supply
• Irrigation System
• Power and Electrification
• Communication
• City Administration

 

The City's history dates back many centuries before the Spaniards came to Cagayan when the territory was called Kalambagohan. Its main town, Himologan, was a hill-top fortress situated some eight kilometers south of the present Poblacion.

At the time when the first Spanish missionaries came in 1622, the people of Cagayan had tributary relation to Kudarat, the Muslim Sultan of Maguindanao empire in Cotabato. However, the people had not embraced Islam and instead, many became Christians after sometime. Because of this, Muslim warriors began to attack the settlement. As a defense strategy, the priests persuaded the people to transfer from the hilltop to a better location which is the present site of the Saint Augustine Cathedral. The Cagayanons were able to defend themselves for almost 250 years from Muslim harassment.

In 1738, Spanish dominance was felt in Cagayan. When Misamis gained status of province in 1818, one of its four districts was the Partidos de Cagayan.

In 1871, the "Partidos" became a town and was made permanent capital of Misamis. In 1883, the town became seat of the Spanish government in Mindanao for the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte. Consequently, from a purely farming-fishing area, Cagayan emerged into a booming commerce and trade center.

The war years in Cagayan were prompted by the presence of the Americans in 1898. The Americans were initially and successfully repulsed by the local forces led by Major Apolinar Velez at the historic battle of Macahambus in June 4, 1900.

After the troubled years, peace finally brought back the economic activities to normal under the guidance of Americans. St. Augustine School, the forerunner of the present Xavier University and of Lourdes College, was inaugurated in 1928.

On June 15, 1950 President Elpidio Quirino signed Republic Act No. 521, which granted the status of a chartered city to the municipality of Cagayan de Oro.

Following these events, the socio-economic order underwent some far-reaching changes. Activities grew in scale and importance until it developed as the administrative center for the entire Northern Mindanao (Region X and XIII).

Today, Cagayan de Oro is one of the fastest growing cities in the country.

 

Physical Characteristics

Location

Cagayan de Oro City is the gateway to Northern Mindanao. It is geographically nestled between the central coastline of Macajalar Bay to the North and the naturally-rich plateaus and mountains of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte to the South. The municipality of Opol bounds the City on the west while the municipality of Tagoloan, with its heavy industrial activities, is its immediate neighbor to the east. The City lies between the latitude 8°-14”-00” to 8°-31’-5” north and longitude 124°-27”-00” and 124°-49”-00” east.

Land Area

Cagayan de Oro is the largest city in Northern Mindanao (Region X). Its territorial size is:

. . . 29 times the size of the region; and
. . . 7 times the size of Misamis Oriental (3,570.10 sq. km.)

It covers 80 barangays, 63 of which are urban and 17 are rural:

 

Topography

Cagayan de Oro City is characterized by a narrow coastal plain along the Macajalar Bay and by highland areas separated by sleepy inclined escarpment. The lowland is relatively flat and its elevation is not more than 10 meters above the mean sea level. The highlands bound the City in the south from east to west. They consists of plateaus, terraces, gorges.

Creeks and rivers traverse and drain to Macajalar Bay. There are seven rivers namely: Cagayan River, Iponan River, Bigaan River, Cugman River, Umalag River, Agusan river and Alae River. The more notable creeks are Binono-an, Bitan-ag, Indulong, Kolambog, Sapong, and Umalag.

About 13,587 hectares or 28 percent of the City's land area have a slope between 0 and 8 percent, which is appropriate for most land uses. Such areas are concentrated on the narrow coastal plain, the flood plain areas of the Cagayan and Iponan Rivers, and in the upland terraces. The remaining 72 percent of the land have slopes that are greater than 8 percent which pose a challenge to development.

Geology

Geomorphologically, Cagayan de Oro can be classified into three broad landforms: lowlands; level uplands; and hills/ mountains. The lowlands contain five distinct forms, namely:

Sandbars. These are narrow, elongated strips of sand deposits formed by wave action on some section of the coastline. The extent is insignificant.

Tidal Flats. These are low coastal areas, subjected to tidal influence found mainly between the mouths of Cagayan River and Iponan River.

Coastal Alluvial Plain. This is the narrow strip of level area from Puerto in the southeast to the center of the city.

Broad Alluvial Plain. This is found in a limited patch around a small hill south of the City.

River Flood Plain. The Iponan and Cagayan Rivers have formed as extensive flood plain that coalesced north of the Cagayan-Iligan Highway. Such areas may be subjected to brief flooding during extraordinary rainfall events.

The uplands are classified into three (3) forms:

Terrace or Plateau. There are three distinct plateaus that exist within the city limits. The most extensive one occupies the southeastern region. Another plateau is situated west of Cagayan River along the road to Lumbia and Talakag of Bukidnon. The third is in the south-central region just north of Barangay Indahag.

Piedmont. This is an extensive upland area located along the road to Barangay Indahag and along the road to Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Canyon/ Gorge. These are the almost vertical walls along the very deeply incised river channels. The width of the canyon/gorges ranges from 500 to 1000 meters.

The hills/ mountains take five different forms, as follows:

Escarpment. This is the steep slope separating the lowland plains from the hilly areas. In some sections, the slope is almost vertical.

Conglomerate Hill. Immediately above the escarpment area is a formation of conglomerate hills.

Limestone Hill. South of Lumbia are extensive rolling hills made up of limestone. A smaller limestone area is located on the right side of Bigaan River.

Shale/Sandstone Hill. West of the Lumbia Airport is another sedimentary formation of shale/sandstone hills.

Volcanic Hill or Mountain. On the farthest end of the City along the Misamis Oriental-Bukidnon boundary are rugged and steep hills and mountains of volcanic origin.

Land Use

The city has assumed a role which is larger than its physical boundaries. It is the second highest ranking urban settlement in the island of Mindanao, and is considered the most important center of a growth corridor occurring on the northern coast of Mindanao. Spanning a 187 kilometer strip and covering about 3,100 square kilometers, the Cagayan-Iligan Corridor (CIC) area has about 1.06 million residents and is endowed with rich agricultural and natural resources.

Because of these, it has been experiencing dramatic growth in economy which precedes major amendments on the 1979 Zoning Ordinance.

Existing Land Use, 2000-2001

Soil Types

agayan de Oro soils are predominantly clayey. Other soil structure are sand, sulfaquent, loam, and clayey loam.

Soils which are good for agricultural production are San Manuel Loam and Bantog Clay. The Matima Clay and Umingan Clay Loam are of lesser quality for agricultural production. Other soil types which do not have any agricultural value are hydrosol, beach sand and stony clay. Some of these soils are in rough mountain regions not suitable for exploitation, others are in lowland which are suitable for resort and urban-related uses.

Climate and Rainfall

Climate in the Philippines has been described in terms of rainfall distribution that occur during the year, classified as follows:Type I; Type II; Type III; and Type IV.

In 2000-2001, rainfall particularly in Cagayan de Oro, belonged to Type IV. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. This is also intermediate between the first and second types.

PAG-ASA records reveal the following:

. .  . In the year 2000, the average yearly total of rainfall is about 2,094.1 millimeters and 2000.8 millimeters in 2001.

. . . The coldest temperature was in January 2000, which recorded 18.4 degree celcius and 18.8 degree celcius was in March 2001.

. . . The hottest month, at 35.2 degree celcius was July and October 2000 and 35.3 degree celcius was experienced in June 2001.

. . . The average wind run registered 1 to 2 m/sec.

. .  .The frequency of tropical cyclone occurs once in every 12 years especially during the maximum rain period.

 

Demographic Profile

Population Size, Growth and Distribution

The earliest population estimate was in 1650 which shows that the population of Cagayan de Oro was barely 900.

Records show that in 1903, when the first census was taken, the population of Cagay-an was placed at 10,937. This excluded Iponan (former Municipality of Bukidnon Province) and (then a barrio of Agusan Municipality, Bukidnon). N.B. Iponan, Gusa,and Agusan are now barangays of this city.

In 1939, the population had reached 53,194 which covered Barrio Sungay and the Poblacion of the former municipal district of Lourdes. N.B. Sungay and entire Lourdes are now barangays of Alubijid, Misamis Oriental

Cagayan de Oro Population, 1650-2000

It took a very long, long time (1,680 year) for Cagayan to raise its first 1,000 settlers. After 205 years, some 9,000 people were added. Hence, in 1873, Cagayan had its first 10,000 people.

Based on the long historical view of the city population, 3 distinct patterns are observed:

Cagayan de Oro’s rapid population growth is a recent phenomenon;
It started during the 1960-1970 period. Though the rate declined very slightly in the succeeding inter-censal years, it soared up between 1975 and 1980 at its fastest, 6.59%. From 1980 to 1995, the population growth remains steady at an average of 4%.

This explosive growth of population resulted mainly from the increased gap between births and deaths;

Mortality rate’s long decline (from 8.16 in 1983 to 5 deaths /1000 population in 1998), can be attributed to the general improvement in health condition of the people.

The rate of natural increase, the difference between Crude Birth Rate (CBR) and Crude Death Rate (CDR) excluding migration, has decreased from 23.43 per thousand in 1995 to about 18.54 per thousand in 1999.

Net migration or net inflow contributed less than 50% of the total population increase:

1970-1980 46%
1980-1990 27%
1990-1995 40%

Annual Population Estimates, 1987-2001

Annual Population Estimates, 1987-2001

Population Growth Patterns of Cagayan de Oro, Region X, Philippines, 1970-2000

Its annual population growth rate of 4.44 % in 1995 . . . is twice as fast as the country's rate . . .will double in number within 15 to 16 years

During the 1975-1980 inter-censal period . . . was 6.59% per year, the highest so far . . . doubled the population in just 11 years

Population By Barangay, 1995-2000*