THE HISTORY OF
CAGAYAN DE ORO
CITY
Angelmae D.Tabuan
Shella Mae Alin

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HulugaCave
LimketkaiLuxeHotel
SpanishArrival
Xavier University
SanAgustinCathedral
Battle of AgusanHill
MacahambusHill
PopePius XII
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AmericanColonial Period
KaptipunaninMindanao

Huluga Cave
On1970, Brgy.Huluga(onceknownasHimologan),situated eightkilometers
intothesouth ofCagayan de Misamis, asettlementwheremostnatives
livedinthat time,hasbeeninvestigated byresearchersfromtheNational
Museum.Theyfoundartifacts and tablewareknownto beproducts from
neighboringcountries,anindicationthatactivecross-countrytrades are
presentintheareabefore.
In one of the caves in the area of Huluga, Sitio Taguanao,
Barangay Indahag, a shred of a woman’s skull has been
found. This has been a subject for acid racemization and has
been sent at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La
Jolla, California, United States. The result has been found that
the skull dated as early as A.D. 377. Thus serves as a valid
evidence of the city’s early occupation.

The origin of the name “Cagayan” came from the Malayo-Polynesian
word “ag” which means water. “Kagay”, where the word ag is present
means river, and Kagayan means “a place with a river.” While “de Oro”
came from the Spanish word “Golden”.
Cagayan de Oro is bordered by the municipality of Opol in the west and
Tagoloan in the east. With its utilized area, including the hills of uptown
Cagayan de Oro, the Population has been recorded a little over
600,000, gaining the rank of being the 10th most populous city in the
country.
Limketkai Luxe Hotel Xavier
University
18 years before this designation of Hayes, he
founded Ateneo de Cagayan on June 7, 1933
that was later renamed as “Xavier University”
on March 22, 1958. Xavier University is known
as the first University in Mindanao.

Spanish Arrival
In 1622, two Augustinian Recollect missionaries
came to Huluga and did meet the natives. Most of
the inhabitants were Polytheistic pagans. Men
decked with tattoos and the women are arrayed
with ornaments in their body.
In 1626, Fray Agustin de San Pedro of Portugal
came into Cagyan de Misamis. He advised Datu
Salangsang to relocate his colony near the river, a
place where today San Agustin Cathedral and
Gaston Park are located. Not long after that, Datu
Salansang was baptized, together with his wife and
the multitudes that are with them.

Kaptipunan in Mindanao
We have heard about the Kapitunan in our History
books, right? But don’t we know that it has been also
carried out here in Cagayan? On September 29, 1986, a
band of Filipinos has been deported from Luzon to
Iligan to perform Military discipline. This group received
an information from the Manila Katipunan, and started a
revolt against the Spanish troops. They rallied the
camps and convents of the Spaniards going to Cagayan
de Misamis. With sheer passion, they even go further up
into the heights of Bukidnon and back into the bays of
Gingoog.

American Colonial Period
Just almost two years after the independence, on March 31,
1900, the Americans started their campaign in invading Cagayan
de Misamis. They first attacked the pier in Macabalan. Organized
before the attack, the Filipino resistance fighters planned to
revenge strategically after the American intrusion in Macabalan.
On April 7, 1900, a force led by General Nicolas Capistrano with
the resistance fighters, conducted a surprise attack at dawn. It
began when one of Capistrano’s warriors roared as they killed an
American guard, which then alerted the American soldiers in
their slumber. This clash is widely known as the “Battle of
Cagayan de Misamis”. 52 of the Lumad Warriors have been killed
in action, 9 were wounded, and 10 were captured. However, the
Americans only tallied 4 deaths in their side together with 9
wounded soldiers. Depicted below are series of pictures of the
capture of Capistrano and his men.

San Agustin Cathedral
This event happened in Gaston Park near the San
Agustin Cathedral, an iconic park where history has
witnessed bloodshed from the Spanish rule until
the American assault. A story that is lost in the
memories of the new generation of Kagay-anons.
Battle of Agusan Hill
Other battles are recorded. This includes the
battle of Agusan Hill, led by Capt. Vicente Roa y
Racines and the memorable battle of
Macahambus on June 4, 1900, where it was
recorded as the first victory of the Filipino
revolutionaries against the Americans.

Macahambus Hill
Though the win of Macahambus Hill is secured, the
over-all victory of the Philippine-American war has
never been achieved. Being under the leadership of the
United States; improvements in Cagayan de Misamis
were enacted, focused on education and commerce.
Pope Pius XII
The Diocese of Cagayan de Oro has been exalted by
Pope Pius XII as an Archdiocese on June 29, 1951. It
serves as the first Catholic Archbishopric in
Mindanao. Santiago T. G. Hayes, S.J. was the first
archbishop.