15 FACTS ABOUT CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY

by Marvi Maglipong; @marvijune

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            I have been blessed to see the beauty and wonders of other cities, and yes, I was left in awe each time. Yet, at the end of the day, I still find myself beaming with pride of what has been my home since I have seen the light of day. So, read through as I take you to a sneak peak of Cagayan de Oro City.

1. Cagayan de Oro is popularly known as the City of Golden Friendship because of its innate warm hospitality and happy disposition.

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 2. Kagay-anons definitely find delight in eating in long tables either with family or friends, and sometimes, with both. CDO offers a wide array of local and international cuisines. You can choose from Bigby’s Restaurant to Thai Me Up, from Hukad to Kogi Bulgogi; or if you’re on a very tight budget, from Butcher’s Best to Mandex.

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3. At dusk, street food vendors start to emerge just in time when students and workers are on their way home. They stop for a bite of “Proven” (Chicken’s proventiculus) or “Kwek-Kwek” (one whole cooked egg wrapped in flour), the two most popular street foods in the City; finishing it off with a plastic cup of Coconut Juice or a bottle of softdrink.

 4. Some Jeepney drivers drive faster and hastily like there’s no tomorrow, so you better hold on tight to the hand bars located just above your head.

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5. Every Fridays and Saturdays, locals and tourists hit the Night Café, located in the heart of the city, to shop for garage sales, second hand clothings and the like or what we locally call “Ukay-ukay”; you can also choose from a variety of grilled menus if you can feel some rumbly in your tumbly. J

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 6. In CDO, we refer to something beautiful or nice as “Tsada!” The said word is one of the indications you are a Kagay-anon or you learned from one.

 7. Kagay-an Festival is an annual celebration every 28th of August, in honor of the City’s partron saint, St. Augustine. 

8. Typhoon Sendong was the worst typhoon that has ever hit Cagayan de Oro with a death toll of more or less 1,500 and leaving 1,090 still missing.

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 9. When in the city, white water rafting is one of the adventures you MUSTNOT miss- ever. Famous for its great rapids, this is indeed, your thrill of a lifetime.

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 10.  Need a body massage but on a tight budget? Never fret for at Divisoria Park, trained blind masseurs give you the massage you yearn for while you sit comfortably on a chair, not to mention a very affordable price.

 

11. Xavier University- Ateneo de Cagayan is the first university of Mindanao, and according to its history, first to be given university status way before its sister school Ateneo de Manila granted theirs.

 

12. Among the four bridges of CDO, Maharlika Bridge is the busiest and the longest. Though the name of the bridge was renamed after the EDSA revolution, locals still use the original name which is the Marcos Bridge.

 

13. Limketkai Mall is one of the oldest malls in the City that has stood the test of time and until now, still stands mightier and stronger than before. If you’re in the mood for a cup of coffee, Starbucks is just a stone throw away, or you can opt to walk a few meters to reach Bo’s Coffee Shop or Coffeeworks.

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14. The color violet is very apparent in all corners of the city. It represents the color choice of the incumbent mayor, which also happened to be the favorite color of his daughter who passed away.

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15. If you look forward to meeting up an old friend and do some serious catching up, Missy Bonbon Breadshop is a perfect place to do just that. They serve fresh breads and pastries and the only place in the city where you can devour the best gelato ever concocted. Don’t leave the shop without trying their Custard Cake as well. Both earned 5 stars from me. ^____^

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Being the gateway hub that connects the city to the rest of the region and other neighboring provinces, Cagayan de Oro City indeed offers big opportunities for a very promising future. This list is just but a few of the many things that you might discover for yourself! J

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Cagayan is our home- We got married there and delivered two babies in this city ;-)  I enjoy reading this and I hope you do too!

This is Marvi’s contest entry for ’15 Facts about __________’   . 

Don’t forget to rate below (5 stars, YAY!)  and we welcome comments on Marvi’s amazingly fun and informative facts about her city.