Misamis Occidental ( ceb, Kasadpang Misamis; Subanen: ''Sindepan Mis'samis''; fil, Kanlurang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Occidental, is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

located in the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

Northern Mindanao Northern Mindanao ( tl, Hilagang Mindanao; ceb, Amihanang Mindanao; Maranao: ''Pangotaraan Mindanao'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region X. It comprises five provinces: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Its capital is the city of Oroquieta. The province borders

Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Norte ( Cebuano: ''Amihanang Zamboanga''; Subanon: ''Utara Sembwangan''; tl, Hilagang Zamboanga), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, is a province in the Philippines situated within the Zamboanga Peninsula region in ...

and

Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga del Sur ( Cebuano: ''Habagatang Zamboanga;'' Subanen: ''S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan''; Chavacano: ''Zamboanga del Sur''; tl, Timog Zamboanga; mdh, Pagabatan Sambuanga), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Sur, ...

to the west and is separated from

Lanao del Norte Lanao del Norte ( Cebuano: ''Amihanang Lanao''; tl, Hilagang Lanao; Maranao: ''Pangotaraan Ranao''), officially the Province of Lanao del Norte, is a province in the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. ...

by Panguil Bay to the south and

Iligan Bay Iligan Bay is a bay in Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Bohol Sea, and curves into the northern coast of Mindanao Island. A branch of the bay, Panguil Bay, forms a natural isthmus with Illana Bay and geographic bou ...

to the east. The province of Misamis was originally inhabited by Subanens who were an easy target by the sea pirates from Lanao. The province is named after the early settlement of the Spaniards at the entrance to the Panguil Bay. The name ''Misamis'' is believed to have been derived from the Subanen word ''kuyamis'' which is a variety of coconut, the staple food of the early settlers. During the years the name persisted as an inference of the geographical location, and upon the advent of the Spanish settlers, the word ''kuyamis'' easily gave way to the more convenient pronounceable but corrupted word ''Misamis''.

History

The area of now Misamis Occidental was first occupied by Subanen and later

Visayans Visayans ( Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group ...

settled in the coastal areas. The name ''Misamis'' is derived from Subanen word ''kuyamis'' which is a variety of

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

. During the 1750s was the time that the coastal villages in southern

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands ( Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. Located in the central part of the archipelago, ...

and

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

suffered attacks from bands of Muslim pirates, who burned houses and crops, and captured people to be sold as slaves in

Maguindanao Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 ...

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu ( Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Its cap ...

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and e ...

or the islands now known as

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

. In response, the colonial government in Manila created a

flotilla A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' ( fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. Composition A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same clas ...

and appointed a Spanish Jesuit missionary, José Ducos, as its commander. After several successful battles against the pirates, when some peace had been restored, it was decided to build a stone fort at the mouth of Panguil Bay, at a place called ''Misamis'', and Ducos was put in charge of the construction. The construction began in 1756. It was officially called “ Fuerte de la Concepción y del Triunfo”. Misamis, before its division into two provinces" style="font-size:88%; line-height:130%"> File:Philippine territorial map 1880 MINDANAO.PNG, alt=Mindanao map in 1880 showing Misamis, in 1880 File:Misamis 1899.JPG, alt=Misamis map in 1899, in 1899 File:Misamis province 1918 map.JPG, alt=Misamis map in 1918, in 1918 *1818 — Mindanao was organized into five politico-military districts, one of which was the ''Segundo Distrito de Misamis'', the largest district in Mindanao. This area was composed of today's

Misamis Oriental Misamis Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Misamis; tl, Silangang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Oriental, is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital, largest city and provincial center is t ...

, Misamis Occidental,

Camiguin Camiguin, officially the Province of Camiguin ( ceb, Probinsya sa Camiguin; tl, Lalawigan ng Camiguin; Kamigin: ''Probinsya ta Kamigin''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of ...

Bukidnon Bukidnon(), officially the Province of Bukidnon ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bukidnon; fil, Lalawigan ng Bukidnon; hil, Kapuroan sang Bukidnon; Binukid and Higaonon: ''Probinsya ta Bukidnon''), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the ...

, Lanao,

, and the northern part of

Cotabato Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: ڤڠوترن كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...

. *1850 — the town of Misamis became the capital of the district of Misamis until February 27, 1872, when the Spanish

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...

Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada issued a

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

declaring Cagayan the permanent capital of Segundo Distrito de Misamis. During this era, the name of the town was ''Cagayan de Misamis''. * November 2, 1929 — ''Legislative Act No. 3537'' passed, dividing the old province of Misamis into Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, which took effect on January 1, 1930. Misamis Occidental comprised the original nine towns of Baliangao, Lopez Jaena,

Tudela Tudela may refer to: *Tudela, Navarre, a town and municipality in northern Spain ** Benjamin of Tudela Medieval Jewish traveller ** William of Tudela, Medieval troubadour who wrote the first part of the ''Song of the Albigensian Crusade'' ** Ba ...

Clarin Clarin or Clarín may refer to: Geography *Clarin, Bohol, a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines * Clarin, Misamis Occidental, a municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines *River Clarin, a river in Ireland Media ...

, Plaridel, Oroquieta, Aloran, Jimenez, and Misamis. Don José Ozámiz y Fortich became the first governor. * January 6, 1930 — the provincial council of Misamis Occidental selected Oroquieta to become the capital town (''cabecera'') of the province. * 1935 — the Provincial Capitol Building, commonly called ''Capitolio'', begun and became the seat of executive and legislative power of the province, in the town of Oroquieta. * May 6, 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces landed in Misamis Occidental, beginning their brief occupation of the province during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. In 1945, combined American and

Philippine Commonwealth The Commonwealth of the Philippines ( es, Commonwealth de Filipinas or ; tl, Komonwelt ng Pilipinas) was the administrative body that governed the Philippines from 1935 to 1946, aside from a period of exile in the Second World War from 1942 ...

forces liberated the province, and with the help of the recognized guerilla units, defeated the Japanese forces. During World War II, Misamis became the capital of the

Free Philippines The Free Philippine Government ( Filipino: ''Pamahalaan ng Malayang Pilipinas'') is an unofficial provisional government based in Mindanao which claims to jurisdiction over unoccupied territories in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation of ...

as the seat of government of the Free Philippines then was the Capitolio. The United States Forces in the Philippines under Colonel

Wendell Fertig Wendell Fertig (December 16, 1900 – March 24, 1975)Brooks 2003, p. 37. was an American civil engineer, in the American-administered Commonwealth of the Philippines, who organized and commanded an American-Filipino guerrilla force on the Jap ...

based in Misamis Occidental, was the rallying point for the guerrillas in Mindanao. This was historically significant because it is the only time in Philippine history when its capital was in Mindanao, in the region then known as Misamis. The Free Philippine Government was then issuing Misamis Occidental emergency notes. Late

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Manuel L. Quezon, upon knowing that Oroquieta was made a capital of the Free Philippines and that the town was issuing emergency notes, authorized the printing of the Mindanao emergency note. * July 16, 1948 — the town of Misamis became a chartered city by virtue of ''

Republic Act This article contains a partial list of Philippine laws. Sources of Philippine laws ;Notes : *Customs may be considered as supplementary source of law, however, customs which are contrary to law, public order or public policy shall not be ...

321'', making it the 4th city in Mindanao after Zamboanga, Davao and

Marawi Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi ( Maranao: ''Inged a Marawi''; fil, Islamikong Lungsod ng Marawi), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...

, also renamed ''Misamis'' to '' Ozamiz'' after World War II hero Ozámiz who hailed from the province of Misamis Occidental and who at one time also served as its governor and congressional representative of the Lone District of Misamis Occidental, senator of the Philippines, a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention that resulted in the creation of the 1935 Constitution for the Philippine Commonwealth Government. * Aug. 24, 1981 - Members of a fanatical pseudo-religious paramilitary sect called the "Rock Christ" strafed the house of the Gumapons, a Subanon family, in Barrio Lampasan, Tudela, Misamis Occidental. Ten of the twelve persons in the house, including an infant, were killed. * May 2010 — the people of Misamis Occidental elected their first female governor, Herminia M. Ramiro.

Geography

Misamis Occidental is located near the narrow strip of land linking Northwestern

, to the North-central part of the island. Covering a total area of , the province is bounded on the northeast by the

Mindanao Sea The Bohol Sea, also called the Mindanao Sea, is a sea located between the Visayas and Mindanao islands in the Philippines. It lies south of Bohol and Leyte and north of Mindanao. Siquijor and Camiguin are its two major islands. The major ...

, east by the

, southeast by the Panguil Bay, and the west by the Zamboanga del Norte and Sur. Except along the coastal area, hilly and rolling land characterized the provincial terrain. Towards the western border, the terrain is particularly rugged.

Administrative divisions

Misamis Occidental comprises 14

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

and 3 component

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, which are organized into two legislative districts and further subdivided into 490

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

Demographics

The population of Misamis Occidental in the 2020 census was 617,333 people, with a density of . The dense population along the coast consists mainly of ethnic

Cebuanos The Cebuano people ( ceb, Mga Sugbuanon) are the largest subgroup of the larger Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnolingustic group Visayans, who constitute the largest Ethnic groups in the Philippines, Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the ...

. Thus, Cebuano is the lingua franca of the province. Most of the native Subanens live in the interior uplands.

Religion

As of 2013,

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

remains the predominant faith of the people of Misamis Occidental having 70 percent affiliation and the second most members are with the Iglesia Filipina Independiente or

Aglipayan Church , native_name_lang = fil , icon = Logo of the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church).svg , icon_width = 80px , icon_alt = Coat of arms of the Philippine Independent Church , image ...

with 20% while several

Protestant Churches Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

as well as

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

are the minorities.

Economy

The province economy depends firstly on fishing, secondly on coconuts, thirdly on rice. The province has of coastline fronting the rich fishing grounds of Panguil and

Iligan Iligan, officially the City of Iligan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Iligan; fil, Lungsod ng Iligan; Maranao: ''Inged a Iligan''), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it ha ...

bays. It also has the biggest area of

brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

fishponds in the region.

Tangub City Tangub, officially the City of Tangub ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Tangub; fil, Lungsod ng Tangub), is a 4th class component city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,389 people. Tang ...

is a fishing port on Panguil Bay famous for seafood. Coconut is the chief crop. This is processed into oil, desiccated coconut, and

coir Coir (), also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes, and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell an ...

, most of which are shipped to

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...

. Coconut processing is the main industry in

Oroquieta City Oroquieta,(formerly known as Layawan), officially the City of Oroquieta ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Oroquieta; fil, Lungsod ng Oroquieta), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 202 ...

. Other crops grown are rice, corn, abaca, coffee, cacao and rubber.

Resources

Wood is the major forest product. Predominant species are the lauan group, apitong, tanguige yakal, and

Philippine mahogany Philippine mahogany is a common name for several different species of trees and their wood. * Botanically, the name refers to ''Toona calantas'' in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. It is endemic to the Philippines. * In the US timber trade, it is of ...

. There is also an abundant supply of bamboo, rattan and various vines. Forest land in the province has an area of 66,002.46 hectares; 53,262 hectares of which are considered a national park (which has legal implications). The province has a considerable deposit of clay especially in the municipalities of Lopez Jaena and Concepcion. Plaridel is the largest in rice production, and the longest coastal town in the province. There are also an abundant sources of sand and gravel. The province is traditionally a net exporter of various commodities. Historical data from the Ozamiz Port District of the

Bureau of Customs The Bureau of Customs (abbreviated BoC or BOC; fil, Kawanihan ng Adwana) is a Philippine government agency under the Department of Finance. The Bureau of Customs was established on February 6, 1902 by the Insular Government of the Philippin ...

show that outgoing commodities, which is mainly of coconut products, far outweigh incoming cargoes. Being a coco-based province, major manufacturing firms in Misamis Occidental are engaged in the production of crude coconut oil, cooking oil, lard, margarine, laundry soap and desiccated coconut. Other products are furniture, ceramics gifts toys and housewares, processed food like banana chips and marine products. Locally fabricated agri-industrial machines and equipment are also available in the province.

Tourism and attractions

* Langaranan Festival

Plaridel, Misamis Occidental Plaridel, officially the Municipality of Plaridel ( ceb, Lungsod sa Plaridel; tl, Bayan ng Plaridel), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,840 peo ...

* Baobaon Islets

* Shang's Resort

* Century-Old Nazareno Dam

* Caluya Shrine Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental * Baliangao Protected Landscape and Seascape * Binalbal Festival,

Tudela, Misamis Occidental Tudela, officially the Municipality of Tudela, ( Cebuano: ''Lungsod sa Tudela''; Tagalog: ''Bayan ng Tudela''), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...

* Christmas Symbols Festival, Tangub City * Dalit Festival, Tangub City * Dampawan Festival, Concepcion, Misamis Occidental - September * Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo, Ozamiz City * Hoyohoy Highland Stone Chapel & Adventure Park, Tangub City * Immaculate Conception Cathedral Pipe Organ, Ozamiz City * Inug-og Festival, Oroquieta City * Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park * Mount Malindang Range Natural Park and Lake Duminagat * Pas'ungko S'g Mis. Occ. Festival of all Festivals - November * Sapang Dalaga Falls * Suman Festival, Clarin, Misamis Occidental - Clarin, the Suman Capital of Misamis Occidental * Sinakbang Festival, Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental

Government

Misamis Occidental Provincial Officials 2019-2022 Team 18-0 20-0

Congressman: * 1st District: Rep. Diego "Nonoy" C. Ty, C.E. ( NUP) * 2nd District: Rep. Henry "Henz" S. Oaminal ( NP) Governor: * Philip T. Tan ( LDP) Vice Governor: * Aurora Virginia "Jiejie" M. Almonte ( NP) Board Members: * 1st District: ** Lel M. Blanco, CPA, LLB ( NP) ** Ruvy "Alay" D. Ala ( NP) ** Winston "DonDon" V. Catane (Asenso Pinoy) ** Rosanne Marie "Tata" L. Paylaga-Lim (Asenso Pinoy) ** Agnes C. Villanueva, CPA (Asenso Pinoy) * 2nd District: ** Tito B. Decina ( PDPLBN) ** Elsa F. Navarro ( NUP) ** Emeterio B. Roa, Sr. ( PDPLBN) ** Atty. Heinjie B. Estaño ( NP) ** Nemesio D. Lahaylahay, Sr. (Asenso Pinoy) *Ex-Officio **Sancho "Sunny" S. Oaminal (ABC) **Eduardo "Tata" C. Cebedo (PCL) **Alyssia Ann D. Pao (SK) **Juanidy M. Viña (IPMR)

Misamis Occidental Provincial Officials 2022-2025 Team Straight Asenso

Asenso Misamis Occidental

*Governor: Atty. Henry S. Oaminal ( NP) *Vice Governor: Rowena “Wheng” L. Gutierrez ( PDPLBN) *ABC President: Sancho “Sunny” S. Oaminal Jr. - Ex-Officio Board Member *SK Federation Chairman: Alyssia Ann D. Pao - Ex-Officio Board Member *IPMR: Juanidy M. Vina - Ex-Officio Board Member *PCL President: Lowida L. Alcalde - Ex-Officio Board Member

Asenso Distrito Uno

*Member, House of Representatives: Jason P. Almonte ( PDPLBN) *Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan: **Alejandro “Alex” J. Guantero Jr. (Asenso Pinoy) **Winston “Dondon” V. Catane (Asenso Pinoy) **Rosanne Marie “Tata” L. Paylaga-Lim (Asenso Pinoy) **Donna R. Iyog (Asenso Pinoy) **Agnes C. Villanueva, CPA (Asenso Pinoy)

Asenso Segundo Distrito

*Member, House of Representatives: Sancho Fernando “Ando” F. Oaminal ( NP) *Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan: **Calven Tito C. Decina ( PDPLBN) **Nemesio D. Lahaylahay Sr. (Asenso Pinoy) **Eduardo “Tata” C. Cebedo (Asenso Pinoy) **Atty. Heinjie B. Estano ( NP) **Jerry R. Cuizon ( PDPLBN)

Former governors

*Diego Ty Deling * Anselmo Bernad * Gella Caay * Loreto Leo S. Ocampos *

José Ozámiz José Ozámiz y Fortich (May 5, 1898 – February 11, 1944) was a Spanish Filipino lawyer and politician from Misamis Occidental. Early life Ozámiz was born on May 5, 1898 in house near the “old bridge” in Moran to Jenaro Ozámiz from Nava ...

* Gedeon G. Quijano * Henry Y. Regalado Sr. * Atty. Ernie D. Clarete * Gorgonio F. Buaquiña II * William Chiongbian * Benito Chiongbian * Herminia Ramiro

References

External links

* *
Official website

Philippine Standard Geographic Code

Local Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Provinces of the Philippines Northern Mindanao States and territories established in 1939 1939 establishments in the Philippines Zamboanga Peninsula