When people think of Cagayan de Oro, they often think of the phrase we carry so proudly: “The City of Golden Friendship.”
But as an editorial team, when we began digging into the very bones of this project, we asked ourselves: What lies beneath that golden warmth? What is the true bedrock of this city?
Cagayan River (image courtesy of Dr Carlo Romero)
We found that Cagayan de Oro’s history is very much like its famous river—it is wild, resilient, deeply carved into the landscape of Mindanao, and constantly moving forward. This morning , we aren’t just launching a book; we are charting that magnificent current.
The Editorial Vision & Shared Roots
This grand coffee table book would not have been possible without the visionary support of our publisher, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez. Rufus, as many of you know, was my classmate back in the Xavier Ateneo Grade School Class of 1967. Collaborating with an old friend to honor our shared home has made this journey incredibly personal.
Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez
As the Editor-in-Chief, working alongside our brilliant editorial consultant John Nery, our challenge wasn’t finding stories to tell; it was choosing which stories could possibly fit into these pages.
Cagayan de Oro is a place of beautiful contradictions. It is a booming metropolis that still tightly retains the soul of a close-knit community—the kind of deep, generational relationship that you can truly only find here. It stands proudly as the gateway to Northern Mindanao, a strategic hub of modern commerce.
Yet, its heart beats to the timeless rhythm of ancient folklore, the historic heroism of the Battle of Makahambus, and the quiet dignity of its cultural pioneers.
In this publication, we wanted to move far beyond a simple timeline.The Migrants , who have come from places as far away as north America, Europe, Asia and from Luzon and the Visayas and even other regions of Mindanao who and had have shared their knowledge and experience contributing to the progress of the city.
We wanted to capture the very texture of the city—the morning mist draped over the hills, the grit of our industrial boom, the vivid brushstrokes of our local visual artists, and the living voices of the people who built this city from a historic settlement into a shining beacon of growth.
Honoring the Tapestry of Collaboration
A monumental book like this is never the work of a single hand. It is a tapestry. I want to personally honor the brilliant creative minds who poured their hearts into this project.
First, my deepest thanks to our editorial consultant, John Nery, who walked with me from the very beginning, shaping our chapter outlines and sharpening our editorial direction.
Mike Baños with John Nery
Thank you to our tireless associate editor, Mike Baños, and to Achilles Mina. To our pool of gifted writers—Dennis Estopace, Albert Gamboa, Em Guevarra, Genevieve Matias, Louie Sanchez, and Melisa Bagamasbad—thank you for translating raw history into living prose.
Our visual narrative is equally breathtaking. Thank you to our principal photographers, Dr. Lesty Balighasay, Edwin Tuyay, and Tom Udasco, as well as our generous photo contributors: Aimee Valencia, Heide General, Dominador de Asis, Clement Dampal III, Francis Manaloto, Larry Howland, and Fr. Rene Javellana, SJ.
Together, you captured the luminous, cinematic beauty of CDO’s streets, its sweeping landscapes, and its vibrant flora and fauna. You have given this city a visual legacy that will stand the test of time.
Bringing this all to life on the page required immense artistic skill. Thank you to our graphic designer, Alona Martinez; our digital and pre-press graphic artists, Alex Dulay and Ferland Boborol; and our hawk-eyed proofreader, Bernie Lizardo.
To our institutional partners and co-publishers: thank you for trusting our vision and understanding that documenting a city’s history is an act of preservation—an act of pure love. And to the Jesuit Archives of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Cherry Pelaez Salazar, and the late Tony Malferrari, Nene Arce, and Charlie Cepeda for sharing the archival photos of the old Cagayan de Oro.
Books have a unique, enduring power. Long after the speeches this morning are over, and long after the landscape of our changing city shifts once again, these pages will remain. They stand as a permanent testament to who we were, what we built, and where we are destined to go.
Ramoncito Ocampo Cruz
Whether you are a lifelong Kagay-anon looking to reconnect with your roots, an investor marveling at our city’s soaring trajectory, or a visitor discovering our legendary warmth for the very first time, this book is our invitation to you.
Turn the pages. Immerse yourself in the river of our story.
It took a long time coming, but after a passage of nearly five decades, Cagayan de Oro’s first ever Coffee Table book covering its past, present and future history and heritage has come to fruition.
In a Grand Launch held at a local hotel on June 9, 2026, “CAGAYAN DE ORO 400 YEARS” was finally unveiled to a select group of the city’s Principalia and hoi polloi who were celebrated in its pages by its publisher Cagayan de Oro City Second District Congressman Rufus B. Rodriguez, culminating a forty eight year trek.
Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez
First conceived in 1978 while he was still a third-year law school student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman as a book on the history of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental, Rodriguez bought books of historical accounts of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental, and pored over documents at the National Library in Manila in his free time.
“I began writing at Ipil Residence Hall, Ipil Residence Hall, the UP Main Library, and the UP College of Law Library, and continued even during my service as a senior board member of Misamis Oriental in 1980 to 1984, when I started practicing law in Cagayan de Oro, continuing my research at Xavier University’s library and museum.”
However the project had to be put on the back burner in 1994 when he pursued his Master of Laws Degree (LL.M.) at the Columbia Law School in New York City, finishing with Harlan Fiske Stone Honors (equivalent to magna cum laude) a year later. It was further delayed when he assumed as Dean of the San Sebastian College of Law and law practitioner, and during his term as Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration from 1998 to 2001. He became actively involved in the 2001 senatorial elections as counsel for the opposition, and again in 2004 as counsel of the opposition candidates for president and vice president. After the elections that year, he finally started to finalize the manuscript.
“The latter took a while when I was elected in 2007 as Congressman of the 2nd District of Cagayan de Oro City and re-elected in 2010 and 2013. After being re-elected for my fourth term as Congressman in the May 2019 elections, I decided to publish the book, which remains the seminal work on the history of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental.
Meantime, he published Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental: Politics and History, in April 2021 which he managed to finish because of the Covid-19 pandemic, when he had to stay home for one and a half years (2020-2021).
To expedite the project, he wrote and published with the support of the Congressional Historical Committee in 2023Historical Trail: Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental and Camiguin to further connect people with the landmarks that spanned the history of these provinces.
“I also negotiated for some of these landmarks to be rehabilitated, like the Ysalina Bridge, considered the oldest in Cagayan de Oro, as such physical structures remind us of what have been and what could be. These structures make history tangible, bring us to the past, make us experience the present, and allow us to peek into the future. And to allow more people to be connected to these structures and appreciate the stories they tell, I decided to publish this coffee-table book.”
Left to Right: Regine B. Rodriguez, Rufus B. Rodriguez, Ramoncito Ocampo Cruz, Nenen Rodriguez
He sought the assistance of Ramoncito “Monching” Cruz, his grade school classmate at Xavier University, to help put up the coffee-table book since the latter’s Media Wise Communications/MUSE Books which published award winning coffee table books, winning no less than 10 Gold Quill Awards in nine years, a feat highlighted by a remarkable consecutive winning streak from 2023 to 2026. The IABC Gold Quill is a prestigious international program which recognizes global excellence in strategic communication.
The hefty 370 page coffee table book Media Wise finally came up with weights a hefty 3 kgs (6.6 lbs.) and is 29.5 cms x 31 cms. (11.6 inches x 12.2 inches) by 3 cms. (1.2 inches) thick which allows the reader to fully appreciate the vintage photographs and paintings it is gloriously festooned with.
“The photographs and stories waiting for us in this book span four hundred years of the joys and sorrows and the tribulations and triumphs of a people proud of their origin and existence,” Rodriguez notes. “And as bridges do, the book will connect us closer as a people to a rich past, a wealth of experience, and a bounty of hope.”
City Administrator Roy Hilario Raagas, Chief of Staff Sheila Lumbatan, and friends from the Misamis Oriental Provincial Tourism Office, and Media Wise Communications/MUSE Books.
In his message read by City Administrator Atty Roy Hilario P. Raagas, Mayor Rolando “Klarex” A. Uy observed “This book is more than a collection of photographs, stories, and historical accounts. It is a testament to the resilience, achievements, aspirations, and identity of the Kagay-anon people across four centuries of growth, transformation, and progress. It preserves our collective memory while inspiring future generations to continue building a stronger and better Cagayan de Oro.”
“Through this book, we celebrate not only four centuries of history, but also preserve our identity as Kagay-anons and strengthen our pride in our beloved city.”
In her welcome message, Vice Mayor Jocelyn “Bebot” B. Rodriguez likened the coffee table book to a bridge between generations.
Left to Right: Mike Baños, Monching Cruz, Bebot Rodriguez, and Francis del Rosario.
“It tells us that happened to us when we first encountered the Europeans in 1626, what we endured, what we achieved, and what responsibilities we carry as custodians of our shared history.”
“As we launch this book, may we remember that four hundred years is not merely a measure of time. It is four hundred years of courage, struggle, faith, innovation, and identity. And the story of our city is still being written,” she added.
Regine Rodriguez, Monching Cruz, Nenen and Rufus Rodriguez unveil the coffee table book.
Not the least, Nazareth Punong Barangay Atty. Regine Beatrice Rodriguez, the unica hija of Rep. Rufus and his wife Nenen, stressed the volume’s significance to the young and future citizens of Cagayan de Oro Cit y.
“History is not just written to be remembered by those who lived it, but as treasured trails of triumphs, and cautionary odes to the next generation who pen the next chapter.”
“Hopefully, a chapter filled with hope, sustainability, inclusiveness and progressiveness with every anak sa Kagay-anon attaining their full potential though human dignity.
Very few Kagay-anons today are aware that Cagayan de Oro (then known as Cagayan de Misamis), was the primary center of resistance in Mindanao to the American invasion of the Philippines during the Philippine-American War.
Based on historical records, the Northern Mindanao Resistance (primarily centered in Cagayan de Misamis under General Nicolas Capistrano) was a significant, formally organized resistance that recognized the Aguinaldo government. It was distinct from other Mindanao resistance groups in its direct affiliation with the First Philippine Republic headed by General Emilio Aguinaldo.
40th Infantry US Volunteers arrive in Cagayan de Misamis and meet local officials.
As the primary representative of the Aguinaldo Republic in Mindanao, it was described by an American officer as the “Center of Insurrecto Power in Northern Mindanao.’
The Northern Mindanao campaign was recognized with a “Pact of Resistance” (January 1, 1900) by local leaders in Cagayan de Misamis, who were directly appointed by President Aguinaldo and aimed to uphold the Republic established in Luzon.
Artwork by Nonoy Estarte (from The Bautista Manuscript)
These are but some of the lesser known facts about our city’s involvement in the Philippine-American War that I came across when I was invited to deliver a presentation on The Philippine-American War in Northern Mindanao by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) last May 25th at the Ayala Museum in Makati.
My research into the mainstream narrative focusing on the three battles (Battle of Cagayan on 7 April 1900, Battle of Agusan Hill on 14 May 1900, and the Battle of Makahambus Hill on 04 June 1900) which most Kagay-anons are most familiar with, unearthed some not so well-known vignettes that are sure to be of interest many of us .
Kagay-anons Loyalty to Spain
For instance, when the Spanish-American War broke out on 16 February 1898 with the sinking of the American Battleship USS Maine at Havana Harbor, Cuba, many Kagay-anons remained loyal to Spain.
Tercio de Voluntarios de Cagayan (XU Museo de Oro)
This was amply demonstrated when Kagay-anons fought as part of the Tercio de Voluntarios de Cagayan which defeated the Disciplinarios at Sta Ana, Tagoloan in September 1898. Note this is the same month that the Philippine Revolution broke out in Luzon.
Disciplinarios are convicts from Luzon organized as a military unit to combat the Moros of Mindanao who mutinied and overthrew their Spanish officers in Fort La Victoria in Iligan.
As described by Iligan Historian Rey Luis Adeva Montesclaros in his paper “Spanish Designs on Mindanao and the Saga Of The Disciplinarios”, the Disciplinarios were also augmented by the Cuadrilleros and Somatenes.
Seccion de Cuadrilleros (XU Museo de Oro)
The Cuadrilleros were a paramilitary force of natives charged with public edifices in cities and towns equivalent to today’s local police. During the Philippine Revolution they were militarized.
Tipos de Somaten Armados (XU Museo de Oro)
The Somatenes were also organized as a military formation with civilians and discharged native soldiers charged with the defense of towns when there was a shortage of military units or soldiers. They were usually armed with antiquated and useless firearms..
While some Kagay-anons volunteered for local defense, others joined the Spanish army. Known as mobilized volunteers, they were armed, equipped, and fed by the Spanish government.
Capt. Vicente Roa Y Racines (XU Museo de Oro)
The mobilized volunteers of 170 Kagay-anons were organized during the administration of Lt. Col. Cristobal Aguilar and some of them were sent to Luzon and the Visayas to fight against the Filipino revolutionaries alongside the Spaniards. Among them was Don Vicente Roa y Racines who was promoted from Sergeant to Second Lieutenant for his brilliant record in Iloilo.
With history rich in unintended irony, in less than 5 years, Vicente Roa, Apolinar Velez, Uldarico Akut and their comrades who fought under the Spanish flag, were fighting as Filipino patriots against the American 40th Regiment in the bloody Battle of Agusan on May 14, 1900.
In another remarkable instance, Fray Ramón Zueco de San Joaquín, a prominent Augustinian Recollect missionary who served as the Prior of the St Augustine Church in Cagayan, commanded 464 volunteers from Cagayan de Misamis in the Spanish campaign of 1876.
Fray Ramón Zueco de San Joaquín,Voluntario de Misamis. Fray Zueco’s Deputy Gil Blas Pacana with Spanish government issue, Remington Rolling Block Rifle.
His troops were instrumental in reinforcing Governor-General José Malcampo’s campaign to capture Jolo and suppress piracy in the Sulu Archipelago. He served the Misamis region for nearly three decades and died in Cagayan de Misamis on February 12, 1889. He was buried in a marble tomb constructed by his parishioners inside the local parish church, which is the site of the present-day Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Augustine.
Wavering allegiance to Spain
These previous instances notwithstanding, although the revolution was gaining ground and spreading to the nearby places and around Manila, the people from Cagayan still supported the Spaniards as intimated in the letter of Don Vicente Elio y Sanchez of Camiguin to Calderon. In his letter, Elio intimated that during the early part of the 1896 Revolution, Cagayan and other places in the Misamis district remained loyal to Spain.
Secondary vs. Primary Sources
However, in his Bautista Manuscript, Filomeno M. Bautista, Sr. wrote that “the last year of the Spanish administration in the Province was characterized by horrible cruelties. Secretly, the deserters from Iligan were captured and shot. In Iligan, suspects were daily shot, publicly, outside the fortress. Gaspar Cruz, a Spanish resident of Cagayan, had drowned many innocent suspects in the sea between Cagayan and Iligan. These unfortunates were taken by his boat, SS Dalingding to Iligan under the pretense that they were summoned by the military authorities. Before they reached there, scrap irons or stones were tied to their feet and they were helplessly thrown into the sea. One of the unfortunates was Valeriano Akut, a brother of Lt. Uldarico Akut, of the Battle of Agusan Hill.”
Gaspar Cruz I
However, considering how Bautista’s Manuscript consisted of oral interviews he conducted some three decades after the Revolution, the descendants of Gaspar Cruz showed a newspaper article dated 21 June 1897 shows the list of Spanish and Filipinos who were awarded medals for their participation in the suppression of the Disciplinarios in 1896. Among them is Valeriano Acut, who is listed as one of those Cabos Primeros who received a medal as a member of the Tercio Civil de Policia.
Gaspar Cruz I
In his paper “A History of the old Families of Cagayan de Oro city, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao island,” author Antonio Gaane Faustino II y Chaloner clarified Gaspar Cruz status during the Philippine-American War:
“The Spanish period aspect of the Bautista Manuscript was based on his recollections or memory when Mr. Bautista was still a child and later on from the memory of older revolutionaries. He was born in 1890 so he was around 6 years old when the 1896 Disciplinarios uprising happened in Iligan that was repulsed by combined Spanish and loyal Indigenous Principalia forces.
During this Disciplinario uprising, Gaspar Cruz I was part of this combined Spanish and Indigenous loyalist force. In fact, he was awarded by the Spanish government the Civil Merit medal for his participation during this uprising which he helped suppress. He was already a civilian, and retired from the Los Garbosos Cazador Batallon, Spanish Army and was a sea-going merchant with his own sailing ship, SS Dalingding, and a coconut hacienda near Gingoog city.
Gaspar Cruz I also oversaw the infrastructure for the road from Cagayan to Tagoloan. He directed the construction of 5 bridges and he oversaw the construction of an oven for baking 16,000 bricks for the suspension bridge of Cagayan.”
Spanish soldiers circa 1896. (Photo courtesy of Andrés Jesús Borrero Gómez)Non-Com Officers of Co L, 40th US Volunteers, Oroquieta, November 1900
His Great Grandson, Gaspar Cruz III adds:
“My great grandfather’s position was very simple, surrender all Spanish weapons and material only to the American authorities considering that during that time there was still no realistic formal Filipino government that the Americans recognized. As a direct descendant of Gaspar Cruz I, I understand that their sources were based on oral sources rather than official documents but having said that, I take umbrage that they did not consider the situation my Great Grandfather was in and arbitrarily cast him in a very negative light by describing him as a traitor impugning his character in absentia. He acted as a Spanish citizen who was ordered and obligated by his Spanish citizenship to follow the directive of surrendering all Spanish assets only to the Americans.”
Fake News Circa 1989
In another instance, when the Spanish censors sought to twist the utter defeat of Spain’s Asiatic Squadron as a Spanish victory, the news of Montejo’s misrepresented victory was initially received with great rejoicing in Cagayan. Spaniards and Filipinos joined in a torch parade one night and cheered wildly, “Viva España Viva,” “Viva Almirante Montejo, Viva”.
Later on the natives found out Montejo’s victory was false. The natives lost their confidence in the Spaniards and they began to realize that they were weak and could be easily defeated.
Casa del Chino Ygua
During the Battle of Cagayan, Filipino troops mistakenly attacked the Case del Chino Ygua instead of the town’s other brick house owned by Eng Guan Hiok where the headquarters of the 40th US Volunteers was actually billeted (where the basketball court of the first Kong Hua School was later located).
Forty were slain by the Americans and their remains buried at the backyard of the Casa del Chino Ygua (now the Grand City Hotel). A temporary cockpit was located there so the dead would be appeased by the blood of the killed fighting cocks. Dr Benjamin Sia recalls during the 1970s they used to light candles in the area during All Saints/All Souls Day.
First Page of the Sia Bon Suan interview written in Traditional Chinese script Dr Benjamin Sia holds the 1970 interview record of his father Sia Bon Suan written in Traditional Chinese
This is related in a personal interview of Sia Bon Suan dated 01 August 1970 by an unidentified researcher. The original is written in Traditional Chinese script and found by Dr Benjamin Sia, son of Sia Bon Suan, a descendant of Sia Hong Ygua, who related this incident to him. The English translation was done by Dr Sean Benson Sia, son of Dr Benjamin Sia.
Surrender
The Liber Troop, the local resistance army headed by Gen. Nicolas Capistrano, surrendered to the Americans around 9:00 o’clock in the morning in the town plaza of Sumilao , Bukidnon. BGen. William A. Kobbe reported that the surrender of Capistrano’s command yielded nine officers, 160 men, 187 rifles and 80 shotguns.
Gen Arthur MacArthurGen Nicolas Capistrano surrenders the Liber Troop in Sumilao, Bukidnon.
According to Gen. Arthur MacArthur, this event “ended troubles in Mindanao as far as Filipinos were concerned.” This is reported in Gen. MacArthur’s “Correspondence to the Adjutant-General, Washington, June 23, 1900,” CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE WAR WITH SPAIN, FROM APRIL 15, 1896 TO JULY 30, 1902 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902) II, p. 1264
The resistance was notable for its organization in conducting battles (like the Battle of Cagayan) before surrendering in April 1901, soon after Aguinaldo’s capture.
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References:
Bautista, Filomeno M. Sr., The Bautista Manuscript of the Philippine Revolution in Misamis Province, 1900-1901, p. 254, 265, 393
Lao, Mardonio M., Cagayan de Oro, 1622-1901, p. 393
Demetrio, Francisco R., SJ, Brief Data on the History of the Philippine Revolution (1896-1901) Translated by Francisco Demetrio SJ (Local Historical Sources of Northern Mindanao , p. 611) from Breves Datos para la Historia de la Revolucion Filipina [1896-1901] Una Carta a mi Amigo Felipe G. Calderon escrita por Vicente Elio y Sanche
Montesclaros, Rey Luis Adeva, Spanish Designs on Mindanao and the Saga Of The Disciplinarios
Diario del Dia, 21 June 1897, Hemeroteca Digital (Digital Periodical and Newspaper Library), The National Library of Spain (BNE)
Personal interview of Sia Bon Suan dated 01 August 1970 by an unidentified researcher. The original is written in Traditional Chinese script and found by Dr Benjamin Sia, son of Sia Bon Suan, a descendant of Sia Hong Ygua, who related this incident to him. The English translation was done by Dr Sean Benson Sia, son of Dr Benjamin Sia.
MacArthur, Arthur, “Correspondence to the Adjutant-General, Washington, June 23, 1900,” CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE WAR WITH SPAIN, FROM APRIL 15, 1896 TO JULY 30, 1902 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902) II, p. 1264
The Cagayan de Oro City Water District (COWD) would like to explain why a water rate adjustment has become necessary.
COWD’s water rates have remained unchanged since 2014. For more than a decade, despite rising operating costs, COWD has continued to provide water service without increasing rates.
Today, revenues are sufficient only for daily operations, maintenance, and limited small-scale projects. They are no longer enough to support major investments needed to improve and expand the water system, including:
• Development of new water sources
• Rehabilitation of aging pipelines
• Construction of small-scale water treatment facilities
COWD conducts a dry-run on the water supply pipeline at Youngsville Subdivision in Opol, Misamis Oriental (file photo)
As a GOCC, COWD does not receive regular subsidies from the local and national government and relies primarily on consumer payments to fund its operations and development projects.
Many consumers ask why rates must increase before service improvements are seen. The reason is that these improvements require significant funding. The necessary investments must be made first before projects can be implemented and the benefits delivered.
It is also important to note that, while concerns about low water pressure and service interruptions are valid, operational data shows that more than 80% of service areas generally receive acceptable water pressure and supply. Managing water distribution across a geographically diverse service area is complex, and solutions cannot be completed overnight.
After more than a decade without a rate increase, this adjustment is necessary to ensure the improvement and long-term sustainability of the water system. It is not intended to generate excessive profit, but to provide the resources needed to deliver better service for all consumers.
The Cagayan de Oro City Water District would like to inform the public of an upcoming PUBLIC HEARING on the proposed ADJUSTMENT OF WATER RATES.
The public hearings will be held at on the following venues on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
9:00 to11:00 AM Barangay Balulang Covered Court
2:00 to 4:00 PM Carmen Barangay Hall Covered Court
Another series of public hearings are scheduled the following day June 25, 2026 at the following venues:
9:00 to11:00 AM Barangay 24 Covered Court
2:00 to 4:00 PM Barangay Tablon Mini Gym
All public hearings will be streamed live on COWD’s FB page to enable all consumers to witness the proceedings
(PUBLIC RELATIONS INFORMATION DIVISION, CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY WATER DISTRICT)
A fresh look at the local history of Mindanao during the Philippine Revolution which presented new and existing historiographies from 1898 to 1901 was highlighted in an academic conference hosted by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on 25-26 May 2026 at the Ayala Museum, Makati City.
The conference sought to explore the enduring legacies of the Philippine Revolution, Philippine-American War, and the First Philippine Republic beyond 1901 in partnership with the Ayala Foundation, the Ayala Museum, and the member-affiliates of the Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN).
Scheduled on the first day of the conference on 25 May 2026 dubbed SESSION 3: HISTORIOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY OF MINDANAO LOCAL HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONHOOD, it featured the following topics:
The Maranao Resistance to Spanish Occupation and its Impact on Mindanao during the Philippine Revolution by Assistant Professor Rey Luis A. Montesclaros of the Department of History, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Mindanao State University — Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT);
Asst. Prof. Rey Luis Adeva Montesclaros
The Philippine-American War in Northern Mindanao by Rene Michael D. Baños, Founding Member of the Northern Mindanao Heritage Network;
Rene Michael D. Baños
and Musings on the Relevance of the First Official Raising of the Philippine Flag in Mindanao by Neil Martial D. Santillan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Neil Martial D. Santillan, Ph.D
An Open Forum with the panelists immediately followed with Josef Alec D. Geradila, Historic Sites Development Officer, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) moderating.
SESSION 3: HISTORIOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY OF MINDANAO LOCAL HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONHOOD
“It is gratifying to note that Mindanao historians and heritage advocates have once again taken center stage at this recent academic conference,” observed Iligan City Historian Ricardo Jorge S. Caluen. “In the 1970s, historians like the National Artist Resil B. Mojares and Marcelino Foronda (my History professor at DLSU) started the so-called Local History Movement in the country, a very welcome thrust in the historiography of Philippine History. It sought to fill the lacunae in the writing of the national narrative that—until that point in the time—was heavily Manila-centric.”
Noting the growing inclusion of Mindanao history in the national history narrative, Dr. Faina C. Abaya-Ulindang, author/lecturer/professor at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Iligan Medical Center College, and formerly at Mindanao State University, noted: : “That will be a great contribution. These Mindanao tales- factual/archival or some narratives gathered as oral history, I am sure many will take interest in that, because as you had observed Mindanao history remains peripheral in our national history, specifically World War II history/ies. Yes, that will be a very timely project. XU Archives has I believe substantial sources for World War II.”
Caluen remarked further, “Perhaps one could say that the eminent historian Renato Constantino may have been a major influence in promoting the writing about socio-politico developments in the regions with his analysis that the writing of a national history is often centered on “major” events taking place in the capital and environs, neglecting to consider the dynamics in the regions that definitely impact upon nationwide developments.”
Xavier University and the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology are major contributors to the development of local history studies because as early as the late 1970s and early 1980s these academic institutions had already organized national conferences on local history with the support of what was then the National Historical Institute (now NHCP), the Philippine National Historical Society, and other like bodies, he added.
“The participation of researchers like Rene Michael Baños, Prof. Rey Luis Montesclaros, and Dr. Neil Martial Santillan proves there is considerable writing about Mindanao history that is taking place. It only awaits a proper forum, like the recently-concluded, for it to be publicized.”
L-R Josef Alec Geradila, Gina Batuhan, Rey Luis A. Montesclaros, Mike Baños, and Neil Martial D. Santillan.
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Cover photo: The Battle of Cagayan, also known as the Siete de Abril, was fought on 7 April 1900 between the Liber Troop of Gen Nicolas Capistrano and the 40th Infantry Regiment, US Volunteers. (Painting by Danny Pitaro, City Museum of Cagayan de Oro and Heritage Studies Center)
MAKATI CITY- The National Historical Commission of the Philippines paid a fitting tribute to the proclamation of the country’s independence with a two-day academic conference held 25 May 2026 at the Ayala Museum, Makati City.
The Three-Year Milestone Commemoration began in 2023, as the Philippines marked the 125th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on 12 June 1898 at the house Of Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite.
NHCP Deputy Exec Dir Alvin Alcid
“That Historic Moment Stands as a defining declaration before the world that the Filipino People had emerged as a Nation with its own Aspirations, Identity, and Right to Self-Determination,” noted NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose, Jr. during the opening program of Panagriing: A Nation Still Rising – the closing conference of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood 2023-2026 in his message read by NHCP Deputy Executive Director Alvin Alcid.
“We have called this conference Panagriing, an Ilocano word which means “to be roused from sleep.” This is the essence of our commemoration. For when the Filipino comes to fully realize the meaning and depth of His/Her freedom as understood through history, she/he is awakened from ako to a higher consciousness of tayo. It is an awakening that stirs us to unite, to dream beyond the present, to dare what has been untried, to uphold Freedom as a precious gift, and to defend it with our entire being.”
Jose framed the commemoration as a continuing intellectual and public history project that seeded reflections on our first experiment in self-governance—historically the first Constitutional Republic in Asia, revisiting the establishment of a representative congress that brought together delegates from all corners of the archipelago and formulated a national political community and the Malolos constitution, which enshrined a Bill of Rights, established a truly Filipino government, affirmed the separation of church and state, established an army, and its own territory.
“It remains one of the most important expressions of early Filipino constitutional thought and political modernity,” Jose stressed.
Tercio de Voluntatios de Cagayan (XU Museo de Oro)
When the young republic was subsequently tested by an emerging global superpower in the Philippine-American War, patriots from all over the islands rose to the challenge, exhibiting a national commitment to freedom, even under great disparity and sacrifice.
As part of this national commemoration, the NHCP unveiled several historical markers under the LandasngPagkabansangPilipino marque which identified and marked key sites across Luzon that witnessed the formation, development, and final phases of the First Philippine Republic.
Rosario, Landas ng Pagkabansang Pilipino 1899
The agency similarly brought history to communities throughout the nation through the Republika Community Lectures, held in various localities in Luzon and the Visayas, with historians directly engaging with local audiences in locales where the Revolution and the First Republic were actually lived and experienced.
Republika Community Lectures at Guian, Eastern Samar with Dr. Rolando O. Borrinaga
Jose remarked how fitting the conference served as the culmination of National Heritage Month, reflecting a broad and integrated exploration of Filipino nationhood, exploring the country in all its regions, underscored by the multiple and diverse expressions of the struggle for independence throughout the archipelago.
The second day tackled the nascent nation’s efforts toward self-organization and recognition through diplomacy, the internal politics of the republic, and the bitter resistance after Aguinaldo’s capture. It will concluded with an examination of contemporary commemorative efforts, where museums, libraries, and cultural practices play a vital role in shaping understandings of Filipino Nationhood.
Maria Serena I. Diokno, Ph.D.,Reynaldo C. Ileto, Ph.DRicardo T. Jose Ph.D.,Panagriing Panel of Speakers
Among the eminent historians who graced the two day conference as keynote speakers on various topics were Maria Serena I. Diokno, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of History, University of the Philippines-Diliman (The Paradox of Our Struggles for Independence); Reynaldo C. Ileto, Ph.D., Honorary Professor, School of Culture, History and Language, The Australian National University, who was streamed live from Canberra, Australia (Santa Iglesia or Asemblea Filipina? Two Paths to Nation-making and their Significance for the Present); and Ricardo T. Jose, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of History, UP-Diliman (Philippine Diplomacy and Diplomats and Their Role in Making the Philippine Nation, 18997 onwards).
NHCP Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo
“As we close today’s conference, and end too the past three years of celebration and remembrance, we invite you, fellow students of history, fellow cultural workers, educators, and lovers of our nation to use this moment to reflect – in the past that was shared with us, in the present that we inhabit, and in the future that we face,” NHCP Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo in her remarks formally closing the two-day conference and three-year commemoration.
“For just as our ancestors took the helm of their present with the vision of guiding our nation towards a better future, so remains the unending journey to be better, as a person, as a community, as a people, and as a nation.”
She walked everyone through the last two days, witnessing the story of our first years as a new nation, born in the circumstances of war to a people that had yet to see themselves as compatriots not only in a fight for freedom, but also in a destiny and a future.
“We saw the paradoxes that defined our struggle for independence, the contradictions that limited our forebears, and the realities that cut short the life of our young republic,” she noted.
“But at the same instance, we felt the raw courage of our fellow Filipinos who had fought off a colonial oppressor once and were again rising up to fight another – of the young men and women whotook upboththe instruments of combat and of education to define the meaning of our nation; of the multitude of Filipino communities, in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and even abroad, whose work to resist became the foundations of an identity that would later bear fruit some almost fifty years later. An identity that would be born from the ashes of another, more devastating conflict.”
Arevalo concluded with a quote from Apolinario Mabini: “Only he is truly a patriot who, whatever his post, high or low, tries to do the greatest possible good to his Countrymen.”
May we all be true patriots in our own Ways.
Similarly, Jose expressed how the conference serves not only as the culmination of a milestone commemoration, but also as an opening to a deeper forward-looking National Reflection—of who we were, and who we aspire to be, as a nation among the community of nations.
As the great Filipino statesman Jose w. Diokno once said: “There is one dream all Filipinos share: That our children may have a better life than we have had. So there is one vision that is distinctly Filipino: the vision to make this country, our country, a nation for our children.”
With service-affecting cable theft and vandalism on the rise in Mindanao, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are working closely with local leaders and residents to maintain network reliability while keeping communities safe.
In some areas where recurring incidents of cable theft and vandalism have been reported, PLDT and Smart are collaborating with barangays through Project Bayanihan, which aims to promote community safety and resilience, and raise awareness that these illegal acts often cause network outages.
Barangays which have joined the initiative include Barangay Mipangi in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro; Barangay Apokon in Davao del Norte, Barangay Agusan in Cagayan de Oro, and Barangay San Jose in Digos City.
Under the program, the Group equipped barangay tanods with batons, raincoats, and reflectorized jackets to help boost patrol visibility, preparedness and response efforts, especially in areas prone to theft or vandalism.
Beyond on-ground support, the initiative also emphasized digital awareness through the #BeCyberSmart campaign, which featured videos depicting real-life scenarios involving online scams and fraud. These highlight the importance of protecting personal information and responsible digital citizenship, reinforcing the role of informed and vigilant community members in reducing digital risks. PLDT Home and Smart representatives were also present in some of the sessions to provide quick customer assistance and address service-related queries.
“We are very fortunate for the support and activities provided to our barangay. Our goal is to continue strengthening our public-private partnerships, making them even more organized so we can better serve our community,” Barangay Captain Romeo Arizo of Barangay Mipangi shared.
“Together with local leaders, we can ensure that we are able to respond to incidents faster, prevent bigger disruptions, and keep our communities and customers safe and connected,” said Nepthali S. Cabanos, Mindanao Asset Protection Head.
PLDT Group’s Project Bayanihan, spearheaded by its Asset Protection and Security Risk Governance (APSRG) Group, reflects the shared responsibility of PLDT, Smart and the wider community in fostering digital safety and awareness.
Alongside multiple arrests, PLDT said it has also recovered a substantial volume of stolen network materials, thanks to ‘Bayanihan’. Based on regional reports, in the second half of 2025 alone, the total estimated value of recovered items by PLDT’s APDs across the country reached approximately ₱18 million. This demonstrates the impact of strengthened collaboration among field teams, law enforcement partners, and community stakeholders to prevent service disruptions and protect PLDT’s critical infrastructure.
By continuing to invest in both infrastructure protection and community engagement, PLDT and Smart aim to ensure that communities can continue to depend on stable connectivity for safer digital spaces and a more connected community.
These initiatives are also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation (PDO) is strengthening its sales capabilities through a nationwide training program designed to support continued growth by further leveraging on digital marketing adapting to shifting buyer behavior.
Conducted through regular monthly sessions, the PDO National Sales Training series brings together in-house sellers and broker partners, covering buyer profiling, digital marketing, and mental resilience. The program reflects the company’s focus on sharpening execution and deepening engagement across its sales network in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, inviting industry-known subject matter experts in sales, marketing, and wellness management.
“Our focus is not just on growing sales, but on improving how we connect with buyers and developing the skills of our sales partners,” said John Vincent Rapiz, Vice President for Sales and Marketing of Pueblo de Oro. “Through targeted training and closer collaboration with our sales networks, we are strengthening our ability to respond to changing customer needs and deliver a more seamless buying experience.”
Sessions on buyer profiling focus on understanding customer segments to better align offerings with specific needs. Digital marketing workshops highlight the continued relevance of platforms such as Facebook in reaching target audiences, while equipping participants with practical tools to improve lead conversion. These are complemented by sessions on mental health and emotional intelligence, aimed at strengthening resilience in a competitive sales environment.
The initiative builds on PDO’s strong 2025 performance, driven by refined sales execution, expanded digital engagement, and the strength of its broker-led network. As homebuying behavior continues to shift toward online channels, referrals, and relationship-based selling, the company is placing greater emphasis on capability-building.
“Broker partnerships and sales network expansion both local and abroad remain central to our growth,” Rapiz added. “By equipping our partners with the right tools and insights, we are able to extend our reach and maintain meaningful engagement with buyers across markets, including overseas Filipinos seeking long-term investments.”
Mindanao Local History takes center stage in Closing Conference of the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence and Nationhood
A fresh look at the local history of Mindanao during the Philippine Revolution which will present both new and existing historiographies from 1898 to 1901 will be highlighted in an academic conference hosted by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on 25-26 May 2026 at the Ayala Museum, Makati City.
The conference seeks to explore the enduring legacies of the Philippine Revolution, Philippine-American War, and the First Philippine Republic beyond 1901 in partnership with the Ayala Foundation, the Ayala Museum, and the member-affiliates of the Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN).
Scheduled for 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM on the first day of the conference on 25 May 2026 dubbed SESSION 3: HISTORIOGRAPHICAL INQUIRY OF MINDANAO LOCAL HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE AND NATIONHOOD, it will feature the following topics:
The Maranao Resistance to Spanish Occupation and its Impact on Mindanao during the Philippine Revolution by Assistant Professor Rey Luis A. Montesclaros of theCollege of Arts and Social Sciences, Mindanao State University — Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT);
The Philippine-American War in Northern Mindanao by Rene Michael D. Baños, Founding Member of the Northern Mindanao Heritage Network; and
Musings on the Relevance of the First Official Raising of the Philippine Flag in Mindanao by Neil Martial D. Santillan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of History, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Asst Prof Rey Luis A. Montesclaros, MSU-IIT Dept of HistoryRene Michael D. Baños, Northern Mindanao Heritage NetworkProf. Neil Martial D. Santillan, Ph.D, UP-Diliman Dept of HistoryJosef Alec D. Geradila, Historic Sites Development Officer, NHCP
An Open Forum with the panelists will immediately follow with Session Moderator Josef Alec D. Geradila, Historic Sites Development Officer, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The conference is 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖. Due to limited spots, interested parties are asked to register via the QR Code or the link below:
If you are joining in online, you can easily access the conference online or review the recordings once available. For exact scheduling, registration links for onsite slots, or specific panel themes, you can track announcements directly on the official NHCP Official Facebook Profile.
Accepted participants will receive an email confirmation. The conference will also be streamed live via the NHCP’s Facebook Page. This event is also an official program of the Dekada ng Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas 2023-2033.
In the early part of the 20th century, a young Mr. Lim Ket Kai, at the age of 12, together with his father, emigrated from Quemoy, China and landed in the old town of Cagayan de Misamis, in the then frontier island of Mindanao, Philippines.
As a poor immigrant, Mr. Lim Ket Kai struggled and worked as a helper for a businessman-relative while pursuing his studies at the Cagayan de Oro Central School. His perseverance, coupled with hard work and frugality, soon paid off. He was able to save his wages that served as the seed money for his small neighborhood store that would later become the landmark homegrown business, the Limketkai Rice and Corn Mill of Cagayan de Oro.
When he was in his twenties, Mr. Lim Ket Kai went back to Quemoy and married Ms. Rosario Uy. The couple traveled back to Cagayan to settle in their new home along Gomez Street which still stands to this day. With the whole-hearted support of his wife, Rosario, Mr. Lim Ket Kai continued his small neighborhood sari-sari store, which later progressed into rice milling operations.
Mr Albino Limketkai takes a memento beside his father’s picture honoring him as a World War II guerrilla.
Mr. Lim Ket Kai was very kind and appreciative of the province and the people that embraced him and his wife as their own when they migrated to Cagayan. When World War II broke out and disrupted their family business, Mr Lim Ket Kai joined the guerilla forces in Northern Mindanao to fight against the Imperial Japanese Army. When he was caught and jailed, the Filipinos whom he had helped in the past helped him to be released and escape from prison.
This family business soon resumed after the war, and expanded to corn milling which later became the biggest corn miller in the country.
Mr Lim Ket Kai was a disciplinarian who taught his children the value of hard work and starting from the bottom. When his children were still studying, those who went to Manila to pursue college education (Macrobio, Alfonso, Albino and Benito) were only given sufficient allowance and pocket money to survive in Manila on their own while they stayed in dormitories.
According to Alfonso, if he committed mistakes in business he would be humiliated and reprimanded to remember not to repeat the same mistake. But when any of his children did well, their Father rewarded them accordingly. Lim Ket Kai focused on mentoring Florentino and Alfonso into running the business they started.
In recognition of the company’s contribution to the upliftment of the corn farmers in Northern Mindanao, the Company was accorded in 1976 the distinction as the “Most Outstanding Corn Miller” by the Confederation of Filipino Rice and Corn Association of the Philippines from among the 2,921 corn millers nationwide .
In 1966, the Company was incorporated by Mr. Lim’s children into a family corporation. It has successfully developed into a fully integrated manufacturing operation with the following line of businesses: Corn Grits Mill, Corn Flour Mill, Feed Mill, Corn Oil Extraction Plant and Refinery, Coconut Oil Mill and Refinery.
The manufacturing operation has been supported by the corn farm, a grain post-harvest drying facility, silo storage and a deep sea berthing facility, as well as the well-developed nationwide distribution network. The manufacture of corn grits products carrying the MARCA LEON brand are supplied to breakfast cereal, snack food, poultry/hog feeds and beer manufacturers. Corn grits are also sold as staple food for human consumption in the Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao. The Company is acknowledged as the leader in these industries.
On the heels of the stable economic growth of the country, the family business ventured into the export and trading of copra – which also paved the way for the Company to venture into edible oil manufacturing for the production of refined coconut oil and corn oil. The company that came about from Lim Ket Kai’s original corn and cereals trading business was later incorporated as the Limketkai Sons Milling, Inc. – which was mainly focused on the Edible Oil and cereals manufacturing business. The company eventually became the country’s largest manufacturer of corn oil and coconut oil under the trade marks MARCA LEON and FRITO PLUS brands, respectively, and are considered as leading brands in the country today.
Because of Mr Lim Ket Kai’s charming and approachable nature, he became popular in Cagayan de Oro and was even prodded by the Kagay-anons to become a governor, and was known to be a philanthropist. He built many school houses in Misamis Oriental and granted scholarships to indigent pupils. He was also at the forefront of rescue and assistance efforts during calamities.
Mr. Lim Ket Kai was once quoted to have said, “China is my motherland; Philippines is my fatherland,”
In the late 1980s the Company expanded into the real estate business by acquiring a 30-hectare prime property in Cagayan de Oro City, which was then developed into a first-class commercial complex called the ‘Limketkai Center’. The Limketkai Center includes the Limketkai Mall, considered the premier shopping mecca of Northern Mindanao, opened its doors to the public in 1991.
The mall is a modern, fully integrated commercial center with over 300 tenants. It houses various internationally and nationally recognized specialty shops, two supermarkets, two department stores, a food court, an amusement center and fast-food restaurant chains such as McDonald’s, Shakey’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Mr. Donut, Jollibee, Chowking and Greenwich, among many others.
The company’s articles of incorporation was amended so that the primary purpose of the company was expanded, which eventually led to the spin-off of the edible oil manufacturing business to Limketkai Manufacturing Corporation in September 18, 2000 and renaming the company to Limketkai Sons, Inc. which now functions as the holding company owning shares in all of its subsidiaries: LMC, LDC, LHRC, etc.
Because of Limketkai Center’s bold development initiatives and its catalytic role in orchestrating investments into the city, the Company was honored in 1992 by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry as ‘The Outstanding Countryside Investor of the Year for Large Scale Industries.’
In its desire to contribute further to the economic growth and prosperity of Cagayan de Oro City, LKKS is now pursuing the full implementation of the Company’s Master Development Plan to upgrade Limketkai Center into a full-fledged Central Business District of Cagayan de Oro City.
At the passing of Mr. Lim Ket Kai in 1972 and his wife Rosario in 2004, both were accorded the prestige and honor of being laid-in-state at the Provincial Capitol of the Province of Misamis Oriental and at the City Hall of Cagayan de Oro, respectively, in recognition of their invaluable contributions of both the city and province.
