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.
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.”
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.”
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.
“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.
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.
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Where to buy this book?
initial plan for sale later on. Iarrange pa ang distribution and pricing for the book. Hoiwever, nothing has been finalized yet and Cong Rufus Rodriguez will decide on the matter very soon.