Misamis Occidental

Misamis Occidental
Province
Province of Misamis Occidental
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Mis Occ
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 8°20′N 123°42′E / 8.33°N 123.7°E / 8.33; 123.7Coordinates: 8°20′N 123°42′E / 8.33°N 123.7°E / 8.33; 123.7
Country	Philippines
Region	Northern Mindanao (Region X)
Founded	November 8, 1929
Capital	Oroquieta
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Herminia M. Ramiro (NUP)
• Vice Governor	Aurora Virginia M. Almonte (LP)
Area[1]
• Total	2,055.22 km2 (793.52 sq mi)
Area rank	60th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Malindang)	2,404 m (7,887 ft)
Population (2015 census)[2]
• Total	602,126
• Rank	47th out of 81
• Density	290/km2 (760/sq mi)
• Density rank	26th out of 81
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	3 Oroquieta Ozamiz Tangub
• Municipalities	14 Aloran Baliangao Bonifacio Calamba Clarin Concepcion Don Victoriano Chiongbian Jimenez Lopez Jaena Panaon Plaridel Sapang Dalaga Sinacaban Tudela
• Barangays	490
• Districts	1st and 2nd Districts of Misamis Occidental
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	7200–7215
IDD : area code	+63 (0)88
ISO 3166 code	PH
Spoken languages	Cebuano Subanen Filipino English
Website	misocc.gov.ph

Misamis Occidental (Cebuano: Kasadpang Misamis; Subanen: Sindepan Mis'samis) is a province located in the region of Northern Mindanao in the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Oroquieta. The province borders Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur to the west and is separated from Lanao del Norte by Panguil Bay to the south and Iligan Bay 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.^[3]

History

The area of now Misamis Occidental was first occupied by Subanen and later Visayans settled in the coastal areas. The name Misamis is derived from Subanen word kuyamis which is a variety of coconut. During the 1750s was the time that the coastal villages in Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao suffered attacks from bands of Muslim pirates, who burned houses and crops, and captured people to be sold as slaves in Maguindanao, Sulu, Borneo or the islands now known as Indonesia. In response, the colonial government in Manila created a flotilla 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.”^[4]

• 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 Occidental, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Lanao, Zamboanga del Norte, and the northern part of Cotabato.
• 1850 — the town of Misamis became the capital of the district of Misamis until February 27, 1872 when the Spanish Governor General Carlos María de la Torre y Navacerrada issued a decree declaring Cagayan the permanent capital of Segundo Distrito de Misamis. During this era, the name of the town was Cagayan de Misamis.

Maps of Misamis, before its division into two provinces
in 1880  in 1899  in 1918

• 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, Clarin, Plaridel, Oroquieta, Aloran, Jimenez, and Misamis. Don Jose Fortich Ozamiz became the first governor.
• January 6, 1930 — the provincial council of Misamis Occidental, selected Oroquieta to become the capital town (cabecera) of the province.^[5]
• 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.
• In 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces landed in Misamis Occidental, beginning their brief occupation of the province during World War II. In 1945, combined American and Philippine Commonwealth 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 as the seat of government of the Free Philippines then was the Capitolio. The United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) under Col. Wendell W. Fertig 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 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 321,^[6] making the 4th city in Mindanao after Zamboanga, Davao and Marawi, also renamed Misamis to Ozamiz after a World War II hero José 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.
• May 2010 — the people of Misamis Occidental elected their first lady governor, Herminia M. Ramiro.

Geography

Misamis Occidental is located near the narrow strip of land linking Northwestern Mindanao, to the North-central part of the island. Covering a total area of 2,055.22 square kilometres (793.52 sq mi)^[7], the province is bounded on the northeast by the Mindanao Sea, east by the Iligan Bay, 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 and 3 component cities, which are organized into two legislative districts and further subdivided into 490 barangays.

Demographics

The population of Misamis Occidental in the 2015 census was 602,126 people,^[2] with a density of 290 inhabitants per square kilometre or 750 inhabitants per square mile.

The dense population along the coast consists mainly of migrants from Cebu and Bohol. Thus, Cebuano is the lingua franca of the province, with the Boholano dialect of the Cebuano language also having some speakers. The native Subanens live in the interior uplands.

Religion

In 2013, Roman Catholicism remains the predominant faith of the people of Misamis Occidental having 70 percent affiliation and the second most members are with the Aglipayan Church with 20% while several Protestant Churches as well as Islam are the minorities.

Economy

The province economy depends firstly on fishing, secondly on coconuts, thirdly on rice. The province has 169 kilometres (105 mi) of coastline fronting the rich fishing grounds of Panguil and Iligan bays. It also has the biggest area of brackish water fishponds in the region. Tangub City is a fishing port on Panguil Bay famous for seafood. Coconut is the chief crop. This is processed into oil, desiccated coconut, and coir, most of which are shipped to Cebu. Coconut processing is the main industry in Oroquieta City. 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. 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 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

Government

• 1st District: Rep. Jorge T. Almonte
• 2nd District: Rep. Henry "Henz" S. Oaminal

• Herminia "Hermie" M. Ramiro

• Aurora Virginia "Jiejie" M. Almonte

Former governors

See also

• Laguindingan Airport, the first International airport in Northern Mindanao region.

References

External links

• Media related to Misamis Occidental at Wikimedia Commons
• Geographic data related to Misamis Occidental at OpenStreetMap
• Official website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Local Governance Performance Management System