Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Cagayan de Oro (Philippines). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: SM City, Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, and MacArthur Memorial Marker. Also, be sure to include Opol in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Cagayan de Oro (Misamis Oriental).
Table of Contents
SM City
SM City Cagayan de Oro is a shopping mall owned and operated by SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall operator in the Philippines. It is the first SM Supermall in Northern Mindanao. The mall, which is surrounded by subdivisions and condominiums, is located along Fr. Masterson Avenue Cor. Gran Via St. Pueblo de Oro Township, Uptown Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental. It opened on November 15, 2002 with a total gross floor area of 87,837 m2 on a 5.2 hectares land.[1]
Address: Masterson Ave., 9000 Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro
Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral
Cathedral in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. The Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, is the ecclesiastical seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.[2]
Address: Capistrano-St. Agustine Street, 9000 Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro
MacArthur Memorial Marker
Tourist attraction in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. The MacArthur Memorial Marker is a shrine dedicated to US General Douglas MacArthur in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
The MacArthur Memorial Marker commemorates the arrival of MacArthur in the city at Macabalan wharf who is retreating to Australia amidst the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the World War II era. Local politician, Constantino Jaraula caused the construction of the Port of Macabalan along with a MacArthur marker and a view deck when he was still president of the Lions Club in 1970. This marker was demolished due to expansion works on the seaport. Another MacArthur marker was built near the site of the previous marker outside the Philippine Ports Authority office in 1994, when Jaraula was serving as Rotary Club president. The MacArthur Memorial Marker itself was inaugurated on March 14, 2008.
The structure features the "scrambled egg hat" of MacArthur. The stars represents MacArthur's military rank as a five-star-general. A replica of a USAFFE PT Boat encased inside a glass is featured at the center of the monument. The marker is recognized as a historical site by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.[3]
Address: Barangay Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro
Opol
Opol, officially the Municipality of Opol, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,327 people.
Opol was created from the barrios of Opol, Igpit, and Lower Iponan, formerly part of Cagayan de Oro, by virtue of Republic Act No. 524, approved June 15, 1950.
The municipality is gradually becoming more urbanized, as a result of local population growth and the expansion of nearby Cagayan de Oro City. Historically, Opol was a more rural area focused on agriculture and fishing. The subdivision of rural land for new residential housing is a matter of some controversy amongst locals. The current Mayor, Maximino B. Seno (known as "Max Seno"), has held office in Opol after Dexter Yasay.[4]
Archdiocesan Shrine of the Black Nazarene
Church
Address: C.M. Recto Avenue, Cagayan de Oro
Limketkai Office Building
Bridge, Shopping centre, Shopping
Address: Lapasan National Highway, 9000 Cagayan de Oro
Rodelsa Hall
Concerts and shows, Theater
Address: Carmen-Kauswagan Rd, Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro City Health Department
Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan
University in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines. Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, also known simply as the Ateneo de Cagayan or Xavier is a private, research, basic and higher education institution run by the Society of Jesus in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental. Founded in 1933 as the Ateneo de Cagayan, it became the first higher education institution in Mindanao to receive a university status year before its sister school Ateneo de Manila. It was given its present name in honor of the Jesuit missionary St. Francis Xavier.
The university offers primary and secondary education as well as undergraduate and post-graduate education in humanities, social sciences, engineering, and business. It offers professional degrees through graduate schools such as Xavier Ateneo College of Law and Jose P. Rizal School of Medicine.
Prominent figures such as the late President Carlos P. Garcia and late President Corazon Aquino were among the people who were conferred an honorary degree by the university. The named "Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World" by The Australian: Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, was among the distinguished figure who was conferred by the university as well. The former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. is among the notable alumnus of the university.
The institution earned the spot in the Quacquarelli Symonds Asia University Rankings among 14 other universities in the Philippines. It is regarded as one of the top-ranked private university in the country with a thorough-selective admission.[5]
Address: Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan River
River in the Philippines. Cagayan River, often called the Cagayan de Oro River, is one of the rivers draining the northern central part of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The river has its headwaters in the Kalatungan Mountain Range and Kitanglad Mountain Range found in the central part of the province of Bukidnon. It traverses the municipalities of Talakag, Baungon and Libona, connecting tributaries along the way. It finally empties into the Macajalar Bay at Cagayan de Oro in the province of Misamis Oriental.
The river serves as the natural boundary between the province of Bukidnon and Iligan and between Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro, based on the administrative order issued by the defunct Department of Mindanao and Sulu during the American occupation of the Philippines. In Cagayan de Oro, it is the dividing line between its two Congressional districts.
The Cagayan River is a very popular site for whitewater rafting in the Philippines and has been promoted by the Department of Tourism as the main tourist attraction of Cagayan de Oro.[6]