Why It's Called That
Northern Mindanao: the river that got its gold
Cagayan has long meant river. In 1950 the city charter added de Oro, which the city says honours gold mined in its hinterland. Since 1975 it has led Region X, Northern Mindanao.
0:59 · Northern Mindanao · October 9, 2026
The story
Cagayan de Oro carries an old word for river, and a little gold. Scholars trace Cagayan by different roads, but all end at one meaning: river. Spanish papers of the 1500s already called the Himologan area Cagayan.
In 1622, two missionaries found a village there, perched on a cliff above the river. In 1626, its leader, Datu Salangsang, moved his people downriver, to where Gaston Park is today. For centuries, it was simply Cagayan.
Then, on June 15, 1950, its city charter named it Cagayan de Oro. The city says de Oro honours the gold mined in its hinterland barrios. Since 1975 it has led Region Ten, named Northern Mindanao in 1990.
Around it, the names read like a map: Bukidnon, the mountain dwellers. Lanao, from ranao, a body of water. Where did your elders say the gold was found? Tell us in the comments.
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