Divi gets ready for a new look!

There’s always a solution to every problem.

In connection to that, Kagay-anons' newly identified problem is with regards to our place, Divisoria. As what we can see, it's filthy, unclean and it needs a total make-over! Divisoria, for us kagay-anons, has been considered as one of our tourist spots and business-centered locations here in Cagayan de Oro City. Thus, we need to take good care of it – not only with what's inside of it but with outside, as well - physically! how we see it!

Business owners and City Council’s Committee on Tourism headed a meeting lately and discussed on how to improve and physically develop buildings inside Divisoria. And by total make-over, they mean repainting it!

Repainting of Divisoria buildings will take place until November 2010. This is part of the city's health and sanitation campaign inorder to prevent Kagay-anons and foreign people to urinate on the walls and litter around.

Welcome cleanliness! let's repaint Divi!
=)

more than just a city

photo by: storm-crypt

Exploring beneath Cagayan de Oro

Crystal blue waters, lamented green forests, magnificent humid dark caves, and strong gushing river waters- these are the things we ought to believe in a highly urbanized city like Cagayan de Oro. It serves as one of the country’s tourism sites having numerous environmental activities like white water rafting, tourist spots like the Malasag Nature Trail and Eco-tourism Village, museums, parks, shopping malls and night-life activities such as the night cafe.

Moreover, the city is dubbed as “City of Golden Friendship”. It is also considered as “Rafting Capital of the Philippines” because this is what the city is known for. The Cagayan de Oro river symbolizes the continuing progress and competitiveness of the city along with other major cities in the country and serves as the life of the city itself. The enthralling beauty of the city captures nature lovers and adventurers of various nationalities. Indeed, the city has to provide them the best in order for them to experience and explore hidden treasures of Cagayan de Oro City.

Tourist destinations in the city includes Macahambus Adventure Park, Mapawa Nature Park, Macahambus Hill Cave, Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club, MacArtur Marker, Kagay-an Resort, Tourism showroom, Monigue Cave in barangay Mambuaya, Museo de Oro of Xavier University, the Plaza Divisoria, Gaston Park, St. Augustine Cathedral and the Catanico falls in Barangay F.S Catanico. Furthermore, the city houses a good number of shopping malls and supermarkets making it the shopping capital of Northern Mindanao where people can shop and enjoy mall facilities and events. In this case, the city already has Limketkai Center, SM Super malls, Gaisano mall, Robinsons malls and the two proposed malls, the Ayala Center and Pacific Island City Mall.

Certainly, the city is a pride of Kagay-anons. God blesses it with an abundance that should be taken good care of. There are so many things Cagayan de Oro can give. To promote the city is what Kagay-anons can do and unity is what they have to promote it.

sources:

http://www.philippinesboard.com/tourist-spots-in-cagayan-de-oro.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cagayan_de_Oro_City

http://www.philippinesboard.com/tourist-spots-in-cagayan-de-oro.php

Streamlining to a better CdeO

The dreary and long process of accomplishing business permits in Cagayan de Oro City made the streamlining project emerged.

This project aspired to change the route of processing documents by positioning the different offices needed to complete transactions in one building, on the City Hall. This also helped in shunning faults in the procedure. Faster transaction means more investors, more business, more jobs, and no poverty!

The Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Office of Misamis Oriental, Promote CDO Foundation, Inc., Local Implementation of National Competitiveness for Economic Growth (LINC-EG) Project and the City Government of Cagayan de Oro go hand-in-hand to support the project.

Virnajenn Bacus: she edged them all!

Crowned as Miss Kagay-an 2010 at Limketkai atrium on August 26, she finally paved the way not only with her beauty and intelligence but also with her overflowing confidence.

Aside from winning Miss Kagay-an 2010 with P50,000 cash and a laptop from Global Chips, Virnajenn Bacus, 18 yo, also pocketed P10,000 for winning best in swimsuit and a Samsung Blackberry phone for winning Miss Samsung 2010.

"Naj", as people call her, is a Lourdes College student. She is 5'9.5" in height and she proudly represents brgy. Macasandig. As young as 18, she already kept a handful memory of her achievements since she already joined many competitions , like: Miss SK 2009, Miss Iligan, Miss lanao del Norte, and a lot more.

The other winners of Miss Kagay-an 2010 are:

Bianca Myleen Erfe - 1st runner up

Jeminah Ruth Ferrer - 2nd runner up

Diva Catherine Opina - 3rd runner up

Rhealou Zayas - 4th runner up

(photo by Chezka Waminal: Candidate # 2, Virnajenn Bacus, received minor award)

OTOP invades NorMin

OTOP or One Town, One Product is an international program which was prioritized later by our former president, Gloria M. Arroyo, here in the Philippines.

Luckily, it invaded Northern Mindanao again; specifically, here in Cagayan de Oro City. It showcases specialties and priority products in each cities and municipalities of the region.

Recently, OTOP made history again in region X through two latest successful events - Salo-tabo and Kahimunan festival. Both had a blast. Both left a legend.

Salo-Tabo is a week-long activity, from August 16 to 20, situated in Provincial Capitol grounds which displayed in each well-designed booth top agricultural products of cities and municipalities in the region. Not just that! Aside from what its usual thing is, it also provided entertainment like different shows scheduled every night.

On the other hand, Kahimunan festival also exhibited quality products participated in by cities, municipalities and provinces of Northern Mindanao. Located at Rotunda, Limketkai Mall on August 23 to 29, 2010, it was also a success!

It does not merely increase incomes and promote entrepreneurship, OTOP build communities!

Fig. 1. OTOP - Philippines Logo

Fig. 2.Kahimunan 2010 festival at Rotunda, Limketkai mall.

(photo credits to Chezka Waminal)

Moving Forward with Promote CDO

The Promote CDO logo

August 28, Saturday is already a marked date for us kagay-anons. The day where everyone is busy in choosing where to go for fun, fun, fun and never-ending fun. It is the day which defines the city of Cagayan.

Dubbed as “the City of Golden Friendship”, the town is on its tedious way in the preparation of the most-awaited event in Cagayan de Oro’s history - the Kagay-an festival 2010. Along with the people’s anticipation for the festival, the city government has prepared various core events(below) to exalt the city as an investment, tourist and cultural destination of the far-east south.

Kagay-an Festival 2010 Core Events
DATE	EVENT	VENUE
August 7	Swimwear competition	Hotel Koresko
August 15	Mags Runway	Limketlai Atrium
August 18	Talent Competition	SM Atrium
August 22	Kagay-an Festival run and Kalo Parade	Kiosko Kagawasan, Divisoria
August 23-29	Kahimunan Regional Trade Fair 2010 (RTF 2010)	Limketkai Rotunda
August 26	Miss Kagay-an 2010	Limketkai Atrium
August 27	Kagay-an Folkloric Dance Competition	Pelaez Sports Center Complex
	PE Rhythmic Dance Competition	Pelaez Sports Center Complex
August 28 (AM)	4th Kagay-an Golden Float Parade Competition	City Main Streets
August 28 (PM)	Halad sa Lambagohan	Golden Mile and Cagayan de Oro River
August 29	Pyrolympics	SM City

The city government and some private organizations are working hand-in-hand in order to have a meaningful and a memorable town fiesta. One of its partners is the Promote CDO Foundation, Inc. It is founded by Congressman Constantino “Tinnex” Jaraula in January 2000. It is a non-stock, non-profit organization ordered to manage the festival as signed by Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Emano. The city government has decided to have a signature festival like what any other provinces and cities in the Philippines have. One great example is the “Sinulog festival” in Cebu where the city is renowned for.

The foundation gets funds and budgets from their income generating projects like publishing magazines and flyers containing city’s tourist destinations, well-known hotels, restaurants, bars and coffee shops where they can freely dine-in and other well-acclaimed theaters, super malls and establishments in the city. In addition to that, the foundation also gets a 30% share from the net income of the festival. Whatever funds they get, they directly generate projects from it- “a seed mobilization projects” as what Ms Dive Daquilog calls it. She is the foundation’s Project Coordinator and with her is Ms Marife Babia.

The foundation’s first project is to brand a name for the festival which later on they came up into “Kagay-an Festival”- the official signature festival name of Cagayan de Oro City. Kagay which means “river” and an for “flow”. It is in 2006 that the foundation started to manage the festival.

Aside from the festival, the foundation has also supported different projects like the Mindanao Project Showroom, the Mac Arthur Marker and the City hall’s business center. The Mindanao Project Showroom which is located in Capistrano showcases several products like handicrafts from different provinces in the region. Next to it is the City Hall’s business center for an easy process in securing business licensing permits. The MacArthur Marker which is a historical site because it is believed that here in this place the late U.S General Douglas MacArthur phrased “I shall return” on World War II. The Foundation provides funds to finish the historical site. They also have a proposal in making a Conventions Bureau- an office which will cater business conventions and meetings. They are looking forward to finally plan this project because this will not just help the city to allure investors to invest but also to promote it as a well-established one. More investors mean more opportunities and more jobs for everyone.

Promote CDO is a trailblazer to success. Promoting the city is a good way to invest opportunities. It is likely important that each one of us contributes something that will not just make this city “a City of Golden Friendship” but also “a City of Hope and Success”. We aspire together, we dream together as we move forward unified with one goal: a brighter Cagayan de Oro City.

KUMBIRA 2010 “Local Flavors for Global Competitiveness”

Enriching the culture of Northern Mindanao (region X), Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA) as a chapter member of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) presents the KUMBIRA 2010 – a culinary festival featuring various food and beverage competitions, cooking demonstrations, and trade exhibits.

This 3-day event, August 18-20, with a theme of “Local Flavors for Global Competitiveness” will be held at The Atrium, Limketkai Mall. Celebrating its 14th year, it will again hold MINDANAO CHEF WARS, a regional competition divided into two categories: the professional category and the student category. The winners will then be representing Mindanao in the CHEF WARS NATIONAL COMPETITION in Makati city on September 10-11, 2010. This will be sponsored by ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

Last year’s professional category was won by Pryce Plaza Hotel, followed by Café Laguna. While St. Michael’s Iligan and Christ the King Gingoog won the student’s category as 1st and 2nd, respectively. On the other hand, this year’s competition will be participated by 18 hotels, 13 restaurants and 57 schools according to Ms. Josephine H. Roque, the Senior Tourism Operations Officer. May it be COHARA or non-COHARA member, all in one big event.

Click HERE to see the flow of events and the different challenges for the competition.

Entrance fees vary accordingly. The regular fee is P60 per day or P150 for straight 3 days, except for students who can pay P45 a day or P115 for 3 days.

KUMBIRA 2010 aims to promote healthy competition and camaraderie among the different hotels and restaurants, hotel and restaurant schools as well as elevating the standards of the culinary industry in the region. The event will also feature the various skills, artistry and creativeness of the food and beverage practitioners and students through competitions (from the event profile).

That is why the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Ms. Roque invites us all, especially students, to watch and witness the most anticipated live culinary festival in region X.

Frontier events of Kagay-an festival 2010

The Kagay-an Festival 2010 is fast approaching. There are core events being to promote Cagayan de Oro City as a national and a global investment destination. This annual festival celebration is a hallmark of privilege to exalt its culinary, sports, culture, industry and tourism.

Some of its major events are the Dagan sa Kagay-an 2010 and the 1st Kagay-an Kalo Parade which will be both held on August 22. These are organized and promoted by Promote CDO foundation with Ms. Dive Daquilo, Project Coordinator in partnership with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro City, Department of Tourism—Region X and co-organized by Circle Productions, Inc.

The Kagay-an Dagan 2010 is a 2km, 5km, and a 10km fun run of over 1000-1500 expected participants--local or those from other cities. The starting place is Divisoria kiosk at 5am. There is a registration fee of P150 from August 5-20 at MAX’S Restaurant and La Cabana Spa that will include a P350 jersey. Cebu participants are also expected to join the event. The Kagay-an Kalo Parade follows on the same venue at 6:30 am. The said activity is a “Dress up your hat Competition” that will showcase the creativity of Kagay-anons.

Aside from these two activities, the organizers have prepared various events to satisfy and to entertain tourists and the local community. They are looking forward for a successful and a meaningful town fiesta.

These are just frontier events to thank Cagayan de Oro’s patron saint -- St. Augustine as the celebration captures the essence of nationality and unity among town individuals.

CdeO’s golden project

Friday and Saturday night is no ordinary night for the kagay-anons. The Night café, considered as the city’s crowd drawer, always tops the list of the trip. Foods are served at its finest from the native ala carte type to the most affordable street foods. You can also find variety of stuffs  bags, shirts and blouses, jeans, burloloys and more. Bars are set around the vicinity. It is an all-in-one place for enjoyment and relaxation.

In line with this, one of the “interior decoration projects” of former City Mayor Tinnex Jaraula was to transfer the night café from Divisoria to his envisioned place, he called the “Golden Mile”. This on-going project will be built right after the City Hall to JR Borja Street.

As of now, the released budget for the project is P10 million. In connection to this, the City Planning and Development Office is expecting to accomplish the project within the year if given enough funds.

The plan is to convert the Night Café into a more convenient place to stroll, shop and dine. Ms. Estrella F. Sagaral, the City Planning and Development Coordinator said that the project is intended to boost tourism along the place, promote the Cagayan de Oro River and control floods as well. She also said that another reason why the Night Café is to be transferred to the “Golden Mile” was because of Ex-City Mayor Jaraula’s plan to make the Divisoria a pedestrian park.

There is an issue despite the plans and goals of the project. The people are used to the venue and transferring it means taking risks. But, Ms. Sagaral said that it’s not that risky. “It’s only for Fridays and Saturdays…”, she said.

(photo by sega_maca)