From Misamis to Ozamiz

I found myself again in the province of Misamis Occidental. I needed to close a transaction together with my boss. I came a day earlier than the set schedule for the meeting. If not for this transaction, I would not be in Ozamiz City.

Though it wasn’t my first time here, it was my first time to fly to the city. The 30 minute ride on a twin prop aircraft was definitely thrilling. When the flight crew announced that we would be landing in a few minutes, I peeked through the window but I could not see the airstrip. I could only see tracts of agricultural lands topped with coconut trees and some rice fields. And then the landing track surfaced as the plane descended further. Later on, I found myself at Ozamiz Airport.

 

It’s a good thing that the flights have been restored in this city. Aside from Manila-Ozamiz flight, two airlines are now serving the Cebu-Ozamiz route.  And it’s a good thing too that the national government had provided a substantial budget to repair the old airport, also called Labo Airport or Benigno Aquino Jr. Airport. Government funds to rehabilitate its landing strip were provided since 2005. Much reconstruction works are still going on in the site and somehow, this got me to believe that the city and the province as a whole may be significant in the sense that there is progress and development in trade, business or tourism.

As I wait for my checked-in baggage, I saw the tourism flyers from a rack near the exit door. These were pamphlets about the tourist attractions and places to visit in the cities of Northern Mindanao. Ozamiz City neighbors with Tangub, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Gingoog and Camiguin. Both Ozamis and Tangub are in the province of Misamis Occidental.

There are no taxicabs in the city. The primary mode of transportation is the tricycle. The ride from the airport to the city proper may take you about 15-20 minutes. On the way to the city center, I was thinking about checking-in at the Royale Garden Hotel or the Plaza Beatriz but the tricycle driver was able to find me a decent room at the Palace Hotel.

I have set a field work with a dealer sales representative. While waiting for her to arrive, I settled on the idea of exploring the city. Ozamiz is a bit compact. The major road leads to the city port area where some of the historic and tourist spots are located.

   

Exploring the city on foot was a welcome option. From my hotel, I walked along the port road and passed by the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. This church was recently renovated at a cost of 4 million pesos, in time for La Fiesta de la Inmaculada Concepcion on December 8.

I saw the image of the crucified Christ beside the glass-encased Birhen sa Cotta. The figure of the crucifix was similar to what was in the altar, only bigger. I went inside the cathedral and I marveled at its neat architecture. Soft colors play on the arches and the perforated walls at the side. The image of the Immaculade Lady was larger than life in size.

In the cathedral’s choir loft was a huge organ that was said to be the 2^nd biggest pipe organ of that type in the country.  I wondered how the music from those pipes fill the church and resonate on the parishioners.  People say that the pipe organ was from Germany and was assembled inside the church through the supervision of Fr. Schablitzki. The same priest was the first to play the organ in 1967.

I traced the port road a little further and reached the pilgrimage site of the Cotta. A large worship area was developed in front of the image of the Virgen de la Concepcion which was carved on one of the walls of the Spanish fort. This is Cotta Shrine, a very popular tourist and pilgrim spot.

After taking pictures of the ‘miraculously growing’ carved stone figure of the virgin, I watched the devotees supplicate and sing chants of praise and worship. The feast day would come in 4 days.  I moved on to the Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo.

It’s an 18^th century Spanish fort built to watch and defend the settlement against the attacks of the Moros. It’s made of coral stones and is rectangular in shape. The National Historical Institute declared it a historical landmark in 2002.

 

Each corner of the fort was named after a certain saint. The southeast bastion was Baluarte de Ignacio and was said to be the most exposed portion from the attacks coming from Panguil Bay. It was named after St. Ignatius de Loyola.

I made a clockwise perimeter walk and reached the southwest bastion. It faces the pueblo and was named after St. James the Apostle. The Baluarte de Santiago is in honor of the patron saint of Spain.

The northwest bastion is also facing the pueblo and is called Baluarte de San Fernando, named after the Spanish king who led the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.

 

Finally I made a complete turn when I reached the Bastion of St. Joseph. The northeast fort corner was named after San Jose, the husband of the Virgin Mary. The bastion was also named after the priest who ordered the fort to be built in 1755. From here, I could see the beautiful park fronting the bay and the mountains of Lanao del Norte.

Inside the fort a small museum was built. The fort was basically empty except for the dome-topped arsenal and some replica of nipa hut and a muslim home. At the southwest bastion, there stood a modern parola and beside it was an old metal mortar.

The city was once known as Misamis. It was changed to Ozamiz in honor of the Jose F. Ozamiz, of Spanish-Cebuano blood who became the first provincial governor of Misamis Occidental, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1935 and an elected senator in 1941 which he never get to serve.

He was assigned as a chairman of Games and Amusement Board during the Japanese occupation. He accepted the position in full knowledge of the guerillas. But later on, his connection with the guerilla movement leaders had led to his arrest in Mindanao. And because of his involvement in the resistance movement against the Japanese during World War II, he was decapitated.

We could not find a marker of Jose F. Ozamiz in the city. However, naming the city after him was worth more than any monument or tribute for his contribution to the Philippine history.

 

Click HERE for more pictures of Ozamiz.