History

Legislative Act No. 3537 passed on November 2, 1929 divided the old province of Misamis into Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental. The Occidental comprised the towns of Baliangao, Lopez Jaena, Tudela, Clarin, Plaridel, Oroquieta, Aloran, Jimenez, and Misamis. The original nine municipalities of the province of Misamis Occidental grew into the present three cities of Ozamiz, Oroquieta, and Tangub, and the 14 municipalities of Aloran, Baliangao, Bonifacio, Calamba, Clarin, Concepcion, Don Victoriano, Jimenez, Lopez Jaena, Panaon, Plaridel, Sapang Dalaga, Sinacaban, and Tudela, with a total of 490 barangays.

The name “Misamis” is believed to have been derived from the Subano word “Kuyamis” which is a variety of sweet coconut – the staple food of the yearly settlers in this place. During the years the name persisted as an inference of geographical location and upon the advent of the Spanish settlers, the word “kuyamis” easily gave way to the more conveniently pronounceable but corrupted word “Misamis.”

Misamis Occidental (Filipino: Kanlurang Misamis; Subanen: Sindepan Mis’samis) is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital isOroquieta City. 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 fromMisamis Oriental by Iligan Bay to the east. The province of Misamis was originally inhabited by Subanons whose an easy target by the sea pirates from Lanao. Misamis is taken from the early settlement of the Spaniards at the entrance to the Panguil Bay.

The name “Misamis” is believed to have been derived from the Subano word “Kuyamis” which is a variety of sweeto coconut – the staple food of the early settlers in this place. 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”.^[1]

Misamis Occidental comprised the original nine towns of Baliangao, Lopez Jaena, Tudela, Clarin, Plaridel, Oroquieta, Aloran, Jimenez, and Misamis. The original nine municipalities of the province of Misamis Occidental grew into the present three cities of Ozamiz, Oroquieta, and Tangub and the 14 municipalities of Aloran, Baliangao, Bonifacio, Calamba, Clarin, Concepcion, Don Victoriano, Jimenez, Lopez Jaena, Panaon, Plaridel, Sapang Dalaga, Sinacaban, and Tudela