Oroquieta, Province of Misamis Occidental, Northern Mindanao Region, Philippines

🇵🇭 Oroquieta, officially the City of Oroquieta, is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines.

History Layawan was the original name of Oroquieta, which was the barrio in the province of Misamis since 1861 until 1879. The early settlers then of the barrio were Boholanos. They found so many stray animals along the river, thus they named the place Layawan, which means a place of stray animals. A little later, Misamis was divided into two provinces, Misamis Occidental and Oriental. Then in 1880, Layawan changed its name to Oroquieta when it became a town.

Oroquieta became the capital (cabecera) on January 6, 1930. As capital town, people of various neighboring provinces came and inhabited in the place where they earn their living through fishing, farming, merchandising and other forms of businesses. Soon afterwards its income increased simultaneously with increase in population.

In 1942, Oroquieta was made the capital of the free Philippines by the recognised guerrillas and later the ongoing troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. (Personal interview with the late Atty. Vicente Blanco, Municipal Mayor during the Japanese Occupation) During this time, President Manuel L. Quezon, together with Sergio Osmeña Sr., a bodyguard and Major Manuel Nieto Sr., landed in Oroquieta after their evacuation from Corregidor to Australia.

The seat of government of the Free Philippines then was the Capitol. The Free Philippine Government was then issuing Misamis Occidental emergency notes. President Quezon, upon knowing that Oroquieta was made a capital of the Free Philippines and that the town was issuing emergency notes, authorized the Printing of the Mindanao emergency note.

Cityhood Oroquieta was created a city under Republic Act 5518 and inaugurated as a chartered city on January 1, 1970. The charter converting the municipality of Oroquieta into a city were signed by President Marcos on June 25, 1969, in the presence of the then City Mayor Ciriaco C. Pastrano, with the newly elected councilors and other city officials.

Geography Oroquieta City is bounded on the south by Aloran and the north by Lopez Jaena. On the eastern side is Iligan Bay, with Concepcion on the south-west and Sapang Dalaga on the northwest. Lowland plains and coastal lowlands are located in the city's eastern side while highlands and mountains tower over its western side.

The city occupies roughly 26,393 hectares (65,220 acres), the majority of which comprises the mountain barangays of Mialen, Toliyok, and Sebucal, averaging less than a thousand hectares per Barangay, the 47 barangays of the City outsize its urbanized counterparts.

Barangays Oroquieta City is politically subdivided into 47 barangays. • Apil; • Binuangan; • Bolibol; • Buenavista; • Bunga; • Buntawan; • Burgos; • Canubay; • Clarin Settlement; • Dolipos Bajo; • Dolipos Alto; • Dulapo; • Dullan Norte; • Dullan Sur; • Lower Lamac; • Layawan; • Lower Langcangan; • Lower Loboc; • Lower Rizal; • Malindang; • Mialen; • Mobod; • Ciriaco C. Pastrano (Nilabo); • Paypayan; • Pines; • Poblacion I; • Poblacion II; • Proper Langcangan; • San Vicente Alto (Dagatan); • San Vicente Bajo (Baybay Dagatan); • Sebucal; • Senote; • Taboc Norte; • Taboc Sur; • Talairon; • Talic; • Toliyok; • Tipan; • Tuyabang Alto; • Tuyabang Bajo; • Tuyabang Proper; • Upper Langcangan; • Upper Lamac; • Upper Loboc; • Upper Rizal (Tipalac); • Victoria; • Villaflor (Transville).

Healthcare Hospitals and healthcare facilities: • Misamis Occidental Provincial Hospital • St. Therese Hospital • Dignum Foundation Hospital • Oroquieta Community Hospital • Tamola-Tan Medical Center.

Education Students coming from Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Occidental come to Oroquieta to pursue their college education.

Southeast Asian Institute Oroquieta City Campus – National Highway, Upper Rizal, Oroquieta City

Misamis University (MU) – Ozamis St. Poblacion 1, Oroquieta City

University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) – Rizal St. Mobod Highway, Oroquieta City

Dr. Solomon U. Molina College (DSUMC) – Independence St. Villaflor, Oroquieta City

C-Lan Institute of Technology – LM Building, Ozamis St. Lower Langcangan, Oroquieta City

Oroquieta Agro Industrial School (OAIS) – Villaflor, Oroquieta City

Southern Capital College (SCC) – Juan Luna St. Poblacion 2, Oroquieta City

Stella Maris College (SMC) – Rizal St. Poblacion 1, Oroquieta City

Misamis Occidental Technological Institute (MOTI) – Pastrano St. Poblacion 1, Oroquieta City

Deor 'N Dune Academe School of Technology – JC Building, Barrientos St. Poblacion 2, Oroquieta City

National Institute for Technical Excellence, Inc. (NITEX) – De Barras Building, Barrientos St. Poblacion 2, Oroquieta City.