Oroquieta

Some sources reveal that the town got its name from the barrio in Spain where Father Toas Tomas Casado, the first parish priest, and General Domingo Moriones y Murillo, a hero in the Battle of Oroquieta, were born.

Another version is that Oroquieta had derived its name from the words oro (gold) and quita or kita (to find), in reference to the early inhabitants who had found gold along the river.

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, resulting from southward migration from Luzon and Visayas to the area.

In 1942, Oroquieta was made the capital of the free Philippines by the recognized 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.

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 southwest 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.

According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 72,301 people,[3] with a density of 300 inhabitants per square kilometre or 780 inhabitants per square mile.

The four major supermarkets in Oroquieta City include Harry Guantero Trading (HGT), Novo Oroquieta, Prince Hypermart Oroquieta, Robinsons Supermarket Oroquieta

Oroquieta City also has three branches of 7-Eleven convenience stores:

First branch - Independence Street near the Misamis Occidental Provincial Hospital Second branch - Independence Street corner Juan Luna Street (near Petron and City Hall annex) Third branch - recently opened, near the provincial capitol complex.

It has also been published recently by the LGU headed by the working mayor Hon. Lemuel Meyrick Acosta that Metro Central Mall will break ground in the city this year 2023. It is expected to boost the economy of Oroquieta in one of his social media live announcements.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities:

• Misamis Occidental Provincial Hospital
• St. Therese Hospital
• Dignum Foundation Hospital
• Oroquieta Community Hospital
• Tamola-Tan Medical Center

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

Secondary schools:

• Misamis Occidental National High School
• Talairon National High School
• Oroquieta City National High School
• Mobod Integrated School
• Misamis Occidental Science and Technology High School
• Senote National High School
• Rizal National High School
• Bunga National High School
• Stella Maris College

• Allen Dizon, actor

• Cagayan de Oro

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Oroquieta.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oroquieta.

• Official website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Local Governance Performance Management System