St Augustine’s Fiesta, Cagayan de Oro
The annual fiesta in honor of Cagayan de Oro’s patron saint, Saint Augustine, is held the end of August of each year. I was able to catch the fiesta two years ago, but this time I was a bit more prepared for it. Even President Gloria Arroyo is in town for the festivities.
The parade started at 6:30 AM, which is a bit early for me, but a wise decision considering the length of the parade and the potential heat here. The parade lasted until after 11 AM, more than 4.5 hours, and there must have been in excess of 10,000 participants in the parade itself. While not nearly as extravagent as New Orleans Mardi Gras parades I’ve seen, in certainly matches or exceeds it in the number of people involved and the exhuberance of the participants and observers as well.
Every local high school had a band in the parade, each with at least a couple of hundred band members. I lost count at 7 or 8 and quit counting, but there must have been 15 or 16 different highschools particpating.
I wasn’t able to get a lot of good photos, but I did manage to capture this beaty, Mrs. Philippines, a stunning yet classical example of Filipina beauty.
The hotels are packed, the streets are teeming with pedestians, and the shopping malls are prohibatively packed with people. I spent an hour in a taxi trying to get from one side of the city to the other, before deciding to turn around and go back to my hotel to get some work done. Apparently, one of two main bridges across the river was closed due to President Gloria Arroyo’s arrival.
I posted a photo gallery of the 2007 Saint Augustine’s Fiesta Parade in Cagayan de Oro on my other blog.
June 10th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I used to live in Cagayan de Oro. I love those parade during Fiesta, but they’re very painful on my feet. I used to strut in short skirts twirling a baton.
June 21st, 2007 at 9:16 am
I was born in Cagayan de Oro before these big malls where even constructed. The 2006 Cagayan de Oro Fiesta was one of the worst in my memory. The worst was when the City Fiesta was canceled around 2001 due to “terror threats”.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I truly miss CDOC! Most especially, the people back home. I never miss to watch the city parade not until I left the country. I’m proud to say that Cagayan de Oro is a peaceful city. It’s sad to hear of the misconceptions of some Filipinos who haven’t been there yet who thought of the place as war torn and way behind on developments. The fact is, CDOC is a booming city with lots of rooms for progress.
March 5th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
My home, my city. I will always yearn for it. No matter where I go and wherever my life’s journeys take me, I will always wish one day I’ll be back in the City of Golden Friendship. No other city comes close and they all pale in comparison to Cagayan de Oro City.
March 26th, 2009 at 5:15 am
yezzz i truly miz cag de oro. I took my college in Cag De Oro College. Taga Leyte po ako but becoz matagal-tagal po ako dun sa Carmen, Cag. napamahal na po sakin ang CDO dahil marami akong ma meet na frendz there at of course mizz ko rin mga classmate ko sa COC at yong teacher ko na very lovable no other than Ms.Moncay.Txt nyo naman ako if naalala nyo pa c Bobobng Magdua (09155930390)hahahaha. Miz you Cag De oRO.
December 17th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I am currently living with my family here
in Washington,d.c now for years, life here
is good .that’s for sure, but my heart longed
to see my beloved cagayan de oro,again
I miss my parents,siblings,our house,my pet doggie
named “Joyce “,my friends,foods: piniritong
bulad, sinugbang isda! Guso nga salad ,
piniritong ginamos nga may kamatis, camote tops
salad oh, that’s yum! well as of now I will be
dreaming of those goodies until we go home
in February of 2010 hopefully my mom promise
me to cook all those things I have mentioned .So,
cagayan de oro in less than two months .I will see
you again!!