Aside from the natural treasures and the beautiful spots, the main attraction of the city is the warm welcome and the tremendous amount of hospitality the Kagay-anons have. With this, both foreigners and local tourists can agree that they are taken aback by the welcoming aura and the pleasant vibes the locals give them. And for that reason, the name “city of golden friendship” came into conception.
As a bonus to the welcoming vibes, because of the warmth and hospitality of the people, the extravagant sceneries and the infinite numbers of fun-filled activities put the city in the top spot as the adventure capital of Northern Mindanao.
The city is popularly known as the White Water Rafting Capital of the Philippines. Anyone who has been to the city and has experienced rafting can attest the comedic character and the warm friendliness of the guides. It also comes along with diverse types of nature parks which makes tourists flock to the area. In order to sufficiently make these parks very adventurous for tourists, the Cagayan de Oro Tourism industry has encouraged locals to install zip lines and other thrilling rides for a showcase. Thus, the welcoming vibes and the place full of wonderful adventures have become the trademark of the city.
Kagay-anon’s favorite expressions
The dialect in Cagayan de Oro is pretty much similar to Cebuano dialect which is called the “Visayan” language. However, there are some few words that differ.
One good example is that Kagay-anons love saying the expression, “Tsada,” sometimes spelled as “Chada.”The word literally means “nice,” and it has the same meaning to the Cebuano’s “nindot.” This is the usual expression that the locals use for praising something or when indicating something positive that provides a happy mood. In relation to the word “tsada” is the word “bibo” which literally means “lively” or full of fun. Kagay-anons enjoy this expression to describe anything positive or that give feelings of happiness. Simply put, Tsada is an expression for anything “nice.” In relation to Tsada is “bibo” and this word means “lively” or “fun.” The word gives the best description of the vibes during days of festivities and celebrations such as fiestas, parties, parades, concerts, or even a simple family gathering, etc.
The city features a unique Motorela
From jeepney rides to the cheapest taxi fares, we can all safely say that the Philippines has one of the cheapest fares for commuting in East Asia. While it is encouraged that foreign tourists should try riding the jeepney and multicab (a smaller version of jeepney), anyone who is planning to go to the city should also try the motorela. CDO’s motorela, in comparison to other cities’ tricycle, is one of its kind in terms of setup and design. Unlike in other regions in the Philippines that uses the “tricycle” type of sidecar which can only cater 2–3 passengers, the motorela can cater up to 6. This is pretty similar to Thailand’s Tuktuk, in which it can even be able to carry up to 8 passengers.
A bar named after the city
If you want to hang out to have some great activities in Cagayan de Oro but not to the point that you will get caught in a nightlife then there is no doubt that the CDO bar is the right bar for you. As a bar that is actually named itself after the city, it has a very unique feature due to the fact that it has a strict closing time of 11:00 p.m. This is quite out of the usual thing since most of the bars, even in the international standards, close at around 3:00 a.m. The CDO bar is located near the new bridge specifically at the Paseo del Rio.
Acoustic live bands present in every bar
One of the main difference between the bars in the northern part of the country and in those that are in Cagayan de Oro is that bars in CDO still host full live acoustic bands. Singers make their own acoustic version of different varieties of genres. Usually, there are around 2 to 3 members with one and two guitars with a beatbox in each performance. This will most likely bring the live upbeat music to the next level as you enjoy dancing, singing or even with just a plain conversation with a friend while getting tipsy a bit. There isn’t a single bar in CDO that includes the parts of its features a live full acoustic band. However, the ones that truly have lived its name are Inilog Grill Lokal Grill, Loreto’s Grill, Lokal Grill, Blue Duck Bar (Mallberry Suites), Lexi’s Bar and Grill, Blue Duck Bar, and De Kalsada Bar and Grill.
Hang out by the bridge with a vehicle!
It is evident within Kagay-anons that they are fond of hanging out in bridges. During the 80’s and the 90’s people used to flock around the Marcos bridge in which they’d bring drinks and stereo to enjoy the scenery. Furthermore, every Friday night and during weekends, you will be surprised to see vehicles flocking on the side of the bridge with groups of friends, families and even co-workers hanging out to have a break from stress. However, there was a point when a local ban was commenced against this trend. During those times, the trend has seemingly died. But when various new bridges were constructed such as the new the new bridges at Paseo del Rio, Pelaez Bridge and Kauswagan Bridge the trend had risen up again quickly the trend quickly. There is no doubt that there is something truly magical within the river of Cagayan de Oro as it draws locals to hang out there and have some fun.
Kagay-anons love to sing as stress release
If you tour around parts of the city such as Divisoria and Corrales Avenue, you will be able to find the best KTV bars grouped there like the Lifestyle District and Grand Central. Similar to the Japanese people, Kagay-anons have the special stress-relieving hobby of going out for karaokes after hard days of work. It will be common to see either friends, family or even office-mates to group around and flock to KTV bars all over the city to sing their favorite songs and compete to get the highest scores!
Coffee or tea?
Walk around Divisoria and you will be able to see the high density of coffee and tea shops which is almost equal to at least two per block. Furthermore, if you check out the malls, especially along Corrales Avenue and the entertainment arcades, you can also see Cagayan de Oro milk tea or coffee shop branches or whole new kind shops around. There’s just something about going into tea shops or coffee shops that are special for Kagay-anons. The usual activity involves ordering a drink or two, and either study or relax with a friend in conversation or just to simply scan on a gadget.
The crave for sweets is just there
Are coffee and tea shops not sufficient enough? Then you must try the numerous pastry and sweet shops available around the city. In fact, The City of Cagayan de Oro is known to be the sweets and pastry capital of the Northern Mindanao. Aside from the various types of shops emerging throughout the city, one of the major reasons for this is due to the number of quality sweet and pastry chef schools around as well. The ones that are pretty well-known establishments are Bread Talk, Missy Bonbon, Lexy’s Sweet Kitchen, and Sweet House.
Bottom line, as for the fun facts above mentioned, this can assure you as a plan your travel in CDO that it will surely be memorable. More than the tag “City of Golden Friendship” lies a district full of natural and urban wonders. So, if you’re looking for an area with minimal stress, entertaining, and adventurous, then perhaps Cagayan de Oro is for you!
Originally published at cagayandeoro.com on February 20, 2018.