Places in Cagayan de Oro City that Remind Me of My Childhood

Places in Cagayan de Oro City that Remind Me of My Childhood

Yeah, you know how it is, when years have been added to your age –like lots of it? You become nostalgic, just like that. During my recent trip, home, I decided on reliving my childhood memories by visiting places from the past.

The Cagayan de Oro City that I so loved the most, is drawn from my childhood memories of the city, in the early eighties to the early nineties.

Back when tattered or acid washed were pertaining to, distressed pants and stone-washed jeans. Or when pastel-colored high cut reeboks, determined status quo. Or knapsacks made of abaca or nito materials, hang on the backs of most highschool boys.

While stories like that of a big fish(?) made of gold, living under the Cagayan River or of a white lady occasionally seen at The Hotel Alta Tierra, made the city, a bit interesting.

( Hotel Alta Tierra, now the Pryce Hotel)

Back then, when the bridges crossing over the Cagayan River, going to the city, were only the ones by Carmen and Consolacion. (now, there are two additional bridges: one along J.R. Borja and the other along Puntod)

Or the ways, to keep me from ” laag sa udtong tutok” was for our house help, to mention names like: Bernalda, Badak and Toochie.

(So, for fear of running into those, “personalities”, I stayed at home and watched“Student Canteen” , instead. Or stayed beside the transistor, of our laundry woman and listened, to ” Teban and Goliath” and “Saging Mantikaan”.)

Bread was ensaymada from Afhat Bakery or monay from Shanghai Bakery.

Pansit was from Bagong Lipunan, patatim was from King’ s.

(while my Dad’s printing press, Reyban Print Master -was located between Pacana-Capistrano and Burgos streets, while his restaurant, Sitti Hawa ( renamed as Sandino’s) was at Tiano-Pacana Streets)

The movie houses I knew of were Kairo, Roket, Nation and Gold then later on, the movie house which introduced the first, dolby systems surround, Sky-Hi.

( still pretty amazed how the KetKai’s actually figure in my childhood memories, with Roket and Kairo and then LImketkai) 😉

The malls were Gaisano, Ororama and LimKetKai. The market place was either Cogon or Carmen.

The schools then, that most people I knew went to, were, Xavier, Lourdes, Liceo, Pilgrim, CCC, ( Capitol University) COC , (City Central, DMMPSC ( or Mindanao University of Science and Tech) and MOGCHS.

There were schools that were just relatively new that time, like Sacred Heart, Little School House /Corpus Cristie, St. Mary’s and my school, Montessori de Oro.

These schools by the way, were the alma mater of most freshmen whom I formed friendships with, in U.P. Diliman. We belong to those batch of freshies from Cagayan de Oro City (CdeOC), who’d just get homesick, after receiving (from members of the campus regional org, Kagayhaan) , fliers that read,

“Gimingaw ka na ba sa Ketkai?”

(Ketkai ra intawon ang among gi kamingawon sa una)

But nowadays, the young ones of CdeoC, who are studying away from home, would have a long list of places that they might miss.

“Gimingaw ka na ba sa KetKai?

…sa Centrio? sa SM? sa Robinson’s? sa White Water Rafting? sa Zipline? sa Pueblo? sa night Cafe?

or sa imong trato? ♥♥♥

Cagayan de Oro City, today, is a progressive city -bursting with commercial buildings, real estate development, malls, restaurants, and golf courses. (with The Sys, the Ayalas and the Gokongweis having businesses in the city)

The city now boasts of tourist sites -places that were never there, when I was growing up. Or of tourists sites that might have been there before, but were not yet developed then.

Every time I go home, I get to visit the new attractions there.

But for my recent trip home, which was two weeks ago, I included in my itinerary, the places in Cagayan de Oro City that reminded me of my childhood.

In fact it has been a long time, since I last saw those places. And I wanted to see those places, once again.

As I have told someone recently,

” tinahak ko ang mga daan at lugar ng aking kabataan, sa Cagayan de Oro City.”

1. St. Augustine Cathedral ( San Agustin Cathedral)

Sunday was and is family day in my family. We would start it off, by going to church. ( then the beach afterwards)

2. Gaston Park

Gaston park is the park by the cathedral and the place to be, when I was a little girl.

There is a huge fountain in the middle of this park.

Popcorn, balloons and pancakes with star margarine were sold here.

And this was also the meeting place of lovers. ( or still is, as the picture shows:)

There used to be a group of photographers here, who roam around and take pictures of you and your family, for a fee.

( mga Maniniyot -no, not rated PG- that really is our word for that)

3. City Hall

4. The Provincial Capitol

5. Mc Arthur Park

6. Capistrano-Pacana-Burgos streets

Before my Dad bought our house, in brgy. Consolacion, ( which was previously owned by The Aguilars who had to migrate to the States, then), our family used to live, in a rented apartment in Pacana Burgos.

That was first where my Dad’s printing press was.

This was the apartment where our printing press used to be: ( before it was transferred to Consolacion)

Right across the apartment was the house of Dr. and Mrs. Dayrit.

It was a large house. ( and it still is now)

I remembered it having, so many cars parked in its garage.

Mrs. Dayrit made and sold great butter cakes. ( our birthday cakes were always bought there, till Mrs. Dayrit stopped making them and bakeshops began opening in the city)

For some reason, I do remember the names of their househelps: Nong Sano and Nang Paz.

A few meters away from our apartment, was my favorite theater then – Kairo Theater.( now, Savemore)

It was where I first experienced my full length movie, E.T. -later on followed by Sharon Cuneta Films like P.S. I Love You and Dear Heart.

7. Divisoria and The City of Golden Friendship Park

the fruit stand

This was what used to be the Amphi Theater -where “The Amatyur” (or the amateur singing contest of the radio station D.X.C.C.) was held.

Golden Friendship Supermart was the mini-mart, I used to go to, as a young child.

9. The Pelaez Sports Center

My Dad used to go here, either to jog or play basketball. While my younger brothers, wearing their matching ” Reyban Print Master” jerseys, would tag along with him. I remember, this was also where the City hosted the Palarong Panlalawigan, and the Palarong Pambansa.

So more than saying “Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center”, I was familiar with the place as “Palaro”. I would have more likely said,

” adto ta sa Palaro” than “adto ta sa Pelaez Sports Center”.

10. The Post Office

this was where I used to mail my letters, for my pen pals from IYS:

11. Bagong Lipunan Restaurant (and their pansit)

( this Bagong Lipunan Restaurant, is not the one on its old location, this one is near City Central School)

12. Brgy. Consolacion

This is the right side of the Cagayan River that runs along Brgy. Consolacion.

The same suba (river) where I used to swim and catch ‘gunting-gunting. ♥

This is the street in my simple barangay, where I used to play patintero, bagol-bagol and iskate.

yeah, home!