CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- The regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) together with the Office of Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez has recently launched a historical trail to attract residents as well as visitors to the city’s historic sites.

Rodriguez, an advocate of the preservation of history, gathered local historians to form a congressional historical committee that ventured out to research the different historical sites in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin. 

The result of the initiative was the publication of the book Historical Trail, which was formally introduced in August 9, 2023. The book became the guide for DOT Region 10 in formulating the historical trail walkthrough tourism package that would be offered to visitors. 

Starting in Cagayan de Oro City, the team visited 16 historical sites, which include the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral & Convent and Visitation to Birhen sa Kota Shrine, CDO’s Water Tank and Museum, Gaston Park, Duaw Park, Ysalina Bridge, Casa Real (City Hall), Plaza Divisoria and Monuments, Exploring Xavier University, Cucina Higala, Sia Yuga’s Balay na Bato (Rolling Tour), Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (Rolling Tour), Mac Arthur Memorial Marker, Capitol University’s Museum of Three Cultures, Plaza de Los Heroes, Japanese Memorial Marker, and Macahambus Cave and Hill.

Participants were briefed on the  historical significance of each site to better understand the role the sites have played in the past.

Selling the historical tour

Since the historical trail walkthrough differs from other commonly known tour circuits in the region, it might pose a challenge to convincing tourists to participate in the trail. 

However, DOT Regional Director Marie Elaine Unchuan assured the public that their office is creating plans and programs to make the tour enjoyable while providing information and trivia to the participating tourists.

Even if the tour may sound like attending a history class, Unchuan said those who attended for the first time on the trail had enjoyed the almost nine-hour trail around the historical sites of Cagayan de Oro City. Further, DOT-10 will package the historical trail walkthrough tour depending on the profile of the tourists availing of the tour package. 

“This tour will be part of our tour circuit, and our tour operators, hopefully, will be selling it soon. But, in the meantime, for two months, we will be giving this tour for free to all of our sectors: LGU officials, stakeholders, and tourists, so that they will be able to tell us how we can improve the tour before we do the actual selling and the launch,” Unchuan said.

Though it is still a work in progress, DOT-10 wants to make the historical trail walk-through tour one of their most popular tours, not just to increase tourism arrivals but to let tourists appreciate the rich culture and history that Cagayan de Oro City has.

Expanding the historical trail book

Wanting to go further with the historical trail book, Rodriguez vows to expand the trail not just in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin but also to venture out to other provinces of the region.

"We are going to make sure that this will not be the last edition. We will have an edition to include suggestions to include other historical places in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, and Camiguin. We will have the works from Marawi, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Misamis Occidental, and this can be added to the book," Rodriguez said.

With the start of the historical trail walk-through, Rodriguez is confident that more regular historical trail walk-throughs will be conducted by the DOT so that the Kagay-anons and other tourists will better appreciate the history of how the city came to be. 

After the Cagayan de Oro leg, the team plans to launch the Misamis Oriental and Camiguin leg of the historical trail walk-through tour so that tourists who opt to visit the said provinces can also appreciate the historical sites found in the said areas. (JAKA/PIA-10)