Pasko de Oro at Gaston Park

   

                                                  

The local government of Cagayan de Oro under Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy marked its Christmas celebration with the launching of Pasko de Oro in the evening of December 9, 2025. A formal ceremony with a program started the occasion near the city hall. The ceremony culminated with firework displays which delighted thousands of spectators. Simultaneously, Christmas lights were lit on trees and in the fountain at Gaston Park. The fountain stood out as the main attraction after the fireworks. The main fountain and smaller fountains in the pool shoot water that was illuminated with colored lights. The trees in the park become natural Christmas trees with colored lights. At the backdrop is the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral whose front is also adorned with lights. The atmosphere around the place signifies that Christmas spirit is in the air for people who were there during the event.

Gaston Park

  

Gaston Park is a tree covered recreational area situated right at the heart of Cagayan de Oro and is one of the landmarks of the city. It sits on the ground near other landmarks such as the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, the city hall, the city museum which is also the old water tower, the Ysalina Bridge and the Cagayan River.

The historic park is named after Segundo Gaston who was the mayor of Cagayan de Misamis, the former name of the city, from 1916 to 1919. Its location was the site of early Spanish-led native settlement, and the training ground of Filipino warriors during the Philippine-American War. It was also there where a battle on April 7, 1900, between the Filipino, led by Gen. Nicolas Capistrano, and American forces took place. In the year 2000, a marker was erected to commemorate that historic event.

Medium-sized trees of different varieties adorn the area of the circular shaped park. Among the trees are Cherry Blossoms which were donated by the Japanese. The trees with their lush green leaves and flowers give a sense of eco-friendly environment in and around the park.  

    

                                                                                                               

The fountain with pool, which is one of the park’s attractions, forms a concentric circle within the park. The circular park is divided into sections with the fountain at the center. The edge of the park is surrounded by trees and pairs of tree planted islands serve as boundaries of the sections. In between the pairs of islands are walkways. The tops on both sides of each island double as benches for visitors. The park’s floor is covered with adobe like pavements. Other attractions include Typhoon Sendong Memorial which gives a glimpse of the devastation caused by the event in December 2011, and the list of the people who perished in the tragedy.

 

People of all walks of life visit the park. The shade of the trees shelters them from the blistering heat of the sun during sunny days. Some people hang around there to relax; others stay there to meet or gather with friends. Still others go there to take pictures of themselves, friends and loved ones. Students who are off their class spend their time practicing dancing or doing other activities. The park is a place to stroll around alone or with friends, and, to some lovers, a dating rendezvous. Because of its proximity to the Catholic cathedral, the park is a convenient hangout for faithful coming to and going from the mass. 

                     

        

                                                   

During fiesta and other occasions, the park is a place where small businesspeople can display their goods to sell to visitors. The goods for sale include decorative plants, vegetables, fruits, foods, and souvenir items.

The Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral of Cagayan de Oro

                    

In 1622, Father Agustin de San Pedro and other Spanish priests explored a place along Cagaiang river for an evangelism mission. On a promontory was a native settlement called Himulugan and was headed by Datu Salangsag. At first the natives were not receptive to the missionaries since they were under the protection of Sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao and were paying tributes to him. To deal with the issue, the priests convinced the Datu and his followers to move to a new settlement that was safer from attack and harassment from other rival non-Christian natives. They moved to another promontory by the river and established their settlement there. Father Agustin who was also called El Padre de Capitan and the other priests were able to convert the native to Christianity and built the first church with fortification that was made of light materials in 1624. Datu Dabao, with his Manobo warriors, attacked the settlement and the church in 1649. However, El Padre de Capitan and the native villagers were able to repel their enemies and rebuild the church.

In 1778, the church was burned, and Father Pedro de Santa Barbara replaced it with a bigger church in 1779. In honor to the priest who was responsible for the establishment of the church and the village, the priest and the natives called it the Church of Saint Augustine. And consequently, it followed that the patron saint of the church and the place was Saint Augustine of Hippo. In 1831 that church was razed by fire and after that incident not another church was built again. Ten years later in 1841 Father Simon Loscos, with the help of Mayor Don Jose Corrales constructed a stone church that was completed in 1853. Father Ramon Zueco the parish priest of Cagayan brought therein an organ pipe from Manila. In 1888, a wooden cross was erected at the front of the church. 

During the Second World War, the church was destroyed by the bombings. And after the war in 1946, Archbishop James Hayes S.J., the first archbishop of Cagayan, along with the populace started the construction of a new cathedral and convent. Stained glasses from Sacred Heart Chapel of New York were installed in the church. The cathedral that was built is the one that exists today in its present location.

The Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral is the seat of Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. It was a former territory of the archdiocese of Cebu and Jaro from 1607 to 1910. Its administration was later transferred to the archdiocese of Zamboanga from 1911 to 1933. After all those years Cagayan was canonically established as an archdiocese.

The church is near some of the city’s major landmarks such as Gaston Park, the old water tower, the city hall, the Ysalina Bridge, and the Cagayan de Oro River. Its architectural style is neo-Gothic with adjacent buildings that facilitate church operations and other activities. There is a large cross in front of its main entrance. A dome in the center of the roof is the recent addition to the church building.  

Today, the Saint Augustine Cathedral is the premier house of worship of thousands of faithful Catholics. It is not only a church but also an institution that is connected to the city's historic and cultural developments.  

Related blogs:\

Hagia Sophia, a Beautiful, Historic World Monument https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2014/12/hagia-sophia-beautiful-historic-monument.html

Cagayan de Oro City Museum (The Old Water Tank) http://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2025/09/cagayan-de-oro-city-museum-old-water.html

Vicente de Lara Park https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2012/12/vicente-de-lara-park.html

The McArthur Memorial Marker of Cagayan de Oro https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-macarthur-memorial-marker-of.html

 

Cagayan de Oro City Museum (The Old Water Tower)

The Cagayan de Oro City Museum is an odd-looking white cylindrical structure that is located along Fernandez Street in Barangay 1, which is just a few steps from Gaston Park and Saint Augustine Cathedral. This structure is an old water tower built during the American era in 1919 and completed in 1922. Its surface has three red stripes from the top to the base. The actual long unused water tank is on the highest level which is marked with thick red stripes on the top and a thin red stripe on the bottom. Right under that marker is a window. Further below are three enclosed levels which also serve as the support of the water tank. These levels have spaces that can be used as an office or a repository of things. On the side are vertical steps that go all the way to the tank.  On the base is a door and above it are Roman numerals A. D. MCMXXII which is A. D. 1922 in the Arabic numbers.                                                                                                         

When it was in operation the water tank used to provide water to an estimated 3,000 residents in the heart of Cagayan de Misamis. Its water was sourced with the use of steel pipes from Mahuganaw spring in Malasag, Baranggay Cugman. The Second World War caused massive damage to the infrastructures of Cagayan. Fortunately, the water tower survived the bombings and remained active until the early 70’s. Over the years, with the city’s growth in population and economy, the facility could no longer meet the water demand of the populace. Eventually, the water tank had to be closed, but the whole structure was not abandoned. The lower levels were still used for office work or other activities.

The old structure is not aesthetically pleasing. Its levels inside are not an ideal design for modern-day offices either because of their circular areas. However, the structure is the oldest in the city. Keeping it holds relevance to the city’s history. In 2008, Mayor Constantino Jaraula and the city council approved a resolution to convert it into a museum, and it became operational in 2010.

Inside the museum are mementoes, memorabilia and other objects that are relevant to the city’s history and culture. They include framed written accounts of the city’s history, pictures or portraits of past city mayors, weapons and uniforms, fragments of old China wares, fossils, gold nuggets, indigenous persons’ heritage items, and other things of historic values.

Today, the city museum is available for free to visitors from 9:30 am to 5 pm. It is open from Monday to Friday, and close on Saturday and Sunday including public holidays. Visitors can get inside by first registering at the museum admin office building which is just adjacent to the old water tower.

The Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral of Cagayan de Oro

http://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-saint-augustine-metropolitan.html

Vicente de Lara Park

https://lapasan-myblognoel145.blogspot.com/2012/12/vicente-de-lara-park.html