Categories
Misamis Oriental

Kuyamis Festival

Kuyamis Festival is a cultural festival and founding anniversary of the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines held every second week of January.

It is the biggest festival in the province that feature a week-long calendar of activities that take place in Cagayan de Oro City, its capital, and Gingoog City. It was created to introduce the province to the national festival scene and promote agri-tourism by bolstering its local coconut industry.

History of Kuyamis Festival

Kuyamis Festival comes from the Subanen word kuyamis, the variety of sweet coconut that is found in the province. It is also the origin of the name of Misamis.

The tree is described as golden Malayan dwarf coconut tree and widely known as the type of coconut that bears golden-colored fruits. In the olden times, it was the staple food of the early native inhabitants of the province.

The provincial government launched the first Kuyamis Festival under the leadership of Yevgeny Vincente Emano in 2014. The festival is aimed to revitalize the coconut industry in Misamis Oriental and to promote history, eco-tourism, and environmental conservation.

Coconut industry in Misamis Oriental

The province was one of the top five coconut producers in the country with 102,622 hectares of land cultivating the crop according to the Philippine Coconut Authority in 2015. Seven out of ten coconut fruits that it produced were export quality.

Among the products derived from coconut were copra (dried coconut meat) and by-products such as coconut water, oil, fiber, cream, chemicals, and activated carbon. It had ten million productive trees in 2021.

History of Misamis Oriental

Misamis Oriental is part of Region 10, also called Northern Mindanao, which is comprised of the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Occidental. It is bounded the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Norte.

Its first settlers were believed to be Negritoes and later people of Malay descent. Conflicts erupted to wrest control of the floodplains of Cagayan river, with the coming of the people called Visayans driving the group called Bukidnon to escape and settle in upland territories.

In the long years of Spanish rule, it became part of the historical province of Misamis under the province of Cebu. It was instituted as a corregimiento in 1818 with four divisions: Partido de Misamis, Partido de Dapitan, Partido de Cagayan, and Pardio de Catarman.

And in later years, it became one of the seven Spanish-era districts in Mindanao towards the end of the Spanish colonization. The province was later organized during the American period through Act No. 128 in 1901.

By virtue of Act No. 3537 that was passed by the Philippine Legislature, Misamis was split into Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental on November 2, 1929. The law took effect in January 1, 1930, and this is the date that Kuyamis Festival commemorates as the founding anniversary of Misamis Oriental.

Meanwhile, Misamis Occidental observes the Pas’ungko Festival every second of November.

Kuyamis Festival Activities

In Kuyamis Festival, one of the highlights is the exhibition area where booths primarily feature coconut ornaments and showcase products derived from various parts of the coconut tree: food items, handicrafts, woven bags, etc.

There are parade, farmer’s market, sports fest, photo exhibit, bazaars, street dance, job fair, cultural and entertainment shows, LGBT beauty pageant called Queen of Misamis Oriental, and e-sports. Most of the activities occur in the second week of January, and a few of the events may occur weeks prior to the festival.

Miss Kuyamis

Miss Kuyamis is the province’s most prestigious beauty tilt. Candidates represent the constituent localities, and they compete in various events of the pageant that would display their wit, presence, and grace.

How to reach Misamis Oriental

Flights are regularly slated in Laguindingan International Airport in Cagayan de Oro City. Passenger ships and ferries are also plying the routes from different Philippine locations to harbor in a few of its sea ports. One can also take a ride in any of the bus trips from various points in the island of Mindanao.

References

Kuyamis Festival Summary

NameKuyamis Festival
CelebrationCulture, Coconut, Founding
Contact0926 416 9089
CountryPhilippines
DateSecond week of January
Duration1 week
Emailmisorpio@gmail.com
Established2014
Facebookweb.facebook.com
FounderYevgeny Vincente Emano
Instagramwww.instagram.com
LocationMisamis Oriental
OrganizerProvincial Government of Misamis Oriental
Websitewww.misamisoriental.gov.ph