Cagayan River (Cagayan de Oro) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

For the Cagayan River in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

, see Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...

.

Cagayan River, often called as Cagayan de Oro River, is one of the rivers draining the northern central part of the island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

of Mindanao

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...

in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. The river has its headwaters in the Kalatungan Mountain Range

Kalatungan Mountain Range

Kalatungan Mountain Range is a mountain range located in the central portion of the province of Bukidnon. It is one of the few areas in the province covered with old growth or mossy forests...

found in the central part of the province of Bukidnon

Bukidnon

Bukidnon is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Malaybalay City. The province borders, clockwise starting from the north, Misamis Oriental, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte, Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.Bukidnon is...

. It traverses the Municipalities of Talakag

Talakag, Bukidnon

Talakag is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 53,316 people and 8,342 households based on 2000 census.-Origin of Name:...

, Baungon

Baungon, Bukidnon

Baungon is a 2nd class municipality in the northern part of the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. It is about 132 kilometers north of Malaybalay City passing through Cagayan de Oro, which is about 30 kilometers from Imbatug, the towns poblacion. It is bounded on the northeast by the Libona, at the...

and Libona

Libona, Bukidnon

Libona is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 35,670 people in 6,459 households.-History of Libona:...

, picking up tributaries along the way. It finally empties into the Macajalar Bay

Macajalar Bay

Macajalar Bay is a deep water bay located north of the Province of Misamis Oriental on the Mindanao island, southern part the Philippines. Cagayan de Oro City, being the regional center of Northern Mindanao , is located in one of its deep-water harbor...

at Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

in the Province of Misamis Oriental

Misamis Oriental

Misamis Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital and provincial center is Cagayan de Oro City...

.

The river serves as the natural boundary

Border

Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...

between the Province of Bukidnon

Bukidnon

and Iligan City

Iligan City

The City of Iligan is a highly urbanized industrial city north of the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines, and the province's former capital. It is approximately 795 kilometers southeast of Manila...

and between Bukidnon

Bukidnon

and Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

, based on the administrative order issued by the defunct Department of Mindanao and Sulu during the American occupation of the Philippines

Philippines

. In Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

, it is the dividing line between its two Congressional districts.

Cagayan River is a very popular site for whitewater rafting in the Philippines

Philippines

and has been promoted by the Department of Tourism

Department of Tourism (Philippines)

The Department of Tourism is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the regulation of the Philippine tourism industry and the promotion of the Philippines as a tourist destination....

as the main tourist attraction of Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

Etymology

The original name of the river is Kalambaguasasahan River, because of the presence of Lambago trees (Hibiscus tiliaceus, a member of the Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...

tree family that only thrives in low altitude areas like seashores, riverbanks and other areas reached by tidal streams) along the river banks. During the arrival of the Spaniards in Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

, the name was changed to Cagayan River.

The name of the river Cagayan comes from the Malayo-Polynesian word "Ag", which means water. "Kagay" means river and "Kagayan" is place with a river.

Course

The river's headwaters is found in the Kalatungan Mountain Range

Kalatungan Mountain Range

Kalatungan Mountain Range is a mountain range located in the central portion of the province of Bukidnon. It is one of the few areas in the province covered with old growth or mossy forests...

, in the central portion of the Province of Bukidnon

Bukidnon

. It flows northward towards the City of Cagayan de Oro for about 90 kilometers before emptying into the Macajalar Bay

Macajalar Bay

Drainage Area

The river drains an area of approximately 1,521 square kilometers. About 80% of the drainage basin is located in the Province of Bukidnon

Bukidnon

and the rest is in Iligan City

Iligan City

and Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Cagayan de Oro River are the following:

Kalawaig River
Tagite River
Bubunaoan River

Mouth

The river's mouth is located in Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

. After a 90-kilometer course from the mountains of Bukidnon

Bukidnon

, the river finally discharges its load to the Macajalar Bay

Macajalar Bay

Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking

Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking and River Trekking has been one of the tourism activities being promoted in the river. The city administration and the Department of Tourism

Department of Tourism (Philippines)

made it as the banner tourism activity in Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro City

Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...

. The jump-off point of the river, whitewater rafting is at Barangay Mambuaya, a 30-40 minute ride from the city proper.

Recently, whitewater rafting in the Cagayan River is gaining popularity through the years after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...

and other famous personalities in the country have tried the challenging whitewater rafting in the river.

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