Plaza de Oro and creating a city with a heart of gold

We continue our ongoing series on Philippine plazas by heading to Mindanao and a city worth its weight in gold — Cagayan de Oro. This is the eighth feature in a journey that has seen us traveling from the Visayas to Batangas, and most recently to Manila. All seven previous features highlight the rich heritage we have not just in terms of landmark structures but also open public spaces.

Cagayan de Oro is the 10th most populous city in the country with over 600,000 souls. It is full of promise despite a setback due to the ravages of typhoon Sendong in 2011. The skyline of the city is fast changing with malls and towers now reframing a place with over 400 years of history.

The city was established as a small settlement in the early 1600s, the result of initiatives of two Augustinian Recollect missionaries. They convinced locals to move to an area inland and beside the Cagayan River in order to protect themselves against raiders.

The immediate area occupied is now known as Gaston Park. It is the city’s main square. The space is defined by the cathedral that replaced the small chapel the missionaries built, and by the City Hall complex, which replaced the Casa Real of the Spanish period.

The town grew over the next two centuries as part of the province of Misamis, which was formalized in 1818. Half a century later the town was made the permanent capital called Cagayan de Misamis. In 1899, it formally joined the government of Emilio Aguinaldo and became part of the first republic. Not long after, the space was used to train the local militia to fight against the Americans.

A famous battle was fought in April of that year on the same site, but the new colonial masters prevailed in the end. The American period brought stability and prosperity to the town. The first mayor of the era was Segundo Gaston. The plaza was eventually named after him. Improvements to the town included a modern water tower erected in 1922. Today, it is the City Museum.

The Second World War brought death and destruction to the town. The church lay in ruins but was rebuilt quickly in a contemporized revival style in 1946.  The rest of the town mended and grew again as a commercial hub, becoming a city in 1950. The Japanese government made amends and planted cherry blossoms around the park.

Today, Gaston Park retains most of the one hectare it’s had since a century ago, with the cathedral complex and City Hall compound on its western edge by the river. In between the two complexes are the Duaw Park, the Ysalina or City Bridge, and tennis courts.

Duaw Park is a fairly new addition, developed in 1987 by former CDO Mayor Ambing Magtajas. It was funded by 120 Kagay-anons exiles who returned to the city after the People Power Revolution.

Gaston Park has evolved into a rotunda park, much like the Elliptical Circle in Quezon City. I have no access to earlier maps that could give a clue as to the space’s original geometry.

The shape of Gaston Park or plaza (as it should be called since it has more paved surfaces than green area) does little to tie the various elements that define it in a way that is pedestrian friendly. The heritage building of the City Hall faces an intersection without much of a foreground to compliment its well-conserved façade.

The cathedral also does not have a parvis (church plaza) in front of it, and sits askew in a corner. This is compounded by the presence of the tennis courts fronting it. The siting of the church therefore makes it look like an afterthought to the composition rather than one of the main elements.

The city museum stands widowed in one corner. It has an engaging enough display of memorabilia, photos, and maps, but it needs to be better integrated, urban design-wise, with the rest of the plaza.

The whole district also misses an opportunity to engage with the river. It could host an esplanade that could connect the plaza, via Duaw Park, to the city hall complex and further up-river to Divisoria Park and farther northward. Ioilo City is already doing this with its esplanade.

I would rate the Cagayan de Oro Plaza a six out of 10. It does have a sizeable area proportionate to the city. Its dancing fountain is a good attraction. The plaza is accessible and offers a variety of activities.

It could, however, be better configured to bring all its disparate elements together. I would suggest changing from circular to square geometry and to consolidate its parking requirements to one side.

The city is reportedly thinking about transferring the City Hall complex to another site. I would advise against it as this central site has historical significance. It would probably be better (and less expensive) to rebuild the civic structures behind the old City Hall into a more integrated and efficient complex than it is today. I’ve seen one too many city halls lose their architectural and civic gravitas, succumbing to the temptation to build tabula rasa in a suburb.

CDO is a fast growing progressive city. It has good momentum from its leaders and a citizenry who appear resilient enough to surmount the challenges of climate change. It could do with change in terms of better urban design that focuses on heritage and open space conservation, in order to create an efficient, inclusive and human-scaled city with a heart of gold.

* * *

Feedback is welcome. Please email the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.