Halloween in Cagayan de Oro: What is it like?

Posted by Jane on

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Halloween is a fairly western concept and hasn’t reached Philippine shores until recent years. In Cagayan de Oro, you’ll find that the city’s Halloween celebration is a mixture of the old and the new, combining a wonderful mix of tradition and western-style trick-or-treating and costume parties.

Here’s a look at how kagay-anons celebrate Halloween in the City of Golden Friendship.

1. HALLOWEEN-THEMED Events

All throughout the month of October, businesses all over the city are abuzz with Halloween-y events. Grocery and department stores giving away prizes to costumed guests, shop personnel sporting face paints and costumes, stores decked out in all kinds of spooky decor, and even a night city cruise for the more adventurous. Most of these events aren’t advertised prominently though, so you’ll find out about this through Facebook posts and tags from your kagay-anon friends. If you’re new to the city, make sure to ask the locals and they’ll surely point you to the right (fun!) direction.

Here at Primavera Residences, we also have our own set of Halloween events lined up this year. Throughout the month of October, Kagay-anons and people from nearby provinces can dress up their pets in their best costumes and submit the photo to our Official Facebook page.

Three winning pets will be awarded 6 months, 3 months, and 1 month of FREE PET GROOMING services courtesy of PetPerk, CDO’s premier pet groomer.

The contest runs until October 31, so you can still send your entries!

One of the entries in Primavera's #HOWLoweenPAWty pet costume contest. Vote for your favorite entries HERE.
One of the entries in Primavera’s #HOWLoweenPAWty pet costume contest. Vote for your favorite entries HERE.

Last October 25, guests at Primavera Residences were also treated to a carnival-style open house event. No tricks, just treats and loads of fun!

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2. HALLOWEEN PARTIES

In Cagayan de Oro, most Halloween parties are done by kagay-anons in the comfort of their homes. It’s where families and friends can go all out and indulge in the biggest spook-fest they could come up with. This involves dressing up in costumes, going on a horror movie marathon, or even having horror-rific photo shoots.

Establishments such as bars, clubs, and hotels also have their own halloween parties where guests can go all out in their fun costumes.

Photo from INCDO.com
Photo from INCDO.com

3. Undas

Of course, as part of the Filipino tradition called “Undas”, kagay-anons flock to the cemeteries and memorial gardens on All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day to visit and remember family, relatives, and friends who have passed away. Offering candles, flowers, and food, crowds  of visitors gather in the memorial gardens, and you’ll often find that all roads leading there are blocked with massive traffic.

 

Just like its customs and celebrations on Halloween, Cagayan de Oro is indeed a perfect blend of  the old and the new – the best of both worlds. If you find yourself travelling to CDO anytime soon, Primavera Residences offers units for short-term or long-term stay. Ready for occupancy condominium units are also available for purchase, with the in-house asset management team ready to assist you in maximizing your investment.

For more details about Primavera Residences, visit www.primaveraresidences.com or drop a message at http://www.facebook.com/condoprimavera.

 

Are You Ready for this Year’s Higalaay Kagay-an Festival?

Posted by Jane on

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HIGALAAY, the visayan word for FRIENDSHIP, is the central theme for Cagayan de Oro’s city fiesta. Being the City of Golden Friendship, it is but appropriate at this time of the year to celebrate friendships new and old in honor of the city’s patron saint St. Augustine.

So, are you ready for an entire month of festivities? Check out what’s in store for Kagay-anons and tourists this August!

  1. The Mindanao Fashion Summit

    From August 8 to 10, fashion designers from the different parts of Mindanao will display their respective Mindanaoan Collections in an all-out fashion extravaganza with the theme “Local Designs – Global Impact”.

  2. Kumbira

    What’s a fiesta celebration without food? Kagay-anons sure know how to celebrate festival season with the KUMBIRA (a local word which means “feast”). Now on its 18th year, the longest-running culinary show in the entire country is back with the theme: Throwback @ 18: Looking Back… Cooking Forward.” From August 13 – 15, the three-day event features food exhibits, seminars, and exciting competitions participated by food enthusiasts, restaurants, hotels, resorts, culinary schools, and professional chefs from all over the country. This year, an additional competition for junior and kiddie chefs have also been added.

  3. Garden Show and Agri Fair

    Starting on August 8 until the 31st, the historic Gaston Park will be home to an exhibit of garden plants and artistic landscaping from local gardeners. This year’s fair will also include a showcase of agricultural products from the different barangays of Cagayan de Oro.

  4. Kagay-an Festival Marathon

    The city’s sports enthusiasts and runners won’t be left out with the inclusion of the Kagay-an Festival marathon in this year’s lineup of festivities.  With the goal of becoming the country’s next top running destination, Kagay-an Festival run includes a 3KM, 5KM, 21KM, and 42KM run.

  5. Cowboy Festival

    The 10th Annual Cagayan de Oro Horse Show is one of the fiesta’s key events and draws horsemen of different levels of expertise from all over the country. With events such as the Oval Race, Obstacle Race, and Barrel Race among others, it’s a festival not only for cowboys but for enthusiasts of all ages as well. The cowboy festival runs from August 22-24.

  6. Kahimunan Northern Mindanao Food and Lifestyle Show

    From August 23- 30, head over to SM City CDO for a showcase of the region’s best SME products like processed food, handicrafts, organic and natural goods, innovative products, and many others.

  7. Miss Cagayan de Oro 2014

    CDO’s prestigious pageant is an annual event to search for young women with beauty, charm, and wit that will represent Cagayan de Oro as its ambassador of Goodwill. The event features several activities prior to the coronation night on August 23 including the talent show, swimsuit competition, and evening gown competition. For the third year, Primavera Residences will choose and award Ms. Primavera 2014  based on elegance, intelligence, and beauty – traits which are aligned with the company’s multi-awarded building in Cagayan de Oro,  Primavera Residences. 

  8. Kagay-an Pyro Festival

    The kagay-anon skies will light up once more with the grand fireworks competition staged at SM City every year. On August 25, head over to uptown Cagayan de Oro to view the stunning fireworks which is a prelude to the city fiesta. (Bonus tip: the fireworks can best be viewed from the rooftop of Primavera Residences!)

  9. Street Dancing: Cagayan de Oro Carnival

    No festival is complete without a colorful parade of dancers lining up the streets. On August 24, the streets of Cagayan de Oro will be marked by an array of colors and costumes and merry carnival music. So head on over with your dazzling costume and join in the fray!

  10. PE Rhythmic Dance Competition

    It’s the PE students’ chance to showcase their special dance and field demonstration in a grand competition that involves a total of 8 different schools with 800 pupils per school!

  11. Higalas Parade of Floats and Icons

    On 7am of August 27, the civic-military parade will begin from Rodelsa Circle and will end at Limketkai Center. This year’s theme is “Ako ug ang Suba Managhigala” (The River and I are friends) which depicts the interdependence between man and nature in relation to the mighty Cagayan River.

So, are you ready for the Kagay-an fiesta activities? We sure are! So stay posted for more articles and features about the upcoming Higalaay Kagay-an Festival activities. We hope to see you in some of those events!

 

Want to know more about the award-winning Primavera Residences in Cagayan de Oro? Go here.