Gitagum, officially the Municipality of Gitagum (; ), is a municipality in the province of Misamis Oriental, Philippines. The municipality is bounded on the north by Mindanao Sea, on the east by the Municipality of Laguindingan, on the south by the Municipality of Alubijid and on the west the Municipality of Libertad. It is approximately 40 km away from Cagayan de Oro. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 19,269 people.
The municipality of Gitagum stretches along the shoreline of Mindanao Sea having an approximate length of 6.2 km. It has a total land area of 4,340 hectares or 43.40 square kilometers which is only 1.18% of the total land area of the province of Misamis Oriental. There are eleven barangays of which four are urban areas due to their strategic location along the national highway and along the Iligan Bay. Light commercial and industrial establishments are found in these barangays. Built up areas for urban uses comprise only 2. 5% of the total land area of Gitagum, which is utilized for residential uses and within the vicinity of the public market, business establishment, churches, school, municipal gymnasium, plaza and other government building of the municipality. The coastal barangays of Burnay and Pangayawan are vegetated with mangrove which remains protected.
Barangays along the coast are traversed by the national highway, while interior barangays are accessible through provincial and barangay roads that function as farm-to-market routes.
History
Cultural development and etymology
During the Spanish era, the inhabitants of the area were all non-Christian natives, possibly Higaonon people. Particularly, their names were A Lot, Lahoylahoy, and Laus. At that time, Gitagum was a thick forest, home to wild pigs and wild chickens. Most of the people were illiterate. Gitagum was a sitio of Cagayan Misamis (now Cagayan de Oro City). Some people from Tagnipa (now El Salvador), Alubijid and other neighboring places as well as settlers from Luzon and Visayas in various periods have applied the place for homestead and then settled the place. The people who have first settled the place were Leodegario Patenio, Rosales Fabricante, Luis Balacuit, Juan Buray, Juan Taroy and Damaso Paculba. The non-Christian natives moved to the mountains because they do not like to get nearer with the Christian settlers. However, there are still a few natives who were friendly to the settlers. Leodegario Patenio has an idea that Gitagum must be a barrio. One time, one of the natives got sick and they could not do anything to help him. They invited the quack doctor in order that their patient must be treated. The doctor used medicinal leaves called tagum-tagum for treatment purposes. The patient recovered, and tagum-tagum could be easily found in the place and it was very common for treatment and that from very moment, the place was called “Gitagum”.
Political development
In 1907, the municipal president of Cagayan de Misamis designated Gitagum as a barrio under its jurisdiction, with Leodegario Patenio appointed as barrio lieutenant. He convened a meeting of Christian settlers from Luzon, the Visayas, and nearby areas, who then organized efforts to establish basic community structures, including the construction of a school building. During their meeting, they discussed in connection of their barrio fiesta. They have agreed that their patron must be Santo Niño and to be held in every third Sunday of January in every year. When Alubijid became a municipality, Gitagum was part of that municipality.
In 1961, the people of Gitagum formed a barrio meeting. The purpose of the said meeting was to apply for a municipality. Two prominent persons named Benito Velasco and Custodio T. Damasing were the one who made the required papers and personally submitted to Manila for favorable action and consideration. President Carlos P. Garcia has issued an Executive Order No. 430, dated June 08, 1961, stating herein, that Gitagum must be a regular municipality. President Garcia has appointed the town officials for Gitagum, with Velasco as its municipal mayor, as well as Valeriano Dumagan as vice mayor. Lino Maagad, Teotimo Magdale, Bernardo Yamaro, Antonio Palasol, Leon Nob and Carlos Micutuan were appointed municipal councilors. Custodio T, Damasing was appointed as Municipal Secretary. Gitagum was inaugurated on July 17, 1961.
List of town executives
1961–present Period Mayor Vice mayor1961-1963Santiago L. VelascoValeriano Dumgan1964-1971Santiago L. VelascoCustodio T. Damasing1972-1980Santiago L. VelascoClaudio L. Buray1980-1986Santiago L. VelascoAtty. Damaso P. Tubelleja1986-1988Santiago L. VelascoEmeliano B. Taroy1989-1992Santiago L. VelascoRodrigo O. Mugot Sr.1992-1995Romeo L. Briones (OIC for 3 months)Rodrigo O. Mugot Sr.1992-1995Tiburcio P. AjonanRodrigo O. Mugot Sr.1995-1998Tiburcio P. AjonanEdito S. DaumarRoberto O. Buray (March 30, 1998 to April 27, 1998Danilo O. Quilab (May 18, 1998 to June 30, 1998)1998-2001Tiburcio P. AjonanEmmanuel S. Mugot2001-2007Mary Jean M. AjonanEmmanuel S. Mugot2007-2013Rodolfo O. BurayDanilo O. Quilab2013-2016Rodolfo O. BurayShirley D. Taroy2016-2019Emmanuel S. MugotRudy O. Damasing
Geography
Gitagum is located on the island of Mindanao, in Region X, and it falls under the second district of Misamis Oriental. It lies along the route of the Iligan-Cagayan de Oro-Butuan highway. It is the fifth municipality west of Cagayan de Oro, the capital of Misamis Oriental. Gitagum is located within the geographic coordinates 8⁰32’00” north latitude and 124⁰25’30” east longitude. It is bounded on the north by Iligan Bay; on the east by the Municipality of Laguindingan; on the west by the Municipality of Libertad, and on the south by the Municipality of Alubijid.
Gitagum has a total land area of 4,340 hectares or 43.4 square kilometers apportioned in its eleven barangays. This covers only 1.18% of the province’s total land area of 367,360 hectares. G.Pelaez, a rural barangay, has the biggest land area covering 34.97% of the total land area, followed by Quezon comprising 10.23%. Pangayawan and Burnay, both urbanizing barangays have the smallest land areas sharing only 5.43%.
Gitagum is shaped like a native fan. Its broad limestone plain within 0 – 100 meters elevation stretches from Iligan Bay towards the easier part, narrowing down to rise 100–300 meters above the sea level forming low and high relief shale/sandstone hills. Ultra basic high relief hills at the southwestern most part of the municipality serves as the fan’s handle.
Topography and Slope
Gitagum is shaped like a native fan. Its broad limestone plain within 0–100 meters elevation stretches from Iligan Bay towards the eastern part, narrowing down to rise 100–300 meters above sea level forming low and high relief shale/sandstone hills. Ultra-basic high relief hills at the southwestern most part of the municipality serves as the fan’s handle.
Based on the slope profile of the municipality, the slope gradually becomes very steep in barangay G. Pelaez, with a total area of 664.43 hectares. On the other hand, most of the rural Barangay are steep or gradually flat.
The slope of 0-18% is flatland that about 2,156.85 hectares of the municipality is considered to nearly level. It determines the suitability for human settlement and better agricultural soils compared to steeper lands and considered irrigable, highly suitable for urban and industrial. The slope of 18- 30% comprises about 1,394.31 hectares is rolling to moderately steep is another potential for seasonal or permanent agricultural activities. Slopes of 30-50% with an area of 124.41 hectares are suitable for forest trees, while those with greater 50% slopes and above should be maintained for protection forest.
Category Area (has.) %0-3 %522.1312.033-8%1,116.6425.738-18%518.0811.9418-30%1,394.3132.1330-50%124.412.86>50%664.4315.31Total4,340100
Elevation
Basing on the presented table below, a considerable area of 3,588.45 hectares (0-200 masl) is still feasible for cultivation of agriculture crops and establishment of forest plantations which shall be subject for future utilization. However, areas above 400 masl which the highest elevation found in barangay G. Pelaez shall be developed into tree plantation for protection purposes and shall not be subject for harvesting/utilization
Category (masl) Area (has.) %0-1001,854.5942.73100-2001,733.8639.95200-300348.068.02300-400392.609.05400 above10.890.25Total4,340100
Barangays Gitagum is politically subdivided into 11 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios. Burnay Carlos P. Garcia Cogon Gregorio Pelaez (Lagutay) Kilangit Matangad Pangayawan Poblacion Quezon Tala-o Ulab
Land area With a total land area of 4,340 hectares or 43.40 square kilometers. Table 1 shows the urban and rural barangays of LGU Gitagum with corresponding land areas with 1,454.6 hectares for urban barangay and the rural barangays of 2,885.4 hectares. Among the urban barangays, Quezon has the highest land area of 444 hectares or 10.23% of the municipal total area. Considered as the rural barangays of G.Pelaez, has the largest land area that covers 34.97% of the overall land area or with an equivalent to 1,517.7 hectares.
Climate
The climate of Gitagum falls under classification Type III. Under this classification seasons are not very pronounced with relatively dry climate from November to April and wet the rest of the year. Heavy rains usually occurs in the month of January, February, September and December. The municipality receives 1,000-2,000 millimeter of rain per annual average and 124.4-168.i millimeters annual monthly average.
The climate of the Philippines is tropical and maritime. It is characterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall. Base on the distribution of rainfall, four climate types are recognized. Based on the Corona Climate Classification (Geohazard Report of Collantes, M.G.B., Lucero E.S. and Asis, J.C.V.), the municipality of Gitagum falls under Type III which means the seasons are not very pronounced, dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.
Heavy rains usually occur in the month of January, February, September and December. The municipality receives 1,000-2,000 millimeter of rain per annual average and 124.4-168.1 millimeters annual monthly average. Table 3. Annual rainfall data of Gitagum, Misamis Oriental from CY 2007-2015.Month200720082009201020112012201320142015January86184457153.2181.3212.3211.1504.6189.7February47900207.10.4166.3102.1691.339.96.8March383123.3130.848.2261.2843.4April2416615516.434.979.2689.389.366.4May248171233.7153.4118.3184.88201.1201.140.4June213228189.9155.3231.6203.56268.2305.8179.8July233241308.1353.2182.5263.56268305.8111.9August182193198.6212.2226.8190.52211.4409.947.2September210279209.7264.8232.2239.14162232.7192.3October161253107.1297.7194.1202.58173.676.7112.7November99101329.362.8115.6141.54103.588.937.9December9814336.2131.8333.6148.5413.7137.181.3Source: PAGASA-El Salvador (2016) the wettest month are from January, August, July and September for calendar year 2014 with monthly rainfall varying from 504.6, 409.9 305.8 and 232.7 millimeter (mm). On the other hand, the driest period runs from March and February having monthly rainfall ranging from 3.4 mm and 6.8 mm for the year 2015.
Gitagum is not within the typhoon route; hence it has always been spared from destruction Soil characteristics
The Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Soil and Water Management (DA-BSWM) has identified only two types of soils in the Municipality: the Bolinao clay and the Lourdes clay loam. These types of soil provide good anchorage and root penetration for a variety of crops. Bolinao clay is very abundant and less rugged, hill mountain while Lourdes clay loam is in the hinterland portion of the municipality.