Cagayan de oro: The celebration of the annual “Higalaay” Festival has reaffirmed the city’s identity as a place that harmonizes historical legends and religious devotion. On Wednesday, the float and civic-military parade showcased elements of the folktale of the giant “oro,” or golden “kugtong” (grouper fish), while highlighting mock-ups of the historic St. Augustine Cathedral and other city landmarks.

According to Philippines News Agency, the legend tells of a giant fish residing underneath the cathedral, which was erected beside the Cagayan River. Mayor Rolando Uy emphasized in his speech that the celebration is not only a platform for promoting tourism but also a way of reminding Kagay-anons of their unique identity as Filipinos.

The Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) has deployed personnel to monitor peace and order since the events began on Saturday. COCPO Director, Col. Salvador Radam, reported that Wednesday’s crowd for the parade reached an estimated 25,000 people. Radam confirmed that the situation remained under control, but they would continue their vigilant observation of events until the weekend.

“For today alone, we have deployed more than 200 personnel, excluding augmenting troops from the Coast Guard, Task Force Oro (Army), and (civilian) force multipliers,” he stated.

The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro will celebrate the annual fiesta on Thursday in recognition of Saint Augustine, the city’s patron saint. The fiesta is also shared in Valencia City, Bukidnon. As a predominantly Catholic city, the local government’s institutionalization of the Higalaay Festival is closely tied to the religious celebration.