The National Historical Commission of the Philippines joins the Filipino people, especially the people of Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental & Misamis Occidental, in commemorating the 124th Anniversary of the Battle of Cagayan-de-Misamis.
At the dawn of 7 April 1900, signaled by the tolls of the bells of the church of Saint Augustine, the Liber troop, led by Clemente Chacon and Apolinario Pabayo, launched their surprise attack on the houses of the American soldiers around the town plaza (Gaston Park). General Nicolas Capistrano, the commanding officer of the Liber troop, along with his staff, stood at the site of the present water tank, overseeing the operation. The war cries of the members of the Liber troops roused the Americans. From the windows of their barracks and the church belfry, the Americans opened fire on the resistance fighters. Recognizing the perilous situation, General Capistrano ordered a retreat upon realizing the odds were against them.
Later, the Americans would suffer their first defeat at the hands of the Kagay-anons under Colonel Apolinar Velez’s El Mindanao Battalion at the Battle of Macahambus Hill on 4 June 1900.
The photo is the initial sketch of the Battle of Cagayan de Misamis by artist Derrick C. Macutay (2023) for the upcoming NHCP-LHCN Exhibit “Battles and Victories Across: Visualizing Philippine Independence in the Visayas and Mindanao” scheduled for exhibition later in 2024.
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