Iligan City poised to become the next ‘tourist paradise’

Long been identified as Cagayan de Oro’s “twin city,” Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz is now making moves to veer away from its shadow and position Iligan as another “tourist paradise.” With it’s rich history, an active cultural and art scene, and it’s numerous waterfalls including the renowned Maria Cristina Falls, Iligan City can very well stand on its own.

Recognizing promotions and information dissemination as a vital component in the success of a tourism campaign, the city government recently opened a liaison office in Manila to handle this task.

"The city has not been getting the attention it deserves," Cruz said. "Information has to reach both domestic and international markets. Tourists have to be updated with Iligan’s latest tourism offerings."

Mayor Cruz has vowed to make tourism one of the major industries in the City. He brags that a lot of tourism projects are now on the drawing board while some, which have been previously planned have already been accomplished. Among them is the city’s anti-littering campaign, making the city more attractive because of its cleanliness.

"And with just a short period, our tourism office has made inroads towards foundation development of what will eventually be a dynamic, sustaining and income-generating tourism industry of Iligan," he added.

To date, Iligan has 20 hotels which Cruz believes is enough to accommodate tourists. Also underway are talks for direct flights to Iligan to boost its tourism potentials.

Iligan City, dubbed as the "City of Majestic Waterfalls," is at the northwestern coast of Mindanao facing Iligan Bay. Centrally located in the Visayas-Mindanao domestic market and proximate to the BIMP East ASEAN Growth Area, it is a major component of the Cagayan-Iligan Corridor and one of the priority investment areas in the country.

Its top tourist draw, the "Kahayag Festival," is a feast in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. Undoubtedly, the most colorful event in the city, the people of Iligan honor their patron saint every Sept. 29 and the celebration is highlighted by three traditional events. The "Pagpakanaug" is the traditional transfer of the old, black San Miguel figure from the main altar to the side altar; the procession and street celebration attended by devotees garbed in angel costumes; and the "Yawa-Yawa," the San Miguel Comedia first staged in the late 1800’s depicting the triumph of Saint Michael over Lucifer.

Maria Cristina Falls is the famous landmark of Iligan. It stands at 320 feet and is the veritable source of industrial life in the city. Its pristine beauty, only seen today in old photographs has become a magical glow and an industrial lifeline through the turbines of the Maria Cristina Hydroelectric Power Plant. To see the falls, arrangements must be made with the local National Power Corporation.

Other points of interest in Iligan are 23 other waterfalls including the Tinago Falls, Mimbalut Falls, the Timoga Cold Springs, and numerous ancestral houses.