Bounded on three directions by bodies of water, Misamis Occidental is known to its neighbors for beautiful waters and bountiful fish and seafood for export. In fact, Layawan River in Oroquieta City is a constant awardee of the national environmental recognition, Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran, as Cleanest Inland Body of Water. But there is one other place that is drawing tourists into this coastal yet rugged province – the city of Tangub, which comes alive especially at Christmas.

The yuletide season is equated with a one-of-a-kind celebration in Tangub, which has been tagged as the “Christmas Symbols Capital of Mindanao.” Come December, the cityfolk get busy creating unique interpretations and presentations of the different known Christmas symbols. Indigenous, low-cost, and often enormous, these Christmas showcase pieces are then lavishly displayed at the city plaza and highway barangays for competition, and collectively, as a truly breathtaking sight to behold.

Tourist-friendly Tangub City also mounts the Dalit Festival every 29th of September, which is the feast of day of its patron, Saint Michael, the Archangel. The festival is the city’s simple way of saying “Mabuhay and Welcome to Tangub.” Dalit, which means “offering,” presents the unique way of fostering friendship, unity, and love of all Tangubanons to their visitors. Among the varied activities and presentations are rituals and dances that depict the Filipino way of life.

Misamis Occidental is located near the narrow strip of land linking northwestern Mindanao to the north central part of the island. It is bounded on the northeast by the Mindanao Sea, east by the Iligan Bay, southeast by the Panguil Bay, and west by Zamboanga del Norte and del Sur. The fact that three of its boundaries are bodies of water makes fishing as one of its main industries. Except along the coastal area, hilly and rolling lands characterize the provincial terrain. Towards the western border, the terrain is particularly rugged. The province falls between 6 and 9 degrees east longitude.

The province has a total land area of 2,024.18 square kilometers representing 65 percent of the total land area of the Philippines. Tudela has the biggest land area equivalent to 13.8 percent of the total province area. The municipality of Panaon shares the smallest area of only 46.80 square kilometers.