Initao, Misamis Oriental


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
It is seated about west of the provincial capital of Cagayan de Oro City, east of Iligan City, and about south-south-east of Philippine capital, Manila.
The partly urban town thrives mostly on fishing and agricultural farming; however, different small and business establishments have flourished, making the town self-sustaining in many ways. All government offices are found in the "poblacion": that is the center of the town.
Skirted by Iligan Bay, snorkeling and beaches are some of the attractions. Storms and other natural phenomena rarely strike this town.
The only significant celebration this town celebrates is the town fiesta in honor of the Patron Saint Francis Xavier which is held every December 2 and 3 although the celebration stretches for a week.

Barangays

Initao is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.

History

Based on the research report submitted by L.M. Neri, A.M.M. Ragrario, E.C.R. Robles, and A.J. Carlos, the original settlers of Initao were the Bukidnons. They were described as warlike and aggressive and ready to sacrifice their lives in defending their territory. It is said that the early community in Initao was ruled by three brothers named Datu Hukom, Datu Tamparong, and Datu Pulagoyan, who had to protect early settlers in Initao against Moro invasions in the sixteenth century.
Because of the frequent threat by the Moro pirates, the people of Initao became war-like. They were considered to be /hot-blooded/ and /hot-tempered/ fearless fighters. Hence, the word Initao comes from the word init which means “hot” and tao which means “people.” They were people perpetually prepared to fight their enemy to defend their territory and community. Legend also has it that the Moro raiders were defeated, the people planted bamboo along the Initao River as a symbol of peace and truce among them.
The word Initao, originally spelled by the Spaniards as Ynitao, was mentioned on August 6, 1838, in the inventory of livestock, fruits, exotic and cereal plants in the Provincia de Misamis. In May 1858, Ynitao was headed by Gobernadorcillo Francisco Antonio and succeeded by Gobernadorcillo Abariano Caburratan in 1894.
In 1838, Initao was a Spanish pueblo composed of 3 cabecerias. In October 27, 1877, Ynitao had 7 cabecerias which became 8 on June 30, 1882. It was decreased to 1 cabeceria, known as Apas, on June 30, 1883, until 1884 with a total population of 1,514. On June 30, 1887, Ynitao again increased its number of cabeceria to 19 and decreased to 12 in October 3, 1892.
In 1896-1902, Ynitao was in the province of Lanao. In 1903, Initao once again became a pueblo. The municipality is one of the oldest in the western part of Misamis Oriental.
In 1957, the barrio of Naawan, then part of Initao, was constituted into the town of Naawan.

Demographics

In the, the population of Initao, Misamis Oriental, was people, with a density of.

Attractions

There are three other known beaches in the town aside from Midway White Beach; there is the adjacent Hapitanan Beach; this beach is frequented by locals because of its cheap rates; Don Arc Poblete Beach Resort, or Isidro Beach.
Initao can be reached by plane through Laguindingan Airport. From the airport one can choose to ride a coaster, taxi or a bus. Travel time is 30 minutes west. Like any other in the province of Misamis Oriental town, the National Highway snakes through it. Visitors and locals can go around the town by just hailing a "sikad-sikad", a habal-habal, a motorboat or a jeepney.

Communication

PLDT Landlines and "cell sites" for all major "telecom" providers like Globe, Smart and Sun are serviceable in this town. Internet access is also available. Internet cafes can be found in various places in town. Broadband service is also available.

Schools