HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Villanueva was once an unnamed place located between the two municipalities of Jasaan and Tagoloan. However, the Spaniards decided to give the place a name ”Nueva Villa”, meaning a new village or new created village. Few years later, the people in the village and the Spanish authorities agreed to change the name from ‘Nueva Villa” to Villanueva.
Villanueva became a barrio of the municipality of Tagoloan during World War II. After the war, a move to elevate its status from a barrio to a municipality was made. However, this move proved futile due to some political constraints.
On July 29, 1962, the peoples’ dream to become independent municipality was realized by virtue of Republic Act No. 3492 comprising of six (6) barangays namely: Balacanas, Dayawan, Kimaya, Nabacaan, Poblacion and San Martin. At present, Villanueva comprises eleven (11) barangays.
Being one of the sites of PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate per PD 538, Villanueva is one of the booming municipalities of Misamis Oriental.
Geographical Location
Villanueva lies within the geographical coordinates of 8 deg. 32 min. 30 sec.- 8 deg. 36 min. 30 sec. latitude and 124 deg. 45 min.- 124 deg. 52 min. east of longitude. It is the second coastal municipality east of Cagayan de oro city bounded on the north by municipality of Jasaan, south by municipality of Tagoloan, east by municipality of Claveria and on the west by Macajalar Bay.
Climate
Villanueva is one of the municipalities in the province of Misamis Oriental that belongs to the type A climate. This characterized by a short dry season of one (1) to three (3) months without a very pronounced rain period. The dry months usually start in February and end in April. The remaining months are rainy.
Vegetation and Soil Types
The western part of the municipality has probably the most productive soil parent materials considering its flat landform and other factors concerning productions. However, most of these areas are already used for built up areas especially with the implementation of PD 538 creating the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate.
The remaining half towards the eastern side have soils development from a parent materials that is generally deep to very deep., a PH thread of acid to strongly acid. Plant growth in this soil is good. Some of these areas are cultivated for agricultural production, some still have forest cover.
Geology
The lower portion of the municipality within 0-3 percent slopes extending toward Macajalar bay on the west is classified under the rock type/parent materials recent. Dominantly, the minerals/elements found in these areas belong to the rock type/parent materials Pliocene. Materials found in these areas are calcite, quartz, iron oxide and clay materials. The smallest portion bounding the municipality of Claveria belong to the Pilo-pleintocene group where homblende, ausite, biotile, clivine and clay materials are found.
Land area
The municipality occupies a total land area of 5,222.5 hectares. Approximately 1,790 hectares or 34.27 percent of the total land area is within the PHIVIDEC industrial Estate but still under the political jurisdiction of the municipality.
Topography and Slope
Along the Macajalar Bay expanding inwards towards the eastern portion are alluvial plains within 0-3 percent slopes. These cover the barangays of Tambobong, Balacanas, Katipunan and portion of Poblacion, Looc, Dayawan and San Martin. After these areas, the terrain gently rises until it reaches its highest peak more or less at the eastern part of the municipality of Claveria rising again at its boundary to within 18-30 percent slope.
