When I was in grade school, I always wondered how this beautiful city's name was spelled. My parents, who have always been a fan of history, told me it's name is spelled with 2 Zs because it is named after José Ozámiz, a Filipino senator who hailed from the province, Misamis Occidental, where Ozamiz City is nestled.
BUT people continued to spell it with an S, err, Ozamis. Even local establishments, publications and whatnots spelled it with an S. And so I joined the bandwagon and labeled packages and letters with Ozamis instead of Ozamiz.
A few years ago, we moved to Ozamiz, from Molave. And since I wanted to get to know my new home better, I read more about it. My parents were right. I believe the eponymous name has deeper and more meaningful roots. So now, I make it a point to always use the right spellings regardless of whether more people use the incorrect one.
I always cringe when somebody misspells my name. If this city were a person, I'm sure it'd feel the same way too. So do your part. Spell it right. Spell it with 2 Zs!
