There is no
concrete record to support the story on how Danao got its name. Although in the
1960’s there were circularized copies of a story concerning the early founding
of Danao, but the contents and substance were but clear reproduction of an old
legendary version which related of a Spanish Captain by the name of Manuel
Aniceto del Rosario who, as the story went, was commissioned by the early
Spanish authorities in the province of Cebu to establish municipalities
starting from what is now Danao City towards the northern part of Cebu as far
as what is now presently the municipality of Borbon.
This developed when
in compliance with his commission, Capt. Del Rosario went to said places to
perform his duties. Riding on a horse on his way to the north after a place
called Cotcot, he came upon a few natives who were resting and taking time
bathing their carabaos in one of the many lakes in the area. Dismounting from
his horse, the Captain took his rest and in a short while struck conversation
with the surprised natives. Pointing vertically his forefinger to the ground
where they stood, the captain inquired just what was the name of the place,
with the impression that the stranger might have asked the name of the small
lakes where their carabaos were resting, one of the native instantly replied:
"DANAWAN" (a Cebuano dialect for small lake) which, according to the
story, on account of the Captain’s defective sense of hearing, only heard and
recorded the first syllable DA-NAO. Thus begun the early naming of the place DANAO.
Danao City is a 3rd
class city in the province of Cebu,
Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of
109,534 people. In 2005, Metro Cebu's definition
was to let Danao City the leader in industry of GUNS in the north and the municipalities
of San Fernando and Carcar down
south.
Gun Industry of Danao
Danao City is
well-known for its gun industry. The industry started around 1905-1906. When
World War II came, the Danao gunsmiths went underground, joined the
guerrilla movement or were inducted into the USAFFE. Their main task
was to re-chamber the Japanese Arisaka rifles to fit the US .30
caliber round or to keep the original Japanese rifle in good service. The
industry went on, still underground. In the 1960s, the term paltik was
given to the homemade (and illegal) guns. In the early 1990s
the industry was legalized by the government, with the creation of two
organizations of local gunsmiths. The organization now left with proper permit
is Workers League of Danao Multi-purpose Cooperative (World MPC), in Dungguan,
Danao City.
The city’s road
network consist of 12.1 kilometers of national roads; 12.2 kilometers of
municipal roads; and 97.5 kilometers of barangay roads. There are a total of 6
concrete bridges within the city’s boundary. The transportation within the city
proper are motorized tricycles and pedicabs. A few people are engaged in the
making of sidecars for bicycle. There is no big transportation industry in the
city. However, there are few auto repair ad bodybuilding shops operating in the
area.
The city has two seaports
The intercity
transport system is primarily served by tricycles and pedicabs. Public
transport coming in and out of Danao City are mostly passenger jeepney’s plying
the Danao-Cebu route. Passenger busses also pass by Danao City on the way to
the northern towns like Bogo from Cebu City and vice-versa. There are private
vehicles registered in the City which are increasing in number. Sea transport
is provided by about 50 boats/bancas mostly plying between Danao and Camotes
Island.
According to geological surveys (BUMINES), the city has a
considerable deposit of minerals. Mineral deposit include coal, dolomite
limestone, dolomite, shale and sandstone. Prospects for copper ore have been
reported in Barangays Cambubho, Langosig and Sacsac. Coal is mined in the
mountain barangays of Dumga, Lawaan, Baliang, Togonon, Cahumayan (Sitio
Portland) and Manteja. From the Bureau of mines, Special Projects, series
number 20, coal reserve is 2.99 million metric tons. The recoverable coal
reserves is still 1.76 million metric tons.
Aside from the industries mentioned earlier, there are other
industries that make the city progressive. Among them are the cottage
industries such as ceramics, fiber-crafts, shell crafts, woodcrafts and metal
crafts. Pot making (ceramics) in the city dates back several hundred years ago. The skills in this industry have been handed down from generation to generation. Barangay Suba is noted for this industry with about 60 households
involved. Presently, the company that is generating employment from the city
and other neighboring towns is Cebu Mitsumi, Inc., a Japanese-owned company
operating in Barangay Sabang that manufactures magnetic heads, micromotors and
condensers.
Support Facilities
POWER
The city is being supplied with electric power by the CEBECO II,
that gets its power from The National Power Corporation. As of 1986, there were 3, 568
households or 28% of the total population having electrical connections. The
average monthly energy consumption per household in 1986 was 120,338-kilowatt
hours. For the entire city, the average monthly energy consumption including
the commercial and industrial establishments was 349,011-kilowatt hours.
WATER
Danao City has its own waterworks system but is available only
to the residents in the
Poblacion, Looc and Suba. Only 30% of the households in the
Poblacion are served by the system. About 13% have individual faucets, while
17% are using the public faucets. One of the problems plaguing the system is
the water pressure. A great number of households, about 40% are getting water
from dug wells, springs, or rivers. Others have artesian wells as sources of
water.
The two major sources of water in the city are the Tuburan
Springs and Quisol Springs. The volume of supply is estimated to be 2,254
liters per minute (or 700 gallons per minute). At present, there are 1,221
households having water connections with the annual collections at P490,236.00.
TRANSPORTATION
Danao City can be reached from Cebu City through the national
highways which is asphalted/concreted and widened to conform to the
specification of a real highway. This road network reaches all points north and
south of the city and is serviced by many transportation companies plying
routes, These are barangay roads leading to productive interior barangays.
Danao City is administratively subdivided into 42 barangays.
§ Gi Balian
§ Baya bas
§ Baliw
§ Cabungahan
§ Cagat-Lamac
§ Cahumayan
§ Cambanay
§ Cambubho
§ Cogon-Cruz
§ Danasan
§ Dungga
§ Dunggoan
§ Guinacot
§ Guinsay
|
§ Ibo
§ Langosig
§ Lawaan
§ Licos
§ Looc
§ Magtagobtob
§ Malapoc
§ Manlayag
§ Mantija
§ Masaba
§ Maslog
§ Nangka
§ Oguis
§ Pili
|
§ Poblacion
§ Quisol
§ Sabang
§ Sacsac
§ Sandayong Norte
§ Sandayong Sur
§ Santa Rosa
§ Santican
§ Sibacan
§ Suba
§ Taboc
§ Taytay
§ Togonon
§ Tuburan Sur
|
