About

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my Full RSS feed for FREE. Thanks for visiting Panaon dot Com!


The municipality of Panaon was formerly a part of Palilan, now Jimenez. It has 16 barangays and has a total land area of 4,600 hectares or 66 square kilometers. It is the second smallest among the 14 municipalities of Misamis Occidental.

Panaon is located between the municipalities of Aloran in the north and Jimenez in the south. To the town’s east is Iligan Bay anf to the west is the Mt. Malindang Range.

The town’s center or Poblacion is 27 kilometers north of the city of Ozamiz, the trade and commercial center of Misamis Occidental and is about 17 kilometers south of Oroquieta City, the provincial capital. It is easily accessible through the well-paved Ozamiz-Calamba-Dipolog national highway.

The early settlers of Panaon were believed to be the Subanons. The Subanons preferred to live along the “ Suba” meaning “river” to fish for food. Years later, resettlers coming from the Visayan region, particularly from the island of Mindanao. These emigrants flocked into this once sleepy village of Panaon.

For protection against pirates and kidnappings which were rampant during that time the people built a tower along the gulf to watch the incoming pirates. The villagers themselves shifted to guard the tower. By the time a pirates’ vinta was seen in a distance, a gong was sounded to inform the people and alert them with their bows and arrows. The moment the pirates stepped on the shores, the leader of the natives shouted “Panaon“, which means “shoot with bows and arrows.” This was the defense that drove the enemies away.

When the Spaniards came and asked for the name of the place, the barangay leader, thinking that the Spaniards were asking what the tower was for, answered “Panaon! This was how the town got its name.

Panaon became a district municipality and independent from its mother town, the town of Jimenez by virtue of Republic Act No. 4822 which was signed into law on June 18, 1966. This was made possible through the representation in Congress of Hon, William L. Chiongbian, then congressman of the lone district of the province. The town mayor of Jimenez during this time was Mayor Francisco T. Paylaga Sr. Mayor Francisco T. Paylaga Sr. was a resident of Panaon, during that time in one of its barrios. It was his strong obsession that during his incumbency as mayor and that before he would retire from public office, an independent municipality of Panaon would be created.

The municipality of Panaon was formerly established in 1968 with the election of its first set of municipal officials. During this election, Mayor Francisco T, Paylaga Sr., who was the incumbent mayor of the municipality of Jimenez and a resident of the new municipality of Panaon, left his position and ran for mayor in the new municipality. Unfortunately, he lost to his opponent, Justino D. Palangan who became the first mayor from 1968 to 1980. His term was prolonged because part of it was served when the country was under Martial law. Mayor Palangan was followed by Mayor Francisco T. Paylaga Jr., son of former Jimenez mayor, Francisco T. Paylaga Sr. Mayor Francisco T. Paylaga Jr. served from March 3, 1980 to April 26, 1986. Mayor Paylaga was replaced during the transitory government after the EDSA revolution by OIC Mayor Felipe R. Delos Santos who functioned as mayor from April 27, 1986 to November 22, 1987. From November 22, 1987 up to February 28, 1988, OIC Mayor Leo M. Gacrama served the municipality as mayor following the term of OIC Mayor Delos Santos. During the 1988 elections, Mayor Francisco T. Paylaga Jr. was again elected as mayor of Panaon. During this time, he served for three consecutive terms until he was succeeded by his wife.

On March 27, 1998, Vice-Mayor Meriam L. Paylaga succeeded her husband, Mayor Francisco T. Paylaga Jr. as Municipal Mayor by virtue of RA No. 7160 when the latter resigned upon his filing of the certificate of the certificate of candidacy for the position as Board Member in the First district of Misamis Occidental.

The sixteen barangays of Panaon are the following: Saga, Bangko, Camanucan, Dela Paz. Lutao, Magsaysay, Map-an, Mohon, Poblacion, Punta, Salimpono, San Andres, San Juan, San Roque, Sumasap and Villalin.

Source: Panaon Official Website