Getting Lost With Names - Danao

This topic started with this article

Whoa, we are now in letter D! So lets start with Danao. There is a town and a city both in Region 7 – Central Visayas.

That town is in the hinterlands of the island of Bohol. It is just north of Carmen and roughly a hundred kilometers or so from Tagbilaran. Very rural and nothing of note there except Francisco Dagohoy was born in that town. In fact, until the recent past, it was commonly referred to as home to rebels and insurgents in the island. But I have witnessed nothing of that sort when I was there. Then came the Adventure Park! OMG, it can easily overshadow the other attractions in Bohol!

The other Danao is the city north of, and just a few minutes from Cebu City. It’s an industrial city but try roaming around and you’ll see some interesting finds. Of course it will be easy to go-see one of the “gun smiths”. But its just an industry, they don’t go around town brandishing pistols hehehe. Try the ancient church. Like other old churches in the country, it has a massive façade made of coral stones and it likewise has an interesting past! There are beach resorts, white sands, there is a mountain resort or you can cross to the Camotes Islands from here. Try watching the boats - it was there that I first saw those big outrigger boats with a (upstairs) "second floor" hehe! Check-out the out-of-the-way barrios to see banana, sugarcane corn farms and a number of poultry farms. Then again, you can go to the highway between the sea and Mitsumi at 7AM or even before that. Hah, first time I saw thousands of blue-shirted people going into or out of that factory. Yes, thousands!

Now while we're on this Danao thing... let me add in some of my curious notes.

Danao means "lake" in the visayan tongues. At times and in other areas of the visayas and mindanao it can become "lanao" or "ranau". And in yet other areas more it is also "danaw", "ranaw" or "lanaw". So what?

Well, this archipelago teems with a lot of lakes big and small. Thus, many of them are called Danao or any of the other words above! Examples? there is a lake Danao in Camotes, there is a lake Danao in Ormoc, there is a lake Danao in Alcantara Cebu, there is a lake Danao on Ticao Island (Batuan, Masbate), there is a lake Danao near Camalig Albay, there is another lake Danao in Bacacay near Cagraray, there is a lake Danao at Cagayan De Tawi-tawi (near two other lakes) and so on...And have you heard about Danao-Danao Island? Abaw a!

So where are you going? Danao? Which one?!

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