The Legend of Mangnao Canal

THE LEGEND OF MANGNAO CANAL


(April 25)



Barangay Mangnao Canal is located to the South of Dumaguete Center. To its west are the Barrios of Barangay and Junob, to the North is Calindagan and Tabuc-tubic and Banilad is the south. The Mindanao Sea at the east serves as a natural border. The population of Mangnao-Canal reaches almost 4000.

Brief History of Mangnao Canal

     The word "Mangnao" is a Visayan term which means the process of extracting starch from the trunk of a native palm called "Sac-Sac" by using water after thorough pounding. The story goes that long ago when the barrio was yet unpopulated, the place there was abundance of native palm trees called "Sac-Sac". The trunk of this palm has rich starch for food. The extraction of the starch settled in a big wooden vessel made for that purpose. The starch settled in the water was then dried, and ready for cooking. The process of the washing of the finely pounded trunks or the sac/sac isa called "onao" in Visayan. The word "Mangnao" must literally mean the extraction of the starch in the water. It might not be the correct spelling of the origin word. Through modification for convenience in pronouncing the name "Mangnao" had been accepted and adopted.