Drop by the town of Laua-an for your hand-made handicradfts, a souvenir worth keeping. And this place is also a good jump-off point to explore the central Panay Ranges including Mt. Dumara where a gold deposit was found. The people of Laua-an are famous for their hospitality to strangers and tourist who visit their municipality.
Year Founded : 1776 Land Area : 17,299 Hectares Classification : 4th Class Municipality No. of Barangays : 40 Barangays Zip Code : 5705
Long time ago where the town now is located, was a dense forest with a giant laua-an tree at the center. The people built their houses in places where there were no big trees. As years go by the people increased in their number and organized their government known as “baranggay” headed by a chieftain. The chieftain called for a meeting but they failed to find a solution to it. The problem remained unsolved until the spaniards discovered the country.
During the second century of the Spanish colonization, the town had three chieftains, each with his “baranggay” to govern. The people was able to find an answer to their problem only in the fourth century of the Spanish era. Under the leadership of the chieftain Leonardo Sarmiento, they cleared the dense forest and what remained was a giant laua-an tree. Through their cooperation, the big tree was cut down. While they were cutting the tree, the people shouted “This place should be named Laua-an”.
55.10 kilometers away from San Jose de Buenavista, public utility vehicles such as buses and jeepneys are the transportation facilities plying Laua-an from its neighboring towns, and the rest of the provinces in Panay Island. Within municipality, tricycles, motorcycles and jeepneys cater to transportation needs of the populace.
