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Sto. Thomas de Villanueva Parish (Danao City Church) Established in 1595

The church of Danao was constructed in 1755 by Fr. Manuel de Santa Barbara, and was made up of materials from sugar cane and rocks from the sea. The crucero of the church was built in the 1800's. However, it suffered a partial destruction (was burned in 1942) during the World War II. Religious items and other important materials were also burned. From the original construction materials of the church, only the solid stones were spared from the fire. It was reconstructed in 1946. In 1981, the building underwent another renovation, this time almost a complete overhaul (only 30% of the original stands). The renovation was completed in 1985.

Very interesting about this church are the bells, which are named according to saints. The San Alipio bell, cast in 1845 and weighing 45 kilos, is the oldest. Two others, cast in 1917 were added and these were the Villanueva bell (630 kilos) and the Sagrado Corazon bell (249 kilos).

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION

Danao is located in the northern part of Cebu facing the Camotes Islands. It lies in the eastern coast between Compostela and Carmen and bounded on the west by the municipalities of Balamban, Asturias and Tuburan.

It is 8.20 kilometers from Carmen to the North; 97.0 kilometers from Balamban (via Toledo City); 92.14 kilometers from Asturias (via Lugo); 7.80 kilometers from Compostela to the South; and 33.1 kilometers from Cebu City, reckoned from kilometer 00.0 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol Building.


TOPOGRAPHY

The city is about 3.43 meters above the main area level. Generally, it has flat to rolling terrain with slopes ranging from 0% to 65%. Most of the flat or nearly level areas are found along the narrow coastal plains running from north to south and estimated to be 36% of the total land area.

These narrow areas extend to a width of approximately less than five kms. Inland. These flat areas are now planted with sugarcane to serve as raw materials for the sugar mills located at Dunggo-an. Rolling hills, which ranged in elevation from 250 meters to 500 meters, with slope ranging from 15% to 45% is estimated to be 21% of the total land area. The mountainous portion which rise up to 700 meters, with slope range of 45% to 65% above, is estimated to be 43% of the total land area.

There is no concrete record to support the story on how Danao got its name. Although in the 1960s 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 CaptainÂ’s defective sense of hearing, only heard and recorded the first syllable DA-NAO. Thus begun the early naming of the place DANAO.