Lawaan is a young municipality but an old community. Being a community its age could be traced back to the Spanish period. In fact Lawa-an was already a progressing community when the Spanish government constructed a stone fort in an island fronting the community of Lawaan.

People from old municipalities of Balangiga, Salcedo, and Guiuan who used to commute by water to Basey, catbalogan, and other progressive towns in Leyte used to stop by the place to rest, take shelter and to refresh their supplies. they also found the place good for cultivation.

When the news spread that the place was good for agriculture and the Lawa-an Bay was abundant with sea foods, people began to arrive and settle in. They started occupying the mouth of what is now the Lawa-an River. Near the river were three bif lauaan trees so the people called the place "Lawaan".

FIRST LEADERS:

At the close of the Spanish era or early American rule, Lawa-an became a barrio under the municipality of Balangiga. At this juncture, the people were awakening to the tnets of democracy by taking interest in the makings of the government. Barrio officials were first appointed then elected to take part in the government administration.