by Mr. Crispin G. Gavan
17th & last Teniente del Barrio of Lawa-an

About the 15th century or so the enterprising family of Juan (Guingot) Gabrillo and Etifania Halbay, sailing westward from Guiuan in search of better living, stumbled upon Monbon, an islet off the mouth of what is now the Lawa-an River. There threatened by a storm, they moved to the mainland to take divine shelter beneath a gigantic lauan tree growing majestically on the coastal jungle of what is now named Rawis. Successive trips to the mainland followed. Lured by the discovery of rich jungle growth: rattan, “hagnaya” vines, teeming marine and abundant wildlife, the young family decided that the place would make an ideal place to dwell in. The settlement was born.

Guingot took his sails back to Guiuan to tell his tale and to proclaim the tidings of his discovery saying, “Mamatay lak O-toy, didto ako ha LAWAAN” (naming the place for the first time). Ayaw pag-alang, di ka mawawara hit duruongan kay kita gud ha dagat it hataas nga kahoy.” In trickles, settlers came from various climes, some nearby, others from distant shores, all attuned to the prospect of adventure and romance in the new haven as though a gold deposit was found therein.

Down came the Spaniards and the prospect of spreading the Christian faith gave more impetus to the stream of migrants into the settlement. Pioneers from Leyte and the Bikol Region trekked in; Boholano peddlers who arrived chose to remain in permanence to implant the seed of what is now the Gacho family. And one romance romance survived to tell its worth, JULIAN FLORES, a desperado, wanted by the Guardia Civil in Manila, waylaid in Dulag Leyte, paddled his way to the Capines Point, then hobbled eastward until he came upon the tiny Rawis peninsula already encemped by Guingot and his band. Embraced to the village as JULIAN GADICHO to cloak his identity, the now reformed escapee quickly proved himself a ready hand to the settlers. His eventual marriage to Guingot’s daughter, Marciana, soon brought forth an heir destined to be the first Teniente del Barrio of Lawaan—CARLOS GADICHO.

Having inhereted the whole land comprising the present town proper of Lawaan, Carlos, upon assuming the position, voluntarily distributed the area among his constituents without benefit of payments.

Although the land was often disturbed by raids of “Onglos” (shy, naked creatures) and marauding Moro vintas (pangkos) that sold their captives to the Tidongs of New Guinea and Borneo, they did not deter the life and growth of the then emrging community. Families became clans, and clans intermarried to form new ones. By imperial edict, the Spanish missionaries took to task in assigning families’ last names and Lawaan became a settlement of “G” families—Gacho, Gadicho, Gavan, Gabornes, Ganas, Gamalo, Gabrillo, Gacita, Gacus, Gade, Gacillos, Guino, Gapul, Garrigo, Gagabo-an, and so forth…and appropriate seal to the bond of friendship and harmony for the ardent pioneers.