History of Argao, Cebu

The town of Argao is considered as one of the oldest towns in the province of Cebu, having been founded by the Spaniards and established as a pueblo in the year 1608. According to stories passed on from generation to generation, the name of the town was derived from an abundantly-growing plant in the area, known locally as Sali-argaw”. The story of Argao’s name is very much like many other localities in the Philippines that derived their names from popular flora or fauna found in the area. As the story goes, a delegation of Spanish officials came to the town and asked a villager, some say a fisherman, what the name of the town was. Obviously, not comprehending the foreign tongue, the man presumed that the Spaniard was referring to the “Sali-argaw” plants in the area, as the Spaniards were waving their arms to mean the entire place. With this, the fisherman simply said “Sali-argaw”, and from that moment on the Spaniards christened the area as El pueblo de Argao.


While Argao is renowned heritage site, it is also a culinary destination. The local delicacies are all made with timeless, traditional methods. Argao’s most famous specialty is torta, which is a cupcake- like pastry that gets its unique flavor from tuba, a local coconut wine. Encounter other native foods, and engage with the traditional methods of how they are made in this historical town.