About
Barangay Cabancalan, since 1602.
From the legend of Bito to the bangcal trees that gave us our name — discover the community that has rooted itself here for over four centuries.
Chapter
1602
1602
A community that pre-dates the province.
Barangay Cabancalan was founded as a barrio in 1602 — four centuries before modern Mandaue City took shape around it.
Generations of families have lived, worked, and built their lives here, weaving the fabric of what is now one of the largest and most vibrant barangays in the city.
Chapter
The Legend of Bito
The Legend of Bito
A cave, a spring, and a mythical squid.
Hidden in the heart of the barangay is a mossy cave called Bito — twenty feet deep, fed by a quiet spring that still flows today.
Local lore tells of the montage, a creature said to dwell within: famously drawn by the artist-scientist Julian Jumalon as a gigantic squid. Part myth, part geography, it is a story passed from one generation of Cabancalanons to the next.
Chapter
Origin of the Name
Origin of the Name
Named for the bangcal trees that shaded the rice planters.
Long before it was a barangay, this land was known for its bangcal — Leichhardt trees (Nauclea orientalis) whose wide, cool canopies gave rice planters a place to rest between rows.
Over time, residents began saying, “Diha ra gyud sa may ka bangcal-an” — “just by the bangcal trees.” The phrase stuck, and the name settled into the barangay itself: Cabancalan.
Where we are
Find Barangay Cabancalan.
Located in Mandaue City, Cebu. Tap the map to open in Google Maps for directions, nearby landmarks, and satellite view.