During the Spanish regime, this place was a barrio of the municipality of Jimenez. When the Spaniards occupied Jimenez, the Spanish soldiers frequently visited this barrio. One time a group of soldiers who were on foot patrol to the barrio met a group of natives on their wav home from the sea catching crabs. One soldier asked, “What is the name of this place?” in Spanish. Since the natives did not understand Spanish and they thought that the soldier was asking what they are carrying, answered ‘Sinacban Alimango, Señor’ (Trapped crab, Sir) so, the soldier said “Ah, Sinacaban”. That was how Sinacaban derived its name.

This municipality was created under Executive Order No.258 dated August 30, 1949 during the administration of the then President Elpedio Quirino with the intercession of a group of prominent residents of the barrio led by the late Sofronio K. Avanceña, the first appointed and elected municipal mayor. By the cruelty of fate, he became a victim of political assassination that led to his tragic death shortly after his re-lection bid on November 14, 1959.

Fortunately, incumbent Municipal Vice-Mayor Victoriano M. Abuton assumed command as the new Chief Executive of the town, by succession. With his able leadership and his unblemished record in the government service for more than twenty four (24) years, peace and order condition was improved, projects were evolved that led to the establishment of the two (2) high schools namely: the Katipunan Nationalized High School founded on the year 1979 and the Sinonoc Nationalized High School founded on the year 1982 and many other project completed to mention one, the concrete municipal building. Prior to the establishment of the two (2) high schools, the municipality of Sinacaban was already served by a Catholic Private School thru the initiative and effort of Rev. William Bourke, a Columban Missionary Priest in the year 1960. On the following year 1983, the Sinacaban Rural Bank, Inc. was founded to serve the municipality on banking needs. In spite of the surfacing and towering of projects so vital to the needs of the people, because of illness Mayor Victoriano M Abuton quits his post on February 2, 1983.

On the same month of February 1983, Municipal Vice-Mayor Prudenecio C. Dominguez took his Oath of Office as the municipal Mayor of Sinacaban. His stay in power was a short-lived thru a change in national leadership during the Edsa Revolution or People Power Revolt.

A new brand of leader came up on the year 1986, preferably the month of April. The then OIC Municipal Mayor Alfredo Boligor, a civil engineer by profession, replaced Mayor Dominguez. A half concrete market building is one major achievement during his incumbency. His stay in power is just the same with sequestered Mayor Dominguez, a short-lived one, when he met his political defeat versus a humble man. Architect Eufracio D. Lood in the past local elections of January 1988.

A humble man indeed and a firm leader, Mayor Eufracio D. Lood administered impartially the municipal affairs with dedication and devotion to duty. His admin­istration is characterized by a good example, as a person himself possesses with sterling character. Some major projects undertaken so vital to the needs of the community are the following:

Major Projects of Sinacaban:

1.  The construction of the six (6) million pesos Ramiro Sports Center, a huge and fascinating building which the municipality can be proud.

2.   The Banana Production Project costing nearly 0.8 million pesos, implemented by the farmer-beneficiaries.

3.  Towering of magnificent barangay market building located in Sinonoc, Katipunan, Estrella, Colupan Bajo and Cagay-anon and the same projects in Señor, Tipan and Camanse.

4.  The construction of the Sinonoc Nationalized High School Building costing 4.8 million pesos.

5.  Completion of the Sinonoc Seawall Project with the amount of 1.8 million pesos.

6.  Creating and developing the Colupan Bajo Shoreline into attractive beach resort project.

7.  Total reshaping of all barangay roads.

8.  The construction of the Sinonoc Fishing Port.

9.  The improvement of the Sinacaban Park and Children’s Playground, a sight to see of the town.

10.              Reforestation Project with a total area of 45 hectares costing 0.9 million pesos.

11.              Mangrove Project with a five hectares lot having a budget of 0.6 mill ion pesos.

12.              Sinacaban Rock causeway Project - .5 million pesos.

13.              Concreting of provincial roads from Sinonoc proper to Sinonoc School.

14.              Multipurpose pavement in all barangay roads.

15.              Installation of Solar Dryer Project in Libertad Bajo, Libertad Alto, Estrella, San Vicente and barangay Cagay-anon.

16.              Acquisition of the Resettlement Site Project for the landless residents in barangay Sinonoc and finally the Peace and Order condition of the municipality was restored.

  His concrete achievement and with his total dedication to serve the people of Sinacaban with honesty and integrity, catapulted him for another mandate in the 1991 Synchronized National and Local Elections with overwhelming majority votes over his opponent that never happens in the history of politics in Sinacaban.

At present the municipality of Sinacaban has existing legal political boundaries on the North: by the municipality of Jimenez; on the South: by the municipality of Tudela: on the East: by Iligan Bay and on the West: by the municipality of Don Victoriano. The municipality of Sinacaban is geographically located almost in the middle part of the province of Misamis Occidental with 24 kilometers away from Oroquieta City and 18 Kilometers away from Ozamiz City. It has 17 barangays regularly operating under the existing law of the Philippines with 5 coastal barangays namely: Cagay-anon, Sinonoc, Colupan Bajo, Poblacion and barangay Libertad Bajo with a total land area of 10, 363 hectares or 103.63 square kilometers. By the latest census and survey on population conducted by the Department of Health and the Association of the Barangay Councils (ABC), the municipality has a standing population of 20,798.

On road networks, it has 129 kilometers length of barangay roads, 12 kilometers length of municipal roads, 52 kilometers of provincial roads, and with 7 kilometers of national road from the boundary of Jimenez to the boundary of the municipality of Tudela. Its chief product, is coconut with 2,230 hectares followed by corn, banana, etc. and one beautiful tourist spot is the BAY VIEW BEACH RESORT located at the eastern part of the barangay Colupan Bajo of this municipality.

By

Wilfredo M. Dagandan
Private Secretary II