Its second origin, as told from folk stories by the elders, was from the word “baku-bako”, which means rough road.

As he was about to leave, he cursed the locals saying, “You will be having water abundantly.” As time continued to pass, Baco has been a frequent catch basin of heavy rainfalls.

Due to this, the priest grew weary of waiting for Magyawi and decided on his own will to officiate the mass without him.

However, before being thrown into the river, the priest vowed and said, “This town will never prosper unless one natural born Bacoeño becomes a priest.” In a story told by anthropologist and missionary, Rev.

However, when Corregidor Joseph de Chavez became Governor of Oriental Mindoro in the year 1678, Calapan was declared the new capital of the province.

Transferring to San Andres soon thereafter and were forced to relocate to Lumang Bayan due to the constant depredation of Muslim Pirates in the area.

During the Spanish revolution in the year 1898, the locals of Baco under the leadership of Captain Cervulo Leuterio joined the uprising.

Under the Act 3498, Baco regained its jurisdiction as a distinct municipality upon the representation of Mariano Leuterio, a legislative representative of Oriental Mindoro.

4 signed in Manila on January 25, 1921, by Francis Burton Harrison, Governor General of Philippine Islands, with the approval of the Chief Executive Bureau concurred by the Secretary of the Interior, Baco was recognized as a distinct municipality from Calapan.

In addition to this is its accordance with article Six Chapter 64 of the Administrative Code of 1917 elaborated on the barrio of Baco and its separation from the Municipality of Calapan.

However, San Andres continued to be affected by soil erosion which forced people to relocate the town to the lot donated by Mr. Catalino Calderon.

Baco is a third-class municipality situated in the northern part of Oriental Mindoro approximately 120.93° East to 13.49° North and 121.19° West to 13.14° South.

Moreover, Mount Halcon, which is found in Bayanan and Lantuyang, has the highest elevation in the entire province of Oriental Mindoro with an estimated height of 2,590 meters above sea level.

The zero to three percent slope category which is described as flat is found in lowlands, beach ridges, wetlands, broad and narrow alluvial plains, valleys and river terraces.

Barangay Pulantubig, San Andres, Pambisan, PuticanCabulo, Malapad, TabonTabon, Katuwiran-I, Katuwiran II, Poblacion, Alag, and Dulangan-I have a slope range of zero to 18 percent.

Mount Halcon, as one of the tourist sites in Baco, covers the largest area and pegged to be one of the “best hiking destination” in the country as stated in their promotional materials.

In the area of barangay Lantuyang on the other hand, the climbers sometimes set up tents for days and nights prior to climbing up the mountain.

In exchange, some climbers have goods (i.e. school supplies, clothes, groceries) that they brought with them which they give to the host community.