Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there grew along the mountainside of this barrio big trees called bitangcol which provide a source of income for the people.

The first inhabitants of Panitan were Isidro Baltao, Glicerio Manalo, Florentino Mojica, and Ignacio Arat.

Time came when the people, tired of travelling the long distance to the poblacion of Maragondon, decided to seek the separation of the barrio and its conversion into an independent municipality.

Isidro Baltao headed a three-man delegation to Manila to petition the Spanish Governor-General Domingo Moriones for the conversion of Panitan into a town.

The designation gobernadorcillo was changed to capitan municipal shortly before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.

On October 15, 1903, the town was reverted to being part of Maragondon when its annual income became insufficient to maintain its status as an independent municipality.

Maragondon bounds the town on the north while the municipality of General Emilio Aguinaldo borders the north-east.

Poverty incidence of Magallanes Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Although the main source of livelihood in Magallanes is agriculture, it is evident that there has been a shift in emphasis from rice farming to coffee production because of the growing market demand for coffee.

Another reason is that the production of rice, corn and a wide variety of vegetables and fruits is more than sufficient to satisfy the nutritional demand of the population.

The local development plan calls for the introduction of high-yielding breeds and the conversion of idle lands into grazing pastures.

The existence of large and productive agricultural lands offers a wide variety of economic activities.

The low awareness of proper sanitation and nutrition among the people, especially those of the lower class, aggravates the present health condition in the municipality.