The name Donggongon originates from Kadazan word tundo'ongon which means a 'shelter' or a 'resting area', referring to its historical role as a stop-over for people from the interior who journeyed down the coast to trade.

[4] Owen Rutter, a civil servant in North Borneo from 1910 to 1914 similarly referred to this area as Putatan.

[5] Penampang strives as one of the major industrial and commercial centres within the greater Kota Kinabalu area.

Mega Long Mall also located in the town together with a number of restaurants, pubs and karaoke bars.

The Chua Ka Seng supermarket made its presence felt before the Megalong Mall was built.