Dumarao is derive from a certain variety of rice called “ARAW” which is repeatedly planted each year, according to political and economic folk groups. This is a very old parish having been founded around the beginning of the 17th century.
The story, as told by the local folks and pass on to the generations, started when a group of Spanish colonizers passed by and inquired for the name of the place. A farmer who was then at the vicinity watching a pile of “palay” was approached and in their Spanish tongue asked for the name of the place. Without understanding a word they were saying the farmer replied…”Dumaan nga Araw Senior”, thinking that the Spaniards were asking the kind of rice being harvested. Thus “Dumaan nga Araw” was born and later shortened to only one word “Dumarao” and hence forth the town was called by that name… to the present day.
For the early inhabitants of the town, the name “DUMARAO” means a place of sadness. Today, however, the lifestyle and way of living of the inhabitants are as normal as a Filipino village, except for such connotation of sadness a “happy” community exist.
Perhaps to negate to the old connotations of sadness, most of the natives has adopted the letter “H” as in “happy” the beginning letter of most at their surnames.
American era saw the establishment of schools in the 1903 with John Langhran as Principal Supervisor and among the first pupils were Ludovico Hidrosollo, Candelaria Herbolario, Maria Cabailo, and Pablo Advincula. The last three ultimately became public school teachers, while Hidrosollo was sent to the U.S.A. as a government scholar. He returned to the Philippines to become a Senator and later on occupied the high executive positions in the national government and ultimately become the first Dumaraonon governor of Capiz.
