BRIEF HISTORY
The towns name was obtained from the native term "Matunog" which was used to refer to the roaring and deafening sound of the sea waves as they break upon the boulders lying along the surf beaten coast of the town in its infant years. Some accounts associate it in the sound of the gong used by early chieftains to call for tribal meetings, while others relate it to to the tidal rip th
at occur in the San Bernardino Strait where the Pacific and China Sea meet. The first settlers of the town were supposedly a part of a tribe of civilized Malays, most probably descendants from the tribe of Datu Dumanaqui led by Sirangan, the chief, and his wife Hara-Hara, who made their way here long before 1570. In 1637 Moros raided coastal towns plundering whatever wealth there was. To prepare for these raids, the early settlers built watchtowers at this northern edge of Matnog bay, where there was a clear vantage of all approaches. The place came to be known as Tanaunan, from its function, but later renamed Banuang-daan. One recorded attack was in 1754. Based on the names of places, particularly the barangays, which more mostly derived from Bikol terms, one can surmise that the whole of Matnog was explored, and even settled, before the Spaniards came. In 1785, Matnog was made a barrio of Bulusan, Juan Evangelista was its first head. The place has been recorded as Matnog, in spite of the many transfers of the site due to Moro raids and other factors. Fifteen years later, it was declared as pueblo civil. It was in 1898 when the town was transferred to its present site. As a parish, Matnog was believed to have been independent on November 21,1863. The parish has been dedicated to its titular head - the Holy Infant Jesus, whose feast day is on May 17, as determined by the Local/Municipal Council. Matnog had been the mother parish of Sta. Magdalena before the latter became independent in 1890. Matnog, because of its location has been the link between Luzon and the country's southern parts. The link was served by wooden boat in the early days, sailing across San Bernardino Strait, and presently by large ferry boats forming part of the inter-modal Pan-Philippine Highway(Daang Maharlika). About 1.5 million passengers now go through Matnog annualy. This functional role of being a transshipment point gave Matnog the name "The Gateway to Visayas and Mindanao".
