Seal Symbolism

The 12 stars at the center and the 12 leaves stand for the 12 barangays of the municipality.

The green color of the leaves represents peace.

The year 1832, the year the municipality was founded.

History and government

Sitio Ababeng of Poblacion located south of the barangay was the place where the first group of tinguian settlers stayed. During those days, the Tinguians were in constant war with the Itnegs of Gabuakan in the north.

In one of the encounters of the warring tribes, a cock with shiny feathers flew from heaven to a tree near the warring tribes. The cock flapped its wings so strongly that the warriors stopped fighting, amazed. When the cock vanished, the earth quaked and all the men fell down unconscious on the ground. When the men regained consciousness, they made peace with each other and then named the place “Namagpagan” meaning “where the flapping of the wings occurred”.

The named Namagpagan remained until the colonization of the entire archipelago by the Spanish sovereignty. When a group of missionaries led by Father Bernardo Lago, an Augustinian friar came to this place, they were welcomed by the friendly inhabitants. The place was so peaceful that the missionaries changed the name of the place to “La Paz”, which means peace.

At present, La Paz has 12 barangay as follows: Benben, Bubulala, Buli, Canan, Liguis, Malabbaga, Mudeng, Pidipid, Poblacion, San Gregorio, Toon and Udangan.