Legends and Folklore

Mandaluyong City has lots of stories to tell — heroic undertakings, cultural and supernatural beliefs, romance and more.

The following stories tell of unusual names of places and features that inspire curiosity among inhabitants (old and new), researchers, and passers-by.

The Origin of “Mandaluyong”

There are different stories on the origin of the ancient name  “Mandaluyong”.

Legend says that the city was named after the romance of a tribal couple, Manda and Luyong. Manda was a lovely daughter of a Barangay chieftain, while Luyong was a Maharlika despised by Manda’s father.

As was the custom at that time, the maiden’s hand was given to whoever wins a series of tribal competitions in the barangay. Luyong emerged as the victor and the couple was eventually married, amidst the objection of Manda’s father. Thereafter, the couple settled in a place that was later called Mandaluyong, a literal concoction derived from their names.

Another story says that the place was named from Luyong, a kind of tree that was abundant in the place and from which beautiful canes and home furniture were made of. Still, another story says that during the Spanish regime, the place was called Madaluyong to describe its rolling terrain which resembles giant waves of the sea. The consonant ‘n’ was later affixed by some Spanish writers, hence, the name Mandaluyong.