In the early 1600s, a couple named Pablo and Rita braved the wilderness with only rice seedlings and dreams. They settled where Pagbilao now stands, later joined by others drawn to their peaceful life. By 1725, under Don Luis Felipe, the community flourished, famed for crafting papag (bamboo beds) and bilao (winnowing trays). When Spanish missionaries came, they asked the locals—through gestures and unfamiliar words—what the place was called. The villagers, confused, simply replied "Papag" and "Bilao." The Spaniards combined the words into Pagbilao , unknowingly naming the town through a happy accident. And so, from humble beginnings and a simple misunderstanding, Pagbilao's story began.