Sometime before the close of the 18th century (between 1895 – 1900), the first settlers in Daguioman arrived. They were the people from Pantikan, Mt. Province locally called the Canac of Banao tribe (Mt. Province).

There were two primary reasons why those people from Banao finally settled in the place.

First, the people were always attacked by warring tribes (headhunters) that come from the adjoining tribes who were purely pagans among the Kalingas. Headhunting or “busol” was so prevalent in those areas. It was considered the highest honor for man to have hunted several heads and the bravest among was made leader or chieftain.

Some of the inhabitants of Banao who feared for their lives and got tired of the attacks of the “busol” decided to leave the place and sought for a peaceful place.

The second reason was of economic purpose. Banao, particularly the sitio of Bollalayao was already densely populated. The lands for agriculture were so limited that there was no space to settle and cultivate. Besides the limited space, the soil was not fertile. The rice yield that they commonly plant was not encouraging. So the people of Banao decided to move to Abra.

The first objective of the settlement was in Bucloc, but the way going to Abra from Banao was dangerous and very difficult. They had to pass through the thick forests of Yabyab of Mt. Bali-it and it took them sheer will to hike a long way before they reached Daguioman.

When the first of the immigrants were on the boundary of Abra and Mt. Province, they sighted a beautiful and wide plain along the Bucloc – Daguioman River. They settled to the land and found out it has not been occupied yet by any settlers. The people from Banao decided to call it “day-as”, meaning wide plains and less mountains.

The first wave of settlers decided to inhabit “day-as” because Bucloc, their first objective, was already inhabited separately by the Binongan and Masadiit tribes.

The settlers first stayed in Paltongan, Pikek. There the people of Banao formed the first community. They started excavating the land, constructed rice terraces, irrigations, built permanent houses and tended domestic animals. The soil was fertile and there was abundant food to eat. Wild animals were so numerous as well as fish teeming in the river. They had little fear of headhunters. The settlers began growing in number so some of them settled in Tui, Domayco and Ableg which were not yet named as such in those times. It was then only known as “day-as”.

The first settlers of Daguioman had suffered the Spanish rule. They have experienced forced labor. When they were governed by the Spaniards, they were commanded to work on the trail connecting Daguioman and Mountain Province. In Mt. Labo there still exists the Spanish trail where the Daguioman settlers worked under forced labor.

The name of the place "Day-as" was changed when the first American visitors stopped in Daguioman.

After the Spaniards, General Emilio Aguinaldo went to Mt. Province by way of Daguioman. He followed the Spanish trail. It was perhaps the war between the Filipinos and Americans in 1899. The American troops who followed the route of General Aguinaldo happened to pass by Daguioman bound for Kalinga. The American troops stopped in Pikek and conducted a meeting.

It was planting season but the people gathered to have a look of their first American visitors. They were awed of the Americans because they are big and white people.

As the story goes, the American officer asked for the name of the community. The people did not understand what he was talking about as English in those times was completely foreign to them.

One old woman named Awayen talked to another woman in the gathering and said, “Dacayuman” which meant “you be the one to answer.”

She tried to encourage her companions to communicate with the officer saying “dacayuman”. The word uttered was heard by the officer and he wrote it in a diary. He spelled it as “Daguioman”. Then he said this is the name of your town.

A man named Cay-as from Domayco, who happened to know how to read English for having been one time served as deputy clerk of the Spaniards, acted as interpreter. He read the note of the American officer before the people and from that time on, the name Daguioman prevailed up to the present.

Source : Wikipedia

Daguioman is made up of beautiful plains and valleys, lying on the eastern portion of the Bucloc – Daguioman river basin. It is surrounded by high mountain ranges, the highest of them are Mt. Lamaoan and Mt. Bali-it on the northeastern part. Between the hills and mountains are networks of springs and creeks that make up the Daguioman River distinct in the whole valley. With its topography and geographic location, the place is considered a beautiful place and a peaceful community.