The natives of Bukidnon known as Tigwahanons and
Matigsalugs were the original inhabitants of this area. They settled along the fertile river valleys of the Tigwa and Salug rivers. These people were
nomadic by nature and subsisted mainly by
hunting and eating forest products but they also maintained small plots of
corn and
root crops in places where they built their temporary shelters. They have a
feudal type of government headed by a political chieftain known as "
datu", who also acted as their religious leader and armed forces chief. San Fernando was formerly part of the municipalities of
Maramag and
Malaybalay. Pursuant to Executive Order No. 347 of President
Carlos P. Garcia dated July 29, 1959, the Malaybalay barrios along the
Tigua River and the Maramag barrios along the
Salug River were separated from their mother towns to create the Municipality of San Fernando. During the reign of Gov. Teodoro Oblad and Cong. Cesar Fortich, a proposal was submitted to the defunct Congress for the creation of this district into municipality. On June 18, 1966, San Fernando was created into a municipality under R.A. 4789 and was named in honor of Fernando Damasco, the father of former Gov. Catalino Damasco. The first set of government was installed at Barangay Namnam, approximately 48 kilometers away from Valencia City. The government
resettlement program for
Mindanao during the 1960s and 1970s attracted immigrants from
Luzon and the
Visayas. The arrival of the migrants, attracted by the town's rich agricultural potential, created more
settlements in the area and contributed much in the development of the area. The original occupants of the town, the Tigwahanon and the Matigsalug, were then replaced by these lowlanders or "dumagats". Only few natives remained in the lowland and the majority of them settled in the interior and mountainous areas of the municipality. On July 27, 1970, the municipal council passed a resolution transferring the seat of government from Namnam to Barangay Halapitan. Halapitan - The present town of Halapitan used to be an abaca farm of Victoriano Bantug who served as mayor in the 1970s. Mr. Tamin, a teacher in Namnam used to drop by at Mr. Bantug's house in present Halapitan on his way to Malaybalay, thus the word "Hapit", or drop by. Talangihon which is now Comawas was the loading dock for bamboo rafts as inhabitants sail along Tigoa River connecting Pulangui River onto Lumbayao. Mr. Bantug eventually distributed lands to newcomers and eventually the name Halapitan stayed on " Hapitanan". ==Geography==