History

Looc. The barangay Looc got its name from the Cebuano word suok that means “at the end point”. Looc, being at the eastern point of Mandaue where the watchtower (Bantayan sa Hari) still stands and close to the island of Opong (Mactan), was considered far from the town center like a hidden corner. People then called it as su-ok or in similar dialect as lu-uk (Lu- úk): Na su-ok mana nga barangaya” or “na luk-lok mana sya”, {the barangay is hidden beneath . . . (e.g. trees) or the barangay is hidden under the . . . (e.g. trees).

It might also be that the name came about from another situation. The Bantayan sa Hari area used to be very heavily populated by immigrants, most of whom were merchants and fishermen. Goods or the catch of the day were traded or sold in Opong Island. Since the area was small compared to the great number that crowded it, the place stopped being called su-ok and became lu-uk instead, as in “Na lu-uk ang lugar ug daghang tawo” or “the place is filled with many people”.

A check with old Cebuano dictionaries reveals that “looc” is also a term applied to a narrow “choke” of land which is also a very likely explanation since many places in the province of Cebu called Looc have such characteristics that make them look like being choked(naluok).