The hometown of a Senator, a Congressman, a Governor, an Archbishop, an Ambassador and a Regional Trial Court Judge, Pandan lies at the northernmost part of the province of Catanduanes, about 96kms from the capital town of Virac. Like the tip of a crude flint arrow-head (that is the shape of the island province) it faces the open Pacific on the north, northeast and northwest, and is bounded by the municipalities of Bagamanoc in the southeast, and for Caramoran in the southwest.
Pandan has two former names which were attributed to the earlier settlements of this town. The first was BINONOAN which means a killing and the second is GUINOBATAN which means destroyed.
The older inhabitants of this municipality tell us that the earliest settlement was located south of the present poblacion. It is a valley now used for planting rice, coconuts and pasture for carabaos and cattle. Situated far from the sea, the people could not see the Moro pirates who often made surprised landing into the north and entered the little settlement. The peaceful people of this little village without arms to defend themselves often fall under the mercy of the invaders. They were abused, captured and killed by the Moros, this settlement was called “BINONOAN”.
In Binonoan, the people could no longer stand the Moro raids. So they decided to transfer their settlement to place where they could see the landing of the Moro pirates. They build their new homes on the present site of Pandan. They called it at the beginning “CAPANGDANAN” which means a place of thick Pangdan plants. In the new settlement, they thought that if they planted some plants that would obstruct the coming of the raiders, or delay their entry so that the native could either escape or fight the invaders. They planted more and more Pangdan plants, (these plant grew so thick that the houses were hidden from a far view).
Because of this thick Pangdan plants they called their new settlement Capangdanan. When the settlement (Sitio Capangdanan) was established into a regular pueblo (town), the name remained and became the official name of the town and later on became Pandan.
The date of the establishment of the earlier settlements, Binonoan and Capangdanan are unknown. No living person in town can remember and no records are available. It is probable that the sitio of Binonoan and Capangdanan was established during the 16th and 17th century respectively.