During the Spanish time, a soldier named Alejandro Acusar sailed with his family from Bohol to Mindanao in pursuit for better living. From a distance while sailing, they sighted a place and decided to dock. They found the place to have abundant nipa huts, so they named the place Taganipa or Taguipa. Then, the small Acusar family had established themselves through farming and fishing.

From that time on, more Boholanos immigrated the place and established themselves through fishing and farming. Time came that hunger occurred in the entire province and it was only Tagnipa that had continuous crops of corn and vegetables and have served not only   the Tagnipa people but including those in neighboring areas. Because of such events that the people were saved from hunger, the people agreed to change the name to El Salvador – meaning the SAVIOUR.

El Salvador is a city in the province of Misamis Oriental on the Mindanao island, southern part of the Philippines. The city serves as a pilgrimage site for the Divine Mercy devotees, that is why it is also called “The City of Mercy”, “City of The Saviour”, and “The Christ City of the Philippines”.