Another folktale or legend surrounding the town suggests that Pinabacdao's name was derived from miscommunication. These was the time when according to the folktale during the early years of settlement, officers from the Samar provincial government (probably on a mapping, census or exploratory survey) passed along the newly organized town and saw a man tied on a pole, standing on an ant colony. The Spanish officers asked one of the townsmen as to what is the name of the place. The townsman, not understanding the question in Spanish and thinking that the officer was pertaining to the tied man standing on ant colony immediately replied in Waray-waray dialect - ""Pinabakdaw"" or simply "asked to stand". This story was believed to be the reason why the bureaucrats recorded the name of the town as "Pinabacdao".