San Teodoro was called “Subaan” during the Spanish times. The town center and seat of Government was then located at what is now Lumangbayan. Then, Subaan and its neighboring town Baco, were “visitas” of Calapan, the cabecera of Mindoro.
In the early days of missionary exploration, Subaan was once a part of the ecclesiastical district of Baco. Subaan was the original town having been chosen by natives as the ideal place in their struggle for survival against all odds that frequented the place to molest and rob them of their belongings.
In 1840, Subaan became a visita del pueblo y cabecera de Puerto Galera. But in 1852, Subaan and Baco were again annexed to Calapan. In 1892, Subaan was declared a sovereign municipality (pueblo) and new gobernadorcillo was Juan Roxas. When Mindoroo fell to the hands of the revolutionaries, Roxas took oath under the emissary of Gen. Miguel Malvar in July 1, 1898 as “Presidente Municipal”. Roxas was the first and the last leader of Subaan under the Revolutionary Government of General Emilio Aguinaldo.
Juan Roxas was the last captain of Subaan before the revolution, when the American forces under the command of Sgt. Theodore Hutchins and Sgt. Teodoro Viray burned the village; thus compelling the natives to flee to the mountains. Later a new site was established and named San Teodoro after the three Theodores namely; Theodore Hutchins (maybe Houston), Teodoro Viray and Theodoro Roosevelt, who was then the president of the United States of America. A new town site was laid and Melicio Apolinar was appointed as first Municipal President under the new American Regime.
On December 8,1928, Act No. 3498 was passed organizing and creating the Municipal Districts of San Teodoro, Baco and Mansalay into separate municipalities. On February 16, 1929 Blas Apolinar was appointed as the first Municiapal President after the declaration of the creation of the new Municipality of San Teodoro.