THE LEGEND OF BARANGAY MAAS-ASIN
Four kilometers northeast of the poblacion of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur is the little sitio of Maas-asin. It is situated in a hilly side at the foot of the Ilocos ranges. The early industrious men and tactful ones had carved terraces at the slopes of the hills. They utilized the little springs that flow to a nearby stream to irrigate the fertile ricelands. Farmers can plow immediately their fields after corn, vegetables and melon are harvested to be ready again to the next planting season. Indeed, Barangay Maas-asin have enough supply on melon and vegetables for Magsingal and other neighboring towns.
There are numerous springs during the rainy season but these springs dry up as early as January. So the settlers had to dig wells. But those wells proved useless because the water was salty. No where in the vicinity could they dig a well that could supply them with fresh water. Thus the place came to be named “Maas-asin” which means salty.
It was due to the scarcity of water that led to the transfer of the first school to the sitio of Pangasaan, just a few meters north of the place. But the school carried its name as Maas-asin School. It was first called Pangasaan School but when a big sum of money was set aside by the government for the construction of a permanent building of the school, it was erroneously written Pagsanaan School instead of Pangasaan. So the barrio folks had to rename it Maas-asin School to distinguish it from Pagsanaan School. Now the sitios of Pangasaan, Maas-asin, Baybayabas, Quinuang, and Lata-o compose of Barangay Maas-asin.
Agrimat Magsingal 