SARSARACAT

THE LEGEND OF BARANGAY SARSARACAT

Long time ago, there were folks living in a place situated in the eastern part of the newly established town of Magsingal. Because the town is composed of different barrios and sitios and while people of this town gathered in their new Centro of poblacion they were eager to come to know their town mates are and where they lived, folks who came from this place just shook their heads cause they do not know to answer and what part of the town they came from. As years passed people living multiplied and the more they’re became worried. Are resident decided to go to their “panglakayan”, who by those period of time tribal folks recognizes the eldest man in their place as their leader, to consult about this matter but the panglakayan just answer it’s the same old problem. While the resident and the panglakayan exchange ideas they came to agree both to call on a meeting among the residents of the people of the place. So the meeting goes on and panglakayan announces and elaborated the problem commoted by the residents of the place to his mates. One resident stands and says it is now the prime time to give their place a name and they all agreed. So every body has its own thinking what to, and the name of their place but still the panglakayan call on to adjourned the meeting nobody thought for suggestions. So by the next day the meeting resumes but still they were empty headed. While the meeting was going on, their attention was called on by a cart where a woman rod, cart pulled by a carabao and drove by man. The couple dropped by to the meeting and asked what place they were and said they are looking for place to live in. Nobody dared to answer because their attention was pulled on by the belongings inside the cart, some of which are horns, cat, clothes, and utensils, Instead somebody asked of their job and occupation. The couple answered that they were tinsmith (or panday) maker of bolos and use horns “sar-sara” for local term, for the handle cover. Soon folk caught an ideas, he suggested the name of their place be derived from the couple’s belongings, and they all agreed and everybody think and suggested Sar-sara pusa but it doesn’t sound pleasant, and someone suggest to make it English horn-cat it is so inconvenient. So they think again till someone stands and mentioned, in fairness to who suggested Iloco and English why not both to make it Sarsara-cat, because the people perform democratic society they go for votation and unanimously approved.

Soon, the people no longer owed and worry about the name of their Barangay and were they are living for. They adapted the couple and treat them as if they were their heroes and folks also use horns in making bolos and making bolos became their main source of living.