HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF MAGSINGAL
Year Founded. The town of Magsingal was founded in the year 1676 under orders of Captain Juan de Salcedo of the Spanish Army.
The Spanish colonizers under the leadership of Captain Juan de Salcedo encountered a place which was called Malungon, a place situated southwest and about one kilometer away from the present poblacion. This place is presently a place where rice, virginia tobacco and garlic thrive with satisfaction in this municipality. This place was then under the rule of a woman ruler by the name Palungo Galcia (Garcia). This woman ruler was sturdy and with an exceptional strength. These Spanish colonizers brought with them several bells to be distributed to municipalities to be founded by them, one of which was a big bell to be allotted to the town of Magsingal. Upon arriving at Malungon, they offered this bell to the ruler Palungo Galcia, but this ruler flatly denied the offer to accept the big bell, and instead, she pointed to a place and simultaneously said, “MAYISINGAL”, or (Mayalis Sadiay), meaning, “Let it be transferred there.” This place pointed by Palungo Galcia is the present site of the town’s belfry which was then under the rule of her twin brothers Palungo Andoliguis (AndorIguis) and Palungo Tholentino (Tolentino). Since then, the Spaniards wrote and pronounced the name of this town as MAGSINGAL, a contraction of the word “MAYISINGAL”, or “MAYALIS SADIAY”. Continue reading HISTORY OF MAGSINGAL→
Miramar is a coastal Barangay of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur about two and a half kilometers away from the poblacion. It is bounded in the north by San Isidro, San Juan, Ilocos Sur, in the east by Pagsanaan Norte, in the west by the China Sea, and in the north by Pagsanaan Sur.
The first settler in the place was Santiago Tipon and his family who came from Botobot, San Juan, Ilocos Sur. Later on he was followed by several families from the same place. The people called the place where they settled “Botobot” to carry the name of their former residence. The name of the settlement remained as such until the time when Father Quintin Velasquez visited the place.The parish priest was taking a walk in the sea shore leisurely in the afternoon at sunset. He got enchanted by the beautiful sunset and he exclaimed, “Mira el Mar”. (look at the sea). He then baptized the place Mira-mar. Since then the Barangay was called as such.
Maratudo is one of the small Barangays of Magsingal which is located in the eastern part of the town at the foot of the mountain called Samsamon. It is seven kilometers away from the town. This Barangay is bounded in the north by Dupit river, in the east by Samsamon mountain, in the south by Subsubusob river, and in the east by Tagator river. People go to the town by means of riding a cart or sometimes walking along the river.
Maratudo means rainy. During the early days and up tpo the present, this Barangay has always the first rain and very frequent at that. One day a stranger and a merchant as well came to the place. He stayed there for almost a year. He asked the people what is the name of the place but the people could not give him an answer. Since the stranger observed that this Barangay always received the earliest rainfall and rain was very often, he then named the place “Maratudo”.
Manzante is one of the component Barangays of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur. It is about two and a half kilometers away from the poblacion. A good road going to the place is maintained by the government. Carts, kalesas, tricycles, and automobiles can reach the Barangay easily.
Nobody knows exactly how the Barangay got its name. But according to some people, fruit trees called “Manzanita” grew in abundance in the place before even when the people began to build their houses Manzanita were still plenty. They then called the place Manzanita. Later, the place changed the name Manzante from Manzanita. Up to this time the barangay still called “Manzante”.
Barangay Macatcatud is formerly a river bed. There was no houses and the land was not fitted for agriculture. When the river, now called Parsua river took another course it left the place barren with only few trees growing. After many years, grass called “Catud” began to grow.
Later when some of the people of the nearby barrios saw that the place was fit to build their homes, they transferred to the place. Seeing that the grass catud grow extensively in the place so the people named it “Macatcatud”.
Agrimat Magsingal 