BARBARIT

THE LEGEND OF BARANGAY BARBARIT

Barbarit is one of the component Barangays of Magsingal, Ilocos Sur. It is in the extreme northern part of the town along the national highway adjacent to San Juan, Ilocos Sur. The sitios of Purok, Nagkularan, and Cabanayan compose the barangay.

Barbarit got its name during the early period of the Spanish regime when the Spaniards were still busy going to every nook and corner of the island teaching Christianity. At that time the sitio of Purok was the only place where the people grouped themselves and lived together to protect themselves from danger.

One day a Spanish officer with a squad of soldiers were marching along the highway. When they came to a narrow street connecting the sitio of Purok to the highway, they incidentally met a Filipino who was so frightened that he hide himself in the groups of barit plants that were growing abundantly along the trail. The officer called and asked, “Para donde este callejon?” (Where does this street go?) The Filipino thought that the officer was asking the name of the plants that tribed along the highway. He answered him “Bar” instead of Barit because he was frightened and shaking that he can not pronounce completely the word. The officer said, “Ha!”. The Filipino told him “Barit” in more polite manner. Then the officer noted in his memorandum pad the words “Bar and Barit” together and formed the single word, Barbarit.He registered “Barbarit” as the name of the place to the Gobernadorcillo. Since then, its name remains as such. Barit plants still exists along the brook of the Barangay.