Magsingal, officially the Municipality of Magsingal ( ilo, Ili ti Magsingal; tl, Bayan ng Magsingal) is a 3rd class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur, officially the Province of Ilocos Sur ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Sur; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Sur), is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital o ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,308 people.

Etymology

The name of the municipality came from the term "''Mayisingal''," an Ilocano term which means "to be moved." It was applied when the belltower was moved from a previous location to its current site. Captain

Juan de Salcedo Juan de Salcedo (; 1549 – March 11, 1576) was a Spanish-Novohispanic conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549 and he was the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi and brother of Felipe de Salcedo. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accompan ...

had a hand in founding the municipality. But before he reached the current site of the poblacion, he came to a village called Malongon, about one-half kilometer to the south. The leader of the village refused Salcedo's request to establish a municipality there, but suggested that he establish the town a half kilometer north of the village, and the belltower be moved to that site, hence the origin of the town's name.

History

Itneg The Itneg (exonym "Tinguian" or "Tingguian") are an Austronesian ethnic group from the upland province of Abra in northwestern Luzon, in the Philippines. Overview The Itneg live in the mountainous area of Abra in northwestern Luzon who descen ...

s were the original inhabitants of the place when Salcedo arrived. He worked for the conversion of the people to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

, but not all accepted the new faith. Those who refused conversion fled the town and settled east of Bantay Bul-lagaw (Bul-lagaw Mountain).

Geography

Magsingal is from

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

and from

Vigan City Vigan, officially the City of Vigan ( ilo, Siudad ti Vigan; fil, Lungsod ng Vigan), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,935 people. Loc ...

, the provincial capital.

Barangays

Magsingal is politically subdivided into 30

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

s. These barangays are headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain,

Barangay Council The Sangguniang Barangay, also known as the Barangay Council, and formerly as the Rural Council and then the Barrio Council, is the legislative body of a barangay, the lowest form of government in the Philippines. The term is coined from the Tag ...

, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years.

Climate

Demographics

In the 2020 census, Magsingal had a population of 31,308. The population density was .

Economy

Government

Magsingal, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of

, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years. In 1945, the first duly elected municipal mayor via landslide vote was Hon. Policarpio Cortez Jurado.

Elected officials

Education

* Saint William's Institute - a privately funded educational institution run by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres * The Magsingal Institute - a private highschool * Magsingal National High School- a public highschool * Manzante National Highschool - a public high school

References

External links

Philippine Standard Geographic CodePhilippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Ilocos Sur