BALALENG

        Next to Brgys. Bulag and Tay-ac, this Barangay placed third in terms of voting population with registered voters of 1,080.  It is said that it can make or break a candidate for a local elective post. Located around two kilometers northwest of the town proper, it is bounded on North by Brgy. Sagpat and Guimod, East by Brgy. Mira, West by the town of San Vicente and South by Poblacion. It has an approximate land area of about 1,000 hectares and subdivided into four sitios, namely – Balaleng Centro, Balaleng Purok, Balaleng Amianance and Balaleng Laudenia.

        During World War II, the Bantay church was made the seat of the Japanese Imperial Army garrison in which prisoners of war were kept.  Whenever they massacre and kill prisoners, they dumped the remains at the nearest secluded place.  In the vernacular, to throw or dispose means –‘ibelleng’.  Therein derived the name of the place, ‘Balaleng’, for the ilocano slang referring to the dumping ground of dead bodies of prisoners. Another version where it got its name is the leafy vegetable ‘balangeg’ which the people of the place are fond of eating. They say, so plenty were planted in the area in the early times that the place was popularly known as ‘kabalangegan’.

        Agriculture is the main occupation of inhabitants but many has sought for greener pasture and have left to work or migrated abroad.  Now, colossal houses could be seen in the barangay as evidence of wealth and prominence of different families. Considering that it is along the National highway, adjacent to the Poblacion, commercial establishments abound in the area.  It is considered as a buffer zone, meaning an expansion of the urban core district, being trimmed as a trade center and industrial hub of the town.

        To its credit, it is the site of the biggest shopping mall (the first one stop-shop superstore) in Bantay, where the NAPOCOR electric power is located and other array of service shops, gasoline station and warehouses.