BARANGAY IV

        During the Spanish era, the town proper was simply called- Poblaciones, the urban center of Bantay, in which this Barangay is a part of. After the Philippine liberation (1946), the old folks formed an organization called ‘timpuyog ti laud’ meaning ‘union or association of the west’.  Its general aim was to extend financial assistance and cooperation to its Officers/Members under the concept of ‘bayanihan’ or ‘saranayan’ (‘tagnawa’ in the vernacular), as well as other social endeavors like fiestas, weddings, baptismal and formation of Zarzuela Ilocana troupe. Later, the aggrupation was divided into two, the other group is now what comprised Barangay III (supra, Brgy. III, preceding page).

        It is the most thickly populated area among the Poblacion Barangays and like Barangay III, to which it is adjoined, goldsmith (or dealing in jewelry) is the primary source of livelihood, while others are into business enterprises.  It lies within the main urban core of the town where its total land area of about 10 hectares are now all classified as residential lots.  It tops the number of registered voters in the poblacion with a voting population of 552. Some are still engaged in the slaughter and merchandise of meat products, either in its raw state or cooked form. Residents of this barangay are known to be connoisseurs in cooking and said to be the original makers of bagnet, ladek and pinipian (supra, at page 32); while erstwhile educators and professionals prominently known for their intelligence came from the Barangay.  In here, one can still find preserved or renovated Spanish ancestral houses, a glaring manifestation that once, this was the bastion of wealthy early settlers of the town.

          Brgy. Four was then designated as a ‘Purok’ following the arrangement or subdivision prepared by the parish church for the procession at the town proper. It became a ‘Barrio’ in accordance with the apportionment into districts for purposes of the elections by precinct pursuant to RA 3590 (1963, The Revised Barrio Charter, supra, at page 9).   With the issuance of PD 86 (1972, where citizen assemblies were created in barrios, supra, at page 10), it was transformed into a ‘Zone’, then by virtue of PD 557 (1974, where the ‘barrio’ and citizen assemblies created under PD 86 became barangays, supra, at page 11) it was renamed and now called as Barangay IV. It is generally a peaceful and law-abiding community.