SAN MARIANO

          The Barangay is the most estranged and remotest barangay of the town and is 2^nd smallest in terms of voting population (next to Brgy. Sagneb at page 64, supra) with only 174 registered voters. To illustrate how inland the barangay is, from this place it is nearer or easier to go at San Quintin, a Barangay in the Province of Abra, (part of Cordillera Region) which is less than two kilometers away, rather than to reach the Quirino bridge at Brgy. Banaoang which is about four kilometers far. It is inhabited by about 450 individuals who are engaged in fishing, farming, livestock raising, collection of firewoods, charcoal making and gathering of bamboos (‘cawayan’ and ’bical’).  It has a vast land area, however, only meager portion is utilized for habitat because most of it is comprised of inalienable forested ground, part of the patrimonial property of the State. 

          It was once called Brgy. ‘Sallacong’, but not until Dec. 20, 1996, with the passage of RA 8243, authored by then Representative Mariano Tajon (1^st District, Ilocos Sur). For indeed, it was he, during his incumbency as Congressman, who worked for light (electrification) to this barangay, poured numerous financial assistance and livelihood projects finding the retarded conditions of the community. Owing to Congressman Mariano Tajon and in gratefulness, residents agreed to adopt San Mariano as its new appellation taken from the latter’s first name.  It is also a way to get rid of the ridicule and its disgraceful past where, purportedly, the word ‘sallacong’- was derived from the early mountain tribes-settlers of the place who are known to be ‘sallapid’ (bowlegged).

          Formerly, the barangay is not accessible to any kind of land transportation and can only be reached through riding a banca or motor boat navigating through the legendary Abra river or by walking along the steep pathways and traversing rocky mountainous terrain on foot. However, due to the implementation of the Banaoang Pump Irrigation Project (BPIP), a nationally funded-foreign assisted infrastructure undertaking, through the auspices of the NIA, where structural work started on the third quarter of 2000 that paved way for the construction of a new road leading to it, which was opened and made accessible in June of the following year located at the edge of the Quirino bridge. The project went full-scale in 2005… Thus, after decades of arduous living, inhabitants have now the convenience of conveyance and travel, propelling drastically its way to progress. On its final planning phase is the construction of Abra-Ilocos Sur national road which aims to connect the Province of Abra to other Northern Provinces that would pass through San Mariano.  When this project materialized, it would greatly transform the Barangay to economic growth and development.

          It is one of the barangays with coastal area (the other two are Banaoang and Paing). Its aquatic resources are rich, the same those found and caught at Brgy. Banaoang (refer at page 42 and page 32, supra) and it boasts of abundant quarry (aggregates) resources from its riverbeds. All marine life derived from the Abra river are renown for its luscious taste so that those caught therefrom are sold directly at source and only a few find its way to the local market because buyers would purposely go at the Quirino bridge (at Barangay Banaoang) to look for the fine succulent catch of the marginal fishermen of San Mariano.