History of the town
BRIEF HISTORY
The municipality of QUIRINO was formerly known as Angaki which evolved from the vernacular Gaki meaning crabs. During the Spanish regime, there was a census conducted to determine the number of population and the political boundaries of the area. The Spaniards and a Filipino (a native speaker of Tagalog) led the census workers and upon reaching the southern part of the settlements called Tabbak, the workers saw a woman villager with a native basket on her waist full of aquatic catches such as crabs, eels, fishes and shrimps. The census workers asked the woman as to what name of the place was, but they could not understand each other. Since the surveyors kept on staring at the basket on her waist, the woman thought they were asking what her catch were, so she answered, “AY GAKI”. The Filipino surveyor scribbled in his notes “ANGAKI” as the name of the place, and from that time on, the name of the community was recorded as ANGAKI.
CREATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY
Quirino, Ilocos Sur (former Angaki) was formerly a township in the sub-province of Amburayan of the old Mountain Province which includes the present Municipalities of Alilem, Banayoyo, Galimuyod, Gregorio Del Pilar, Lidlidda, Salcedo (Baugen), San Emilio, Sigay, Sugpon, Tagudin, with Cervantes as the sub-capital and Bontoc as the capital town.
On December 31, 1918, Quirino (Angaki) with population of 2,817 together with Cervantes, Gregorio del Pilar, San Emilio, Sigay, Sugpon, Suyo and Tagudin which came from the former Sub-Province of Lepanto-Amburayan became separate township.
In the year 1922, the township of Angaki and all other towns except Kayan and Mankayan in the sub-province of Amburayan became municipal district under the sponsorship of Governor Alejandro Quiroljico and were included in the Province of Ilocos Sur. Subsequent development was the granting of Cervantes as a municipality with Angaki being its municipal district.
During the American time the original Angaki Municipal Hall was established at Saoil, a part of Barrio Cayus. During the incumbency of Mayor Rafael Bawas in 1941 – 1943, the Angaki Municipal Hall was burned during World War II and Mayor Rafael Bawas was executed by the Japanese Imperial Army. Julian Reynante was then designated as the Mayor of Angaki from 1944 – 1945 by Major Jarem Barnett of the U.S. Armed Forces for the Far East (USAFFE).
Osmundo Abaya was appointed by Governor Pedro Singson Reyes as Mayor of Angaki from 1945 – 1946 using a private house as his office at Legleg (now Poblacion North) owned by Ezequiel Galon.
On December 31, 1963 by virtue of Executive Order Number Sixty-One (E.O 61) by President Diosdado P. Macapagal, the municipal district of Angaki became regular municipality and was renamed QUIRINO on June 18, 1964 under Republic Act Number Four Thousand Thirty-Five (R.A. 4035).
Etymology
The early inhabitants of the town worshipped “Kabunian” and /or “ Lumawig” as their Gods who were in the mountains, hills, streams, rocks, trees and everywhere. Their faith included a religious ceremony known as the “Begnas-Obaya” through which their sins were forgiven; the villagers especially the children were spared from diseases and illness; believers were blessed not only with bountiful harvest and wild games but likewise endowed with wisdom discerning right from wrong.
In the early times, the village of Angaki experienced severe drought for three (3) years. It was so severe that most springs and other water sources dried up. This was aggravated by the atrocities perpetrated by the so-called “Buso” (headhunters) from the northern area called Bukay. When the peace loving tribesmen of Angaki became beset of foodstuffs and clothing demanded of them, the notorious “Buso” would behead the Angaki villagers.
By these barbaric acts of the “Buso”, the tribesmen decided to leave the place and seek safer places and with abundant water supply. The elders then decided and divided the group into three (3) groups wherein they based their groupings according to the number of stones that compound the “Dalikan” that is found inside the “Dap-ay”. The two (2) groups represent those who will be left behind.
The first group started their journey in searched of more water together with the things they wanted to bring, children, animals, seeds, medicinal plants and other necessary things needed. They temporarily camped into place where there is water. They lived like the nomads, until they arrived at the intersection between the Dilong Rivers and the Abra River. They tried to follow the source of the spring at the eastern part where the spring flows come from in greater amount, they made their rituals thanking their God for they found a better place to stay, they build there “dap-ay” and huts. Stayed there for many years and called the place “Mansikep”. They were not contented with their lands and extended and tried to look for a better place to cultivate and plant until they arrived at the southern part where they build another “dap-ay” where they used the stones they got from “Bukay”. Some of these who stayed at “Mansikep” moved to the northeast part, which they called the place “Gadagad”. They multiplied and lived there for years. The “buso” learned that some people lived there, again they started to disturb them, but the tribesmen stood and guard themselves against these barbarians.
There was once an incident wherein the people believed to be the root cause of epidemic diseases. One source of the livelihood of the people was hunting. Hunting was not a joke because the hunter must be skillful, alert and strong mentally and physically to be able to catch a fierceful wild animal/s using string and other indigenous weapons made of sharp stones, woods, sticks, bamboo, etc. unlike of today that there are guns of different calibers. There were two (2) brothers who are good in hunting that they were envied by other hunters. They killed these two brothers and buried them in the field. Two years later, a tree sprung out from the place where they buried the bodies of the two brothers. One afternoon, while these hunters who killed these two brothers were on their way home, a certain voice asked them how many have they caught and told the number of their catch. Upon arriving home, the number of the catch is also the same number of their tribe that has been dead. The tragedy continued for as long as these hunters passes through this tree, a voice was heard asking how many have they caught and tell the number and upon arriving home the number they have told upon the tree, is the number of men dead. The hunters were able to catch ten heads and it was the number of individual who died. The people got mad, they cut the tree, but the leaves of the tree suddenly became leaches that attacked them and many died, so the people were horrified and many left “Gadagad”. They scattered to different places, some went to the southern part at “Tabbak, Dongey and Gonsod” while others continued to “Baniakaw” and others still continued until they found a creek called “Ul-uling” of which some remained, while others still continued their journey southward until they finally settled at a prairie or plateau they called it “Dalikan” (now called Cayus) between Namitpit and Cervantes Ilocos Sur. They build their “dap-ay” and the stones that came from “Bukay” are their main “dalikan”.
They lived there for years but on the month of “Agey” (September) a strong typhoon struck the place, pluck and blown one of the branches of a tree that grown at the back of the “dallikan” which they called “Dallik Tree” a sacred tree to them so they have to take care of that tree.
The tribesmen did not stop following the sacred branch of the “Dallik Tree” which the wind blew to the eastern part of the place (Now Mountain Province). A trace of the “Dallik Tree” is proven because in Bontoc, the Capital town of Mountain Province could be found a sitio or barangay “Dallik”.
The people who were left at ”Mansikep” moved northeast, those who were left at “Gadagad” went to “Malitep” crossing the Abra River who later moved down to Urzadan, Tumbaga (now Barangay Cayus), Saoil and Legleg (now Barangay Poblacion). Those who were left at “Tabbak” went to Barangay Malideg and Lamag, while those who were at “Gonsod” went to Bonabon then later to Barangay Patiacan. Those who were in “Baniakaw” went to Namitpit, those who were in “Ul-uling” went to Bucnit, Lugacan, Baybayatin, Nasuco, Mabalili, Suagayan, Ilocos Sur and Likew, Bantay Cervantes, Ilocos Sur.
As time passes by, during the Spanish occupation, the Spanish government made a census of population and to make a political boundaries entire the country so a Spaniards and a Tagalog man census workers were sent here to do the job. These census workers arrived at Tabbak, they saw a woman catching crabs commonly called by the natives “GAKI” or in Ilocano “Agatol” and with her “Atubang” a belt bag worn by the woman where her catches of crabs were placed. The woman misunderstood them and answered ay! “Gaki” (these are crabs) thinking that the census workers were asking what were her catched. The Tagalog man wrote the short answer of the woman “ANGAKI” which was put into records until subsequent changes occurred that changed the named of “ANGAKI” into Quirino, Ilocos Sur.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, LAND AREA, AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISION
Geographical Location
Being situated in the boundaries of Abra and Mountain Province, Quirino is bounded on the north by Tubo, Abra Province and San Emilio, Ilocos Sur; on the east by Besao and Tadian, Mountain Province; on the south by Cervantes, Ilocos Sur; on the southwest by Sigay, Ilocos Sur; and on the west by Gregorio Del Pilar, Ilocos Sur.
The municipality is situated at 120°42’ longitude and 17°8’ latitude within the Cordillera Ranges, and is more than 1000 meters above sea level in elevation. Due to natural barriers, the municipality of Quirino is completely usually isolated from the rest of the Ilocos Sur towns.
Further bisected by the Abra River, the town of Quirino is divided into two (2), the eastern and the western groups of Barangay. Five (5) barangays are located on the eastern part namely barangay Patiacan, Lamag, Patungcaleo, Banoen and Malideg, whereas four (4) barangays are located on the western part of the Abra River Namely Barangay Cayus, Poblacion, Suagayan and Namitpit.