HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The name “MACALONG” was originally derived from a vernacular llocano term “a2cacal-lone”, which means one has secretly robbed and gorged foods. in fact, this Barangay was named after an event when a big monkey robbed and consumed the food supplies of the first inhabitants.
Long years ago, this place was a vast timberland and a denseful plain. Due to gigantic trees and huge wild grasses, a person could hardly be viewed. But in the midst of this tranquil wilderness, there were 15 houses built where the first inhabitants dwell. Their sources of living are planting crops, fishing, hunting wild animals and gathering fruits. They deforested and cleared the area and maintained it for their settlement.
One day, the people went out together to hunt wild animals and gather foods in the thick forest away from their village. They brought along with them food supplies consisting of boiled crops, fishes and some fruits which were placed in earthen pots and hung them in the branches of trees. While they were away wandering for foods, a big monkey attacked the place. When the inhabitants went back for lunch, they saw the big beast trying to consume all their food supplies leaving only the pots. The people got mad of the beast, stoned it and shouting the vernacular word “agcacallong”. The monkey then was frightened and run away from their place.
Houses multiplied as the population increased. The village was widened while production of root crops also flourished. Realizing that their place of settlement is unnamed, they consulted each other and came to 2 common idea. One of them reminded of the incident the day when 3 big monkey secretly eat their foods and which they called “agcacallong”, they unanimously agreed to name place as “MACALONG”.
Surmounting the other places, Macalong became more spacious because of the laborious diligence and hard work of the first settlers. Until later on people from the (locos Region immigrated to this place. They brought cleared lands from the first settlers, tilled them and introduced the planting of rice during the rainy season while corn and mongo during the dry season. They harvested crops only once a year. They use worm manure as fertilizer and cacawate trees as insecticide.
Families multiplied mostly by Ilocano’s. The Barangay now known as San Vicente West and Sobot were former parts of Barangay Macalong. Macalong is also widely known of its “tiklis’, a woven basket made up of bamboo, This become one of the major industry particularly those residing in the most northern part of the barangay.
It has already an accustomed tradition of the people of Macalong, to celebrate the annual Mayflower Festival in time of the yearly Barangay Fiesta in the month of May. The Festival showcases the procession of San Roque, the better known Patron Saint of Farmers. One way of giving back honor and thanks to the ‘Lord’s bounties and subsequently TO petition enough rains to irrigate the vast farmland of the barangay. To add more colors in the flower parade are the Sagalas and other beauties of the Santa Cruzan de Mayo. The traditional festivities has already enthroned different crowns and titles.
