1. History
The first inhabitants in this area were known as the Lobog Sub-tribe of the Sub-province of Kalinga. The place at that time abounded with tall “sablang trees called bagbag” by the Ilocanos. For this reason, the Kalingas referred to the area as “Masablang” meaning an area abounding in sablang trees.
By the year 1926, a group settler of the Tinguian or Itneg Tribe of Province of Abra led by lakay Lawagan Calumnag arrived in the place. Sometimes later, another group of settlers from the municipal district of Balbalan came in. These are of the Banao Sub-tribe of Kalinga. Desirous to have peaceful co-existence with the original inhabitants of the place, the Tinguians and the I-Banao settlers entered into a peacepact or “bodong” with the Tobog Sub-tribes, as well the Gobgob Sub-tribes which claimed dominion over the area starting from Sitio Calanan in the south.
Lakay Lawagan Calumnag of the Tinguian settlers bought the area from the Lobog Tribe for an amount of P40.00, the equivalent of two carabaos at that time. As years went by, the number of iBanao settlers greatly increased as more families from Balbalan came in. So that, while there were other ethnic groups like Ilokano, Igorot, Tinguian or Itneg, etc., inhabiting the place, they called it “na-Baoan” or “na- colligong” under the Banao Sub-tribe from Balbalan. This, however, was not acceptable to many of the settlers from other ethnic groups and they agreed to adopt a name which does not favor a certain ethnic group. They believed it was best to adopt a name based on the earlier identification of the place which abounded with sablang trees. The word they coined was Masablang by which the place was known up to the early 1960s.
However, the late Rev. Buenaventura A. Munda, Sr., whose area of coverage extended up to the area, observed the unpleasant connotation of “sabsab” in the word “Masablang”. “Sabsab” in the Iloko vernacular describes the manner a pig eats its food. He then suggested dropping the other “sab” which was appreciatively accepted by the residents. Since then, the place was called Barangay Masablang which still means “a place abounding in sablang trees.”
Barangay Masblang is the last barangay of Tabuk City towards the western part from the Poblacion of Tabu City. It is the bounded on the North by Pinukpuk Municipality; Barangay Cawagayan; on the south is Barangay Lanna, Tabuk City; on the west was the mountainous part of pinukpuk Municipality.
The local land area of this barangay is 3,500 hectares, more or less 90 hectares is cultivated and the other portion was uncultivated. It has a lateral road with 500 meters cemented and other portion is gravel filled. The distance to town proper is 26 kilometers and it takes 45 minutes ride from Barangay to Poblacion Tabuk City.
The population is a mixture of Kalinga – Native, Ilocanos, Igorot, tinggian/Itneg and some other province in the country.
There are two major dialects spoken by the people in the barangay. The Kalinga dialect and Ilocano dialect. Some other dialect spoken Igorot and Tagalog with smaller percentage.
The prevailing climate of the barangay is categorized under the type 111 classification of the weather bureau relatively dry season occurs from the month of November to April while the rest of the year is generally wet. Typhoons frequently occur during the period of July to October.
Flat lands characterized most part of the barangay, which is used to agricultural area that lies on the Western part of the residential area of the barangay. The Western part of portion is generally rolling with gradually sloping foothills interloping flat lands.
II. Land Area – 3,500 hectares
III. No. of sitios/puroks – 7 puroks
IV. Population - 832
V. Major Products – Rice, corn, vegetables, banana, coffee, fruits
