ETYMOLOGY

Legend has it that the first known inhabitants of Sinait were called “Tirong”. These were hardy and warlike natives known for their sea-faring adventures and fondness for out-doing each other in every aspect of life-whether in their daily chores or in picking fights among themselves or with neighboring villages. Their ferocious character moved Captain Salcedo de Legaspi, the head of the Spanish troops who conquered the Ilocos Provinces, to name this place “Sin-nait”, which in the local dialect means “contest”. This was in the year 1535 when the community was organized as a pueblo. As time went on, whoever, the inhabitants experienced difficulty in pronouncing the name of their place, so that in 1575, Salcedo declared the dropping of one the letter “n”. Since then the town was known for its present name “Sinait”.

LEGEND

Before Magellan discovered the Philippines in 1521, the locality was only a small village of little over a hundred natives who were called Tirongs.  By nature, these primitive inhabitants were sea-fearing warlike.  In their fast and picturesque sailboats, they traveled to adjoining and distant places, most particularly to settlements and villages along the Ilocos Coast in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and even Zambales.  In those adventures, the “Tirongs “ always challenged the people encountered to tribal wars and fought small battles against them. Often, those sturdy and brave natives came out victorious. Even in their daily chores, those people showed their ferocious characteristics. When the renowned Iberians came, Salcedo was sent to explore and colonized the Ilocos territory during the early years of the Spanish regime, he found the “Tirongs” of Sinait in apogee of the social state. Small battles were daily occurrence so that in the year 1535, when the locality was organized and established as a “Pueblo” Salcedo named the new community as “SIN-NAIT”, a word in the local tongue which means “CONTEST”. As a pueblo, SINAIT embraced and included in its territorial limit such as distant places as RANCHERA DE PAUR”, now the Municipality of Nueva Era in Ilocos Norte and Southern barrios of Badoc of the same Province. The vast territory, however, was reduced to present 78 square kilometers. In the year 1575, the natives fully realized the hardships of pronouncing the term “SIN-NAIT” and to go away with the trouble, Salcedo declared that one of the letter “N” be dropped. Since then, this Municipality has been called “SINAIT”. Nevertheless, it was only in 1913 when the same was “deeded” by the government upon the initiative of the late Don Calixto Cabacungan so that the Municipality Council enacted a resolution to that effect, that SINAIT was adopted as official name of the community to which said resolution was duly approved by the Provincial board of Ilocos Sur and by the Defunct Philippine Legislature.

GLORIOUS PAST

Sinait takes pride in being the sanctuary of the miraculous crucifix known as “Apo Lakay-the treasure of Ilocandia. It is a life – size image of the Black Crucified Christ believed to have come from Nagasaki, Japan. The Black crucifix, together with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary were found inside a box floating along the boundary shores of Sinait and the adjacent town of Badoc (Ilocos Norte) in year 1620. The Black Christ was taken to the Catholic Church of Sinait and venerated as the “El Santo Cristo Milagroso”, while the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken to Badoc Church and known as the “La Virgin Milagrosa”. From the time on, devotion to the Santo Cristo Milagrosa spread specially when supposed various miracles were attributed to it. Every Friday, many people from near and far flock to its sanctuary in Sinait. In 1656, the Black Crucifix was taken to the capital town of Vigan, since an epidemic was raging there and through the devotion of the faithful, many got cured. Because of this, it is considered as an intercessor of all kinds of affliction and sickness. In 1660 because of the growing veneration to the image, the faithful begun the construction of a permanent edifice to house it. It took the people of Sinait eight (8) years to construct the church with funds provides by the Spanish Audiencia.

CREATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY

From its early position as a pueblo, Sinait included among its jurisdictional territories in distant town of the present Municipality of Nueva Era in Ilocos Norte (then known as “Ranchera de Paur”) and the southern barrios of the neighboring Badoc town. This territory was ultimately reduced to its present area of more or less 78 square kilometers.

It was only in the year 1913 that the name “Sinait” was recognized as the official name of the town by the Provincial Board of Ilocos Sur and by the defunct Philippine Legislature. This deed was Municipal President from 1914 to 1916.

PAST POLITICAL LEADERS

Since its establishment as a pueblo up to its present status as a fill-pledge Municipality, Sinait has been under the successive leadership. Upon its founding, the town was directly under the rule of Spain in the person of Salcedo.

INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL RELATIONS

Municipality of Sinait has established a Sisterhood with the City of Carson, California, USA through the efforts of their respective officials, with the assistance of the “Sinaitenians of California led by Mr. Marcelino Ines, Jr., Parks and Recreation Commissioner in the City of Carson. In recognition of its contribution to international understanding, the Town Affiliation Association of United States, Inc. awarded a Charter to the Citizens of Sinait, Ilocos Sur on October 2, 1972.

In the local scene, in 1990, the Municipalities of Sinait, Ilocos and of Buug, Zamboanga del Sur, respectively represented by Mayor George I. Cabacunga and Quirino Gonzales, exchange symbolic keys, signifying closer relationship and sisterhood affiliations during the latter’s visit to Sinait.