About the Seal

Rising sun represents hope for bountiful harvest rice

Tobacco and garlic, promote trade and industry of the municipality being the secondary crops harvested from its vast rice fields

Sampaguita Leaves, symbolizes progress

Brief History

Banna is bounded on the north by Marcos and Dingras; on the northeast by Batac; and on the east by Mt. Sicapoo. It is one of the smallest towns of the province, having a land area of only 97.68 square kilometers. Banna had a population of 15,975 in 1995.

The municipality used to be known as Banna. It has preserved this name until 1964.

According to legend, Banna had pre-hispanic origin. It was a prosperous village, inhabited bt Tinggguian settlers, located in the eastern part of Ilocos Norte. It was ruled by a chieftain named Banna. Whose wisdom and courage united and emboldened his people. It was said that when the Spanish colonizers tried to Christianize the village, Banna resisted. He fought the Spanish priest. Soldiers and native Christian settlers who treacherously railed it while Banna and his subjects were celebrating his birthday. The Tingguians were defeated, but managed to escape with their chief. What was left of their settlements was consequently turned into a Spanish town, with a parish priest and native local officials. In honor of its former pre-hispanic ruler, its inhabitants preferred to call their new Christian village, Banna.

During the Spanish regime, banna was a barrio of bigger towns like batac and Dingras. Archival records show that the eastern part of its Magalis River was once a part of Dingras and its western part, of the town of Batac.

During the American administration, particularly in 1913, Banna’s status as a barrio became a subject of discussion among its residents, especially Governor Santiago Espiritu, who worked hard to make it own. It became a town that same year, with one named Ishmael as its first Presidente Municipal. On June 18, 1964, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3997, the town’s name was changed to Espiritu, in honor of Governor Espiritu.

Though small, Espiritu is a progressive town. Rice, garlic, cotton and beans and other vegetables are its principal cash crops. As for its home industries, the town is famous for its woven Ilocano blankets, bathrobes, bed spreads and pillow cases, which are highly priced in manila as well as the neighboring provinces.