The original inhabitants of the area that was become the present day municipality of Bacarra was a sturdy and industrious race and predominantly Malays. They immigrated to the Philippines in two waves. The second wave being from the first century AD and continuing throughout the 13th century AD. It is from these immigrates of this wave that the present day residents of Bacarra are descended.

The Spaniards found that the inhabitants of the area had a distinctive character and culture such different from their fellow countrymen in the south – with different dialects although belonging to the mother tongue Tagalog, it had a different idiosyncrasies making the Ilocano dialect quite different from the Tagalog.

The name Bacarra has two legendary origins. One legend tells of a native fisherman who was out fishing in what is now known as the Bacarra River . Two Spanish soldiers promenading the place had asked the fisherman about the name of the place. Not understanding what the soldier meant, jubilantly answered “Bacbacarra, Señor”. The Spanish went away with the thought that Bacarra was the name of the place.

Another related story was the coining of a by-word of a farmer and his wife who were making big basket called “Bakar” which was used as rice basket. From these two legends, the Spaniards associated it with the town into its present name which is “BACARRA”, the same place where most of the Bacarreños now live.

Historical files state that an Igorot Baksalandok first settled the place, which is now Bacarra. Baksalandok was hunting in the areas near the Bacarra-Laoag boundary when he took notice of the beauty and vegetation of the place. He made his hut at the site where the Roman Catholic Church and Convent now stand. Other Igorot settlers followed him, and soon afterwards, other tribes followed. The settlement was called Baraniw and this name is retained until now by the barrio just west of the Poblacion. The Eastern settlement was called Vira and the Middle one was called Parparia. The settlement started in about 1600AD and it was this kind of settlement, which greeted the Spaniards when they came to the place a little later.

It was more than one and one-half centuries later, in 1778, when the Spanish Government officially recognized Bacarra as a municipality. It was place on the map as a town and was christened Bacarrawith Manuel Paras who laid the foundation of the municipality to its present state. From 1778 to the present that span more than two centuries, Bacarra has greatly changed metamorphosed and evolved to its present state. During this period, 127 executives have occupied the highest office of the town. These executives were been the alcaldes, gobernadorcillos, capitan municipals, municipal presidents and eventually mayors.

Bacarra
About the Seal
Blue, symbolizes the incessant of peace for love, justice equality and tranquility, the purity of heart and open mind of the people of Bacarra, Ilocos Norte towards progress. It also depicts the fervent hopes and prayers of the people to reach their goals in their pursuit for economic recovery through productivity and self-reliance.
Yellow, represents the burning desire and initiative of the people to attain reconciliation through the power of love and prayer.
Brown, represents the basic race which the people take pride in the cultivation of the soil through their own sweat and blood.
Leaning Tower, depicts the strength and sturdiness of the people to withstand the challenges of life in the passage of time. It also expresses the dignity of labor
Carabao and Plow, symbolize the basic factors of production which are of paramount importance in attaining the fondest dreams of the people to become active, viable, self-reliant and productive.
Tobacco and Garlic, represent the two major agricultural cash crops of the people thereby attaining self-reliant.
Brief History
Bacarra is bounded on the north by the Municipality of Pasuquin, on the east by Vintar; on the south by Laoag City; and on the west by China Sea. It has a land area of 66.07 square kilometers, with a population of 27,827 in 1995.
The first settler of the town was an Igorot named Bacsalandoc, who became its first chief. The present site of the Roman Catholic Church was the spot where he built his hut. In 1590, the Augustinians started missionary work in Bacarra which was at that time, was reported to be an encomienda of one Capitan Castillo and one Andres de Hermosa. It had one convent with two priest ministering to 4,000 souls. In 1956, the convent was granted the status of a priory with the right to vote in the provincial chapters. In 1599, Bacarra had the following visitas: San Nicolas de Vintar, Santiago de Pasuquin, Bambang san Lorenzo de Banguisan (Bangui), Sta. Catalina de Adang and Vera. In 1603, Bacarra became a visita of Laoag. In 1608, it was made a vicariate under the immediate jurisdiction of the father provincial. In 1614, it became an independent parish.
Agriculture is the main industry of the Bacarreńos. Farmers raise rice, tobacco, corn, garlic, onion, mongo beans, sugarcane, cotton and vegetables. Fishing is the second major industry of the people. Both its sea and river teem with fish which include the legendary bac-bacarra. They also engage in woodworking and weaving.
The Bacarreńos, like other ilocanos, are adventurous, industrious and are incessantly in quest of greener pastures. Long before the great rush of Filipinos to foreign lands, there were already thousands of them abroad, particularly in the U.S. mainland. Their remittances are a strong boost to the economy of the town. The electrification program of the government to the remote barangays has sparked the interest of balikbayans who have joined hands in the development of the town. In the early 1970’s, Bacarra won the National Barangay Award (Barangay Category) when it registered the most number of balikbayan who visited the country.