[3] Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo first arrived in Ilocos in 1571 and began setting up tribunals that soon became the seat of municipal governance.

[5] Augustinian friars followed in 1572 built the convent and house of worship that later became Iglesia Parroquial de San Agustín (St. Augustine Parish Church).

It is one of the thirty-four (34) towns of the Province of Ilocos Sur, the legal basis of its creation is the Maura Law of 1893 and, thus, was constituted as a separate political subdivision during the American Regime.

[5] The St. Augustine Church was originally made of bamboo and cogon structure by Bantay residents to house the miraculous Image of Our Lady of Charity, but it was later-on changed into a permanent edifice (built and completed in 1590) because of the good fortune it brought to the people.

The Augustinian friars chose St. Augustine de Hippo, the Doctor of Grace, as the Patron Saint and the town fiesta used to be celebrated every 28 August, but because of inclement weather during this month, Most Rev.

[6] In a report of Most Reverend Bishop Domingo de Soria on August 15, 1613, the population of Bantay was 4,000 souls while at that time, Vigan has only 2,000.

[6] The Bellarmine Catechism was the first book in Ilocano to be printed and its influence on the morality, culture and language of the entire Ilocos is measurable.

The prisoners prayed fervently to Our Lady of Charity for their deliverance until a Spanish mestizo nicknamed "Miguel Vicos" treacherously killed Silang on May 28, 1763, with a pistol at his makeshift fort on a place on a hillside referred to as Calle Encuentro (now Crisologo Street).

Considered as major breakthroughs and milestone feats in the History of Bantay, these massive structures were built to 'reinforce' the Old(Main) Building in order to meet the vast administrative demands and service requirements of the public clientele.

Bantay's reserved forests and farms make it home to a diverse range of plants, animals, and river creatures.

Poverty incidence of Bantay Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Bantay, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of Ilocos Sur, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code.