It is a weapon used by Muslim Filipino ethnolinguistic groups like the Tausug, Sama-Bajau, or Yakan in the Southern Philippines.

[1] Barong blades are thick and very heavy with the weight aiding in the slicing capability of the sword.

Higher end barongs belonging to the upper classes often had large elaborately carved junggayan (elongated) cockatoos.

Barong used by juramentados, or those who had taken the rite of Magsabil, often would feature smaller blades with normal size hilts.

The terminus on modern-made scabbards tends to turn upward to a more dramatic degree, often at a near 90-degree angle and feature squared tips.