According to a report by The Tribune newspaper in 1977, the town is referred to in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, as being the seat of king Virata.
He is the eponym of the Cesar Virata School of Business, the business school of the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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Prior to assuming leadership positions in the government service during the Marcos regime, Virata used to teach at the business school of the University of the Philippines Diliman.
As per the Mahabharata, Virata worshipped Shiva at the temple along with his son Uttara.
Sometime during the 1896 Philippine revolution, a forebear changed the surname to Virata, taking the name of the character King Virata from the Indian epic Mahabharata.
As such, Arjuna leaps at the chance to marry Abhimanyu to Virata's daughter, Uttara.