Santa, Ilocos Sur

Santa, officially the Municipality of Santa (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

Owing to Santa's natural topography (the ridge of Mount Tetas de Santa to the east; the winding Abra River and delta to the north and northwest; and the South China Sea to the west), then Governor-General of the Philippines Theodore Roosevelt Jr. on his visit in 1925 exclaimed: “The mountain in the east, the winding roping river in the north, and the immense sea in the west make Santa a poetic town.”

Malong Revolt

The Malong Revolt rocked the town from 1660 to 1661, when Andrés Malong of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City in Pangasinan) rose in arms to protest the abusive exacting of tribute and conscription of men for polo y servicio (forced labour). Malong proclaimed himself “King of Pangasinan” and tried to extend his kingdom by sending his Count, Pedro Gumapos, to Ilocos.

Gumapos pursued retreating Spaniards who had sought refuge in Agoo (now in La Union). The Spaniards and their loyalists made their last stand in Pideg, Santa. Pedro de la Peña, who was defending Pideg Pass, sheltered the great number of the rebels who camped in nearby Narvacan and offered them free passage across Pideg Pass. Silang’s widow Gabriela, with the help of her uncle Nicolás Cariño, continued her husband's fight and defeated the Spaniards and their soldiers in the Battle of Banaoang in Santa on August 24, 1763.

It is bordered by the municipality of Bantay to the north, Vigan and Caoayan to the west, San Quintin, Abra to the east and Narvacan to the south

Santa is situated from the provincial capital Vigan, and from the country's capital city of Manila. It can be reached by bus, jeepney and other motorized means of transport by way of the National Highway.

Soil and vegetation

There are three types of soil in Santa, namely: clay loam which is used for crop production, clay on the eastern part of the town and sandy loam on the western part. Although Santa has fair type of soil, vegetative cover is good for rice, corn, vegetables and fruit-bearing trees.

| date = 14 May 2020

The type of climate in Santa is generally the same as the climate of all coastal towns of Ilocos Sur. There are two seasons in the region, wet and dry season. The dry season commences in the month of February and ends in the month of June while the wet season is during the rest of the year.

Demographics

In the 2024 census, Santa had a population of 15,164 people. The population density was .

Language

Ilocano is the predominant dialect of Santa.

Economy

Government

Local government

Santa, belonging to the second 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. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

Elected officials

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.20em; font-size:100%;"

|+ Members of the Municipal Council<br/>(2019–2022)

! Position

! Name

| Congressman

| style="text-align:center;" | Kristine Singson-Meehan

| Mayor

| style="text-align:center;" | Jesus B. Bueno Jr.

|Vice-Mayor

| style="text-align:center;" | Jeremy Jesus D. Bueno III

|rowspan=8| Councilors

| style="text-align:center;" | Eugene B. Borje

| style="text-align:center;" | Lorenzo Q. Formoso Jr.

| style="text-align:center;" | Domingo L. Ritua

| style="text-align:center;" | Bella G. Bello

| style="text-align:center;" | Benedicto A. Burgonio

| style="text-align:center;" | Marino S. Burgos

| style="text-align:center;" | Encarnita B. dela Cueva

| style="text-align:center;" | Reynold B. Queral

Tourism

thumb|right|Welcome arch at town center

Banaoang Gap

The Banaoang Gap is a water gap about long formed by the Abra River by cutting three consecutive tall mountain ridges in the Ilocos Range. It separates Santa and Bantay towns and stretches to San Quintin, Abra. The gap is spanned by the old and new Quirino Bridges connecting the two towns. A viewing deck is located in Barangay Banaoang in Santa offering dramatic view of the bridge and the broad Abra River backdropped by Mount Tetas de Santa, Mount Binitalo and the other mountains in the Ilocos Range.

Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park

Located southeast of Santa and partly in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, the Northern Heroes Hill National Park was established on July 9, 1963, by Proclamation No. 132 encompassing of beautiful mountain scenery.

Gabriela Silang Memorial Park

Located west of the national park along the National Highway is the Old Pideg Pass, the historic gateway to Santa, renamed Diego-Gabriela Silang Pass in 1976. The Gabriela Silang Memorial Park was erected here dedicated to Gabriela who was born in the old barrio of Caniogan in Santa on March 19, 1731, and is regarded as the first heroine of Ilocos.

Education

The Santa Schools District governs all public and private education system within the municipality.

Primary and elementary schools

Banaoang Community School
Basug Elementary School
Bucalag-Tabucolan Elementary School
Calungboyan Elementary School
Dammay Elementary School
Nagpanaoan Community Schoo
Rancho Community School
Sacuyya Elementary School
Santa Central School