Santa Fe, officially the Municipality of Santa Fe, is a municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

History

Legend says that the barrio was named after a beautiful, lovely daughter of one of its early settlers of the place. She was so loved and revered by the locals that they named her Santa Fe, and in her death, they named the place after her. However, in Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas by Spanish conquistador Miguel de Loarca, it states that the barrio was named after Santa Fe in the province of Granada in Spain. Its first settlers were Onhan-speaking Negritos from Panay Island who emigrated to Tablas as early as 1730.

During the Spanish colonial period, Santa Fe was a barrio of neighboring Looc town until 1855 when it was established as a separate pueblo or town. It was abolished and reverted into a barrio again in 1868. In 1892, the Spaniards restored Santa Fe's municipal status, which would remain until the American colonial period.

Santa Fe is also the home of Pinoy Big Brother Season 1 big winner Nene Tamayo.

Geography

Santa Fe has a total land area of 63.52&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. It lies on the southern tip of Tablas Island. The town is mountainous with so many beaches and islets. It has sandy loam type of soil rich with mineral resources such as granite and white clay. The tallest elevation in the town is Mount Calatong.

Barangays

Santa Fe is politically subdivided into 11 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Agmanic
  • Canyayo
  • Danao Norte
  • Danao Sur
  • Guinbirayan
  • Guintigbasan
  • Magsaysay
  • Mat-i
  • Pandan
  • Poblacion
  • Tabugon

Climate

Demographics

At the 2024 census, Santa Fe had a population of 17,578 people.

Most of its natives descended from Ati indigenous people from Panay Island.

Language

Majority of its population speak the Loocnon variant of Inunhan that switches /r/ or /l/ for /d/.

Religion

The townsfolk are predominantly Roman Catholic. Every April, they celebrate the Fiesta sa Dagat, also known as "Fisherfolk's Day" in honor of St. Vincent Ferrer, the town's patron saint. Other Christian denominations include the Philippine Independent Church, Foursquare Gospel Church in the Philippines, Assemblies of God, Baptist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Potter's Fellowship.

Economy

Agriculture is the most important sector in the municipality. This sector comprises sub-sectors namely: crops, livestock, poultry, and fishing. Crops like rice, corn, mango, cassava, banana, sweet yam and coconut are raised by farmers. Coconut comprises the largest share of the agricultural area of the municipality and is dominantly grown in all barangays.

Travelers can also reach Santa Fe by flying to Tugdan Airport in neighboring Alcantara. Cebu Pacific operates four flights weekly to the airport from Manila.

Tourism

There are several beaches and other scenic spots to visit in Santa Fe. These include: the municipal government is composed of a mayor (alkalde), a vice mayor (bise alkalde) and members (kagawad) of the legislative branch Sangguniang Bayan alongside a secretary to the said legislature, all of which are elected to a three-year term and are eligible to run for three consecutive terms.

Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.

Elected officials

Santa Fe's incumbent mayor and vice mayor are Elsie Visca and Miguel M. Galido, both from the PDP–Laban party, respectively.

Education

The San Jose-Santa Fe Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Agmanic Elementary School
  • Canyayo Elementary School
  • Danao Sur Elementary School
  • Guinbirayan Elementary School
  • Guinpoingan Elementary School
  • Guintigbasan Elementary School
  • Lamberto Antaran Memorial School
  • Magsaysay Elementary School
  • Mat-I Elementary School
  • Pandan Elementary School
  • Silvino G. Gajarion Elementary School
  • Santa Fe Central Elementary School
  • St. Vincent Ferrer School
  • Tabugon Elementary School
  • V. A. Gutierrez Montiel Memorial Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Agripino Armedilla National High School
  • Guinbirayan National High School
  • Sta. Fe National High School
  • Tranquilino Cawaling Sr. National High School

References

  • Santa Fe Profile at PhilAtlas.com
  • Santa Fe, Romblon Profile - Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
  • Philippine Census Information
  • Local Governance Performance Management System