Santo Tomas, La Union

Santo Tomás, officially the Municipality of Santo Tomas (; ; ), is a coastal municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

Etymology

left|thumb|232x232px|Santo Tomas ([[Thomas Aquinas|Saint Thomas Aquinas)]]

The name Santo Tomás originates from the Spanish term for Saint Thomas (Saint Thomas Aquinas), a 13th-century Catholic priest, philosopher, and theologian celebrated for synthesizing faith and reason, authoring the Summa Theologica, and shaping Western Christian thought.

The town was named in his honor by Augustinian friars in the 16th century during the Spanish colonization, following the tradition of dedicating settlements to Christian saints. The town's rich religious heritage continues to be a significant part of its identity, with numerous churches and cultural practices rooted in its Catholic origins.

History

thumb|Aerial view of a highway bridge east of Santo Tomas, circa 1940

Early history

During its early history, the town served as a settlement for the Pangasinans, strategically located along its fertile coastal plains. Together with neighboring areas such as Agoo and Aringay, it played a pivotal role in the trade network of Northern Luzon. Its naturally shaped coastline offered an excellent harbor for foreign vessels entering Lingayen Gulf, establishing the area as a significant trading hub. This strategic location attracted Japanese and Chinese merchants who engaged in the exchange of goods with the native population, transforming the settlement into a thriving center of commerce.

One of the most highly valued trade items was gold from the Cordilleras (modern-day Benguet), which was greatly prized by foreign traders. In addition to gold, the region also exported beeswax—used in the production of candles and various other goods—along with porcelain, silk, cotton, gemstones, rice and beads. These goods were traded for luxury items, tools, and other valuable commodities brought by foreign merchants.

Spanish Colonization

In June 1572, Spanish voyagers led by conquistador Juan de Salcedo landed in the trading port of Agoo after navigating the Angalacan River in Pangasinan and following three Japanese ships. However, the Spanish authorities were displeased with his administration, and as a result, the town was merged back with Agoo.

The guerrilla forces played a crucial role in resisting American advances and defending the town's autonomy. On November 18, 1899, American troops arrived in coastal La Union via Rabon Point after successfully taking Pozorrubio and San Fabian in Pangasinan under General Samuel Baldwin Marks Young. This led to a decisive battle along the coast of Santo Tomas and nearby Tubao. By November 19, the Americans had taken control of Santo Tomas and Agoo, and by November 20, they had captured the revolutionary headquarters in San Fernando.

By May 1, 1901, the General Manuel Tinio Brigade surrendered to the Americans, marking the end of the Philippine-American War in La Union and the surrounding region.

Under the American regime, the local administration transitioned to a new system where municipal presidents replaced the previous capitanes. Don Bruno Pacho was appointed as the first “Presidente Municipal” of Santo Tomas, serving until 1901. Several successors followed, with Don Eusebio Tabora as the last municipal president under the American administration.

Santo Tomas is situated from the provincial capital San Fernando, and from the country's capital city of Manila.

Topography

The town’s topography is defined by a valley with heavy loam and clay soils. The coastal plains transition sharply into steep ranges, with elevated areas to the west and hilly and mountainous terrain rising gradually to the east. Two prominent mountains are located in the town, both situated at the foothills of the Cordillera Central: Mount Carmen, found in Patac, and Mount Kimmallogong (a hat-shaped mountain), located between Casilagan and Bail.

| date = 26 April 2020

Demographics

As of the 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the municipality of Santo Tomas, had a total population of 40,846, of this, 40,842 individuals were part of the household population, comprising 99.99% of the total population. This represents an increase of 1.78 thousand from the 39,066 household population in 2015 and 4.85 thousand more than the 35,993 household population in 2010. The total number of households in Santo Tomas was 10,392 in 2020, an increase of 1.40 thousand from the 8,996 households in 2015 and 2.41 thousand from the 7,986 households in 2010.

Population Distribution by Barangay

Santo Tomas is divided into 24 barangays. The most populous barangay is Patac, which accounted for 8.33% of the total municipal population. Tubod followed with a 7.85% share, while Damortis had 6.62%, Namboongan and Bail each had 6.03%, and Casantaan had 5.91%. The remaining barangays contributed less than 5% each. Malabago was the least populous barangay, making up just 1.14% of the total population, a trend that persisted since the 2015 census. The voting-age population in 2020 accounted for 65.04% of the household population, an increase from 63.15% in 2015. Among the voting-age population, 50.45% were male and 49.55% were female.

In terms of educational attainment, more females than males in Santo Tomas reach higher levels of education. Among the household population aged five and older, 27.04% had attended or completed elementary education, 42.13% had completed high school, 9.91% were college undergraduates, and 13.88% held academic degrees. Of those with academic degrees, 55.72% were female and 44.28% were male. Additionally, more females (71.05%) than males (28.95%) pursued post-baccalaureate courses.

Primary and elementary schools

Ambitacay Elementary School
Bail Elementary School
Balaoc Elementary School
Casilagan Elementary School
Damortis Elementary School
Fernando Elementary School
Namboongan Elementary School
Narvacan Elementary School
Patac Elementary School
Pongpong Elementary School
Queensland Formation School
Sacred Heart Learning Center
St. Mary of the Sea Academy
Sto. Tomas Central Elementary School
Tococ Elementary School
Ubagan Elementary School

Secondary schools

Bail National High School
Cabaruan Integrated School
Cupang Integrated School
Damortis National High School
Sto. Tomas National High School

Economy

Agriculture

Industry

Government

Local government

Santo Tomas is part of the second congressional district of the province of La Union. It 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.

The Pamahalaang Bayan (Municipal Hall) is located on top of a hill.

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;" | Sandra Y. Eriguel

| Mayor

| style="text-align:center;" | Severino C. Carbonell

|Vice-Mayor

| style="text-align:center;" | Winnie N. Doctolero

|rowspan=8| Councilors

| style="text-align:center;" | Carlito M. Dela Cruz Jr.

| style="text-align:center;" | Anthony M. Villanueva

| style="text-align:center;" | Aldreyn S. Cabico

| style="text-align:center;" | Celiaflor M. Bejar

| style="text-align:center;" | Noel G. Basi

| style="text-align:center;" | Leonor J. Tagubat

| style="text-align:center;" | Lorenzo R. Medina Jr.

| style="text-align:center;" | Vilea R. Capinpin

Tourism

Santo Tomas' coastal areas are suitable for fishing. Local cuisine includes Damortis dried fish , puto, Bibingka, Nilatekan, and Patopat.

The town holds the Daing Festival every April 20 and an annual town Fiesta every April 24 and 25.

Santo Thomas contains part of the Agoo–Damortis Protected Landscape and Seascape. In 2002, a plan to create a 10 hectare BFAR Mariculture Park within the town was launched.

Santo Tomas is a DENR-designated Regional Center for Inland Fisheries Research and contains an Institute of Fisheries. The town's "Nutri-Enriched Seaweed Noodles" earned first place in the Aquatic Technology Competition and Marketplace, Phil. Council Aquaculture and Marine Research and Development on January 28, 2010.

The barangay of Damortis is known as the 'Tabo-an of the North’ because of its priceless 'danggit' (often associated with the small malaga), the dalag-baybay, espada, sapsap, pusit, turay, dilis, and shrimp, a local fish, 1 foot basasong, dried bangus (milkfish), patis (fish sauce), alamang, and bagoong.

Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Mar Cautiva Parish Church

left|thumb|Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Mar Cautiva Parish Church

Religion plays an important role in the town's culture. The patron saint of the town fishermen is Senora Virgen del Mar Cautiva (Virgin of the Sea), whose Feast Day is celebrated every 26 April) at Poblacion.

One of Santo Tomas' cultural icons is the 1785 Holy Guardian Angels Parish Church, which celebrates the Patronal Fiesta on October 2. Its Parish Priests are Father Raul S. Panay and Fr. Emmanuel Bahiwag under the Vicariate of St. Francis Xavier under Vicar Forane, Fr. Joel Angelo Licos,

In 1845, Father Santiago Romero carved three religious statues for the Church out of devotion to the "Virgin of the Rosaries". The statues depicted the Blessed Mother, St. Michael the Archangel, and the Holy Guardian Angels (patron of the Church). "Matutina" through the China Sea is held yearly on July, where the three images are inserted in three boxes and delivered to Santo Tomas by sailboat. In Bolinao, Pangasinan, Jolo pirates seized the "Matutina" and threw the three boxes of the statues into the sea, after severing the left forearm of the Virgin Mary. Although two of the boxes sank, the Virgin's allegedly remained dry and floated to the parish priest of Santo Tomas. The surviving statue was enthroned at the Church on July 19, 1845, amid reports of miracles, conversions, and healing. Augustinian friar Padre Lorenzo Rodriguez created a replacement arm for the statue out of gold and then a second out of ivory. Today, the ivory arm is displayed on the statue, fastened to it with string.