Santo Tomas, La Union

Santo Tomas officially the Municipality of Santo Tomas (Ilocano: Ili ti Santo Tomas; Pangasinan: Baley na Santo Tomas; Filipino: Bayan ng Santo Tomas), is a 4th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 39,092 people.[3]

Not to be confused with Santo Tomás La Unión.
Santo Tomas
Municipality
Municipality of Santo Tomas
Seal
Map of La Union with Santo Tomas highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Santo Tomas
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°17′N 120°23′E
Country Philippines
RegionIlocos Region (Region I)
ProvinceLa Union
District2nd District
Founded1764
Barangays24 (see Barangays)
Government
 [1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorSeverino C. Carbonell
 • Vice MayorWinnie N. Doctolero
 • CongressmanSandra Y. Eriguel
 • Electorate98,583 voters (2019)
Area
 [2]
 • Total64.00 km2 (24.71 sq mi)
Population
 (2015 census)[3]
 • Total39,092
 • Density610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
 • Households
8,114
Demonym(s)Tomasian
Economy
 • Income class4th municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence7.52% (2015)[4]
 • Revenue (₱)117,877,158.05 (2016)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
2516
PSGC
013317000
IDD : area code +63 (0)72
Climate typetropical monsoon climate
Native languagesIlocano
Pangasinan
Tagalog
Websitewww.santotomaslaunion.gov.ph

Santo Tomas is 230 kilometres (140 mi) from Metro Manila and 39 kilometres (24 mi) from San Fernando, the provincial capital.

Barangays
The 24 barangays of the Municipality of Santo Tomas[5]
Rank Barangay Population Rank Barangay Population
1 Patac 2,978 14 Cupang 1,398
2 Tubod 2,485 15 Balaoc 1,373
3 Damortis 2,265 16 Lomboy 1,319
4 Bail 2,227 17 Tococ 1,140
5 Namboongan 2,214 18 Raois 1,046
6 Namonitan 2,050 19 Fernando 1,003
7 Casantaan 1,991 20 Balsaan 875
8 Ubagan 1,786 21 Linong 634
9 Poblacion 1,696 22 Ambitacay 581
10 Casilagan 1,557 23 Narvacan 559
11 Pongpong 1,504 24 Malabago 449
12 Cabaruan 1,454 Santo Tomas Total 35,999
13 Baybay 1,415

Climate
Climate data for Santo Tomas, La Union
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 30
(86)		 32
(90)		 33
(91)		 34
(93)		 33
(91)		 31
(88)		 30
(86)		 30
(86)		 30
(86)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)		 31
(88)
Average low °C (°F) 20
(68)		 21
(70)		 22
(72)		 24
(75)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)		 22
(72)		 21
(70)		 23
(74)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 15
(0.6)		 16
(0.6)		 24
(0.9)		 33
(1.3)		 102
(4.0)		 121
(4.8)		 177
(7.0)		 165
(6.5)		 144
(5.7)		 170
(6.7)		 56
(2.2)		 23
(0.9)		 1,046
(41.2)
Average rainy days 6.3 6.6 9.5 12.8 20.6 23.5 25.4 23.4 23.2 21.4 14.0 8.2 194.9
Source: Meteoblue [6]

Demographics
Population census of Santo Tomas
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 5,446—    
1918 8,046+2.64%
1939 10,352+1.21%
1948 12,897+2.47%
1960 14,929+1.23%
1970 19,482+2.69%
1975 21,341+1.84%
1980 22,610+1.16%
1990 27,352+1.92%
1995 28,192+0.57%
2000 31,204+2.20%
2007 33,604+1.03%
2010 35,999+2.54%
2015 39,092+1.58%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[3][7][8][9]

In the 2015 census, the population of Santo Tomas, La Union, was 39,092 people,[3] with a density of 610 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,600 inhabitants per square mile.

Tourism

Santo Tomas has attractions and interesting points.

Santo Tomas' coastal areas are suitable for fishing, hence, making the town famous worldwide for its Damortis dried fish (daing stalls along the national highway) local trade and exports. Local puto, Bibingka, Nilatekan and Patopat are the delicacies expertly prepared by the locals.

The town holds its Daing Festival held every April 20 and annual town Fiesta every April 24 and 25. Its Pamahalaang Bayan (Municipal Town Hall) is nestled on top of a hill.[10]

The town boasts of the Agoo–Damortis Protected Landscape and Seascape and the 2002.10-hectare BFAR Mariculture Park-Portal project at south-western portion of Barangay Narvacan cove which has 2 Cage Structures, a Mooring system, Boundary Markers, Floating Guard House and Wharf. Its marketing facility is at Damortis Fish Port and Ice Plant.[11]

DENR designated Regional Center for Inland Fisheries Research, Santo Tomas is proud of its Institute of Fisheries (fisheries and fishery education diploma courses about fisheries technology with major in different fields).[12] In this regard, the town's "Nutri-Enriched Seaweed Noodles" bagged the First Place in the Aquatic Technology Competition and Marketplace, Phil. Council Aquaculture and Marine Research and Development on January 28, 2010.

La Union's Damortis barangay of Santo Tomas is dubbed 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.[13]

Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Mar Cautiva Parish Church
Shrine of Nuestra Señora del Mar Cautiva Parish Church

The natives are deeply religious as demonstrated by their devotion to the Senora Virgen del Mar Cautiva (Virgen of the Sea, patron saint of the town fishermen, whose Feast Day is celebrated every 26 April) at Poblacion, and the Holy Guardian Angels.[14][15]

Santo Tomas' cultural treasure is the 1785 Holy Guardian Angels Parish Church, which celebrates the Patronal Fiesta on October 2. Its Parish Priests are Father Raul S. Panay & Fr. Emmanuel Bahiwag[16] under the Vicariate of St. Francis Xavier under Vicar Forane, Fr. Joel Angelo Licos,[10][15] under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Fernando de La Union (Latin: Dioecesis Ferdinandopolitanus ab Unione, Dioecesis Ferdinandopolitana ab Unione, Suffragan of Lingayen – Dagupan), a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was established in 1970 from the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.[17][18]

In 1845, Padre Santiago Romero, Kura Paroko's devotion to the "Virgin of the Rosaries" caused the carving of 3 religious statues for the Church: 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 3 images are inserted in 3 boxes and delivered to Santo Tomas by sailboat.

In Bolinao, Pangasinan, Jolo pirates seized the "Matutina" and threw the 3 boxes of the statues into the sea, after severing the left forearm of the Virgin Mary. The 2 boxes sank but the Virgin's miraculously floated dry and sent to Santo Tomas parish priest.

Nuestra Señora del Mar Cautiva statue was enthroned at the Church on July 19, 1845 amid innumerable miracles, conversions, healing, including safe and easy childbirth.[19]

Augustinian friar, Padre Lorenzo Rodriguez replaced the holy statue's lost arm with a golden forearm, then with ivory arm but to no avail, until the natives merely used metal strings to tie the same, until this day.[16]

  • Town hall
  • View of downtown from Town Hall hill top
  • The Town Plaza
  • St. Mary of the Sea Academy
Panoramic view of Santo Tomas
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References
  1. "Municipality". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. "Province: La Union". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. Census of Population (2015). "Region I (Ilocos Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. "PSA releases the 2015 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Quezon City, Philippines. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. "2010 Census of Population and Housing: Population Counts - Cordillera Administrative Region" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority, April 4, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  6. "Santo Tomas: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  7. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region I (Ilocos Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  8. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region I (Ilocos Region)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
  9. "Province of La Union". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  10. Local Government Units: Municipality of Santo Tomas - Province of La Union :: Official Website
  11. BFAR Mariculture Portal
  12. http://dmmmsu-sluc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=41&Itemid=65
  13. La Union town is the 'Tabo-an of the North’ because of its 'danggit' - Yahoo! News Philippines
  14. Holy Guardian Angels Parish Church
  15. http://www.church.nfo.ph/list-of-parishes-roman-catholic-diocese-of-san-fernando-de-la-union/
  16. Luzon Shrines: Nuestra Senora del Mar de Cautiva
  17. Catholic-Hierarchy
  18. Diocese of San Fernando de La Union
  19. The mystery behind the ivory forearm of the Blessed Virgin Mary image in Santo Tomas Church La Union | Tarabitab- All About Ilocos, Pangasinan and Baguio City Philippines
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