Santo Tomás, officially the Municipality of Santo Tomas (; ; ), is a coastal

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

La Union La Union (), officially the Province of La Union (; ; ; ; ; ), is a coastal province in the Philippines situated in the Ilocos Region on the island of Luzon. The province's capital, the San Fernando, La Union, City of San Fernando, is the most ...

, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,846 people.

Etymology

The name ''Santo Tomá''s originates from the Spanish term for Saint Thomas (

Saint Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest, the foremost Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the Western tradition. A Doctor of the Church, he wa ...

), a 13th-century

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

philosopher Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

, and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

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 The Order of Saint Augustine (), abbreviated OSA, is a mendicant religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were following the Rule of Saint Augustine ...

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

Philippine Island - Luzon Island - NARA - 68157065

Through its history, Santo Tomas has evolved from a small settlement into a resilient and vibrant community, playing a vital role in the history and development of La Union and Northern Luzon.

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 Agoo (), officially the Municipality of Agoo (; ; ), is a coastal municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,028 people. Etymology The name "Agoo" is believed to have originate ...

and Aringay, it played a pivotal role in the trade network of

Northern Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

. Its naturally shaped coastline offered an excellent harbor for foreign vessels entering

Lingayen Gulf Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central (Luzon), Cordillera Central. The Agno ...

, establishing the area as a significant trading hub. This strategic location attracted

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

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 A cordillera is a chain or network of mountain ranges, such as those in the west coast of the Americas. The term is borrowed from Spanish, where the word comes from , a diminutive of ('rope'). The term is most commonly used in physical geogra ...

(modern-day

Benguet Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital cit ...

), which was greatly prized by foreign traders. In addition to

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

, the region also exported

beeswax Bee hive wax complex Beeswax (also known as cera alba) is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus ''Apis''. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in o ...

—used in the production of candles and various other goods—along with

porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

gemstones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

and

beads A bead is a small, decorative object that is formed in a variety of shapes and sizes of a material such as stone, bone, shell, glass, plastic, wood, or pearl and with a small hole for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 ...

. 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 Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

Juan de Salcedo Juan de Salcedo (; 1549 – 11 March 1576) was a Spanish conquistador. He was the grandson of Spanish general Miguel López de Legazpi. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish conquest to the Philippines in 1565. He joined th ...

landed in the trading port of Agoo after navigating the Angalacan River in

Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...

and following three Japanese ships. Upon their arrival, a brief skirmish broke out between the Japanese merchants and the local natives. Salcedo demanded tribute from them to the Spanish Crown and subsequently subjugated the population to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

. By 1578, the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

established a permanent settlement in the area, constructing a ''visita'' (a small mission chapel) made of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

. They introduced the

catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...

to the locals and integrated the visita into the larger

ecclesiastical {{Short pages monitor

Tourism

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

Bibingka ''Bibingka'' (; ) is a type of baked rice cake in Filipino cuisine that is cooked in a terracotta oven lined with banana leaves and is usually eaten for breakfast or as merienda (mid-afternoon snack), especially during the Christmas season. I ...

, 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 The Agoo–Damortis Protected Landscape and Seascape is located on the eastern side of Lingayen Gulf in southern La Union, Philippines. It was established in 2000 to protect of coastal area, including mangrove swamps, seagrass beds and stretches ...

. In 2002, a plan to create a 10 hectare BFAR Mariculture Park within the town was launched. Santo Thomas 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 The milkfish (''Chanos chanos'') is a widespread species of ray-finned fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It is the sole living species in the family Chanidae, and the only living member of the genus ''Chanos''. The repeating scientific na ...

(milkfish), patis (fish sauce), alamang, and bagoong.

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, under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Fernando de La Union (, Suffragan of Lingayen – Dagupan), a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of the

Latin Catholic Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. The diocese was established in 1970 from the

Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It covers the province of Ilocos Sur, on the island of Luzon. The see of the archdiocese is the city of Vigan. The archdiocese was erected in 1595 in ...

. In 1845, Padre Santiago Romero, Kura Paroko's 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 A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

. In

Bolinao, Pangasinan Bolinao, officially the Municipality of Bolinao (Bolinao: ''Babali nin Bolinao;'' ; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 83,979 people. Sea urchins are regular ...

, 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.

Gallery

File:SantTomasLaUnionjf327.JPG, Municipal Hall File:SantTomasLaUnionjf332.JPG, View of downtown from Town Hall hill top File:599Damortis Santo Tomas Rosario, La Union 01.jpg, Santo Tomas Public Market File:2526Holy Guardian Angel's Parish Church 31.jpg, Shrine of Nuestra Señora Virgen del Mar Cautiva File:6623Damortis, Santo Tomas, La Union 20.jpg, Santo Tomas Lighthouse File:6664Damortis, Santo Tomas, La Union 66.jpg, Damortis Port File:Santotomasjf351.JPG, St. Mary of the Sea Academy File:4214Patac Lomboy Santo Tomas, La Union 26.jpg, Santo Tomas Welcome Arch File:SantTomasLaUnionjf325.JPG, The Town Plaza

References

External links

La Union Website
*

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...

br>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of La Union