Santa, Ilocos Sur
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Santa, officially the Municipality of Santa (; ), is a
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 ...
of
Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...
,
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 ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 14,992 people. Owing to Santa's natural topography (the ridge of Mount Tetas de Santa to the east;"Mount Tetas de Santa"
Google Maps. Retrieved on 2012-03-26.
the winding
Abra River The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of and a length of from its source near Mount Data in Benguet province. History I ...
and
delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
to the north and northwest; and the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
to the west), then
Governor-General of the Philippines The governor-general of the Philippines (; ; ) was the title of the Executive (government), government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Spanish in Mexico City and l ...
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Theodore Roosevelt III ( ; September 13, 1887 – July 12, 1944), often known as Theodore Jr.,Morris, Edmund (1979). ''The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt''. index.While it was President Theodore Roosevelt who was legally named 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.”


Etymology

These are the probable origins of the municipality's name. # A popular lore tells us that when the scribe of the Spanish explorers was naming the places where they already established settlements, the scribe had a difficult time of thinking of a Catholic Saint's name of saints to name the place (Santa Catalina, Santa Lucia, and Santa Maria were already taken), so the town was simply named "Santa." (Some versions of the story say that the scribe fell asleep or was drunk when he was writing a name for the town and just wrote "Santa".) # The municipality of Santa was formerly called ''Santa Catalina de Alexandria, Virgen y Mártir'', after the town's patron saint
Saint Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria, also spelled Katherine, was, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the emperor Maxentius. According to her hagiography, she was both a princess a ...
. According to folk stories, after the devastation of the town by the first flood in 1852 (Layos Bungsot), the name was shortened to ''Santa Catalina de Alexandria''. The present name of Santa came to be, after the second flood of 1905 (Layos Nawnaw). It was believed that changing the name after the disasters would save the town from further devastation.


History


Foundation of the pueblo

According to Augustinian maps of 1831 and 1834, Santa was founded in 1576. The Augustinian established missionary centers in the towns of Vigan in 1575 and Santa in 1576. On the founding of Bantay in 1591 as a pueblo, Santa was made its “visita” until 1713 when it became an independent vicariate. The prestige of the town was boosted in 1802 when the provisional diocese was established and was housed in the rectory of Santa until 1834."History"
Official Website of Santa. Retrieved on 2012-03-26.


Malong Revolt

The “Malong Revolt” disturbed the quiet life of the town in 1660-1661, when Andres Malong of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City 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 ...
province) rose in arms to protest the abuses in the collection of tribute and in the conscription of men for “polo y servicio” (forced labor). Malong proclaimed himself “King of
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 tried to extend his kingdom by sending his Count, Pedro Gumapos, to Ilocos. Gumapos pursued the retreating Spaniards who sought refuge in
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 ...
in present-day
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 ...
. The Spaniards and the 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 Narvacan, officially the Municipality of Narvacan (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,234 people. History A Spanish expeditionary force sent from Vigan by ...
and offered them free passage across Pideg Pass.


Diego Silang revolt

On December 14, 1762, Diego Silang led the “caillianes” (common man or townsfolk) in the most obstinate insurrection against the Spaniards in the 18th century. He crystallized the discontent of the “caillianes” caused by the imposition of tribute and forced labor. He proclaimed a “Free Ilocos” and made Vigan its capital. When the Spaniards failed to stop Diego Silang in combat, Miguel Vicos aided by Pedro Becbec who were both Silang's trusted friends, betrayed Diego Silang by shooting him in the back on May 26, 1763."Gabriela Silang"
National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved on 2012-04-05.
Gabriela Gabriela may refer to: * Gabriela (given name) Gabriela is the Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish, Czech language, Czech, Slovak language, Slovak, Romanian language, Romanian, Latvian language, Latvian, Polish language, Po ...
, the wife of Diego with the help of her uncle, Nicolas Cariño, continued her husband's fight and defeated the Spaniards and their soldiers in the battle of Banaoang, Santa on August 24, 1763.


Destructive floods

A destructive flood called “Layos Bungsot” (literal: "Flood of Rotting") of 1852 eroded the first poblacion founded in 1576 and caused the town center to be transferred to a new site, about south of the first site. Fr. Pedro Torrices started the new church in 1849-1855 and Fr. Luis Lagar finished it in 1875. In 1905, another destructive flood, “Layos Nawnaw” (literal: "Dissolving Flood") motivated the people to transfer the poblacion to Pasungol in the southern part of the town in 1907. Don Domingo Bueno y Ramirez, the ''presidente municipal'' (town mayor), transferred the government, and the new poblacion was laid out. Circumferential roads were laid out in the shape of a
spider web A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web, or cobweb (from the archaic word ''Wikt:coppe, coppe'', meaning 'spider') is a structure created by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets, generally meant to catch its prey ...
with the town plaza in the middle. A ''hermita'' 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 ...
and
cogon grass ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and Southern Europe. It has also been introduce ...
was put up, and a one-storey primary school building was constructed.


American colonial period

The
guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
activities of Gen. Manuel Tinio dominated the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
in Ilocos. The civil government of Ilocos Sur began to function in 1899 with Don Mena Crisologo, the former Ilocos Sur delegate to the
Malolos Congress The Malolos Congress (), also known as the Revolutionary Congress () and formally the National Assembly, was the legislative body of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. From 1898 to 1899, prior to the Philippine Declaration of I ...
, as the first Civil Governor.


World War II and thereafter

On December 19, 1941, the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
landed in Santa. The people fled to the mountains where they suffered from privations, hunger and diseases. The Japanese soldiers held a garrison at the south of Quirino Bridge and massacred 70 civilians in Barrio Rizal on January 26, 1945. In 1945, Filipino forces of the 121st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army, USAFIP-NL liberated the town and defeated the Japanese Imperial forces at the end of World War II. On the resumption of the
Commonwealth Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the prime ...
, Pres.
Sergio Osmeña Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; zh, c=吳文釗, poj=Gô͘ Bûn-chiau; September 9, 1878 – October 19, 1961) was a Filipino people, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the List of presidents of the Philippines, fourth president of the Ph ...
appointed Sixto Brillantes after being elected as assemblyman of the second district of Ilocos Sur.


Geography

The Municipality of Santa is triangular shape. Its northern border, forming the baseline of the triangular land and running in the east–west direction, follow the ever-changing course of the
Abra River The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of and a length of from its source near Mount Data in Benguet province. History I ...
from the Banaoang Gap in the north-east corner of the town to the sea for about . Some islands of the river delta are settled by the people of Santa. The largest island, Barangay Rancho, is connected by a bridge to the main town. Another island occupied by Brgys. Dammay and Oribi is only accessible by boat."Santa, Ilocos Sur"
Google Maps. Retrieved on 2012-03-26.
It is bordered by the municipality of
Bantay Bantay, officially the Municipality of Bantay (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,118 people. History Spanish colonization Foundation Spanish conquistador J ...
to the north,
Vigan Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
and Caoayan to the west,
San Quintin, Abra San Quintin, officially the Municipality of San Quintin (; ), is a municipality in the province of Abra, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 5,705 people. The town is known for the ''Tugot ni Angalo'', believed t ...
to the east and
Narvacan Narvacan, officially the Municipality of Narvacan (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,234 people. History A Spanish expeditionary force sent from Vigan by ...
to the south Santa is situated from the provincial capital
Vigan Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, and from the country's capital city of
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
. It can be reached by bus,
jeepney A jeepney (), or simply a jeep (), is a type of Public transport, public utility vehicle (PUV) that serves as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. Known for its crowded seating ...
and other motorized means of transport by way of the National Highway. Santa has an area of , which is distributed in twenty-six (26) barangays and constitutes almost 4.2% of the entire area of the province of Ilocos Sur.


Barangays

Santa is politically subdivided into 26
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Each barangay consists of
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
. * Ampandula * Banaoang * Basug * Bucalag * Cabangaran * Calungboyan * Casiber * Dammay * Labut Norte * Labut Sur * Mabilbila Norte * Mabilbila Sur * Magsaysay District (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Manueva * Marcos (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Nagpanaoan * Namalangan * Oribi * Pasungol * Quezon (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Quirino (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Rancho * Rizal * Sacuyya Norte * Sacuyya Sur * Tabucolan


Topography

The topography of the municipality is undulating to rolling with slope ranging from 0-30%."Profile of Santa"
Paspas Santa! Official Website of Santa. Retrieved on 2012-03-26.


Soil and vegetation

There are three types of soil in Santa, namely: clay loam which is used for crop production,
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
on the eastern part of the town and sandy
loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...
on the western part. Although Santa has fair type of soil, vegetative cover is good for rice, corn, vegetables and fruit-bearing trees.


Mineral resources

Major mineral resources of the municipality are salt from the coast, and gravel and sand washed down the river banks of
Abra River The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of and a length of from its source near Mount Data in Benguet province. History I ...
. Gravel and sand are gathered along the river bank and sold for construction. Salt-making is found along the coastal barangays of Santa with some of the residents engaged in the industry as their means of livelihood.


Natural and man-made risk areas

Because of its location, Santa has been plagued by disasters and calamities since the Spanish Colonial Period (See Destructive flooding below). During heavy rains, large amount of water coming down from the Central Cordillera Mountains flows down to the sea through the Abra River, the sixth largest river system in the Philippines, devastating Santa which traverses the western part of the municipality. Flood prone areas in the western part of the town include Barangays Pasungol, Tabucolan, Calungboyan, Casiber, Rancho, Oribi and Dammay. Even places located at the foot of the mountain are also prone to
flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...
s because of the denuded mountain east of the town. During the typhoon of June 5, 1999, the
storm surge A storm surge, storm flood, tidal surge, or storm tide is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low-pressure weather systems, such as cyclones. It is measured as the rise in water level above the ...
devastated Santa destroying residences along the coastal barangays.


Climate

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. The
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (, abbreviated as PAGASA , which means "hope" as in the Tagalog word ''pag-asa'') is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the P ...
(PAGASA) data for the municipality gives the annual average temperature at . April and May were recorded as the hottest months with a temperature from respectively while the coldest months are January and February with a temperature ranging from . During the rainy season, Santa experience more or less 20
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
s a year. Rainfall record of Santa is the same as the records of other municipalities of Ilocos Sur. Average monthly average during the wet season is estimated at .


Demographics

In the 2020 census, Santa had a population of 14,992. 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 Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...
, 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


Tourism


Banaoang Gap

The Banaoang Gap is a
water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a pract ...
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 The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
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 Narvacan, officially the Municipality of Narvacan (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,234 people. History A Spanish expeditionary force sent from Vigan by ...
, 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


Secondary schools

* Basug National High School * Mabilbila Integrated School * Rancho National High School * Santa High School


References


External links


Municipality of Santa, Ilocos SurPasyalang Ilocos SurPhilippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Ilocos Sur Populated places on the Abra River