Santo Tomas, Pampanga

Santo Tomas
Municipality

Santo Tomas Municipal Town Hall

Seal

Map of Pampanga showing the location of Santo Tomas
Santo Tomas

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 14°58′N 120°43′E / 14.967°N 120.717°E / 14.967; 120.717Coordinates: 14°58′N 120°43′E / 14.967°N 120.717°E / 14.967; 120.717
Country Philippines
Region Central Luzon (Region III)
Province Pampanga
District 4th District
Originally founded 1792
Founded 1952
Barangays 7
Government
 • Mayor Joselito F. Naguit ([1])
Area[2]
 • Total 21.30 km2 (8.22 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
 • Total 38,062
 • Density 1,800/km2 (4,600/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 2020
Dialing code 45
Income class 4th class
Website stotomaspampanga.com

Santo Tomas is a fourth class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 38,062 people.[3] As the youngest and smallest Pampanga town, Santo Tomas has a total land area of 1,467 hectares. It is a mainly agricultural and fishing community; industry includes casket manufacture, ceramics, and carpentry.[4]

Etymology and history

The town's name is derived from Baliwag ("tardy" in Spanish) a reference to local habit of arriving late for Mass. Baliwag, whose original name was Santo Tomas, had its Patron, St. Thomas the Apostle. He is also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "twin," as does "Thomas" in Aramaic) and was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. The Patronal Feast is celebrated yearly on the 21st of December from the town's original founding date of 1792.

On September 15, 1792, Santo Tomas was severed from its parent Minalin, Pampanga. On May 4, 1899, the town was under the U.S. Force's administration. On January 2, 1905, it was ceded to San Fernando, Pampanga until 1905. On October 12, 1951, Executive Order No. 476 (issued by Elpidio Quirino) created Santo Tomas and its five barrios of San Matias, San Vicente, San Bartolome, Sto. Rosario and Poblacion with the seat of government at barrio San Vicente.

On January 11, 1952, the municipality of Sto. Tomas was re-inaugurated. The first municipal hall was temporarily at the house of late Mayor Patricio Gomez, the first municipal mayor.

In 1955, RA 1250, the San Matias seat was transferred to Poblacion. Presidential Decree No. 1441 was issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos on June 11, 1978, transferring the seat of municipal government from Poblacion to Barangay San Vicente.

The town became the site of the bloody encounter between Filipino and American forces during Philippine Revolution known as the Battle of Santo Tomas.

Geography

The municipality of Santo Tomas, the smallest and youngest town in Pampanga, is at the heart of the province. The capital city of San Fernando bounds it on the north-west the municipality of San Simon on the north-east, the municipality of minalin on the south-east and Bacolor on the west.

Municipal government and politics

Pursuant to the local government[5][6] the political seat of the municipality is at the Municipal Town Hall. The gobernadorcillo is the chief executive who holds office in the Presidencia. During the American rule (1898–1946), the elected mayor and local officials, including the appointed ones, hold office at the Municipal Town Hall. The legislative and executive departments perform their functions in the Sangguniang Bayan (Session Hall) and Municipal Trial Court, respectively, and are in the Town Hall.

Santo Tomas' incumbent mayor is Joselito F. Naguit and the municipal vice mayor is Gloria P. Ronquillo.[7]

On July 23, 2012, incumbent mayor Joselito Naguit[8] filed his counter-affidavit to the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon on graft charges against him by former municipal administrator Rodelio Garcia. The mayor said over the weekend that "the P9.5 million in cash advances he allegedly made for the months of May to November 2011 were all returned, accounted for to the last centavo and deposited in the municipal fund of Sto. Tomas."[9]

On March 2012, Mayor Naguit opened the LGU’s approved project under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) on February 29, 2011: "P 700, 000 Improvement and Concreting of Balangcas Road."[10]

Barangays

Santo Tomas is politically subdivided into seven barangays:[2]

Demographics

Population census of Santo Tomas
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 33,309—    
1995 29,628−2.17%
2000 32,695+2.13%
2007 37,866+2.05%
2010 38,062+0.19%
Source: National Statistics Office[3][11]
Casket manufacturing

Economy

In the records of Department of Trade and Industry (Philippines), the town holds the title “casket capital of Central Luzon.” It is home to 300 family-owned casket businesses that each produce about 80 caskets monthly or a total production of 24,000 a month.[12][13] Casket capital of the Philippines, Oct. 22, 2012

Tourism

Santo Tomas' main attractions and events are:

Religion

St. Thomas The Apostle Church
San Matias Parish Church

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Church

The 1929 St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Church (Poblacion Santo Tomas, Pampanga) belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22] The feast is July 3 and its previous parish priest was Rev. Dino Albert N. Pineda of the Vicariate of Christ the King, under Vicar Forane, Rev. Reynaldo D. dela Cruz.[23] It has a population of 9,202, with Catholics, 8,833. The current parish priest is Fr. Renato Sabile.

On February 14, 2004, the Parish Pastoral Center and Convent were blessed and inaugurated by Bishop Paciano Aniceto. On October 16, 2004, the columbarium, mortuary and museum were blessed.

San Matias Parish Church

The 1962 San Matias Parish Church[24] belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando.[16][17][18][19][20][23][25] Its incumbent parish priest is Rev. Marius P. Roque, of the Vicariate of Christ, under Vicar Forane, Rev. Reynaldo D. dela Cruz.[26] It has a population of 16,672 with Catholics, 16,005. The former parish priest was Rev. Marlon Cunanan and parochial vicar was Rev. Nestor Figueroa.

References

  1. ↑ "Municipalities". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Province: Pampanga". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  4. ↑ http://www.stotomaspampanga.com/content.php?content_id=34[]
  5. ↑ "About the Philippines". www.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  6. ↑ "The Local Government Code of the Philippines". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library.
  7. ↑ http://www.stotomaspampanga.com/content.php?content_id=37[]
  8. ↑ http://www.stotomaspampanga.com/content.php?content_id=111[]
  9. ↑ Sto. Tomas mayor on cash advances: Everything accounted for | Sun.Star
  10. ↑ "Two in a Row: Live TV Guestings for the Promotion of Manila Bay Clean Up, Rehabilitation and Preservation Project". dilgr3.com. Department of the Interior and Local Government - Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal - Central Luzon Office.
  11. ↑ "Province of Pampanga". Municipality Population Data. LWUA Research Division. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "The casket capital of Central Luzon - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". inquirer.net. Archived from the original on 2012-09-29.
  13. ↑ "Coffin festival, anyone?". www.abs-cbnnews.com. ABS-CBN. October 30, 2008.
  14. ↑ The Minimalist Sense: 1st Sabuaga Festival at Sto.Tomas, Pampanga
  15. ↑ http://www.stotomaspampanga.com/content.php?content_id=165
  16. 1 2 "Home". cbcponline.net.
  17. 1 2 "Parishes". cbcponline.net.
  18. 1 2 David M. Cheney. "San Fernando (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". catholic-hierarchy.org.
  19. 1 2 "History of Pampanga Towns". andropampanga.com.
  20. 1 2 "Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga". claretianpublications.com.
  21. ↑ Archidoecesis Sancti Ferdinandi; Created Diocese: December 11, 1948. Elevated to Archdiocese: March 17, 1975. Erected: June 25, 1975. Comprises the Civil Province of Pampanga, City of San Fernando and Angeles City. Suffragans: the Diocese of Balanga, Iba and Tarlac. Titular: St. Ferdinand, King, Secondary Patron: Our Lady of the Assumption. Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, DD. Coordinates: 14°59'19"N 120°42'30"E; Titular: St. Thomas the Apostle).
  22. ↑ "St.Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church (Poblacion Sto. Tomas, Pampanga) Poblacion Santo Tomas". wikimapia.org.
  23. 1 2 "List of Parishes of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando". nfo.ph.
  24. ↑ San Matias, Santo Tomas, 2020 Pampanga; Titular: St. Matthias, Apostle, February 24 & May 14
  25. ↑ Archidoecesis Sancti Ferdinandi; Created Diocese: December 11, 1948. Elevated to Archdiocese: March 17, 1975. Erected: June 25, 1975. Comprises the Civil Province of Pampanga, City of San Fernando and Angeles City. Suffragans: the Diocese of Balanga, Iba and Tarlac. Titular: St. Ferdinand, King, Secondary Patron: Our Lady of the Assumption. Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, DD).
  26. ↑ "San Matias Parish Church". Foursquare.

Pampanga History

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