Santo Tomas, Pampanga

Santo Tomas
Municipality
Municipality of Sto. Tomas
Municipal Hall
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Casket capital of the Philippines
Map of Pampanga with Santo Tomas highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Santo Tomas Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°00′N120°45′E / 15°N 120.75°E / 15; 120.75
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Pampanga
District	4th district
Founded	1792
Chartered	October 12, 1951
Named for	St. Thomas the Apostle
Barangays	7 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	John A. Sambo
•  Vice Mayor	Matias C. Pineda
•  Representative	Anna York P. Bondoc-Sagum
•  Councilors	List Anjeli A. Tantamco Mark Louie T. Arceo Nicolas S. David Meriam B. Garcia Engelbert T. Euperio Teresita D. Juarez Marvin N. Pineda Yayadin A. Quiambao
•  Electorate	33,207 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	21.30 km2 (8.22 sq mi)
Elevation	7.0 m (23.0 ft)
Highest elevation	42 m (138 ft)
Lowest elevation	−3 m (−10 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	42,846
• Density	2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
•  Households	11,218
Economy
•  Income class	4th municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	4.25 % (2018) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 146.4 million (2020)
•  Assets	₱ 126.9 million (2020)
•  Expenditure	₱ 134.1 million (2020)
•  Liabilities	₱ 38.58 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Pampanga 3 Electric Cooperative (PELCO 3)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2020
PSGC	035421000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)45
Native languages	Kapampangan Tagalog
Website	www.stotomaspampanga.com

Santo Tomas, officially the Municipality of Santo Tomas (Kapampangan : Balen ning Santo Tomas; Tagalog : Bayan ng Santo Tomas), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,846 people. ^[3]

As the youngest and smallest Pampanga town, Santo Tomas has a total land area of 1,467 hectares (3,625 acres). It is a mainly agricultural and fishing community; industry includes casket manufacture, ceramics, and carpentry. ^[5]

Etymology

The town's name is derived from Baliwag ("tardy" in Kapampangan) 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 21 December from the town's original founding date of 1792.

History

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, Santo Rosario and Santo Tomas with the seat of government at barrio San Vicente.

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

In 1955, under Republic Act 1250, the San Matias seat was transferred to Santo Tomas. President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1441 on June 11, 1978, transferring the seat of municipal government from Barangay SantoTomas to Barangay San Vicente.

The town was 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 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.

Barangays

Santo Tomas is politically divided into seven barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Moras De La Paz
• Poblacion
• San Bartolome
• San Matias
• San Vicente
• Santo Rosario (Pau)
• Sapa (Santo Niño)

Climate

Climate data for Santo Tomas, Pampanga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	31 (88)	33 (91)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	28 (82)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	20 (68)	20 (68)	21 (70)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	21 (70)	23 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	6 (0.2)	4 (0.2)	6 (0.2)	17 (0.7)	82 (3.2)	122 (4.8)	151 (5.9)	123 (4.8)	124 (4.9)	99 (3.9)	37 (1.5)	21 (0.8)	792 (31.1)
Average rainy days	3.3	2.5	3.6	6.6	17.7	22.2	25.2	23.7	23.2	17.9	9.2	5.2	160.3
Source: Meteoblue [6]

Demographics

Population census of Santo Tomas

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 4,271 —     1960 12,097 +1.84% 1970 18,907 +4.56% 1975 21,320 +2.44% 1980 24,951 +3.19% 1990 33,309 +2.93%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1995 29,628 −2.17% 2000 32,695 +2.13% 2007 37,866 +2.05% 2010 38,062 +0.19% 2015 40,475 +1.18% 2020 42,846 +1.13%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [7] [8] [9] [10]

In the 2020 census, the population of Santo Tomas, Pampanga, was 42,846 people, ^[3] with a density of 2,000 inhabitants per square kilometre or 5,200 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Casket manufacturing

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. ^{[18] [19]} Casket capital of the Philippines, Oct. 22, 2012

Tourism

Santo Tomas' main attractions and events are:

• The yearly Easter Sunday Flower Scattering Festival or Sabuaga Festival (from sabuag and sampaga which means scatter flowers) originated from Easter Sunday “Salubong” (April 8, 2012) where estabats scatter flowers. ^[20]
• First Evacuation Center and Multi-Purpose Hall at Barangay Santo Tomas, July 5, 2010.
• The Northville 12 ECCD Center and Health Center, July 15, 2010.
• Municipal Hall Annex, Donato B. Pangilinan, Sr. building, also the New Public Market and Police Station, inaugurated on the 60th anniversary of Santo Tomas founding, October 12, 2011. ^[21]

Government

Pursuant to the local government ^{[22] [23]} 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.

As of 2013 ^[update] Santo Tomas' incumbent mayor is Johnny A. Sambo and the municipal vice mayor was Gloria P. Ronquillo. ^[24]

On July 23, 2012, incumbent mayor Joselito Naguit ^[25] 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 Santo Tomas." ^[26]

In 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." ^[27]

On October 12, 2011, the "Donato Bondoc Pangilinan, Sr." Municipal Town Hall Annex Building in San Matias, Santo Tomas was inaugurated and funded under the office of Francis Pangilinan.

Gallery

• 
  "Donato Bondoc Pangilinan, Sr." Municpal Town Hall Annex Building, 2023
• 
  Historical marker
• 
  Donato Bondoc Pangilinan, Sr. portrait

Churches

St. Thomas The Apostle Church

San Matias Parish Church

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Church(PAROKYA NG SANTO TOMAS )

The 1767 St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Church (Santo Tomas, Pampanga) belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando. The Parish celebrated its 250th Founding Anniversary in 2017. ^{[28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34]} The feast is every Easter Sunday and July 3 and its current Parish Priest was Rev. Fr. Marcelino M. Miranda of the Vicariate of Christ the King ^[35] It has a population of 20,202, with Catholics, 19,833.

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 ^[36] belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando. ^{[28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [35] [37]} Its incumbent parish priest is Rev. Marius P. Roque, of the Vicariate of Christ, under Vicar Forane, Rev. Reynaldo D. dela Cruz. ^[38] 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.   Municipality of Santo Tomas | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. Census of Population (2020). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
4. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
5. "Sto. Tomas Pampanga". Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
6. "Santo Tomas: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
7. Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
8. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
9. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
10. "Province of Pampanga". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
11. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
12. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
13. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
14. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
15. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
16. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
17. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
18. "The casket capital of Central Luzon". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2012-09-29.
19. "Coffin festival, anyone?". ABS-CBN News. ABS-CBN. October 30, 2008.
20. The Minimalist Sense: 1st Sabuaga Festival at Barangay SantoTomas, Santo Tomas, Pampanga
21. "Sto. Tomas Pampanga". Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
22. "About the Philippines". www.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
23. "The Local Government Code of the Philippines". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library.
24. "Sto. Tomas Pampanga". Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
25. "Sto. Tomas Pampanga". Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
26. Santo Tomas mayor on cash advances: Everything accounted for | Sun.Star
27. "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.
28. "Home". cbcponline.net.
29. "Parishes". cbcponline.net.
30. David M. Cheney. "San Fernando (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". catholic-hierarchy.org.
31. "History of Pampanga Towns". andropampanga.com.
32. "Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga". claretianpublications.com.
33. 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).
34. "St.Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church (Santo Tomas, Pampanga) Santo Tomas". wikimapia.org.
35. "List of Parishes of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando". nfo.ph.
36. San Matias, Santo Tomas, 2020 Pampanga; Titular: St. Matthias, Apostle, February 24 & May 14
37. 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).
38. "San Matias Parish Church". Foursquare.

Pampanga History

External links

• Santo Tomas Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Website of Santo Tomas
• Local Governance Performance Management System