Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur

Santo Domingo is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 24,520 people in 4,871 households.

Barangays

Santo Domingo is politically subdivided into 36 barangays.

* Binalayangan * Binongan * Borobor * Cabaritan * Cabigbigaan * Calautit * Calay-ab * Camestizoan * Casili * Flora * Lagatit * Laoingen

* Lussoc * Nalasin * Nagbettedan * Naglaoa-an * Nambaran * Nanerman * Napo * Padu Chico * Padu Grande * Paguraper * Panay * Pangpangdan

* Parada * Paras * Poblacion * Puerta Real * Pussuac * Quimmarayan * San Pablo * Santa Cruz * Santo Tomas * Sived * Vacunero (Poblacion) * Suksukit

Origin of the Municipality's Name

The name of the municipality came from its old moniker, "Paggappuan ti Santol ti Domingo," an Ilocano term meaning "The source of the Santol sold every Sunday." "Santol," "Sandoricum koetjape," is the name of the tree bearing round, yellowish fruits growing in abundance in the municipality, notably in Barangay Pussuac.

During the Spanish era, an enlisted man of the Spanish Civil Guard looked for the source of the santol being sold in the markets of Villa Fernandina (now Vigan) on Sundays during the months of June to August. To do so, he asked for a leave of absence from his platoon leader to trace the source of the fruits. With his Ilocano guide, he searched the lands north of Villa Fernandina. He found nothing in the neighboring towns of Bantay, Santa Catalina, San Vicente, and Bantaoay (now San Ildefonso). He finally found lots of santol-bearing trees in a place north of Bantaoay now called Barangay Pus-uac. He has found the "Paggappuan ti Santol ti Domingo." The town was named Santo Domingo on account of this feat.

Don Pablo Arguero was claimed to be the founder of the municipality on May 12, 1742, with Father Tomas Millan as the first parish priest. Father Millan laid the foundation of the belfry, where the great Filipino hero Diego Silang once worked as a boy.

External links

* [http://www.pasyalan.net/ilocos_sur/ Pasyalang Ilocos Sur]
* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information]