Santo Tomas

August 18, 2022

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The Municipality of Santo Tomas is a fourth-class landlocked municipality in the coastal province of Pampanga, part of Region III or Central Luzon.

The municipality of Santo Tomas is considered the smallest and youngest town established in Pampanga. The municipality of Santo Tomas is bounded by the province’s capital city, the City of San Fernando on the northwest, the municipality of San Simon on the northeast, Minalin on the southeast, and Bacolor on the west.

San Simon is also widely recognized as the Casket capital of Central Luzon (Region III). Aside from the casket industry, the municipality of San Simon also focuses on the farming and fishing industry.

History

The long-established name of the municipality of Santo Tomas was “Baliwag,” which means ‘tardy’ in the Spanish language. The town was named ‘Baliwag’ due to its townspeople who were always tardy or unpunctual in attending mass in the town.

The town of Santo Tomas was named after the patron saint, Saint Thomas the Apostle, whose feast day is celebrated on December 21 every year.

As a new town, Santo Tomas was separated from its parent town Minalin on the 15^th of September 1792. The severance of the two towns was historically confirmed. However, on the 19^th of December 1792, a discussion was executed by the residents regarding the political division of the town of Santo Tomas and its parent town, Minalin.

In all files which include baptism, marriage, and death dated from January 1, 1830-1854, the name of the town was written as Sto. Tomas de Baliwag and later on, from 1855-1926, the town was written in Pueblo de Sto. Tomas.

The town of Santo Tomas was apprehended by the US Army Force on May 4, 1899. However, on the 2^nd of January 1905, contrary to all expectancies, the political control of the town of Santo Tomas was transferred to the City of San Fernando.

Before 1905, both towns of Santo Tomas and Minalin were still covered by the political control of the City of San Fernando. However, the town of Minalin became independent at a later date but not the town of Santo Tomas.

The late President Elpidio Quirino issued Executive Order No. 476, a month ahead of the elections on October 12, 1951, for the 5 barrios of Santo Tomas specifically San Matias, San Vicente, San Bartolome, Sto. Rosario and Poblacion were detached from the jurisdiction of the City of San Fernando and regulated as a separate municipality from now on to be known as Sto. Tomas, with the government headquarters at San Vicente.

Regardless of two other delays deliberations for independence were carried out by the townspeople of Sto. Tomas in the year 1919 and 1949, it was not until the 11^th of January 1952, that the Municipality of Sto. Tomas was re-instated last, with the first municipal hall momentarily situated at the house of late Mayor Patricio Gomez who was the first Municipal Mayor of the town selected by the late President Quirino.

In RA 1250, the San Matias seat of government was moved to Santo Tomas. Presidential Decree No. 1441 was granted by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos on June 11, 1978, moving the capital of municipal government from Barangay Santo Tomas to Barangay San Vicente.

The Municipality of Santo Tomas was also one of the locations of the ferocious confrontation between the American and Filipino troops in the course of the Philippine Revolution well known as the “Battle of Santo Tomas.”

Barangay

The Municipality of Santo Tomas is subdivided into 7 barangays.

Moras De La Paz

Poblacion

San Bartolome

San Matias

San Vicente

Santo Rosario (Pau)

Sapa (Santo Niño)

Festivals

Sabuaga Festival

The festival is celebrated every morning of Easter Sunday (April). The word “Sabuaga” means showering or scattering the flowers derived from the word “Sabuag” and “Sampaga” thus; it’s being celebrated in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary.

Feast day of Sto. Tomas

The festivity is held every December 21^st marking the feast day of St. Thomas, the Apostle.

Ataol Festival

The Casket Festival is celebrated in the town of Santo Tomas every 31^st of October to promote the Casket Industry in which the town is known for as “The Casket Capital of Central Luzon.”