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Santo Tomas, Batangas

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Santo Tomas, officially the City of Santo Tomas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Santo Tomas), is a 1st class component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 218,500 people.[4]

Santo Tomas
Component city
City of Santo Tomas
Clockwise from top: Padre Pio Shrine, First Philippine Industrial Park, Santo Tomas City Hall, PUP Santo Tomas, Light Industry and Science Park III, Malvar Shrine
Flag of Santo Tomas
Flag
Official seal of Santo Tomas
Seal
Nickname: 
Gateway to Batangas
Motto(s): 
Magandang Bukas, Santo Tomas
Anthem: Ako ay Tomasino (I am a Tomasino)
Map of Batangas with Santo Tomas highlighted
Map of Batangas with Santo Tomas highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Santo Tomas is located in Philippines
Santo Tomas
Santo Tomas
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°05′N 121°11′E / 14.08°N 121.18°E / 14.08; 121.18
CountryPhilippines
RegionCalabarzon
ProvinceBatangas
District 3rd district
Founded7 March 1666
CityhoodSeptember 7, 2019[1]
Named forSt. Thomas Aquinas
Barangays30 (see Barangays)
Government
 [2]
 • TypeSangguniang Panlungsod
 • MayorArth Jhun A. Marasigan
 • Vice MayorCatherine J. Perez
 • RepresentativeMa. Theresa V. Collantes
 • City Council
Members
 • Electorate111,393 voters (2022)
Area
[3]
 • Total
95.41 km2 (36.84 sq mi)
Elevation
239 m (784 ft)
Highest elevation
1,094 m (3,589 ft)
Lowest elevation
5 m (16 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[4]
 • Total
218,500
 • Density2,300/km2 (5,900/sq mi)
 • Households
59,686
Economy
 • Income class1st city income class
 • Poverty incidence
7.81
% (2021)[5]
 • Revenue₱ 1,238 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 3,045 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 900.4 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 471.8 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityManila Electric Company (Meralco)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
4234
PSGC
041028000
IDD : area code +63 (0)43
Native languagesTagalog
Patron saintSt. Thomas Aquinas
Websitehttps://cityofstotomas.gov.ph/

The city is part of Mega Manila resulting from the continuous expansion of Metro Manila. It borders the cities of Calamba to the north, Los Baños to the north-east, Alaminos to the east, Tanauan and Malvar to the west, and Lipa to the south.

Santo Tomas is the hometown of Philippine Revolution and Philippine–American War hero Miguel Malvar, the last Filipino General to surrender to the Americans.

Etymology

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Santo Tomas got its name from Spanish for Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic saint whose patronal feast day is celebrated every March 7.

History

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Sto. Tomas de Aquino Church

Santo Tomas was founded in 1666, with Manuel Melo as its first head. Originally, it was composed of a large poblacion. When the Spanish friars arrived, their first and foremost objective was to construct a church near the river to satisfy their inclination for water. Thus, the present site of a Roman Catholic church was chosen near the San Juan River. As years went by, more houses were built around the church. This became the center of the poblacion.

Other groups of houses were scattered all over the area. They were given such odd names as "Kabaong", because of coffin-shaped stones along the road; "Putol" because the trail was cut short by Mount Makiling; "Aptayin", because "apta" or fine shrimps were found in the brook; "Biga", because biga trees abounded there; and "Camballao", as in "kambal" (twin) because twin rivers divided the place. These different unit groups comprised the barrios of the town.

The natives were by nature God-fearing, peaceful and obedient. Colonial officials did not much have difficulty enforcing decrees and orders. One such irrevocable decree was to change the original names of the barrios to the names of saints in the Catholic calendar and to place each them under its patrotonio; the former "Pook" and "Aptayin" were joined and called San Bartolome, "Kabaong" was changed to San Vicente, "Biga" to Santa Anastacia, and "Camballao" to San Isidro Sur and San Isidro Norte. The whole town was given the name of Santo Tomas de Aquino, after a saint of the Dominican Order to where most of the first friars belonged. As time went by, more barrios were added to the list each with an assumed name of a saint.

From the year 1666, the head of the town had different titles, variously known as captain from 1666 to 1782, alcalde from 1783 to 1788, gobernadorcillo from 1789 to 1821, presidente local from 1822 to 1899, presidente municipal from 1900 to 1930, and mayor from 1931 to present.[6]

Cityhood

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Main article: Cities of the Philippines

In 2016, Nelson P. Collantes, the then-representative of Batangas's 3rd District, filed a House bill to convert Santo Tomas into a component city.[7] After few years, with a unanimous vote of 19–0, the Senate approved a bill for the municipality's conversion into a city on March 19, 2018.[8] On October 5, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11086,[9] making Santo Tomas the first municipality to be converted into a city under his administration.[10] It was effectively ratified on September 7, 2019 through a plebiscite wherein majority of residents who voted approved the cityhood.[1]

Geography

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Mount Makiling, Light Industry and Science Park III and Pueblo de Oro as seen from South Luzon Expressway

Santo Tomas is located at 14°05′N 121°11′E / 14.08°N 121.18°E / 14.08; 121.18. It is situated at the foot of Mount Makiling and is 61 kilometers (38 mi) south of Manila and 44 kilometers (27 mi) from Batangas City.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the component city has a land area of 95.41 square kilometers (36.84 sq mi) [11] constituting 3.06% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometer (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.

Barangays

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Santo Tomas is politically subdivided into 30 barangays.[12] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC Barangay Population ±% p.a.
2020[4] 2010[13]
041028001 Barangay I (Poblacion) 0.8% 1,846 1,766 ▴ 0.44%
041028002 Barangay II (Poblacion) 1.3% 2,777 2,291 ▴ 1.94%
041028003 Barangay III (Poblacion) 1.2% 2,543 1,933 ▴ 2.78%
041028004 Barangay IV (Poblacion) 1.6% 3,542 2,806 ▴ 2.36%
041028005 San Agustin 1.1% 2,400 2,374 ▴ 0.11%
041028006 San Antonio 5.3% 11,657 9,085 ▴ 2.52%
041028007 San Bartolome 3.3% 7,205 5,897 ▴ 2.02%
041028008 San Felix 2.5% 5,548 4,388 ▴ 2.37%
041028009 San Fernando 1.1% 2,507 2,174 ▴ 1.44%
041028010 San Francisco 1.2% 2,623 2,469 ▴ 0.61%
041028011 San Isidro Norte 1.0% 2,289 1,663 ▴ 3.25%
041028012 San Isidro Sur 1.2% 2,653 2,309 ▴ 1.40%
041028013 San Joaquin 2.0% 4,417 3,844 ▴ 1.40%
041028014 San Jose 1.3% 2,785 2,160 ▴ 2.57%
041028015 San Juan 1.5% 3,177 3,012 ▴ 0.53%
041028016 San Luis 1.3% 2,932 2,414 ▴ 1.96%
041028017 San Miguel 4.6% 10,087 6,550 ▴ 4.41%
041028018 San Pablo 2.8% 6,083 5,057 ▴ 1.86%
041028019 San Pedro 2.6% 5,741 5,202 ▴ 0.99%
041028020 San Rafael 5.3% 11,654 6,632 ▴ 5.80%
041028021 San Roque 4.5% 9,745 8,909 ▴ 0.90%
041028022 San Vicente 5.7% 12,360 8,606 ▴ 3.69%
041028023 Santa Ana 0.7% 1,432 1,358 ▴ 0.53%
041028024 Santa Anastacia 6.7% 14,666 7,555 ▴ 6.86%
041028025 Santa Clara 3.3% 7,231 5,046 ▴ 3.66%
041028026 Santa Cruz 1.1% 2,504 2,104 ▴ 1.76%
041028027 Santa Elena 1.1% 2,358 1,638 ▴ 3.71%
041028028 Santa Maria 12.7% 27,843 10,169 ▴ 10.60%
041028029 Santiago 2.7% 5,978 4,277 ▴ 3.40%
041028030 Santa Teresita 0.6% 1,261 1,052 ▴ 1.83%
Total 218,500 124,740 ▴ 5.76%

Climate

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Climate data for Santo Tomas
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) 		32
(90) 		31
(88) 		29
(84) 		28
(82) 		28
(82) 		28
(82) 		28
(82) 		28
(82) 		28
(82) 		29
(84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 19
(66) 		19
(66) 		20
(68) 		21
(70) 		23
(73) 		24
(75) 		23
(73) 		23
(73) 		23
(73) 		22
(72) 		21
(70) 		20
(68) 		22
(71)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 11
(0.4) 		13
(0.5) 		14
(0.6) 		32
(1.3) 		101
(4.0) 		142
(5.6) 		208
(8.2) 		187
(7.4) 		175
(6.9) 		131
(5.2) 		68
(2.7) 		39
(1.5) 		1,121
(44.3)
Average rainy days 5.2 5.0 7.4 11.5 19.8 23.5 27.0 25.9 25.2 23.2 15.5 8.3 197.5
Source: Meteoblue[14]

Demographics

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Population census of Santo Tomas
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 9,488—    
1918 13,125+2.19%
1939 16,544+1.11%
1948 17,022+0.32%
1960 22,716+2.43%
1970 31,935+3.46%
1975 37,452+3.25%
1980 43,010+2.81%
1990 58,209+3.07%
1995 65,759+2.31%
2000 80,393+4.40%
2007 113,105+4.82%
2010 124,740+3.63%
2015 179,844+7.22%
2020 218,500+3.90%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][13][16][17]

In the 2020 census, Santo Tomas had a population of 218,500.[4] The population density was 2,300 inhabitants per square kilometer or 6,000 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

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Poverty incidence of Santo Tomas

2.5
5
7.5
10
12.5
15
2006
12.50
2009
8.58
2012
5.42
2015
4.03
2018
8.37
2021
7.81

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

 
Public market

The First Philippine Industrial Park which is owned by the Lopez Group of Companies is located in the city.[26]

Most of the city is residential with a lot of farmlands. There are also some developed subdivisions along the city like the San Antonio Heights in Barangay San Antonio which was developed by Avida Land, a division of Ayala Land,[27] Camella Homes,[28] and Terrazza de Santo Tomas in Barangay San Roque which was developed by Ovialand. The city is well known for an entire strip of bulalo (bone marrow soup) restaurants and to a hospital named Saint Cabrini Medical Center which is located inside the city center.

Aside from various real estate development in the city, Santo Tomas also has a popular lifestyle and commercial complex in the locality. The Lifestyle Strip, AllHome Santo Tomas, Liana's Junction Santo Tomas, and SM City Santo Tomas are known shopping destinations that operate in the city and soon. S&R Membership Shopping Santo Tomas will also be opened by the second half of 2024.[29][30]

Transportation

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Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway) in Santo Tomas

Roads

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The Pan-Philippine Highway or Maharlika Highway connects the city with Calamba, the rest of Laguna, with the highway reaching as far as Bicol Region. The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway) and South Luzon Expressway start at the city connects the city with Batangas City and Metro Manila, respectively. The Jose P. Laurel Highway connects the city with Tanauan City, Lipa and Batangas City.

Public transport

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Jeepneys (Filipino: "dyip") connect the city with Calamba to the north, Tanauan to the south, and San Pablo to the east. Buses from Manila to Batangas City, Lucena, or Bicol serve the city. UV Express service also connects Santo Tomas with San Pablo, Santa Rosa, Lipa, and Dasmariñas. Tricycles provide transportation within the barangays.

Government

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Local government

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Main article: Sangguniang Bayan
 
Santo Tomas City Hall
  • Mayor: Arth Jhun A. Marasigan
  • Vice Mayor: Catherine J. Perez
  • Councilors:
    • Ross Allan D. Maligaya
    • Leovino M. Villegas
    • Raquel M. Maloles-Salazar
    • Danilo P. Mabilangan
    • Arlene F. Manebo
    • Arturo U. Pecaña
    • Gerardo M. Malijan
    • Helengrace P. Navarro
    • Victor O. Bathan
    • Adrian C. Carpio
  • ABC President: Ladislao M. Malijan
  • SK Federation President: Angel Faye Parra

Education

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Universities

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The Polytechnic University of the Philippines Santo Tomas

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines has one campus in Santo Tomas. It is a constituent branch of the PUP System and the only institution of higher learning in Santo Tomas that serves the city and neighboring cities.

Public high schools

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The city has 5 public high schools, all overseen by the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Sto. Tomas City.[31]

  • San Jose National High School
  • San Pedro National High School
  • Santa Clara Integrated National High School (JHS and SHS)
  • Santa Anastacia-San Rafael National High School
  • Sto. Tomas City National High School
  • Santo Tomas Senior High School (SHS only)

Public elementary schools

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Santo Tomas North Central School

There are 28 public elementary schools within Santo Tomas, all overseen by the SDO of Sto. Tomas City.[32]

Santo Tomas North District

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Santo Tomas South District

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Private schools

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There are 18 private schools within the Santo Tomas.[33][34]

  • Almond Academy Foundation Inc.
  • AMS Learning School
  • Blue Isle Integrated School
  • Clareville School
  • Elyon Academia Foundation, Inc.
  • Greenville Academy of Santa Clara
  • His Care Learning Center of Santa Maria
  • Hope Christian Academy of Santo Tomas
  • Kids for Jesus Academy Inc.
  • Maranatha Christian Academy of Santo Tomas
  • Maranatha Christian Academy of Blue Isle
  • Mother Barbara Micarelli School
  • Nikiesha's Interactive Camp Child Development Center Inc.
  • Pedagogia Children's School (Santo Tomas)
  • San Bartolome Adventist Elementary School
  • Saint Thomas Academy
  • Saint Thomas Montessori Learning Center
  • The Golden Child Literacy Place

Mythology

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In Philippine mythology, the homeland of the anggitays is believed to be somewhere in Santo Tomas, Batangas. The anggitays are creatures resembling centaurs but have a single horn on the forehead and are generally female.[35]

Notable personalities

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References

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  1. ^ a b Cinco, Maricar (September 8, 2019). "Santo Tomas is Batangas' newest city". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  2. ^  City of Santo Tomas | (DILG)
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ a b c d Census of Population (2020). "Region IV-A (Calabarzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  6. ^ "History | Santo Tomas Batangas". Stotomasbatangasph.wordpress.com. April 29, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  7. ^ House Bill No. 6447 (February 3, 2016), An Act Converting the Municipality of Sto. Tomas in the Province of Batangas Into a Component City to Be Known as the City of Sto. Tomas, Senate of the Philippines Legislative Digital Resources, retrieved June 22, 2023
  8. ^ Ganzon-Ozaeta, Tina (March 21, 2018). "Senate approves cityhood of Santo Tomas town in Batangas". Rappler. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  9. ^ Republic Act No. 11086 (October 22, 2018), Charter of the City of Sto. Tomas (PDF), Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, retrieved September 8, 2019
  10. ^ Solmerin, Florante (June 26, 2018). "Santo Tomas, first Batangas city under Duterte administration". BusinessMirror. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  11. ^ "Province: Batangas". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  12. ^ "Municipal: Santo Tomas, Batangas". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  13. ^ a b Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region IV-A (Calabarzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  14. ^ "Santo Tomas: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  15. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region IV-A (Calabarzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  16. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region IV-A (Calabarzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  17. ^ "Province of Batangas". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  18. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  19. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
  20. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
  21. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
  22. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
  23. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
  24. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  25. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  26. ^ "Home | First Philippine Industrial Park". Fpip.com. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  27. ^ "Avida Land". Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  28. ^ "Villar Rallying Private Sector, LGUs to Improve Waste Management via Composting - BusinessWorld". Business World. April 28, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  29. ^ "AllHome opens 55th branch in Sto. Tomas, Batangas". AllHome. July 22, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  30. ^ de Castro, Isagani Jr. (October 26, 2023). "SM Prime to open first 'Singapore-style' mall in Philippines". Rappler. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  31. ^ "Batangas Province Masterlist of Government Secondary Schools". Depedcalabarzon.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  32. ^ "Batangas Province Masterlist of Government Elementary Schools" (PDF). Depedcalabarzon.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  33. ^ "Batangas Province Masterlist of Government Private Elementary Schools" (PDF). Depedcalabarzon.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  34. ^ "Batangas Province Masterlist of Secondary Schools" (PDF). Depedcalabarzon.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  35. ^ "A Compendium of Creatures from Philippine Folklore & Mythology • THE ASWANG PROJECT". February 22, 2016.
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