| Santo Domingo | |
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| — Municipality — | |
| Map of Ilocos Sur showing the location of Santo Domingo. | |
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Santo Domingo
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Ilocos Region (Region I) |
| Province | Ilocos Sur |
| District | 1st District |
| Founded | |
| Barangays | 36 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Amado T. Tadena |
| Area | |
| • Total | 55.49 km2 (21.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 25,888 |
| • Density | 466.5/km2 (1,208.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 2729 |
| Income class | 3rd class |
| Population Census of Santo Domingo | |||
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| Census | Pop. | Rate | |
| 1995 | 22,727 |
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| 2000 | 24,520 | 1.64% | |
| 2007 | 25,888 | 0.75% | |
Santo Domingo is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,888 people in 4,871 households.
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Santo Domingo is politically subdivided into 36 barangays.
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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 Ciudad Fernandina (now Vigan City) 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.
For 378 years, from 1521 to 1899, Local Chief Executives of the “pueblos” or town were appointed by the Spaniards and in the year 1901 up to 1946 they were appointed by Americans. Afterwards, election was the mode of selection.
The following local officials held the positions either as Tenientes Absolute Gobernadrocillos, Capitanes, Presidentes Municipal and Municipal Mayors, for the terms opposite their respective names:
SPANISH REGIME
GOBERNADORCILLOS (1742-1892)
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CAPITAN MUNICIPAL (1893-1899)
PRESIDENTE MUNICIPAL TERM OF OFFICE
MUNICIPAL MAYOR TERMS OF OFFICE