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Geographical Location
Santa is nestled in the central part of the Ilocos strip. Bounded by natural
border, this municipality presents a gorgeous poetic setting; the denuded Ilocos
Range in the east, the winding Abra River in the north and immense China Sea
down west. The river, the mountain and the sea contribute to its beauty which
made the late Gov. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. in his visit in 1925 say; “The
mountain in the east the winding, roping river in the north and the immense sea
in the west make Santa a poetic town.”
Santa is 386 kilometers north of Manila and 21 kilometers south of Vigan, the
capital town of the province. It can be reached by buses, jeepneys and other
types of motor vehicles running along the National Highway.
Physically, Santa is triangular shape. Its north border, forming the baseline of
the triangular land and running in the east-west direction, follow the ever
changing course of the Abra River from Banaoang Gap in the northeast corner of
the town to the sea about 18 kilometers.
Land Area
Santa has an area of 4,877.99 hectares, which is distributed in twenty-six (26) barangays and constitute almost 1.895 of the entire area of the province of
Ilocos Sur.
Topography
The topography of the municipality is undulating to rolling with slope ranging
from 0-30%.
Climate
The type of climate in Santa is generally the same as the climate of all coastal
towns of Ilocos Sur. There are two seasons in the municipality, wet and dry: dry
season commence on the month of February and ended on the months of June while
the wet season is during the rest of the year.
Temperature
PAG-ASA’s data in temperature in the municipality was recorded 29 degrees
Celsius, for the average annual temperature. April and May were recorded as the
hottest months with a temperature from 29 degrees Celsius to 31 Degrees Celsius
respectively while the coldest months are January and February with a
temperature of 24 down to 21 degrees Celsius.
Rainfall
Rainfall record in the municipality is not available due to absence of
equipment. However, it is believed that the rainfall record of Santa is the same
as the records of other municipalities in Ilocos Sur.
Typhoon Frequencies
During the rainy season, Santa is experiencing more or less twenty typhoons a
year. Flush flood is attacking the town because of the denuded mountain at the
eastern part of the town. Even flood is attacking Santa due to the large amount
of water flowing from Abra River which traverses in the western part of the
municipality. During the typhoon last June 5, 1999, tidal waves attack Santa
which destroyed some residences along coastal barangays.
Soil Type
There are three types of soil in Santa, namely: clay loam which is used for crop
production, clay on the eastern part of the town and sandy loam on the western
part.
Vegetative Cover
Although Santa has fair type of soil, vegetative cover is good for palay, corn,
vegetables and fruit bearing trees.
Mineral Resources
Major mineral resources of the municipality are gravel and sand and salt. Gravel
and sand are found along the river bank of Abra River. Salt making is available
along the coastal barangays of Santa because some of the residents are engaged
in salt making as their means of livelihood.
Natural & Man-made Risk Areas
Flood prone area is found at the western part of the town, these flood prone
areas include Barangays Pasungol, Tabucolan, Calungboyan, Casiber, Rancho, Oribi
and Dammay. While those places located at the foot of the mountain, are being
destructed by flush flood, same as true with those places beside the river bank.
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