Sto. Domingo was discovered because of a fruit. Legend has carried the story of a Spanish soldier, then stationed in Ciudad Fernandina, who was looking for the source of the famous santol fruits that were marketed in Villa Fernandina (now the town of Vigan). This fruit sold on Sundays gain so much popularity in that old town because of its sweetness. According to legend, one Spanish soldier, Pablo Arquero, went in search of the fruit and found his way through the vast forest seven kilometers north of Ciudad Fernandina and came upon a group of Indians near a spring, known in the vernacular as “Pussuac”, that Arquero discovered the source of the famous santol fruit on May 12, 1742. Shortly after, on August 4, a Dominican priest, Fr. Jose Milan, laid the foundations of the town by holding the first mass and laying the base of the present bell tower of the Catholic Church of Sto. Domingo. This bell tower had a base foundation of nine meters and after the church was completed, it was made famous by Diego Silang, the most colorful-lived Ilocano hero, who became a bell ringer of Fr. Millan and later the leader of the Ilocano revolt. In his revolt, one of the conditions imposed by Diego Silang for peace was the appointment of Fr. Tomas Millan as the first Gobernadorcillo of the new town, which was the named Sto. Domingo. It is obvious that the name was derived from the santol fruit that was sold on Sundays “Santol ti Domingo” in Vigan. thus, on May 12, 1742, a town by the name SANTOL DOMINGO was born in that section now known as the Barangay of Pussuac. The name later on was shortened to “STO.”, hence the name STO. DOMINGO.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

It is a significant aspect in the political life of the nation that Sto. Domingo always played a major role in the election of congressional representatives for the first district of Ilocos Sur. The town produced its greatest, the late Honorable Benito T. Soliven, who became a member of the Philippine National Assembly by defeating the ex- Secretary Elpidio Quirino of Vigan, the strongest political personality of Ilocos Sur and a political protégé of the then President of the Philippines Commonwealth, Manuel L. Quezon. From then on in all political battles in the first district of Ilocos Sur, for a seat in the National Assembly, the major contending candidates always came from Vigan and Sto. Domingo. In 1957, another son of the town, the Honorable Faustino B. Tobia, was elected member of the National Assembly by defeating a well-established political kingpin of Ilocos Sur the late Congressman Floro Crisologo. Both the late Hon. Benito T. Soliven and Atty. Faustino B. Tobia, were recipients of the SANTOL AWARD, the most coveted award that the municipality of Sto. Domingo can bestow upon any citizen who has distinguished himself illustriously in the service of the country, both in time of peace and war. Again, in the election of 1978, the Hon. Salacnib F. Baterina, another beloved son of Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur was also elected a Member of the Interim Batasan Pambansa representing the first district of Ilocos Sur, Region I, in that interim law-making body.

The town is now divided into 36 barangay with a total population of 16,875 according to the last census (2000). Before 1921, there were 40 barrios of Sto. Domingo. San Ildefonso once a barrio of the municipality, seceded and became a town during the administration of “Presidente Adolfo Jaramillo, together with its adjoining barrios. This is an important historical segment in the life of the town.

PAST LOCAL ELECTIONS

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 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 Gobernadorcillos, Capitanes, Presidentes Municipal and Municipal Mayors, for the terms opposite their respective names.

GOBERNADORCILLOS  (SPANISH REGIME 1742-1892)

Don Pablo Arquero

Don Lucas Pulano

Don Jose Alfonso

Don Miguel Palomar

Don Antonio Arce

Don Francisco Quismundo

Don Ignacio Gabriel

Don Jose Molina

Don Agustine Dele Vega

Don Agustin Soliven

Don Jose Florentino

Don Juan Sumabat

Don Juan de Castillo

Don Sebastian Arce

Don Policarpio Tobias

Don Nicolas Molina

Sebastian Bumatay

Nicolas Palomar

Antonio dela Vega

Jacinto del Castillo

Vicente Arce

Mariano dela Vega

Felipe Sumabat

Quinterio Palomar

Pedro Nicolas Jose

Fruto Evaristo Salvador

Manuel Peria

Fructoso Palomar

Pablo Gonzales Arce

Manuel Bumatay

Victor Briones

Gregorio Molina

Santiago Salvio

Ambrocio dele Vega

Eulogio Herminigildo

Pablo Paulino Torres

Serapio dela Cruz

Valentine de Jesus

Jose Palomar

Anastacio Florentino

Pedro Jacinto Tesoro

Pedro Tobias

Rodecindo dela Vega

Remigio Tesoro Sebastian

Valentin de Jesus Tesoro

Herminigildo Palomar

Hilario Bumatay

Nicolas Briones

Eleuterio Torres

Pedro Alcxantara

Valentin Sebastian

Cristobal Soliver

Pedro Bumatay

Gabino Bumatay

Tomas Jacinto Tesoro

Felix Sumabat

Manuel Dela Vega

Clemente Bumatay

Camilo Tugade

Mariano de Jesus

Felix Eugenio Temporal

Juan Carpio

Enrique Arce

Luis Palomar

Arcadio Figueras

Tranquilino Torre Victor

Andres Villaflor de Jesus

Apolonio Tobias

Rafael Soliven

Gregorio Tesoro Sebastian

Bernabe Torre Victor

Leon del Castillo

Pedro Flotildes Rosario

Bonifacio Figueras

Ponciano Toarroja

Eustaquio Tesoro Vega

Doroteo Tobias

Juan Figueras

Balbino dela Vega

Rafael Pizzaro

Joaquin Villafuerte

Andres Tesoro Guillen

Rufino Pinom Calestino

Januario Celestino

CAPITAL MUNICIPAL  (1893-1899)

Don Wenceslao Soliven

Don Isabelo Soliven

Even during the earlier times, people of the town were already engaged primarily in agriculture. A great part of the agricultural lands of the town belong to wealthy families in Vigan, the capital town. The rest of the agricultural land is owned by majority of the families of the town, distributed unequally in size among owners. It can be said that 99% of the total population own a piece of land. People settled along the coastal area rely on fishing for their livelihood.

The economic and social life of the people today are greatly influence by the distribution of wealth in the town and the income of the families from farming, trading and money received from abroad. The average income per capital ranges from P2,000.00 to 4,000.00 a month.

The rapid development of the town started in 1950 during the administration of the late Mayor Filomeno B. Tadena.

It was in Sto. Domingo where one of the first Agricultural Credit Association for Farmers (ACFA) was first established in Ilocos Sur and which gave rise to the development of the tobacco industry as one of the principal sources of income of the town. It was in this period of Mayor Filomeno B. Tadena that the municipality was reclassified from third class to a first class municipality. The municipal fishery lots have started to increase the income of the town, making the advent of infrastructure development possible. In, 1961, the new municipal market was constructed. A municipal abattoir was also constructed. It was during the administration of the late Mayor Filomeno B. Tadena that the new Municipal Building was constructed 98% of which was already completed when he was ambushed and killed on May 2, 1962.

Sto. Domingo’s prominence and popularity cannot be over-emphasized, when a man whose dreams and aspirations was to develop the town into a 1^st Class, progressive, peaceful and beautiful municipality to live in. But unfortunately, the development-oriented and respected disciplinarian mayor, the late Hon. Filomeno B. Tadena did not live long to over-live the realization of his vision. Fatal of bullets of indespicable assassins felled him down one late afternoon on May 2, 1962. The town mourned for his untimely and dastardly death. He left the present municipal building 98% completed.

“…The dreams of a great and remembered mayor of our town, the late Mayor Filomeno B. Tadena …was cut by the cruelty of sudden death.”

That’s how Dr. Miguel “Mike” T. Figueras, Jr. expressed his sentiments on that brutal incident, in his inaugural address when he took his Oath of Office as Municipal Mayor of February 22, 1988.

Inspired of the late Mayor’s ideals, Mayor Mike Figueras have done great honors to our beloved town. He is a recipient of a Gram Slam Award from the DILG, Region I, for having been awarded Most Outstanding Mayor for three consecutive years – 1989-1991. And again, by the same agency, the most coveted Hall of Fame Award when he was for the fourth time awarded Most Outstanding Mayor in 1993.

A week after the 39^th death anniversary of the late Mayor Filomeno B. Tadena, just a couple of days before the 2001 local elections, a former mayor, now Assistant City Prosecutor, Atty. Susante J. Tobias predicted: HISTORY IN THE MAKING

On May 14, 2001,  the electorates in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur made the premonition a reality. For the first time in the political history of the town, a son of the former mayor became the Chief Executive of the municipality in the person of Hon. Floro T. Tadena.

In his inaugural address, on June 30, 2001, shortly after he took his Oath of Office, administered by the Punong Barangay of

Nalasin, Mayor Floro “Butch” Tadena, in his fervent desire to follow the footstep of his father articulated his vision based on the latter’s dreams and aspirations, and I quote:

“Under my stewardship, our new administration

 is envisioned  to enhance the growth and develop-

ment of our beloved town into a more peaceful,

self-reliant, progressive and healthy community to

        live in and be proud of.” 

To give impetus to the realization of this vision, with all humility and candor, he also made in his address an appeal for sobriety and unity as he insinuated and emphasized:

“We are not rivals in powers, but rather

partners in serving the interest of the our people.

We must establish in governance the overriding

principle that only by coordination and teamwork,

can we honestly hope to realize our VISION.”

“The cooperation and support of the

municipal and barangay officials as well as the

active and meaningful participation of people’s

and non-governmental organizations and the private

sectors are essential and foremost in all aspects of

development”.

His appeal and commitment to consecrate all his efforts and all the wisdom who can summon for the realization of our vision is beginning to show favorable results. In the first six months of his administration, infrastructure development, particularly barangay and farm to market roads were concreted and rehabilitated. Remarkable increase in revenue collections has been attained.

And so, from here, with a VISION to lead him and his constituents towards the brighter horizon of growth and development.