Brief History and Facts

According to the PGLU and official municipal records, this coastal municipality has sustained its local economy and cultural heritage through its traditional dried fish industry and annual religious festivals. The community relies on coordinated labor between fishers and processors to distribute seafood products along major transportation routes, maintaining a stable economic base.

This economic model is highly visible in Santo Tomas, the southernmost coastal town of La Union. Established in 1764 through a Spanish Royal Decree, the municipality reclaimed its independence in 1785 under the leadership of Don Domingo Carpio after a brief merger with the neighboring town of Agoo. Today, the town features eleven coastal barangays, with Barangay Damortis serving as the center of the local dried fish trade, earning the area the title of “Daing Capital of La Union.”

Unlike neighboring coastal towns that focus on tourism and beach resorts, Santo Tomas prioritizes its coastal waters for active fishing. Local men harvest the fish, while women manage the processing and drying stages, selling the finished products at stalls along the national highway.

The town’s cultural identity is closely tied to this industry, celebrated annually during the Daing Festival on April 20 and the feast of Nuestra Señora Virgen del Mar Cautiva, the patron saint of local fishermen, on April 26. Visitors accessing the town via the national highway, located 230 kilometers north of Manila, can also visit the hilltop Municipal Hall and sample traditional rice cakes like bibingka, nilatekan, and patopat.

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SOURCE: PGLU