THE

MUNICIPALITY
OF STA. LUCIA
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
MUNICIPALITY OF STA. LUCIA
SANTA LUCIA is one of the oldest towns in the Ilocos Region. It was known as Kaog
and Dumangague during the Spanish times, bounded on the east by the interior town of
Salcedo, Ilocos Sur “formerly Baugen” and the Cordillera Mountain, on the west by China
Sea, on the north by City of Candon and on the south by Sta. Cruz, another town of Ilocos
Sur. It has a total land area of 4700.8545 hectares and a population of 28,242
(MSWDO/MBN 2010 Census) scattered among its Thirty-Six (36) barangays. Municipality of
Santa Lucia belonged to the 2nd Congressional District of Ilocos Sur.
The name SANTA LUCIA was given in 1586 by the Augustinian friars in honor of the
town’s Patron Saint Lucy through the Ecclesiastical Power of Spain in Manila. But the original
name was Kaog before the evangelization of Igorots who inhabited the town and later
became Dumangague during the Spanish colonization in the year 1572 by Captain Juan de
Salcedo, a Spanish conquistador colonized the region of Ilocos Sur and founded Vigan as
capital of the province.
01
MYTHICAL
ORIGIN
 MYTHICAL ORIGIN
Before the evangelization of Igorots inhabiting KAOG (now Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur),
turmoil and chaos usually visit this rich settlement. It was their usual practice to embark on
head-hunting expeditions in the lowlands and seacoast areas. They are fierce-looking,
armed to the teeth with spears, axes, blowguns, kampilans and poisoned arrows. Adept at
ambuscades and lightning raids over Christian settlements to the west in the middle of the
night in pitch darkness, these Igorots inflicted casualties in the settlement of Kaog. These
were the Spanish Peninsulas, friars, and converts.
When the present town (Sta. Lucia) was evangelized, it was told heavy downpours
could be witnessed by inhabitants and with their naked eyes, saw a delicate figure of small
beautiful woman carrying over her head an earthen jar. At the sight of the woman, the
burikan, (tattooed) Igorots fled to the east for their safety. One Local historian during the
late Spanish period, Claro Tiburcio Ridad, in an unpublished manuscript claimed that
converts in the pueblo of Kaog banded together and fought off marauders.
MYTHICAL ORIGIN
The majestic Sta. Lucia
Church was built by Augustinian
friars in 1586. It is the only
church in the whole Philippines
with a dome look like that of St.
Peter's Basilica in Rome. Like the
most Philippine churches, it is
built of red bricks called ladrillo
and is dominantly Romanesque in
style.
 MYTHICAL ORIGIN
The image of St. Lucy, the
patron saint of Sta. Lucia, is enshrined
in the central altar (altar mayor).
People from another places flock to
Sta. Lucia for a pilgrimage especially
during the 13th day of December, the
feast day of Saint Lucy. The dress of
the image is bedecked with silver
ornaments with the shapes of eyes,
arms and legs. These were pinned by
devotees as a token of their gratitude
for ailments cured miraculously by St
Lucy.
 MYTHICAL ORIGIN
The dome was originally
decorated with stained glass
windows but majority of these
panes were broken through the
years. The interior of the church is
well-lit because of the numerous
arched windows on both of the
eastern and western walls. There is
a staircase right of the atrium. It
leads to the Belfry and to the
second floor or a raised platform,
where the choir used to stay during
the early times.
02
THE
FOUNDING
 THE FOUNDING
The town of Santa Lucia formerly called "Kaog or Dumangague" was founded on
June, 1572 by Juan de Salcedo. The parish was composed of the following missions;
Nagtablaan, San Tiburcio, Pias, Atabay, Colliong, Balidbid, Sorioan, Napalit, Arangin and
Corrooy. It had a sitio of Catechumares called Cub-cubbuot and a barrio called Ronda with
more than 6,286 inhabitants. Later in 1671, it became a regular parish under the patronage
of Saint Lucy whose feast day is celebrated every 13th of December.
Its inhabitants were farmers who planted rice, corn, sugar, cotton, vegetables and
fruits. Augustinian fathers tamed the natives and started building edifices which remain to
this day a monument to their architectural genius and patience. Santa Lucia Church has a
one-aisle church with a great transept and a magnificent cupola resembling the St. Peter
Basilica at the Holy See in Rome.
A big convent was constructed to the northwest church. This was the headquarters
of the Katipunan forces commanded by General Manuel Tinio during the revolution. Before
the outbreak of the earthquake in July 16, 1990, the convent was used as "home" of the
religious order, the Oblates of the Holy Spirit Sisters.
03
PRESENT DAY
STA. LUCIA
 PRESENT DAY STA. LUCIA
The municipality is classified as a
3rd class municipality, it consist of thirty-six
(36) barangays with total land area of
4700.8545 hectares and a population of
28,242 (2010 MBN Census). Out of the
4700.8545 hectares, 4055.4237 hectares
are agricultural and agro-forest lands,
20.0000 hectares for pasture lands,
126.8896 hectares are residential lands,
12.6475 hectares are commercial/industrial
lands, 436.2879 hectares are public utility
lands, 47.8424 hectares are belong to the
institutional land, 0.1200 for amusement
land and 1.6434 for special use lands.
 PRESENT DAY STA. LUCIA
Predominantly, Santa Lucia is an agricultural municipality, its major crop is rice
followed by tobacco, corn, vegetables, peanuts, watermelon and mangoes. These crops
account the great bulk of livelihood and income of its populace.
 PRESENT DAY STA. LUCIA
Santa Lucia is fast becoming a center
of trade and commerce. It has now a number of
commercial establishments as follows;
groceries, sari-sari stores, tailoring/dress
shops, drug stores, bakeries, rice mills,
gasoline stations, eateries/carinderia, catering
services, metal crafts, machine shop, farm
products, furniture making, hollow blocks
making, piggeries, poultries, construction
supplies, cable services, parlor/beauty shops,
funeral parlors and memorial home. A total of
480 business establishments were registered
for the year 2008. PEANUT is the One-Town-
One Product (OTOP) of Santa Lucia.
 PRESENT DAY STA. LUCIA
The Municipality of Santa
Lucia, Ilocos Sur has 17 public
school buildings, 35 daycare
centers, 1 rural health unit and 4
health centers. It also has 1
covered auditorium with
basketball court, waiting sheds,
comfort rooms and a hanging
bridge across the Buaya river.
New public market was
constructed and started to
operate on May 8, 2010.
 PRESENT DAY STA. LUCIA
It is also a potential tourist
destination. The people’s park
located at northeastern part of
the church and in front of the
municipal hall where the
statue of Antonio Luna, a
famous hero and soldier is
situated. Its beaches are
among the potential tourist
destination especially during
summer time.
 PRESENT DAY STA. LUCIA
Santa Lucia has a Tag Line
“RANIAG STA. LUCIA.” Ragsak ti pagilian,
Agnanayon a panagkaykaysa, Natalna
ken nadalus nga aglawlaw, Iparangarang
ti napudno a panagserbi, Ayat ken anus a
galad, Gameng dagiti umili. Santa Lucia is
now aiming to become more productive
with its vast agricultural area and marine
resources; this will be the tool for a better
living of the people and a way to a
progressive town in the province of Ilocos
Sur. This will be possible through the
joint effort of the municipal government
and the people of the community.
That’s all,
Thank you!
Submitted by:
Abaya, Jushtine Hector
Bautista, Kylah Joy A.
Sabado, Jezrel
Submitted to:
Mrs. Jean Savellano Dumbrique