San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

San Vicente, officially the Municipality of San Vicente (Ilocano: Ili ti San Vicente; Filipino: Bayan ng San Vicente), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,118 people.^[3]

San Vicente
Municipality
Municipality of San Vicente
San Vicente Church
Seal
Nickname:  Furniture Capital of the North
Motto:  Tignay San Vicente
Map of Ilocos Sur with San Vicente highlighted
OpenStreetMap
San Vicente Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°35′41″N 120°22′31″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos Region
Province	Ilocos Sur
District	1st district
Named after	St. Vincent Ferrer
Barangays	7 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Jose C. Tabanda III
• Vice Mayor	Maria Nancy D. Tabanda
• Representative	Deogracias Victor B. Savellano
• Municipal Council	Members Rosamante L. Reyes Conrado R. Rojo Dionisio R. Palado Jun R. Rola Juanito R. Ragil Renato T. Rojas Reynaldo R. Riberal Dalmacio T. Rubia
• Electorate	8,718 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	12.60 km2 (4.86 sq mi)
Elevation	7.0 m (23.0 ft)
Highest elevation	44 m (144 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	13,118
• Density	1,000/km2 (2,700/sq mi)
• Households	3,229
Economy
• Income class	5th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	16.59 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 195.6 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 385.4 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 83.37 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 28.44 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative (ISECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2726
PSGC	012921000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)77
Native languages	Ilocano Tagalog

San Vicente is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Vigan and 408 kilometres (254 mi) from Manila.

Etymology

The municipality's name came from the name of Saint Vincent Ferrer, whose winged statue was found inside a box entangled in fishing nets. The fishermen consulted this matter to the friars in Villa Fernandina (now Vigan), who identified the person depicted by the statue. The statue was carried to the town's center, where a church was built. From then on, the town formerly known as Tuanong (sometimes called Taonan) was renamed San Vicente.

History

In tracing the history of San Vicente, one always has to start from Vigan. Vigan was established by the Spanish conquistador, Juan de Salcedo on June 13, 1573.

Upon Salcedo's return in 1574, he brought with them the Augustinian friars in order to proselytize Christianity among the inhabitants. After Salcedo's death on March 11, 1576, Franciscan friars replaced the Augustinians in 1579. These same friars spread up to San Vicente to convert the people to the Catholic faith.

Up until 1582, there were only about 800 residents in Vigan. In 1591, Vigan began to organize its government, which included the barrios of Tuanong, Santa Catalina de Baba, and Caoayan. There were then a population numbering about 4,000 inhabitants at this time.

Between the years 1720 and 1737, the first chapel of Barrio Tuanong was erected. Later in 1748, the Confraternity of Jesus of Nazareth was organized. In one record of the Vigan Convent archives, a funeral that took place on January 29, 1748 in the chapel of Barrio Tuanong was recorded. Two chaplains, Don Agustin de la Encarnacion and Don Pedro Geronimo de Barba, were the priests of the chapel in that year. It is believed that the chapel is the first stone building that one sees upon entering the San Vicente Central School from the main road.

On June 16, 1751, the chaplain was Don Miguel de Montanez. He was the first priest there and also in the then newly constructed chapel of San Sebastian.

Difficulties in reaching Barrio Tuanong and Barrio Santa Catalina de Baba from Vigan especially during the months of June to October were experienced due to the absence of a dike or bridge. Priests from Vigan reached these areas by means of a raft. The problem prompted the separation of these two barrios from Vigan in 1793.

In 1795, the seat of the municipality and the church in Barrio Tuanong were inaugurated, and the town became known as San Vicente. Don Pedro de Leon was the first parish priest and he was believed as the initiator of the construction of the Church of San Vicente.

Geography

Barangays

San Vicente is politically subdivided into 7 barangays. ^[5] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bantaoay
• Bayubay Norte
• Bayubay Sur
• Lubong
• Poblacion
• Pudoc
• San Sebastian

Climate

Climate data for San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30 (86)	31 (88)	33 (91)	34 (93)	33 (91)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	31 (88)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19 (66)	19 (66)	21 (70)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	22 (72)	21 (70)	19 (66)	22 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	9 (0.4)	11 (0.4)	13 (0.5)	23 (0.9)	92 (3.6)	122 (4.8)	153 (6.0)	137 (5.4)	139 (5.5)	141 (5.6)	42 (1.7)	14 (0.6)	896 (35.4)
Average rainy days	4.6	4.0	6.2	9.1	19.5	23.2	24.0	22.5	21.5	15.2	10.5	6.0	166.3
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[6]

Demographics

Population census of San Vicente

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 5,060 —     1918 5,858 +0.98% 1939 6,163 +0.24% 1948 6,151 −0.02% 1960 7,094 +1.20%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1970 7,539 +0.61% 1975 8,299 +1.94% 1980 8,488 +0.45% 1990 9,989 +1.64% 1995 9,848 −0.27%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2000 10,877 +2.15% 2007 11,907 +1.26% 2010 11,720 −0.57% 2015 12,758 +1.63% 2020 13,118 +0.55%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[7][8][9][10]

In the 2020 census, San Vicente had a population of 13,118.^[3] The population density was 1,000 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,600/sq mi).

Economy

Poverty incidence of San Vicente

5 10 15 20 25 30 2000 20.68 2003 23.63 2006 10.70 2009 12.94 2012 14.05 2015 9.55 2018 3.33 2021 16.59 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

The municipality is known for its production of beautiful furniture made from narra and other tropical hardwoods, even from old wood previously used in wooden sugarcane crushers and old houses to make reproduction antiques.

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

San Vicente, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of Ilocos Sur, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2019–2022)^[19]

Position	Name
Congressman	Deogracias Victor B. Savellano
Mayor	Jonan D. Tabanda
Vice-Mayor	Jose C. Tabanda III
Councilors	Rosamante L. Reyes
	Conrado R. Rojo
	Dionisio R. Palado
	Jun R. Rola
	Juanito R. Ragil
	Renato T. Rojas
	Reynaldo R. Riberal
	Dalmacio T. Rubia