For the city in Pampanga, see City of San Fernando, Pampanga. For other uses, see San Fernando.
San Fernando City is a 3rd class component city in the province of
La UnionLa Union or La Unión might refer to:* Places:**Argentina***La Unión, Buenos Aires**Chile***La Unión, Chile**Colombia***La Unión, Antioquia***La Unión, Nariño***La Unión, Sucre***La Unión, Valle del Cauca**El Salvador***La Unión Department...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
. It is the capital city of La Union and the regional center of the
Ilocos RegionThe Ilocos Region or Region I of the Philippines is located in the northwestern region portion of Luzon...
(Region I). According to the latest Philippine census, it has a population of about 114,813 people in 24,139 households.
San Fernando is the financial, industrial and political center of the province, engaged in agriculture, aquaculture, shipping using the port of San Fernando, and other industrial sectors.
San Fernando belongs to the District 1 in La Union province.
History
The City of San Fernando is situated in the mountainous area at the middle province of La Union. It was founded in 1786 and made the "cabecera" (capital) on the same day that La Union became province in 1850.
During the
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
period, a settlement was a place where there were about 200 families. Around this area, there were two settlements, San Vicente de Balanac and San Guillermo de Dalangdang, San Vicente de Balanac is located in the coast and sea
piratesPiracy is a war-like act committed by private parties that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the...
would visit and plunder the settlement. San Guillermo de Dalangdang, was located at the foothills of the Cordillera mountains and the community were in constant threat from various native
headhuntingHeadhunting is the practice of taking a person's head after killing him or her. Headhunting was practiced in historic times in parts of China, India, Nigeria, Nuristan, Myanmar, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Micronesia, Melanesia, New Zealand, and the Amazon Basin, as well as...
groups.
In 1759, an Augustinian priest, Friar José Torres, convinced the two settlements to come together to a place not so near the sea and not so near the mountains so they will not be plagued by their annual problems. They chose the area called Pindangan, meaning, a place where they dry fish and in this place, they built in a church with San Guillermo the Hermit as the patron saint. In 1765, the newly assigned priest, however, suggested to the inhabitants that they change the name of Pindangan to San Fernando, after the Catholic King of Spain, retaining San Guillermo as their patron saint. The name of the parish priest was Friar Fernando Rey. This was also the period of
Diego SilangDiego Silang y Andaya was raised as an Ilocano; his father was Pangasinense. Diego Silang was a revolutionary leader who conspired with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano nation...
.
An earthquake destroyed the church at Pindangan and renamed San Fernando, the priest decided not to rebuild in the same place because during the rainy season, the church was transferred until it found its present place, and it is now called the Cathedral of Saint William the Hermit, of the Diocese of San Fernando, La Union.
On May 1786, the Ministerio de San Fernando was established. However, due to lack of priests during the period of 1792 to 1831, San Fernando became a "visita" (visit) of Bauang and San Juan. In 1831, Friar Juan Sorolla, the parish priest of Bauang in 1829, was assigned in San Fernando.
According to Philippine historical records, the construction of the church started in 1817 by Friar Simon Torrado with Friar Sorolla as its first town priest.
During the
Philippine RevolutionThe Philippine Revolution was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire....
in 1896, the Spanish garrison in San Fernando were attacked by Filipino insurgents under the leadership of
Manuel TinioManuel Tinio y Bundoc was the youngest General of the Philippine Revolutionary Army and in 1907, elected Governor of the Province of Nueva Ecija, Republic of the Philippines.-Antecedents:...
and Mauro Ortíz.
After the
Spanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was an armed military conflict between Spain and the United States that took place between April and August 1898, over the issues of the liberation of Cuba. The war began after American demands for the resolution of the Cuban fight for independence were rejected by Spain...
, San Fernando experienced naval bombardment of American soldiers during the
Philippine-American WarThe Philippine–American War, sometimes known as the Philippine War of Independence was an armed military conflict between the Philippines and the United States, which arose from the struggle of the insurgent First Philippine Republic against United States annexation of the islands...
, as well as actual fighting on land when
Gregorio del PilarGregorio del Pilar y Sempio was one of the youngest generals in the Philippine Revolutionary Forces during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. He was called the "Boy General" because of his youth.-Early life and education:Born on November 14, 1875 to Fernando H...
commanded the rearguard of
Emilio AguinaldoEmilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role in Philippine independence during the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War that resisted American occupation...
to cover the latter’s retreat. Aguinaldo and his soldiers were captured by United States troops.
In 1941, San Fernando was invaded by Japanese planes. The rebel army of the 21st Infantry became active and engaged in battle with the Japanese Army. The province were liberated by the United States and Philippine army in 1945.
Present-day
On May 14, 1996, the Sangguniang Bayan of San Fernando passed Resolution No. 20 requesting the House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines for the conversion of the Municipality of San Fernando into a Component City. That time, the municipality of San Fernando had satisfactorily met the basic requirements for its conversion into Cityhood pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Code 1991. In a certification issued by the Bureau of Local Government Finance, the average annual income of San Fernando for calendar years 1994, and 1995 based on 1991 constant prices was P 44,351,821.66. Further, in a certification by the Land Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the land area of San Fernando is 10,526 hectares, well above the minimum requirement of 10,000 hectares.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union, after a comprehensive study and judicious evaluation of the petition of the Sangguniang Bayan of San Fernando, adopted Resolution No. 425-96 endorsing its cityhood bid to the House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines.
Upon the sponsorship of the Congressman Victor F. Ortega (1st District- La Union) at the House of Representatives, House Bill 7594 (Act Converting the Municipality of San Fernando, La Union into a Component City to be known as City of San Fernando) was approved.
The petition was approved at the Upper House through the sponsorship of Senators
Vicente Sotto IIIVicente Castelo Sotto III , also known as Tito Sotto, is a former senator in the Philippines Congress. He served two terms in the Senate, from 1992 to 2004....
and
Juan FlavierJuan Martin Flavier is a former politician from the Philippines. He was a former Secretary of the Department of Health and a senator...
. On February 13, 1998, Republic Act 8509 was signed into law by President
Fidel V. RamosFidel Valdez Ramos , also known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines. He succeeded Corazon Aquino and governed until 1998, when he was succeeded by Joseph Estrada...
and finally on March 20, 1998, the residents of San Fernando manifested their approvement in the Plebiscite that ratified the fulfillment of the dream for San Fernando to become a city.
Located about 8 kilometers from the main city, on a forest mountain is nestled the La Union Botanical Garden. The 20 hectare garden located at Cadaclan is a display of varied species of living plants and a sanctuary of varieties of wild animals and nature.
The City of San Fernando is now the seat of national government agencies in Region I and center of trade, commerce, financial and educational institutions and among others. It is a high class province and exhibited a seaport responsive to international shipping, an airport with viable capacity to accommodate international flights, natural terrain conducive to tourism development. The City of San Fernando has emerged as a wealthy Metropolis of the Northern Philippines.
San Fernando chief executives
- 1895-1898 - Don Blas Tadiar
- 1899-1901 - Don Paulino Alviar
- 1901-1903 - Don Gaspar Flores
- 1904-1905 - Don Edilberto Aquino
- 1906-1907 - Don Francisco Z. Flores
- 1908-1909 - Don Urbano Martínez
- 1910-1911 - Don José Hidalgo
- 1912-1914 - Don Anastacio Casuga
- 1915-1918 - Don Juan Salanga
- 1919-1921 - Don Ulpiano Flores
- 1922-1928 - Don Pedro R. Flores
- 1928 - Don Francisco Galvez
- 1928-1930 - Don Evaristo Galvez
- 1931-1933 - Don Angel Salanga
- 1934-1936 - Don Lauro Casuga
- 1936-1939 - Don Paulino Flores
- 1942-1944 - Don Juan Salanga
- 1945-1946 - Don Modesto Aquino
- 1946-1955 - Don Lorenzo L. Dacanay
- 1956-1959 - Don Godofredo G. Rilloraza
- 1960-1971 - Don Lorenzo L. Dacanay
- 1972-1980 - Don Antonio Feraren
- 1980 - Don Joaquin T. Ortega
- 1980-1987 - Don Justo O. Orros Jr.
- 1987 - Don Rufo T. Colisao
- 1987-1988 - Don Angel Salanga
- 1988-1998 - Don Manuel C. Ortega
- 1998 - Don Benedicto Z. Rivera
- 1998-2007 - Doña Mary Jane C. Ortega
- 2007-present - Don Pablo C. Ortega
Barangays
San Fernando City is divided into 59
barangayA barangay , also known by its former Spanish adopted name, the barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. Barangays are further subdivided into smaller areas called Puroks...
s.
- Abut
- Apaleng
- Bacsil
- Bangbangolan
- Bangcusay
- Barangay I (Pob.)
- Barangay II (Pob.)
- Barangay III (Pob.)
- Barangay IV (Pob.)
- Baraoas
- Bato
- Biday
- Birunget
- Bungro
- Cabaroan (Negro)
- Cabarsican
- Cadaclan
- Calabugao
- Camansi
- Canaoay
|
- Carlatan
- Catbangen
- Dallangayan Este
- Dallangayan Oeste
- Dalumpinas Este
- Dalumpinas Oeste
- Ilocanos Norte
- Ilocanos Sur
- Langcuas
- Lingsat
- Madayegdeg
- Mameltac
- Masicong
- Nagyubuyuban
- Namtutan
- Narra Este
- Narra Oeste
- Pacpaco
- Pagdalagan
- Pagdaraoan
|
- Pagudpud
- Pao Norte
- Pao Sur
- Parian
- Pias
- Poro
- Puspus
- Sacyud
- Sagayad
- San Agustin
- San Francisco
- San Vicente
- Santiago Norte
- Santiago Sur
- Saoay
- Sevilla
- Siboan-Otong
- Tanqui
- Tanquigan
|
City Charter
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8509
An Act converting the
Municipality of San Fernando, La Union,
into a Component City to be known as
the City of San Fernando.
- February 13, 1998 - Signed by His Excellency President Fidel V. Ramos
- March 20, 1998 - Plebiscite Ratifying the Conversion of the Municipality into a City
Republic Act No. 8509 originated in the House of Representatives
as House Bill No. 75 94 sponsored by Cong. Victor F. Ortega of the First District of La Union
Awards and Recognition
2008
- Most Business Friendly City in the Philippines
- AIM One of the Most Competitive Small City in the Philippines
2007
2006
- AIM No. 1 Most Competitive City Small Cities Category
- ISA – Dream City Award
- DA Huwarang Palengke Award
- Best Comfort Room of Wet Market
- 1st Runner-up Child-Friendly Award Regional Level
- Clean & Green City Regional Finalist
- Best Hybrid Rice Program - Regional
2005
- Institute of Solidarity in Asia - Fellowship Award
- TB DOTS (National)
- Literacy Award(3rd Place National )
- Rafael Salas Award (population)
- Green Banner – Nutrition(Regional)
- Child-Friendly Cities (Regional Winner)
2004
- Most Outstanding City Mayor for Social Services(National)
- Asin Law Best Implementor (National)
- Most Competitive Small City
- AIM Pinoy Cities on the Rise (2nd Most Competitive City National Level)
- 3rd Place Literacy Awards (National)
- Child-Friendly Cities (National Finalist)
- Green Banner –Nutrition (1st Place Regional)
2003
- Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence (KAME)
- Special Recognion and Meritorious Award
- Stiftung & LOGODEF
- 1st Runner Up Most Competitive Small City – Pinoy Cities on the Rise (AIM)
- 2nd Place National Rafael Salas Population and Development and Improvement Award
- Cleanest & Greenest City (2nd Runner Up National)
- National Literacy Award (4th Place Outstanding LGU Category)
- Kristal Award “ASIN LAW”
2002
- 3rd Most Competitive Small Sized City of San Fernando
- Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking
2000
- Recognition of Excellence
- Special Recognition of Partnership with World Bank
- Under the City Development Strategy
- HABITAT Scroll of Honor
- Child Friendly City of Region I
External links