San Fernando, La Union
', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
The city is bounded by San Juan to the north, Bauang to the south, Bagulin and Naguilian to the east, and the South China Sea to the west. It has a land area of.
San Fernando is the financial, industrial and political center of the province, as well as the regional center of the Ilocos Region in the Philippines.
San Fernando is from Metro Manila.
Climate
History
San Fernando was founded in 1786 and was named after Saint Ferdinand III of Castile. The city's original settlements, San Vicente de Balanac and San Guillermo de Dalangdang, were attacked by pirates and headhunters.In 1759, Augustinian friar José Torres fused these two settlements to Pindangan, where a church dedicated to San Guillermo the Hermit was located; this church is now the Cathedral of St. William the Hermit. The massive 1860s earthquake destroyed the church which was later rebuilt.
After the formation of the province La Union, San Fernando became its cabecera or provincial capital in 1850.
From 1896 until 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, the Spanish garrison of San Fernando was attacked by Filipino insurgents under Manuel Tinio y Bundoc and Mauro Ortiz. Spanish administration ceased; a short while later, the United States acquired control over the country by the Treaty of Paris following the events of the Spanish-American War.
In the Second World War, the last battle of San Fernando was fought during the Japanese occupation at Barangay Bacsil. The Bacsil Ridge Monument was built on the site in the city, the north-eastern portion of the town plaza. The victory enabled the establishment of the United States Army Base, Base M at Poro Point. The town was liberated in 1945.
Although Ilocanos are perceived to have been largely silent about the authoritarian practices and abuses of the Marcos administration, there were still San Fernando residents willing to express their objections to the Marcos administration. This included San-Fernando-raised student activists Romulo and Armando Palabay, UP Students and La Union National High School alumni who were imprisoned for their protest activities in San Fernando, tortured at Camp Olivas in Pampanga, and later separately killed before the end of Martial Law. The respective martyrdoms of Romulo and Armando were later honored when their names were etched on the Wall of Remembrance at the Philippines’ Bantayog ng mga Bayani, which honors the heroes and martyrs who fought the authoritarian regime.
San Fernando became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 8509 signed into law on February 13, 1998 and ratified on March 20, 1998 by a plebiscite.
Demographics
In the, the population of San Fernando, La Union, was people, with a density of.Economy
San Fernando is mainly agricultural. But residents treat fishing in coastline and seashore areas as secondary means of livelihood. The natives also have inabel hand-woven cloth, baskets, shell crafts, including foods, such as kilawen and papaitan, basi, sukang iloko and paslubong such as guapples, longganiza, honey and native rice cakes, puto, suman and bibingka.Patopat is San Fernando's native delicacy, made from "agdapil".
San Fernando has many class A hotels and resorts and night clubs.
Local government
The mayor and other elected officers hold office at the city hall of San Fernando. The city council, the Sangguniang Panlungsod, is housed in the Don Mariano Marcos Building in beside of the city hall.Barangays
San Fernando is divided into 59 barangays.- Abut
- Apaleng
- Bacsil
- Bangbangolan
- Bangcusay
- Barangay I
- Barangay II
- Barangay III
- Barangay IV
- Baraoas
- Bato
- Biday
- Birunget
- Bungro
- Cabaroan
- 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
List of chief executives
- 1895–1898 — Paulino Alviar
- 1899–1901 — Blas Tadiar
- 1901–1903 — Urbano Martínez
- 1904–1905 — Edilberto Aquino
- 1906–1907 — Francisco Z. Flores
- 1908–1909 — Angel Salanga
- 1910–1911 — José Hidalgo
- 1912–1914 — Anastacio Casuga
- 1915–1918 — Juan Salanga
- 1919–1921 — Ulpiano Flores
- 1922–1928 — Pedro R. Flores
- 1928 — Francisco Galvez
- 1928–1930 — Evaristo Galvez
- 1931–1933 — Gaspar Flores
- 1934–1936 — Lauro Casuga
- 1936–1939 — Paulino Flores
- 1942–1944 — Juan Salanga
- 1945–1946 — Modesto Aquino
- 1946–1955 — Lorenzo L. Dacanay
- 1956–1959 — Godofredo G. Rilloraza
- 1960–1971 — Lorenzo L. Dacanay
- 1972–1980 — Antonio Feraren
- 1980 — Joaquin T. Ortega
- 1980–1987 — Justo O. Orros Jr.
- 1987 — Rufo T. Colisao
- 1987–1988 — Angel Salanga
- 1988–1998 — Manuel C. Ortega
- 1998–2007 — Mary Jane C. Ortega
- 2007–2016 — Pablo C. Ortega
- 2016–present — Hermenegildo A. Gualberto
Elected officials
- Mayor: Hermenegildo A. Gualberto
- Vice Mayor: Alfred Pablo R. Ortega
- Councilors:
- * Jessie Miranda
- * Ferdinand Verzosa
- * Maria Rosario Eufrosina Nisce
- * Antonio Jucar
- * Ramon Melecio Gurion
- * Ramon Laudencia
- * Ramon Ortega
- * Francisco Paolo Ortega
- * Mario Lacsamana
- * John Orros
- * Arnel Almazan
- * Ernesto Rafon
Annual community events
The following events happen annually: Annual City Fiesta, February 10; Bacsil Ridge Celebration, March 19; Pindangan Festival, March 20; Ma-tzu Festival, September 16.
Tourism
- Poro Point
- * Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone
- * Thunderbird Resorts
- * Boardwalk
- The La Union Botanical Garden – is a 10 hectare garden, the home of various species of rare plants and a sanctuary of wild animals.
- Battle of Bacsil Ridge Marker
- Pindangan Ruins
- Seven Hills
- * Capitol Hill home of the Provincial Capitol
- * Pagoda Hill also known as Filipino-Chinese Friendship Park or Chinese Pagoda
- * Heroes’ Hill & Freedom Park Stairway located at the eastern portion of Capitol Hill
- * Bethany Hill
- * Mirador Hill
- * Mariner's Hill
- * Miracle Hill
- Christ the Redeemer
- Moro Watch Tower
- La Union Science Centrum & Museum
- Ma-Cho Temple
- Tomb of Unknown Soldier
- Cathedral of St. William the Hermit
- Kasay Marine Sanctuary: 30 hectares MPA, featuring the 50 years old Giant clam or Tridacna gigas
- Children's Park
- 10.6 hectares Engineered Sanitary Landfill
- La Union Trade Center
AM Transmitter
Sister cities
- Ansan, South Korea
- Coatzacoalcos, Mexico
- Naga, Camarines Sur
- Valenzuela City
Notable people
- Armando Palabay - Human rights activist and martyr honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani
- Roger Casugay – surfer