Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan

Sto. Tomas : "Arango"

Santo Tomas, formerly known as "Arango" of the municipality of Alcala, was organized into a municipality for the first time in 1898. The organization came about when Don Jose Lorenzo, Don Fernando Mina, Don Antonio Purganan, with other old people of the community inspired by the desire for self-local government, planned to establish their barrio into a municipality. This was the later part of the revolutionary period.

The above-mentioned prominent people petitioned the then General Tinio of the revolutionary forces asking him to authorize them to organize their barrio into a municipality, completely separated from Alcala. The petition was considered and the desire of the people was granted.

So Arango was created and organized into a municipality by authority of Gen. Tinio. The name Arango however was changed to Sto. Tomas through the suggestion of one Fulgencio Andaya, a prominent pioneer-settler of the place. San Isidro should have been the name but it was opposed by the people on the ground that there were already places in Pangasinan so named.