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 Spanish 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 pirates 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 headhunting 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 Silang.
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 Revolution in 1896, the Spanish garrison in San Fernando were attacked by Filipino insurgents under the leadership of Manuel Tinio and Mauro Ortíz.
After the Spanish-American War, San Fernando experienced naval bombardment of American soldiers during the Philippine-American War, as well as actual fighting on land when Gregorio del Pilar commanded the rearguard of Emilio Aguinaldo 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 Commonwealth army in 1945.
[edit]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 III and Juan Flavier. On February 13, 1998, Republic Act 8509 was signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos 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. In 2010 the police of San Fernando demonstrated the ability to use computer technology when they apprehended suspected serial killer Mark Dizon.[2]