San Quintin - History

        The municipality got its name from the first and well-respected leader of the town, Don Quintin Lictawa, who was responsible for unifying the different original settlements found in this place, formerly a barrio of the municipality of Umingan, then under the province of Nueva Ecija.
        In 1861, Don Quintin, took the initiative of calling for a Great Conference of all the leaders of the several settlements formed by different tribes in the area with the "Lango-lango" settlement as the center to press the Spanish Government to make the barrio a town. A Spanish Decree in 1863 was subsequently issued creating the barrio as a town and calling it "San Quintn".
        "San Quintin" has remained the name of the municipality until now.

        The original settlers of San Quintin were called the "Ubilaos", believed to be a fierce and man-eating tribe who inhabited the place at the close of the 17th century. When the Philippines was under Spanish Regime, failing to convert them into Christianity, the Spanish soldiers and missionaries who went to the place had to left it and once more rendered it uninhabitable.
        During the close of the 18th century, there was an exodus of immigrants from the coastal town of Ilocos Sur and La Union to the town. The "Ubilaos" and the other minority tribes were out witted by the new comers who forced them to evacuate to the hinterlands of the town.
        Historical records show that the first settlers of the municipality were successfully unified by Don Quintin Lictawa. The union of these settlements paved the way for the town's creation.
        Upon the establishment of San Quintin, the naming of the different barrios followed. Likewise, to take care of the spiritual needs of the people, the place was established as the Saint Paschal Baylon Parish in 1876.
        The Ilocano settlesr of the town who came from Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur and Bangar, La Union brought with them their beliefs, customs and traditions. They were protective, visionaries and clannish. Their settlements established mostly along roads and near their farms were eventually named by them from the name of the towns where they came from such as "Casantamaria-an", "Cabangaran", and some named them in honor of great leaders and saints like "Gonzalo" and "San Pedro", some from the products of their place like "Alac" from their favorite native wine called "arak", "Lagasit" from the words "laga" (to weave) and Si-it (thorns), Calomboyan from the presence of Lomboy trees, Carayacan, from being traversed by a "Carayan" (river).
        Some of the old socio-cultural traits in the Ilocos were also handed down to succeding generations like: belief in supernatural deities, dwarfs, and anitos offering; superstitious practices like singing while cooking would lead to one marrying an old man; and customs and traditions like kissing of the hands (mano) to show respect to the old and parental arrangement in marriage. Some of these practices, however, have vanished with the influence of Spanish, Japanese, American and other foreign cultures.

        During its early days of existence, trade among the settlers flourished through the barter system. Agriculture as it is today, was the prime economic activity of the early people, and some engaged themselves in light industries like weaving and pottery making. Most settlers built their houses along the banks of the rivers and creeks because the waters then abound with eels, lobsters, crabs and shells they caught for subsistence.
        Government efforts on construction of raods, irrigation facilities and other infrastructure and provision of technical know-how later contributed to the gradual economic development of the town.
        Although some of these gains were lost as a result of World War II, the recovery period after 1945 brought new and more infrastructure and economic gains to the minucipality. Currently, it is now a fourth class municipality in terms of income.

From the small settlement of Lango-lango, San Quintin evolved itself its progressive present-day existence. Much of this development can b attributed to Don Quintin Lictawa and the settlement leaders whose concerted efforts led to the foundation of the municipality in 1863. From Don Anatalio Lictawa who was first Municipal Captain to the present Municipal Mayor, the municipality had undergone different stages of development during the Spanish Regime, American Regime, Japanese Regime, Philippine Liberation, Philippine Republic, Martial Law Period, etc.