Suyo Ilocos Sur Philippines

History of Suyo

The town got its name SUYO from one of the barangays named Suyo Proper because it was in this barangay where the first seat of government was established under Wayet Infiel, the first township president. Suyo was derived from the Ilocano word “NAISUYO” meaning thrown because according to the old folks, said barangays was formed by the soil that accumulated at the river bank when the river overflowed its banks.

At present, the municipality has a population of 9,718 with the majority composed of those who originally settled in the place and the rest are those who came from other towns and provinces because of affinity and employment. Some of its inhabitants, however, have migrated to other places like Mindoro, Mindanao, Palayan, Bicol Region, Baguio and Manila. Some have also gone abroad in search of greener pasture.

Aside from Paganism, the first religious sect that won the inhabitants to its fold was the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. Next was the Roman Catholic Church that established its church in Uso, followed by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines at Baringcucurong. Aside from those mentioned, there are now a number of religious sects namely, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, Pentecost, Iglesia Ni Cristo, Santuala, Espiritista, Sagrada Familia, United Methodist Church, Crusaders of the Divine Church of Christ and Temple of God.

Formal education was first organized in the municipality in the form of a parochial school opened by the Americans. At present, there are nineteen (19) public schools in Suyo, six (6) of which are complete elementary, twelve (12) primaries and one (1) high school.


Although Suyo has a mountainous terrain, it has adequate arable lands where the people could grow productive agricultural crops. Although limited, the presence of an irrigation system enables the people to plant rice thrice a year in the barangays Baringcucurong, Poblacion and Suyo Proper. The lands are fertile and the climate is favorable for the production of tobacco, coffee, cacao, bananas, ginger, camote, tiger grass, fruit trees and vegetables. These are being produced in commercial scale.

Suyo is endowed with natural wonders. To mention a few are the Church Cave of Sitio Nabantey, the Waterfall at Dawara where a mini Hydro Power Plant is erected, the Left Foot Print of Angalo at Sitio Tapao, Poblacion and the Stone Tower at Sitio Timmorre.

In early part of 1980’s, the Communist Party of the Philippines through its armed group, the New Peoples Army (NPA) started to launch its expansion efforts and armed struggle in the interior towns of llocos Sur. Suyo has become a stronghold of the enemy forces, the NPA insurgents, who came from the North-Eastern CPP Committee. Again the municipality of Suyo suffered devastation and ill effects brought about by insurgency problems. Bloody encounters between government troops and the communist’s terrorist occurred day by day in the remotest part of the town. Now, the insurgency has virtually ceased and the people are enjoying a peaceful and progressive community.