page_title: Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
section_title: Economy
hierarchical_section_title: Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur / Economy
caption_attribution_description: Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
context_page_description: Santa Maria, officially the Municipality of Santa Maria, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 30,321 people.
  The town is home to the Our Lady of the Assumption Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The townspeople celebrate their patronal fiesta in honor of the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Assumption every August 15 and lasting for several days.
context_section_description: Located in a fertile region with a cool tropical climate, the principal crops of Santa Maria are corn, cotton, indigo, rice, sugarcane and tobacco.
  Santa Maria's economy remained docile for almost four decades, subsisting only with fair performance in the aquaculture and agricultural ventures with no new developments in-place to create job opportunities in the commercial sector. Tourism industry's growth remains to be seen in the long-term. Industries relative interests to the town has to be developed and the corresponding infrastructure must be funded and implemented accordingly to create and sustain future development.
  Santa Maria is the Home of the First SM SaveMore Market in Ilocos Sur located in Barangay Maynganay Sur in front of the Santa Maria New Public Market.
caption: Main highway through Santa Maria
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