A home of black sand (vulcanic sand) beaches. Sto. Domingo was a former barrio of Ibalon, then the Municipality of Albay, now Legazpi City. Domingo (St.
It became a separate Municipality in 1749 through the uproar of its inhabitants and under the leadership of Don Diego Castellanos who took the matter first to the authorities in Manila, and to the Bishop of Ambos Camarines. But it was not until 1785, 36 years after its establishment as a town that a church was built. In those days, it was only church building that represented the town. The first c
hurch was made of wood and basag (bamboo split). Here the statue of the patron saint Sto. Dominic de Guzman), whose feast is observed every August 4, was placed. When the church was burned in 1882, the Spanish priests built a new one the present artistic church with “piedras ladradas” chiseled balustrades and twin domes. The town of Sto. Domingo was originally named Libog. Albay historians say that there were a number of stories on the origin of the name Libog. One version is that libog was derived from the Bikol word “labog” meaning unclear water for there was a time when there was no potable water anywhere in the locality. Another has it that the town might have been called after “labog” (jellyfish), which abound in its coastal water. “Libod” (behind) is another version because the town’s position is behind the straight road from Legazpi to Tabaco across Basud to Sta. Misericordia. Still another version is the corrupted form of the word “libot” which means round about or winding way. In the early days of Spanish invasion, there were two routes passing through this place to Tabaco: one trail was straight or a short cut and the other was a round about (libot) way passing through the center of the town (via Poblacion). Later when the time came to classify and arrange this settlement to give it a political status as a visita of Binanuahan, now Legazpi Port, the corruption crept in – Libog for Libot. Hence, this town was named “El Pueblo de Liboug”, by the Spanish conquerors. In 1816, one hundred fifty-nine (159 Moro pirates and six (6) vintas attacked the town, taking them one captive, Juan de la Conception, who was able to return after 30 years. The attack prompted the people to construct watchtowers and walls along the shores, which served as their shelter from attacks. Ruins of there walls are still existence. The year 1832 provided memorable events to the people of Sto. Domingo: first, the town received its pioneer Filipino priest, father Martin Martinez, and, second, the Presidencia Municipal was completed under Captain Teodoro Felebrico. This building was ruined and rehabilitated a public school building in 1918.
