What is now Santo Tomas, initially called Tibal-og, was once part of the jurisdiction of nearby town of Kapalong.

According to the town's pioneering residents, the area of what is now Kapalong (in which what is now Santo Tomas was still part of) and Panabo City were planted for abaca during the pre-war years.

[6] Feliciano P. Ganade served as the first elected mayor of Santo Tomas after briefly governing the city of Kapalong.

Being a nearly typhoon-free municipality, the production of high-value crops is favorable all year round and makes a profitable investment.

Poverty Incidence of Santo Tomas Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Significant to the economic development of Santo Tomas is a number of multi-national corporations and cooperatives engaged in banana based commercial production successfully operating in the municipality.

Davao City is approximately 63 kilometres (39 mi) or an hour and a half ride by bus or private car.