Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ANGELES CITY, Pampanga. Angeles City became a chartered city in 1964. Much of
its economy then depended on trade and services that catered to U.S. Air Force
personnel based in Clark Field. Today local commerce, culture, and cuisine color life in
Angeles City. It now hosts first class hotels, recreational establishments, restaurants,
food processing businesses, furniture and manufacturing factories, shopping malls,
financial institutions, and schools of higher learning.
Angeles City: Legend & History. For many years, Angeles City was known as 'Culiat,'
after the vines that were abundant in the area when Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda
and his wife Dona Rosalia de Jesus started clearing the woodland and cultivated it for
rice and sugar in 1796. Culiat remained a barrio of San Fernando for 33 years. It was
through the initiative of Don Angel and the perseverance of his son-in-law, Dr. Mariano
Henson, that this barrio became an independent town in December 8, 1829. It was
renamed as Angeles in honor of Don Angel, its founder, and Los Santos Custudios, its
titular patron.On May 7, 1899, Angeles became the seat of the First Philippine Republic
under Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. It also hosted the celebration of the first anniversary of
Philippine independence in June 12, 1899. The Pamintuan residence, (now transformed
into the Central Bank Clearing Office) became the Presidential Palace.American
presence in Angeles began in January 1, 1900. In October of 1902, the U.S Army
established their camp next to the railroad station in Talimundoc (now Lourdes Sur).
After several years of foreign occupation, Angeles was finally hailed as a chartered city
on January 1, 1964 under Republic Act No. 3700.In June 15, 1991, the city was
ravaged by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. Despite the calamity, Angeles City managed to
rise from the ashes to become one of the strongest and fastest growing cities in the
country that it is today.
APALIT, Pampanga The town of Apalit is renowned for its weaving and metal
industries. It is also the site of the annual colorful traditional fluvial parade (since 1844)
in honor of St. Peter, its patron saint. The shrine of the ivory image of St. Peter, called
'Apung Iru,' is venerated by the townspeople the whole year round. The parochial
church, strikingly baroque, is also a source of pride among the local folk.
Apalit: Legend & History. Apalit was founded in the 1500s. It got its name from a
species of tree growing abundantly in the place—pterocarpus indicus—asana in
Tagalog and apalit in Kapampangan. Here the Spaniards located the native canon
maker, Panday Pira, who established a small blacksmith and foundry shop in
Capalangan of this town. This started the flourishing of blacksmiths and small scale
metal enterprises in Apalit.
ARAYAT, Pampanga. Arayat is nestled at the foothills of Mt. Arayat, home of the
beautiful fairy, 'Mariang Sinukuan,' who, according to legend, protects the mountain's
flora and fauna. At the foot of the mountain is the Arayat National Park, whose
recreational hall, picnic sheds, and swimming facilities are frequented by tourists all
year round.
Arayat: Legend & History. Before the Spaniards came Arayat was known as 'Balayan
ning Pambuit,' an ancient settlement originally located in barrio Palinglang (the present
poblacion that used to be a jungle inhabited by Aetas). The town was renamed 'Dayat'
(which means irrigated farmlands), while the mountain was originally called Bundok
Alaya (which means eastern mountain).
BACOLOR, Pampanga. Bacolor is home to the oldest vocational school in the Far East
the Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Bacolor, which was established on November 4,
1861. The school is now the present-day Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and
Trades. Also, one of the Philippines's oldest churches, the San Guillermo Parish
Church, was built in this town in 1754. The town's contribution to the the province's
famous culinary treats are the incomparable 'pansit luglug' or 'pansit palabok,' the
'tamales,' 'suman bulagta,' 'puto seco,' and 'sopas' (special mamon).
Bacolor: Legend & History. Pre-Hispanic Bacolor was called Bakulud, from the word
'makabakulud,' meaning upland surrounded by lowland ('cababan' or 'babo lubao' in
ancient Kapampangan). In 1576, a local landlord, Guillermo Manabat, with the help of
the Spaniards, founded the pueblo and dedicated the church to his namesake, San
Guillermo Ermitano, whose feast is celebrated on February 10 (the other great feast of
Bacolor is La Naval in May).Bacolor was the capital of the Philippines during the British
occupation of Manila in 1762-1763 when the Spaniards under Simon de Anda retreated
in this town. It then became known as 'Villa de Bacolor' on the basis of a royal decree of
the King of Spain. It was also the provincial capital for almost three hundred years.
CANDABA, Pampanga. Candaba is known for its rich farmlands, where sweet
watermelons are grown, and for its wide and scenic swamps, the habitat of mudfish and
gigantic catfish. Citizens of this locality make use of Candaba swamps as fishponds
during the rainy season and watermelon and rice fields during the dry season.Migrant
wild ducks and various bird wildlife escape winter winds from China and Siberia making
Candaba their yearly sanctuary. Hunting birds in the swamp is a tourist attraction.The
popular unimitatable 'burong isda,' a distinct Kapampangan fermented delicacy, is made
from the best catfish or mudfish as only Candaba can produce.
Candaba: Legend & History. One of the oldest settlements during pre-Hispanic time,
long before the 'encomienderos took hold of the town in 1593, is what is known as
Candaba. Not much is known before that period except for extant proofs holding that
the Candabeños had their own culture, commerce, and industries, which were basically
farming and fishing. Candaba, as told by Dr. Juan P. Gatbonton, one of the more
knowledgeable chroniclers of the town, derived its name from Candawe, a name of a
place close to Sitio Culumanas in Candaba. Candawe was later corrupted by Spanish
derivation to Candaba.Another school of thought, based on lore perpetuated by word of
mouth through the years, traced the origin of the word Candaba from 'Cang Daba' or'
Brother Daba. ('Daba' was a term used for a big earthen jar and obese people were
teased by likening them to a 'daba') Before long, it came to pass that every out-of-
towner buying fish and famed 'buru' (pickled fish) were almost invariably referred to
Cang Daba. The town, later on, came to be called Candaba.
GUAGUA, Pampanga. Guagua is the hub of trade and commerce in the second district
of Pampanga. It is also the seat of learning in the said district, with a considerable
number of schools, both private and public, offering elementary, high school, college,
and vocational education.The Guagua Public Market, one of the biggest and most
developed in the province, is requented even by people from neighboring towns who
come to purchase and trade. The town is also quite popular among Metro Manilans,
who come to buy 'chicharon,' 'tocino,' 'longganisa,' and especially crablets ('talangka')
when in season.
LUBAO, Pampanga. Lubao is noted for rice, sugar cane, fish, and sampaguita. The
first printing press in the country was set up in the town by the Augustinian friars. At one
time it was a nucleus of the Philippine movie industry because of many Lubenian
leading actors, directors, producers, screen writers, and cinematographers. Many
Lubenians also made their mark as artists, writers, and poets, especially in the
propagation of Kapampangan culture.
Lubao: Legend & History. Lubao is one of the oldest towns in Pampanga, if not in
Central Luzon. It is believed to have been founded by the Malays and was already
established when the first Spaniards led by Martin de Goiti set foot on its soil in
September, 1571. Originally referred to as Baba Lubao, meaning lowland (opposite of
'bakulud,' meaning upland), Lubao was also called Baras (from Spanish 'barras,'
meaning sandbars). Even today, some Kapampangans still refer to the town Baba (just
as they continue to refer to Bacolor as Bakulud).In 1572, the Catholic Church was built
by the Agustinian friars led by the Rev. Father Juan Callegos. The first printing press in
the island was established in their church convent in 1602.While the Filipino soldiers
were in retreat during the Filipino-American War, the town church became the
temporary and emergency seat of the Aguinaldo government.During World War II, the
national warehouse or bodega located in the town served as arsenal of the American
Army and so it became one of the main targets of the Japanese bombing missions. The
infamous Death March passed through the town. The town people exerted effort, risking
their lives, to help the marchers by giving them food or medicines. Quite a number of
the marchers escaped through the assistance and encouragement of the people.In the
course of the Japanese occupation, underground movements or guerilla units were
organized against the enemy. These were the United States Armed Forces in the Far
East (USAFFE) and the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon HUKBALAHAP). The latter
had a series of encounters with the enemy. As retaliatory action, the Japanese formed
Zonas in the suspected strongholds of the town which served as a sort of Fort
Santiago.
MAGALANG, Pampanga. Magalang prides itself of having one of the oldest agricultural
school, a weather observatory and research station established by the Spaniards in the
late 19th century. The Pampanga Agricultural College is located at the foot of Mt.
Arayat. This state-owned college is the center for agri-based education in the province.
Magalang: Legend & History. An original settlement named Magalang was located
farther north, in Macapsa; due to its proximity to Cuayan and Maisac Rivers which
frequently flooded it, the people transferred to San Bartolome, which turned out to have
worse flooding caused by the Parua River (now Sacobia-Bamban River).Magalang's
principales, namely the Suing, Cortez, Pineda and Luciano families, decided to divide
the town into two: some families moved north of the river to a placed called Sto. Niño,
which they renamed Concepcion; the other families remained in San Bartolome and
retained the name Magalang. On September 22, 1858, floods transformed Magalang
into a lake.The town was transferred once again, this time to present site, farther south.
San Bartolome, the old Magalang site, came to be known as 'Balen Melacuan'
(abandoned town) and is now a barrio of Concepcion; Magalang's present site is in
Talimundoc or San Pedro, which is why the complete name of the town is San Pedro de
Magalang (although its patron saint remains to be San Bartolome, whose feast day is
August 24).The town was formally established on December 24, 1863. Some scholars
theorize that the first settlers of Magalang were migrants from a village in Indonesia
called 'Magelang,' which was also located at the foot of a volcano that resembled Mount
Arayat. In Bergano's dictionary, 'magalang' was an ancient Kapampangan word for
abundance.
MASANTOL, Pampanga. Masantol used to be called San Miguel and was once a part
of Macabebe. It is predominantly a fishing town.
Masantol: Legend & History. The town got its name from the fruit tree, either because
there was a proliferation of santol trees in the area, or because the town was where
santol fruits were heavily bartered (Kapampangans being fond of 'sinigang' dish).
Masantol, originally a part of the ancient Macabebe town, was founded as a seperate
town and renamed San Miguel on May 1, 1878, composed of the former Macabebe
barrios of Bebe, Bulakus, Kaingin and Nigi. For a while it came to be known San Miguel
Masantol, until popular usage reverted it to the original name.A cherished legend of how
the town got its name goes like this: 'A Spanish missionary came to the town for the first
time. Upon reaching a roadside corner store, he parked his horse-driven vehicle and
inquired from the store keeper the name of the place. A middle-aged woman vendor,
believing that the Spanish priest was asking for the name of the fruits she was selling,
readily responded in broken Spanish language, 'Padre, todos dulce Masantol.' The
priest took from his pocket a pencil and a small diary and wrote down the word 'mas
santol,' referring to the name of the place he has visited. At the time, the locality
abounded with santol trees, and santol fruits were in season when the priest visited the
place.
MEXICO, Pampanga. Mexico is located 4.5 kilometers from the capital City of San
Fernando. It has a total land area of 117.41 square kilometers. Sweet chico fruits
abound in this town.
Mexico: Legend & History. The pre-Spanish Period name of the town was 'Masiku,'
meaning abundance of water (the town had vast irrigated farmlands); other scholars
claim it got its name from 'chico' fruits, or from the description 'makasiku,' meaning river
elbowing or town elbowing neighboring towns. Least likely is that the town was named
after Mexico in Central America, although the Spaniards resorted to spelling the town's
name that way (x and s in latin are phonetically the same). On December 8, 1800, the
demarcation between Mexico and San Fernando towns was set.
MINALIN, Pampanga. Minalin is dubbed as the 'Egg Basket of Luzon' because of its
large-scale poultry industry, producing millions of chickens and eggs that reach millions
of Philippine homes and restaurants. Minalin is also noted for its Aguman Sanduk:
'Belles of Minalin' New Year's parade of men dressed as beauty queens.
SAN LUIS, Pampanga. San Luis is located 13.0 kilometers away from the capital City
of San Fernando. The predominantly agricultural town has a total land area of 56.83
square kilometers.
SAN SIMON, Pampanga. Although San Simon is primarily a farming town, it attracts
business and investments because of the presence of important four industrial
corporations.
STA ANA, Pampanga. Residents of Sta. Ana are known for their spiritually and
kindness. They are ready to help anyone more that they can afford. The town is
basically a farming area, with 3,056.20 hectares of its total land area dedicated to
farming.
STA RITA, Pampanga. Sta Rita is popular for the turones de casoy delicacy. It is
chiefly a farming town.
STO TOMAS, Pampanga. Sto. Tomas, which used to be a portion of San Fernando,
had its Catholic Church erected in 1767. It is known for its pottery industry, its beautiful
women, the delicious food they prepare, and for their joyful 'Sabado de Gloria'
celebration.
http://eksite.com/pampanga.html
Location: Pampanga is located in the central part of Region III. It is bounded on the
north by Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, on the east by Bulacan, southeast by Manila Bay, on
the southwest by Bataan and west by Zambales.
Population:The population of Pampanga in the 2015 census was 2,198,110
people,[2] with a density of 1,100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,800 inhabitants
per square mile. If Angeles City is included for geographical purposes, the population is
2,609,744, with a density of 1,265/km2 (3,277/sq mi). The native inhabitants of
Pampanga are generally referred to as Kapampangans (alternatively
spelled Capampañgan), Pampangos or Pampangueños.
Region: 3
Capital: San Fernando City
Foundation: December 11, 1571
Land area: 2,062.47 km2 (796.32 sq. mi)
Area rank: 59th out of 80
Population: 2,014,019 (or 2,340,355 including Angeles City)
Population rank: 9th out of 80
Divisions: 505 barangays, 1 independent city (Angeles City), 2 component cities (San
Fernando and Mabalacat), 20 municipalities and 4 districts
Language: Kapampangan (6th most spoken native language)
Religion: Roman Catholic and Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)
Climate: Wet (May to October) and dry (November to April)
Major industries: Farming, fishing and handicraft (parol-making)
Major products: Rice, corn, sugarcane, bangus, crabs and tilapia
Natural resources: Wetlands, swamplands, agricultural lands, clay, gravel, sand and
copper
. http://www.alviera.ph/pampanga-philippines/
5,567,685.[20] Noong 2011, naging ika-12 pinakamataong bansa sa buong daigdig ang