Pampanga is one of the provinces in Central Luzon that is now highly urbanized. It is one of the provinces in the Philippines that has a great number of tourists every year. People decide to go to Pampanga because of different factors. Others want to study, learn the history, or want to try the food. Pampanga also has different parks, museums, and recreational adventures.
Aside from the things mentioned above, people have been waiting for December because of the colorful lights and trees for Christmas. Kapampangans, the people of Pampanga, have been preparing for Christmas starting September until late January. It is a yearly tradition not only in Pampanga but in the whole country.
You can discover more fun in Pampanga, especially if you like an adventure with learnings. To know more about Pampanga, let us dissect its corners.
Photo Credits: Capital Town Pampanga
HISTORY
Pampanga was found for the purpose of business, especially for tax collection, during the term of the Spaniards. When they discovered the resources of the province, Spaniards started to focus on the land and made it as a boundary point for sugar and rice. It was also developed to have access to the neighbor provinces for the purpose of product exchange.
The province has become also the home of different religions like Roman Catholic, Aglipayan, Iglesia ni Cristo, Baptist, Methodist, Protestant Episcopal, and many more. Being a home of religions means that everyone is welcome regardless of what you believe and where you came from.
EDUCATION
Pampanga is a home for achievers. There are many schools in Pampanga, both private and public schools, that produces top achiever students. One school that is popular nationwide is the Don Honorio Venture State University (DHVSU) that has school sattelites from different locations so that students from far address, can still study with the same quality of education. Currently, DHVSU got an agreement to hold the Philippine Basketball Association season on their newly-constructed basketball hall. It is a priviledge for Kapampangans to witness this extravagant event.
Another schools for medical aspiring students are the Our Lady Of Fatima University and Angeles University Foundation. These are the examples of schools that offers allied medical courses. You can also visit Holy Angel University, University of the Assumption, College of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and many more.
There are so many schools you can choose from if you want to pursue your dreams. All schools serve the highest quality of education and ensure that all students will be equipped with knowledge and skills.
HOSPITALS
The province of Pampanga offers wide range of health facilities. It has many hospitals that accepts different conditions in any location. Pampanga has a tertiary regional hospital that is known for facilitating Covid patients currently. This tertiary hospital is the Jose B.Lingad Memorial General Hospital and it is the one of the leading hospitals in the Philippines. Aside from JBLMGH, Pampanga also have Mother Teresa of Calcutta Medical Center that has a cancer center, and physical medicine and rehab. It was found last 2006 and now, MTCMC becomes multi-awarded and has exemplary mode of delivering health service.
There are many hospitals in Pampanga that can accomodate your condition. Aside from the hospitals mentioned above, there are hospitals like Pampanga Medical Specialists Hospital, Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital, and many more that can give you the highest quality of health service.
Aside from hospitals, there are also various laboratories in Pampanga that offers monitoring of your vitals from modern and high-tech facilities. Examples of laboratories are the Medtrust Diagnostic Laboratory and the High Precision Diagnostics.
ARTS AND MUSEUM
Pampanga has a preserved culture and history. A way of promoting the province is by exhibiting the story of Pampanga. There are many museums that you can visit and be touched on how maintained the relics are. Pampanga also has a museum for the Kapampangan language which is the Center for Kapampangan Studies located at the Holy Angel University. You can see here different authentic photos and dioramas from the past, and some learnings with Kapampangan history and culture. You will also learn and listen the Kapampangan music from famous singers.
–Famous Singers and Artists with Kapampangan Bloodline
* Tatang Allan – Most Outstanding Kapampangan Artist (1990)
* Edwin Layug – Famous in wood sculpting, especially for Catholic sculptures
* Lea Salonga – Lead in Miss Saigon and a Disney singer
* Apl.de.ap. – Producer, rapper, and singer of Black Eyed Peas
PARKS AND ADVENTURE
Pampanga is indeed an urbanized province. It has many parks and malls where you can enjoy with your friends and family. If you plan to stay overnight or for several days, there are many hotels where you can stay, like the Midori Clark Hotel, Oasis Hotel, and Red Planet Hotel. Plan your visit in Pampanga because there are many things that you can do here.
Photo Credits: Barrera Marquez
* Trip in Pampanga
If you like to have a nature adventure, you can do it in Pampanga. It offers nature tripping that you can enjoy and have fun with other tourists.
1. Sandbox
Sandbox is an outdoor adventure that has an intense level of excitement. It offers games for team building and various activities. Be prepared for an exhausting experience because it offers climbing, different levels of course, zip line that is a roller coaster style, kart riding, and many more. They only allow reservations because they can only accept for a specific number of adventurers. Lastly, it is also advisable to wear proper attire like comfortable rubber shoes and shirts. Bring also extra garments for this is surely a sandy experience.
2. Air Force Park in Clark
If you want to relax and have a picnic with an unusual sight, you can go to Air Force Park in Clark, Pampanga. You can see different aircraft planes that were used when the park was still an U.S Airbase. There are also playground anywhere of the park, so that children can still enjoy their stay. Inviting guests to Air Force City is this sprawling, family-friendly stop. On show are a few airplane from the Philippine Air Force’s arms stockpile – idealize for inquisitive adolescents and flying devotees alike. Guests can climb on board a Huey helicopter, imagine to be a warrior pilot with the Northtop F5, or posture before the strikingly painted T-33 Shooting Star.
3. Zoocobia Fun Zoo
As its name suggests, Zoocobia Fun Zoo is a thrilling experience if you love animals and nature. You can have a chance to feed to birds, touch the butterflies, ride a pony, animal shows, and different play areas. They also have camels and different bird species. You can also try their large slide, Zing ride, garden maze, zip line, mountain biking, and ATV ride.
4. Mount Arayat National Park
Mount Arayat National Park is an eco adventure, because you can enjoy it up to its crater. Mount Arayat is called “Sleeping Volcano” because they believe that it is an inactive volcano. But, it is still one of the most accessible mountains in the Philippines. It has different rock formations, rice fields, and water irrigations that supply the houses standing in the mountain.
5. Puning Hot Spring
After a long tiring trip, you can relax at Puning Hot Spring located at Angeles City. Puning Hot Spring offers a relaxing and meditating spa surrounded with solid natural rock structures. They have different types of spa and the most popular is burrying the body in the sand. The surrounding is from the volcanic erruption, but it was tested by the officials and ensure that the spa is safe and free form toxic chemicals.
FOOD
The Pampanga is the culinary capital of the Philippines. This is because Pampanga has various of foods that are simple but has a unique taste.
Pampanga is popular for sisig; a dish made from chopped pig’s ear or head that is mixed with soy sauce, lime, and onions. It may be topped with egg and served in a sizzling plate. It has many variations, like sisig made from chicken or fish, and may be topped with mayonnaise and other herbs and spices.
Another dish that is popular in Pampanga is the morcon. It is a rolled beef or pork that has sausages, cheese, and eggs that is served in major occassions.
There are many dishes that are well-known in Pampanga that are always present in any occassion like menudo, asado, and caldereta. These foods have one thing in common and that is they are cooked in tomato sauce.
For the dessert, special halo-halo is still part of the list nationwide. Pampanga also has pasalubong shops where you can buy your delicacies to your home like the Sasmuan Delicacies and Pine’s delicacies. You can buy pastillas, yemas, turones de casoy, and many more that can trigger your sweet side.
With so much food that you can choose from, there are also dishes and foods that you can bring home, like the tocino or the sweet preserved pork, tabang talangka or the yellow meat of the crab, and special chicharon or the deep fried crispy pork skin.
HOLIDAYS
You can visit Pampanga any time of the year. Pampanga has many festivals and celebrations that you can enjoy with other Kapampangans.
Photo Credits: KarlaARoundTheWorld
* 1st Quarter
Aguman Sanduk
Minalin celebrates the New Year together with their festival called Aguman Sanduk. To begin with the festival, Minalin could share a fascinating history. It is a profoundly urbanized district within the territory of Pampanga, Philippines. Minalin is known for its 400-year ancient church.
It has a unique Philippine treasure since its pre-colonial structures like a European Catholic theme. Every New Year’s celebration, the “Aguman Sanduk” is where men dress as beauty queens and ride through town on happy coasts. The town is also known as the “Egg Basket of Luzon” since its large-scale generation of eggs and chickens. So, they also included the town to put up the Philippines’ to begin with every egg celebration in 2008.
Ibun-ebun at Candaba
Candaba, Pampanga has a festival called Ibun-Ebun festival which means birds and eggs festival. It started on 1998 and they celebrate this because of the migratory birds that wanders around Candaba. This celebration is one of the most significant and most anticipated occasions in Pampanga. Throngs of individuals go here since the two-day multi-activity celebration exhibiting road moves, kite flying competition, nourishment and cooking challenge, a parade and a parcel of other exercises and introductions.
Common, endemic, and uncommon winged creatures are chippering and chattering cheerfully together with the onlookers. It is as in case they know that they are the stars of this energetic event. This party is devoted to the popular Candaba Overwhelm, a domestic of nearly 14,000 sorts of migrant feathered creatures belonging to over 40 avian species. They assemble each year within the overwhelm as a stopover, sometimes recently continuing their travel to the diverse parts of the world.
This average winged creature sanctuary within the Philippines is one of the best visitor goals, particularly for winged creature significant others. Amid the migratory season, feathered creature watchers run the Candaba Overwhelm fair in time for many feathered creatures to land within the area. The street dance competition takes the challenge to the following level because it discharges a subject – entertainers ought to incorporate the impersonations of winged creature developments in their choreograph.
Artists fold their arms and weave their heads as on the off chance that a dazzling feathered creature soul has them. They, too, wear multicoloured and marvellous ensembles to brighten the celebration. After the parade, grants are given to the groups with the most fabulous outfits and most great exhibitions.
Caragan at Candaba
The Caragan festival is celebrated on February and its main purpose is to give tribute to their historical chieftain named Caragan. This festival aims to promote the tourism of Candaba by doing colorful parades that attracts different tourists. This celebration is held each third or fourth seven days extend of February to highlight the month-long celebration of the city celebration of Mabalacat, Pampanga.
The highlight of the event is the celebration of the standard Aeta Culture. The celebration highlight street moves during the parade – a happy mardi gras that depicts the wealthy social bequest of the common populace of Mabalacat, particularly the Aetas, being one of the primary tenants of the locale. The highlight of the occasion is the celebration of the traditional Aeta culture. The Aetas are well known for their moves as a portion of the celebration of their battles and triumphs.
Sabuaga Festival at Sto. Tomas
Sabuaga festival is a yearly event in Sto. Tomas, Pampanga. It gives pride to the locals because it has their own Sinulog and Panagbenga style festival. Sabuaga festival came from the word “sampaga” or flower that gives meaning to the name of the festival. The celebration occurs to highlight the items of each barangay in Santo Tomas.
These items, moreover, set the topic for the yearly road move parade. Barangay Moras dela Paz showcased its pieces of the clothing industry, whereas Barangay San Matias showcased its car industry. Barangay Poblacion showcased its angling industry, San Bartolome its poultry industry, Santo Rosario Pau its rice cultivating industry, and Santo Niño Sapa its clay pottery. Barangay San Vicente, known for its world-class casket-making industry, moreover showcased its prevalent products. The Sabuaga celebration was, to begin with, propelled in 2009. It may be a celebration not as it were of the residents’ religiosity but to cherish their town and tradition.
Hot Air Balloon
Hot Air Balloon festivals occurs either on Clark or Lubao, Pampanga. It is one of the most awaited festivals in the Philippines because it parades different designs of hot air balloons from different countries. Hot Air Balloon festival is widely visited by locals and foreign tourists. It will start early in the morning to have a perfect windy weather, and will have balloon exhibit on the ground all day. At night, there will be a party on stage with different artists and singers that will complete your day.
*2nd Quarter
Papaku king Krus
Papaku king Krus is a Catholic tradition known as the crucifiction play. It occurs at Cutud, San Fernando Pampanga that shows a play where artists will be crucified as what it tells in the bible. Papaku king Krus happens every holy week between March to early May. Aside from crucifiction, there are also who do penance and walk around the city as part of the tradition. There are also reenactments of how Jesus died from the beginning up to the day he ascended to heaven.
Santacruzan
Santacruzan is not only a parade of beauties but also a tradition where Maria Elena together with Constantine look for the true cross where Jesus has been crucified. Presented by the Spaniards, this celebration has since become a portion of Filipino conventions recognized with youth, adore and sentiment. Lovely town debutantes are chosen to be interested in this colourful show parade speaking to different historical-religious figures. The stars are chosen not for their looks alone but their encapsulation of conventional female qualities. It respects excellent Philippine ladies and their lovely escorts beneath the hand-carried bamboo curves decorated by fragrant local blossoms.
Flores de Mayo
Flores de Mayo is held not only in Pampanga but also around the Philippines. It is a parade of women as a signification for Blessed Virgin Mary. The women who joined the parade also offer flowers Mary as a sign of respect and gratitude. Too known as the celebration month among Filipinos, the month of May has ended up the “Queen of Philippine Festivals.” Pinoy communities have standards and mini-triangle banners hanging on barangays to welcome visitors to a devour of delightful nourishment. In summer, most Filipinos would frequently have their excursion in their hometown or areas coinciding with celebration exercises.
El Circulo Fernandino
El Circulo Fernandino is a social club that holds annual ball that consists of the elite group of Pampanga. It is a kick-off to start the feast of San Fernando. The women will wear their nicest gown and most precious accessories that prove the celebration is indeed elite. The El Circulo Fernandino club operates and manages the events held in San Fernando City of Pampanga. The celebration is completed with ball dancing together with their respective partners. As portion of keeping up with Filipino conventions, the undying move classic, the rigodon de honour, is performed by the conspicuous citizens of the City, men in their best piña barongs and ladies in astonishing and colourful ternos. The El Circulo Fernandino has been a portion of this convention for a long time in every feast. Moreover, it could be a genuinely satisfying encounter knowing that these are proceeding an ancient convention started scores back by possessing ancestors.
*3rd Quarter
Apung Iru Fluvial Festival at Apalit
Apung Iru is the other name for Saint Peter, the patron saint of the people of Apalit. They celebrate the feast by having a procession by a fluvial parade. Amid the repeat, thousands of individuals accumulated along the riverbanks. Individuals will hold up for the comeback of the coasts with the Heavenly picture.
The few ordinary ways to welcome supporters are soaking water, waving different flowers, and moving the conventional “Kuraldal”. These are done as the pagoda carrying the picture of Apung Iru passes by. A colourfully enhanced smaller than expected pagoda made by the neighbourhood individuals was utilized to carry the picture of St. Diminish going back to the church.
Devotees and local people celebrate the occasion as advertising of appreciation. It has been a portion of the town’s culture and convention. A few occasions and exercises were held amid the celebration, such as exchange fairs, shows, nearby competitions, and social appearances.
*4th Quarter
Pyestang Tugak
A portion of its goal to protect the Kapampangan culture, the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, organizes the Piestang Tugak to advance the different frog conventions of the area. Occasions incorporate the paduasan – a frog catching competition utilizing conventional strategies, different culinary occasions and competitions, including Pampanga’s interesting frog cooking such as betute or stuffed frog, and the frog Olympics – fun diversions for youthful individuals.
Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario de La Naval de Angeles
To begin with, the nearness of the picture of Our Lady of the Rosary of La Navale in Angeles City gives a chronicled gesture and unpretentious update of the triumph of the renowned worldwide fights of 1646. First, the Tagalogs and Kapampangans joined the Spanish powers to guard the islands from the Dutch armada, who needed to form Las Islas Filipinas as a portion of their colony.
The second was the commitment of Doña Rosalia de Jesus to Our Lady of the Rosary. Finally, it was introduced to history students that Doña Rosalia brings the picture of Our Lady of the Rosary in the parade. This is to inquire about her security from the assaults of Aetas within the range. She might have plans to bring Our Lady to the new location and to set it beneath her assurance.
Makatapak Festival at Bacolor
Makatapak Fesival occurs as a remembrance from the disaster of Mount Pinatubo erruption. The municipality of Bacolor suffered from lahar or the volcanic ashes that lead to death and hardships of many people of Bacolor. The said municipality was once the capital of Philippines. But after the volcanic erruption, it proves how strong the constituents of Bacolor are.
With this Makatapak festival is celebrated by having a procession to the peak of lahar which is Cabalantian. The main spotlight in the said festival is that the people are walking barefooted. This symbolizes the respect and agony of the people from the disaster. After the procession, different schools will compete for the streetdance and interpretative dance. The last part, which is the interpretative dance, is the highlight of the competition. Students from different schools will reenact the catastrophe happened in Bacolor. It is indeed a goosebump if you watched every contestants because you will the hardships of the past.
Duman Festival
Since the early 2000s, The Duman Celebration has taken place each, to begin with, Saturday of December in Sta. Rita Pampanga. It is considered among Kapampangans’ foremost exciting occasion in December, and they attempt not to miss it. A yearly celebration that is extraordinary is the culinary convention. The feast protects and promotes the vanishing culture of cultivating the Duman.
The Duman Celebration is named after a unique grain, made of what the Kapampangans call “lakatan malutu,” that can, as it was, be trimmed and collected in Sta. Rita, Pampanga. The Duman celebration could be a night celebration where the highlight could be a sarswela. It describes recollections of early 20th century Kapampangan way of life in a barrio set up, where cultivating is continuous coordinates. The sarswela is continuously performed by a prevalent nearby gather called ArtiStaRita, shaped by Andy Alviz, a previous inhabitant choreographer of Miss Saigon.
Ligligan Parul
The word parol determines from the Spanish farol, meaning light. Filipinos put much noteworthiness on the imagery of light. The star represented a wellspring of light and a sign of trust within the overwhelmingly Christian nation in Asia. Furthermore, it is since of the Parul Sampernandu that San Fernando has earned for itself the title of “Christmas Capital of the Philippines.”
The San Fernando light industry advanced from the Giant Lantern Celebration of San Fernando. The celebration, which is held each December, finds its root in Bacolor, where a much less complicated action was held. “Ligligan Parul” or Lantern Competition was believed to have started in the city within the year 1904. Nevertheless, a few say that the “Ligligan Parul” did not happen instantly after the exchange and, in reality, started in 1908.
BOTTOM LINE
The province of Pampanga is indeed the Culinary Capital of the Philippines as they offer a few of the leading Filipino dishes. However, there is more to this Central Luzon territory than great fair nourishment. Aside from being domestic to the highly urbanized and advanced city of Clark, you will moreover go here for climbing trips or go to crowd-favourite celebrations. This feature hot discuss inflatables and excellent shows of Christmas lights. Pampanga is fair a handful of hours absent from Manila, so include this goal to the travel list when within the Philippines for a culinary experience, nature trips, and fun, colourful festivals.
