Floridablanca, Pampanga
Encyclopedia
Floridablanca is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines
. According to the 2007 census, Floridablanca has a population of 103,388, with an area of 17,548 hectares or 175.48 square kilometers.
Floridablanca is located on the western part of Pampanga
along the Zambales mountain
ranges and is bounded by the municipalities of Porac
on the north, Lubao
on the south, Guagua
on the east, and Dinalupihan, Bataan
on the west. It is approximately 23 kilometers from the city of San Fernando
and 90 kilometers from Manila. The town is at an elevation of 12 feet (4 m) above sea level.
s:
in the province. It produces more than enough rice to meet its needs resulting in a surplus. In 1999, only 37.76% of its produce was used for its own rice requirement resulting in a surplus of 65.24% equivalent to 17,553 metric tons.
, by Spanish
friars belonging to the Order of Saint Augustine
. The mission was under the Parish of Lubao and supervised by a capellan or a priest. They erected a make-shift hut which served as a chapel and named the place San Jose de Calumpaui in honor of Saint Joseph
, who eventually became the town's patron saint. The primary purpose of the Spanish Priests was to convert the Aetas to Christianity
and at the same time minister to the spiritual needs of a few Spanish settlers and Filipino farm workers who settled and cultivated the lands of the town.
Two contending claims exist as to the exact location where the Chapel was built. Some maintain that it was in San Nicolas or Calumpaui, while others insist that it was in San Jose. Both claims could be true because San Nicolas was a former sitio
and part of the extensive landholdings of San Jose during that period.
Prior to 1823, no official historical documents that trace the establishment of the town can be found or where the name Floridablanca itself originated. Again, there are two official versions generally accepted by the town people. One is that the name Floridablanca was in honor of a certain Count de Floridablanca whom they believed visited the place and hunted wild games in the early 19th century. But nowhere in the history of the Philippines was a certain Count by that name had ever visited the country. True, there was a certain Count by that name that existed in Spain during that time and his real name was Jose Moñino (1728–1808), a Spanish Statesman and former Chief Minister of Spain (1778–1792), but he never set foot on Philippine soil. The other one is anchored on the existence of the lowly pandacaqui plant (Scientific name: taberra pandacaqui poir) which abound and thrived under the lush forest cover of the town during that period. The plant has plenty of white florescence and may grow up to eight feet (2.5 m) when it reaches maturity. It is valued and is often used for its medicinal efficacy in treating different diseases. It is widely believed that what greeted the Spaniards by the name of Vicente Valdes,when they set foot on Floridablanca's soil were myriad of white flowers of pandacaqui, thus the name Floridablanca. It was until not until April 30, 1867, that a parish was formally established in San Jose de Calumpaui by the religious superiors from Lubao, after which it was transferred to its present site today.
The place where it was transferred was formerly called Manggang Punlod because of the presence of a big fallen mango tree. From then on San Jose-was referred to by the elders as Haciendang Melacuan, or the barrio that was left behind.
The reasons for the transfer could be because of the following:
In the 1920s, the Pampanga Sugar Mill (PASUMIL) was set up at Del Carmen and became a major sugar manufacturer in the Philippines.
In 1947, the Philippine Air Force
established its major fighter base in an American military airfield there. They named it Basa Air Base
.
This was the start of economic boom of Floridablanca; more and more workers were needed, thus migrant workers from different provinces all over the Philippines moved to Floridablanca to work. Population of the town greatly increased and life became much easier for all.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the 2007 census, Floridablanca has a population of 103,388, with an area of 17,548 hectares or 175.48 square kilometers.
Floridablanca is located on the western part of Pampanga
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
along the Zambales mountain
Zambales Mountains
The Zambales Mountains is a mountain range located on western Luzon island in the Philippines. The mountains separate Luzon's central plain from the South China Sea. Its most prominent section is known as the Tri-Cabusilan Mountain Range composed of Mt. Pinatubo, Mount Negron and Mount Cuadrado...
ranges and is bounded by the municipalities of Porac
Porac, Pampanga
Porac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 102,962 people in 15,686 households.Porac is the largest town in Pampanga...
on the north, Lubao
Lubao, Pampanga
Lubao is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 143,058 people in 23,446 households...
on the south, Guagua
Guagua, Pampanga
Guagua is a first-class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 104,284 people in 18,438 households....
on the east, and Dinalupihan, Bataan
Dinalupihan, Bataan
Dinalupihan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. It is the only land-locked municipality of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 92,289 people in 14,833 households.-Pre-Spanish rule:...
on the west. It is approximately 23 kilometers from the city of San Fernando
San Fernando City, Pampanga
The City of San Fernando, is a first class, component city in the Philippine province of Pampanga. It is the capital city of Pampanga and the regional center of Central Luzon...
and 90 kilometers from Manila. The town is at an elevation of 12 feet (4 m) above sea level.
Barangays
Floridablanca is politically subdivided into 33 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s:
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Economy
Floridablanca is the second largest producer of riceRice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
in the province. It produces more than enough rice to meet its needs resulting in a surplus. In 1999, only 37.76% of its produce was used for its own rice requirement resulting in a surplus of 65.24% equivalent to 17,553 metric tons.
History
Floridablanca was first established in 1823 as a settlement, or haciendaHacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
, by Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
friars belonging to the Order of Saint Augustine
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
. The mission was under the Parish of Lubao and supervised by a capellan or a priest. They erected a make-shift hut which served as a chapel and named the place San Jose de Calumpaui in honor of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, who eventually became the town's patron saint. The primary purpose of the Spanish Priests was to convert the Aetas to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and at the same time minister to the spiritual needs of a few Spanish settlers and Filipino farm workers who settled and cultivated the lands of the town.
Two contending claims exist as to the exact location where the Chapel was built. Some maintain that it was in San Nicolas or Calumpaui, while others insist that it was in San Jose. Both claims could be true because San Nicolas was a former sitio
Sitio
A sitio in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay, the location of which may be distant from the center of the barangay itself....
and part of the extensive landholdings of San Jose during that period.
Prior to 1823, no official historical documents that trace the establishment of the town can be found or where the name Floridablanca itself originated. Again, there are two official versions generally accepted by the town people. One is that the name Floridablanca was in honor of a certain Count de Floridablanca whom they believed visited the place and hunted wild games in the early 19th century. But nowhere in the history of the Philippines was a certain Count by that name had ever visited the country. True, there was a certain Count by that name that existed in Spain during that time and his real name was Jose Moñino (1728–1808), a Spanish Statesman and former Chief Minister of Spain (1778–1792), but he never set foot on Philippine soil. The other one is anchored on the existence of the lowly pandacaqui plant (Scientific name: taberra pandacaqui poir) which abound and thrived under the lush forest cover of the town during that period. The plant has plenty of white florescence and may grow up to eight feet (2.5 m) when it reaches maturity. It is valued and is often used for its medicinal efficacy in treating different diseases. It is widely believed that what greeted the Spaniards by the name of Vicente Valdes,when they set foot on Floridablanca's soil were myriad of white flowers of pandacaqui, thus the name Floridablanca. It was until not until April 30, 1867, that a parish was formally established in San Jose de Calumpaui by the religious superiors from Lubao, after which it was transferred to its present site today.
The place where it was transferred was formerly called Manggang Punlod because of the presence of a big fallen mango tree. From then on San Jose-was referred to by the elders as Haciendang Melacuan, or the barrio that was left behind.
The reasons for the transfer could be because of the following:
- The resistance of the aetas to be subjugated and Christianized.
- The existence and proximity of the two big rivers, Gumain and Porac, which were used extensively in the transport of commerce.
- The use of the two big rivers as gateways to Lubao and Guagua.
- Two huge towns that serve as nerve center of commerce and trade during that period.
In the 1920s, the Pampanga Sugar Mill (PASUMIL) was set up at Del Carmen and became a major sugar manufacturer in the Philippines.
In 1947, the Philippine Air Force
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
established its major fighter base in an American military airfield there. They named it Basa Air Base
Basa Air Base
Basa Air Base , is a Philippine Air Force base located at Floridablanca, Pampanga in the Philippines....
.
Hacienda System
In the early 20th century, the Philippines was asked by the United States government to produce more sugar, a quota for sugar production was given. This deal with the United States benefited the landlords which gave them the reason to acquire more land for sugarcane planting.This was the start of economic boom of Floridablanca; more and more workers were needed, thus migrant workers from different provinces all over the Philippines moved to Floridablanca to work. Population of the town greatly increased and life became much easier for all.
Notable Resident
- Leandro CoronelLeandro CoronelLeandro Coronel is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Instituto in the Primera B Nacional. He usually plays as a centre midfielder and, occasionally, as a right winger.-Career:...
, news reporter/columnist and book author; - Dante RiveroDante RiveroDante Rivero is a FAMAS award-winning and Gawad Urian Award-nominated Filipino film and television actor.-Television :-Movies:*2002 Bro.....
, actor;
Municipal Leaders (Past & Present)
Capitan Municipal 1897 - Don Gerónimo Dinio y Romero 1898 - Don Cecilio Alvendia 1899 - Don Alejandro Ramos Municipal Presidents 1900 - 1902 - Don Gerónimo Dinio y Romero 1903 - 1905 - Don Alejandro Ramos 1906 - 1908 - Don Gregorio Panlaqui 1909 - 1911 - Don León Gutiérrez 1911 - Don Arcadio Ramírez 1912 - 1917 - Don Martin Sundiam 1918 - 1922 - Don José O. Dinio 1923 - 1925 - Don Isidoro Alvendia 1926 - 1931 - Don Roberto Nuguid 1932 - 1937 - Don Camilo Ocampo | Official site
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