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Wikipedia / Bacolor

Bacolor, officially the Municipality of Bacolor (; ), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

Bacolor is the birthplace of Father Anselmo Jorge de Fajardo, considered the "Father of Kapampangan literature" for writing the 1831 Kapampangan "kumidya" Don Gonzalo de Cordova.

History

Spanish Colonial Era

Historical records show that Bacolor has been in existence as a proposed settlement as early as 1571, the same year Manila was founded by the Spanish. The original name of the settlement was Bakúlud, which became Hispanicized as "Bacolor" (cf. Bacolod and Bacoor). The original name is Kapampangan for "high level rocky place" or "plateau."

Bacolor officially became the capital of Pampanga in 1755. According to Spanish chronicler Fray Gaspar de San Agustín, before 1755, Mexico town “es la corte de Pampanga,” while Bacolor “es la capital” and Guagua “es igualmente.” Historian Dr. Luciano Santiago theorizes that before Bacolor was formally recognized as the provincial capital, it was already functioning as such, although other provincial administrative offices were elsewhere in Mexico and Guagua.

During the British occupation of Manila, when Manila and the Port of Cavite fell to the Kingdom of Great Britain in the Seven Years’ War, Bacolor became the capital of the government-in-exile under Governor-General Simón de Anda y Salazar from October 6, 1762, to May 30, 1764. The provincial offices were temporarily moved to Factoría (now San Isidro, Nueva Ecija). Through a decree of King Charles III of Spain on November 9, 1765, Bacolor became Villa de Bacólor, one of the only three villas in the Philippines, and received a coat-of-arms. Simón de Anda organized an army of natives for the defense of Bacolor with the aim of recapturing British-held Manila.

American colonial era

Bacolor remained the capital of Pampanga until the provincial seat of government was transferred to neighboring San Fernando in 1904. Moves to transfer the provincial capital to San Fernando actually began as early as 1852 with an expediente from the alcalde mayor. Charles III granted the request in a real cédula dated September 11, 1881. Despite royal approval, the transfer was not formally enacted until August 15, 1904, by virtue of Act No. 1204.

The coming of the United States as a coloniser broke up the military form of government and instead political and economic reforms were introduced. A civil form of government was organized and was inaugurated on February 13, 1901, Commissioner William H. Taft at the old Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Bacólor, later known as the Pampanga School of Arts and Trade and now Pampanga State University, the first state university in Pampanga.

The first provincial Civil Governor was Don Ceferino Joven and the first Municipal President of Bacolor was Don Estanislao Santos.

Japanese occupation

When the Second World War broke out, Imperial Japanese fighter and bomber planes invaded Bacolor in December 1941 until the town was occupied by Imperial Japanese forces in 1942. Pampangan guerrillas and Hukbalahap Communist groups joined in an insurgency centered around the municipality, supported by local soldiers and military officers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army. Their attacks against the Japanese occupation continued until 1945, when Filipino and American forces liberated Bacolor.

Philippine independence

During the Hukbalahap Rebellion, the barrio of Maliwalu became the site of a massacre by pro-government paramilitaries in which 21 farmers were killed in retaliation for the killing of an anti-Huk commander on April 7, 1950. The resulting uproar led to the reelection defeat of Pampanga governor Jose B. Lingad, who received protection from the paramilitaries.

In 1956, the sitio of Mesalipit was converted into a barrio.

Due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo on June 15, 1991, the municipality was struck by lahar flows from 1991 to 1995, burying the town by , killing hundreds of people, and destroying livelihoods. Eighteen out of the 21 barangays of Bacolor were buried. The lahar from Mount Pinatubo raised the town to its current level of above sea level. Subsidence caused the constant reclaiming of parts of Pampanga by the sea.

Geography

Bacolor is from San Fernando, from Angeles, and from Manila.

Barangays

Bacolor is politically subdivided into 21 barangays, as shown below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Balas

  • Cabalantian

  • Cabambangan (Poblacion)

  • Cabetican

  • Calibutbut

  • Concepcion

  • Dolores

  • Duat

  • Macabacle

  • Magliman

  • Maliwalu

  • Mesalipit

  • Parulog

  • Potrero

  • San Antonio

  • San Isidro

  • San Vicente

  • Santa Barbara

  • Santa Ines

  • Talba

  • Tinajero

Climate

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Bacolor was 59,361 people, with a density of .

Economy

Government

Local government

Like other towns in the Philippines, Bacolor is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council (Sangguniang Bayan) consisting of councilors from the barangays or barrios.

Town hall

The municipal building is the former site of the Venturas house, one of Bacolor's most prominent families. On July 8, 1953, the new town hall was completed during the tenure of Mayor Manuel de Jesus. Its construction was a project of Senator Pablo Ángeles David, a native of Bacolor.

Tourism

The main landmark of the town is the San Guillermo Parish Church known as the 'sunken church', one of the structures that was half-buried by the lava flow from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The church has since been renovated and is currently operational and may be accessed through what were once the second floor windows, now converted into doorways. The sunken church and town of Bacolor served as the main production location of the 2009–2013 ABS-CBN religious-oriented television series May Bukas Pa from January 15, 2009 to February 5, 2010, with the show underwent two versions which are cut ABS-CBN from February 2, 2009 to the said date of February 2010 and extended Jeepney TV versions from March 11 to December 5, 2013.

It also made appearances in various media before its prominent one on May Bukas Pa, such as the 1996 movie Istokwa, 2006 movie Summer Heat and 2008 movie Jay, and in the music video of the song Promise Me by J Brothers. The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Cabetican is also famous for its annual pilgrimage and barrio fiestas.

Other notable landmarks in Bacolor include Memorial Kilometer Posts of the Bataan Death March along the Old National Road, the oldest trade school in Far East, the Pampanga State University; the Simón de Anda y Salazar monument at the town hall; monument to the Kapampangan writer and revolutionary leader Juan Crisostomo Soto (1867–1918); and Monument to Felix Galura Y Napao.

Bacolor's festivals are the Feast of San Guillermo and Nuestra Senora del Santissimo Rosario (La Naval) which are celebrated every 10th day of February and 3rd Sunday of November, respectively.

The Sunken Shrine

Buried by the devastating lahar flows of Mount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes of Cabetican (abbreviated as "Maluca"), now more popularly known as the Sunken Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes of Cabetican, remains at the center of the Marian Concordia Pilgrimages and Healing in Pampanga. Originally built as an annex to the older, smaller shrine, it is under the care of Fr. Ronnie Cao, Healing Priest and Rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine.

Education

There are two schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. Theres are the Bacolor North Schools District Office, and Bacolor South Schools District Office.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Bacolor Elementary School (Bulaon Resettlement)

  • Bacolor Elementary School (Madapdap Resettlement)

  • Bacolor Elementary School (Town Proper)

  • Balas Elementary School

  • Cabalantian Elementary School

  • Cabalantian Elementary School (Town Proper)

  • Cabetican Elementary School (Madapdap Resettlement)

  • Cabetican Elementary School (Proper)

  • Calibutbut Elementary School

  • Concepcion Elementary School

  • Dolores Elementary School

  • Don Bosco Academy (Elementary)

  • Duat Elementary School

  • Eliseo Belen Elementary School

  • Eliseo Belen Elementary School (Annex)

  • Maliwalu Elementary School

  • Maliwalu Proper Elementary School

  • Mesalipit Primary School

  • NASAH Montessori Center of Learning

  • Parulug Elementary School

  • Potrero Elementary School

  • San Antonio Elementary School (Bulaon)

  • San Antonio Elementary School (Proper)

  • San Isidro Elementary School

  • Sta. Barbara Elementary School (Bulaon)

  • Sta. Barbara Elementary School (Proper)

  • Talba Elementary School

  • Tinajero Elementary School

  • Tinajero Elementary School (Madapdap Resettlement)

Secondary schools

  • Bacolor High School

  • Don Antonio Lee Chi Uan Integrated School

  • Don Bosco Academy

  • Potrero National High School

  • San Isidro National High School

  • Schoolville Academy for Young Learners

Higher educational institution

Notable personalities

References