Floridablanca, Pampanga

Floridablanca
Municipality
Municipality of Floridablanca
Municipal Hall
Flag Seal
Map of Pampanga with Floridablanca highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Floridablanca Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°58′26″N120°31′41″E / 14.974°N 120.528°E / 14.974; 120.528
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Pampanga
District	2nd district
Founded	April 30, 1867
Barangays	33 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Darwin R. Manalansan
•  Vice Mayor	Michael L. Galang
•  Representative	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
•  Municipal Council	Members Mark Kelvin M. Mendoza Jacob E. Fajardo Jesus I. Nanquil Diosdado D. Vitug Jr. Lloyd Darren O. Manalansan Emmanuel D. Tolentino Richard Lee B. Carlos VI Joe Rey P. Montemayor
•  Electorate	72,707 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	175.48 km2 (67.75 sq mi)
Elevation	28 m (92 ft)
Highest elevation	114 m (374 ft)
Lowest elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	135,542
• Density	770/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
•  Households	30,994
Economy
•  Income class	1st municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	9.39 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 404.7 million (2020)
•  Assets	₱ 531.6 million (2020)
•  Expenditure	₱ 355.6 million (2020)
•  Liabilities	₱ 183.6 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company (SFELAPCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2006, 2007 (Basa Airbase)
PSGC	0305406000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)45
Native languages	Kapampangan Tagalog

Floridablanca, officially the Municipality of Floridablanca (Kapampangan : Balen ning Floridablanca; Filipino : Bayan ng Floridablanca) is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 135,542 people. ^[3] Floridablanca is a part of the province of the Pampanga located in Central Luzon lying north of Dinalupihan, Bataan and south-southwest of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Etymology

Floridablanca is derived from Spanish which translates to "white flower." However, there are two versions of the name's origin: ^[5]

• in honor of José María de Castillejo y Moñino, III conde of Floridablanca, (25 de Febrero de 1826 y falleció en 1892), who inherited the Condado de Floridablanca from the 2nd holder, his aunt Maria Vicenta Moñino y Pontejos, through his mother, Maria Ana. Maria Vicenta died in 1867 and thus Jose inherited the title; 1867 was also the year the town's name was changed from San Jose de Calampaui to Floridablanca. The rest of Maria Vicenta's titles devolved to her husband's family, the Marquesado de Miraflores whose present title holder today married the grand daughter of President Elpidio Quirino. Jose Maria conquered the island of Menorca and helped create the Viceroyalty of La Plata or all the lands in present day Argentina and nearby. As a renowned statesman of the time, he helped Spain counterbalance its position between warring France and England. He also established the Compania de Filipinas in the South Seas that kept the Philippines connected to Spain through the maritime routes regularly passing to the upper stretches of Nuevo Mexico (a part of the Viceroyalty of Nueva Espana) down to the ports of Callao in Peru, where the Manila Galleon ships were known as the La Nao de Manila or the La Nao de China. 1867 was also the year when the de tallado image of San Jose Obrero and the de tallado Santo Nino accompanying it, was installed in the church of Saint Joseph the Worker church to signify the establishment of the new parroquia for the farm workers, separate from the old Spanish monastery of San Jose de Calampaui, and separate from the friars who owned all the lands from the foot of the mountains to the eastern boundaries of the nearly flat expanse that is Floridablanca.

• white flowers of a pandacaqui plant ( Tabernaemontana pandacaqui ) that flourished in the town, considered as a more credible origin. Florida means "Flower" and Blanca means "Fragrant".

Previously, the town was named San Jose de Calampaui, which is derived from Spanish for Saint Joseph, its patron saint.

History

Aerial view of Floridablanca and Del Carmen, November 17, 1931

Floridablanca was founded in 1823 as Hacienda de San Jose de Calampaui at the site of a monastery. In 1867, it was renamed to Pueblo de Floridablanca.

In the 1920s, the Pampanga Sugar Mill was built at Del Carmen in the 1920s. The area was the site of military bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the Philippine Constabulary from 1942 to 1946. The Philippine Air Force established Basa Air Base at a former American military airfield in 1947. ^[5]

In 1991, the Santo Nino enshrined in San Jose Obrero parish was stolen. Within two months or so, Mount Pinatubo erupted. Sand and ash and lahar fell into Floridablanca, killing hundreds and destroyed the rice paddies. Superstitions by the elders of the town exist that the theft of the statue resulted in such unimaginable disaster.

In 2024, the Santo Nino was rediscovered after almost 22 years. The Foronda family assisted in raising funds for its eventual return to San Jose Obrero parish.

Geography

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 40 kilometers (25 mi) from the city of San Fernando and 106 kilometers (66 mi) from Manila. The town is at an elevation of 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level. Floridablanca is north of Dinalupihan, Bataan via Dinalupihan-Floridablanca Access Road at the Bataan-Pampanga boundary line.

With an area of 17,548 hectares (43,360 acres), it is the third largest municipality in the province, after Porac and Candaba.

Barangays

Floridablanca is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Anon
• Apalit
• Basa Air Base
• Benedicto
• Bodega
• Cabangcalan
• Calantas
• Carmencita
• Consuelo
• Culubasa
• Dampe
• Del Carmen
• Fortuna
• Gutad
• Mabical
• Maligaya
• Mawacat
• Nabuclod
• Pabanlag
• Paguiruan
• Palmayo
• Pandaguirig
• Poblacion
• San Antonio
• San Isidro
• San Jose
• San Nicolas
• San Pedro
• San Ramon
• San Roque
• Santa Monica
• Solib
• Santo Rosario
• Valdez

Climate

Climate data for Floridablanca, Pampanga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	30 (86)	31 (88)	33 (91)	34 (93)	33 (91)	31 (88)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	31 (88)	30 (86)	31 (87)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19 (66)	19 (66)	20 (68)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	21 (70)	20 (68)	22 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	8 (0.3)	9 (0.4)	15 (0.6)	34 (1.3)	138 (5.4)	203 (8.0)	242 (9.5)	233 (9.2)	201 (7.9)	126 (5.0)	50 (2.0)	21 (0.8)	1,280 (50.4)
Average rainy days	3.7	4.1	6.5	11.2	21.2	24.9	27.7	26.5	25.5	21.8	12.6	5.6	191.3
Source: Meteoblue [6]

Demographics

Population census of Floridablanca

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 7,001 —     1918 9,486 +2.05% 1939 17,521 +2.96% 1948 24,825 +3.95% 1960 28,655 +1.20% 1970 39,830 +3.34% 1975 45,419 +2.67% 1980 51,648 +2.60%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 66,146 +2.51% 1995 76,683 +2.81% 2000 85,394 +2.33% 2007 103,388 +2.67% 2010 110,846 +2.57% 2015 125,163 +2.34% 2020 135,542 +1.58%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [3] [7] [8] [9] [10]

In the 2020 census, the population of Floridablanca, Pampanga, was 135,542 people, ^[3] with a density of 770 inhabitants per square kilometer or 2,000 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Floridablanca

2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 2006 8.10 2009 13.42 2012 6.78 2015 13.13 2018 2.92 2021 9.39 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

Floridablanca is the second largest producer of rice 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.

Bank of Florida CSFP

Banking and finance

The Bank of Florida, formerly Rural Bank of Floridablanca, Inc. was first established on February 10, 1964, with its first branch in Floridablanca, as one of the six subsidiaries of House of David Group headed by Ladislao Sibal-David, founder and chair. ^[19] Currently, it has 24 branches in Central Luzon under its President and CEO, Jose Paolo D. Carlos. In 2023, BOF President and CEO Susan David-Nunga opened its 21st branch in San Jose, Floridablanca. Its executive office, the BOF Corporate Center is located along Jose Abad Santos Avenue, San Jose, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. ^[20]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Like other towns in the Philippines, Floridablanca 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 of Barrios.

List of municipal leaders

Capitan Municipal

• 1897 – Don Gerónimo Romero Dinio
• 1898 – Don Cecilio Alvendia
• 1899 – Don Alejandro Ramos

Municipal Presidents

• 1900–1902 – Don Gerónimo Romero Dinio
• 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

Municipal Mayors

• 1938–1940 – Geronimo Dinio Coronel
• 1941 – Benigno Layug
• 1942–1943 – Francisco Vargas
• 1943–1944 – Fidel Pekson
• 1944 – Leandro Garcia
• 1945 – Benigno Layug
• 1945 – Dr. Vicente Chincuanco
• 1945–1946 – Mariano Macabulos
• 1946–1947 – Arsenio T. Isip
• 1948–1951 – Mariano Macabulos
• 1951–1955 – Dominador Diyco Songco
• 1956–1959 – Atty. Marcelo Dungca Mendiola
• 1960–1967 – Dominador Diyco Songco
• 1968–1971 – Jose Dungca Mendiola
• 1972–1986 – Pedro Manuel Capulong
• 1986–1992 – Tito Morales Mendiola
• 1992–2001 – Pedro Manuel Capulong
• 2001–2004 – Joerey Montemayor
• 2004–2007 – Darwin Manalansan
• 2007–2016 – Eduardo Guerrero
• 2016–present – Darwin Manalansan

Tourism

Aside from Basa Air Base, the town has cultural treasures and interesting points.

• 1887 San Jose Obrero Parish Church: the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando exercises jurisdiction over the Heritage Church.
• Bahay na Puti (Alvendia House): the Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr. ancestral mansion is owned, preserved and maintained by his family.

Notable personalities

• Dante Rivero, movie actor
• Jillian Ward, actress
• Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr.
• Rhea Santos, newsreader from GMA and OMNI
• Jeric Raval, actor, the son of Mr. Elizabeth Buensuceso
• Bamboo Manalac, singer

Gallery

• 
  Basa Air Base Main Gate
• 
  Façade of the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church
• 
  The heritage house of the town
• 
  Public market

References

1.   Municipality of Floridablanca | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. Census of Population (2020). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved July 8, 2021.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
5. "History of Floridablanca". Municipality of Floridablanca, Province of Pampanga – Abe abe king panyulung. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
6. "Floridablanca: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
7. Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved June 20, 2016.
8. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved June 29, 2016.
9. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
10. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
11. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
12. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
13. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
14. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
15. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
16. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
17. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
18. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
19. Crisologo, Jose (February 22, 2023). "PamCham's Kapihan centers on Bank of Florida's success story". SunStar . Retrieved September 27, 2024.
20. "BOF opens 21st branch in Central Luzon". SunStar . February 22, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.

External links

• Floridablanca Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Official site
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine