Tabnuan

Mabalacat Cultural Center

The Tabnuan is Mabalacat City’s socio-cultural hub located at the Old Municipio, Km. 93, Poblacion, Mabalacat City, Pampanga and managed by the City Arts, Culture and Tourism Office. The building was Originally built as Casa Tribunal, made of table and nipa, during the Spanish period in 1889; then used as Municipal Building of the American civil government; rebuilt in 1946 after the destruction from war; renovated in 1951; refurbished in the 1970s; and most recently expanded and modernized in 2005.

Under the initiative of Mayor Crisostomo C Garbo, the building was carefully restored today to house our Mabalacat City Cultural Center. Tabnuan will house a permanent exhibit on the local history of Mabalacat, an exhibition of an American period Mayor’s Office, Pasalubong Center, Social Hall, and a Conference Room. Tabnuan will also host Seasonal Art Exhibitions and Travelling Galleries throughout the year.

We envision Tabnuan to be our living testament and commitment in safeguarding our local history, culture, and the arts – our gift to Mabalaqueno children. Tabnuan, as a museum piece of its own, is open to the public especially for students and teachers who want to know more and appreciate our cultural past.

THE BARANGAYS OF MABALACAT

Atlu Bola

This barrio was once a wide expanse of sugarcane fields formerly under the jurisdiction of Mamatitang, and belonging to the Gomezes, a prominent Spanish-Filipino family. It is so named after the circular stone grinders or rollers in the shape of a ball. Hired laborers used these to extract sugarcane juice from sugarcanes for use in making “muscovado” sugar. Ordinary rollers would have two “bolas”, but the ones that Mercado built had three.

Bical

Named after a slender, climbing bamboo, “bical” (Schizostachyum diffusum), that once grew abundantly in the area. Bical is used for construction and makes good walking canes and cooking fuel. Its titular patron is San Roque, or Apung Duqui, further corrupted to Duquit, one of 3 early sitios, the others being Dalan a Bayu (New Road) and Sumangid Dalan (Other Side of the Road). The Mabalacat Historical Data Papers placed the founding of Bical earlier at 1840.

Bundagul

Named after Maria Dagul, one of the first female settlers of the barrio. Its old name was “Masulput”, meaning” full of sulpot” (Andropogon aciculatus), local name for amorseco grass with spikelets that cling to clothes.

Cacutud

Named after “cutud”, the act of cutting down trees or overgrown grass like bamboo, cogon or talahib with a scythe to clear a forested area. When something is cut and becomes two pieces, each piece is called ‘cacutud’.

Calumpang

This barangay at the border of Bamban was named after the calumpang tree (Sterculia foetida Linn) or wild almond. The tree bears large seed pods with oil that is used for dyeing purposes and for medicinal use.

Camachiles

Named after “kamatsili” (Pithecellobium dulce), a fruit tree imported from Mexico, known there as “guamachile”. Camachiles was first a sitio of Dau until it became a separate barangay.

Dapdap

Early name: Sapang Dapdap. Now known as plain Dapdap, named after the “dapdap” tree (Erythrina variegata) noted for its large, bright red/yellow flowers. The HDP on Mabalacat cites 1856 as its founding year. Early sitios include Mawaque, founded by the David family and Caldera, or sugar mill, founded by the Dizons. The patron saint is Virgen del Rosario.

Dau

The southernmost part of Mabalacat is named after a large hardwood tree that was once the barrio’s landmark: Dao or Dau (Dracontomelon Dao). Its early sitios included the densely-forested Bangkal, Camachiles, Gasdam and Camias.

Once known for its bustling PX business, Dau continues to be the city’s most progressive barangay.

Dolores

Old Dolores was founded in 1776, but was abandoned in July, 1948 when Clark Air Base expanded its borders. New Dolores was relocated further north of Mabalacat, under the patronage of Nira. Sra. de los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows). Dolores was a favorite meeting place of Pampangos and Negritos from Municayu mountain. In the 50s, it was known as “Engineer” by bus commuters. New Dolores includes the sitios of Bana and Mamatitang, until the latter was spun off as a separate barangay.

Lakandula

The former sitio of Dau was named after Rajah Lakandula, the powerful king of Tondo, who made a pact of peace with Legazpi in 1572, together with Rajah Matanda and Rajah Soliman.

Mabiga

Named after the “biga” plant (Alocasia Macrorrhiza), which proliferated in the area. Thomasite Luther Parker mentions that one of the barrio’s creeks was overgrown with gabi-like “biga biga” plants. The barrio’s original patron was Santo Tomas, but when the image was lost in 1898, Mrs. Isabel Wyjangco vda. de Madlambayan donated her La Purisima Concepcion. Sta. Maria Magdalena, and most recently, San Rafael Arcangel, are also Mabiga’s other patrons.

Macapagal Village

Macapagal Village, like Marcos Village, started as an Aeta ethnic community near Clark Air Base. Named after the former president, Diosdado P. Macapagal.

Mamatitang

Named after an early female Aeta settler named “Titang”. “Mama” was an honorific used to address old people and the two words became one. The barrio was established from the sugar lands of the Tiglaos, Siopongcos and Santos-Ventura. Early sitios included: Cacutud, Cagen and Bana, where lies the Mascup River, a picnic place and a source of hydroelectric power.

Mangalit

Named after a kind of ‘samat” plant known as “litlit” plants that once grew in profusion on both sides of the barrio’s main roads. The leaves are used for wrapping betel nut for chewing. The act of gathering the leaves of this plant was called “manlitlit”, which, over time, evolved into “Mangalit”. Prominent residents included the Tiglaos and the Guecos.

Marcos Village

Named after Mariano Marcos, lawyer, educator, politician and the father of former Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos. Like Macapagal Village, it was originally a cultural community for local Aetas who derived their living from nearby Clark as peddlers and scavengers.

Mawaque

Named after the vine-y “vaque” (or ‘waque”) trees that once forested the place. It is know for being a resettlement area for Kapampangans affected by the Pinatubo eruption.

Poblacion

The ancient barrio got its name from the fact that it became the bustling town center with the most population (poblacion). Private residences, public buildings like the Casa Tribunal, school, convent, parish church and market were built around it. Tribal elder Caragan was believed to have settled first in this future barangay.

San Francisco

San Francisco was mentioned as early as 1886 in census records as a sitio of Quitangil. It was named after its patron, San Franciso de Asis, whose image was said to have been donated by a Spanish friar to Caragan, who was given the Christian name Francisco. It became a separate barangay in 1948. In the 1950s, it included such sitios as Talimundoc, Cuayan and Bugtung.

San Joaquin

Fundador Anastasio Lising, named the place after his wife, Joaquina Dizon, who, in turn was named after the father of the Blessed Virgin. The old site was occupied by the U.S. government which became part of its military reservation. In 1948, San Joaquin-like Dolores– was further moved up north.

Santa Ines

The HDP on Mabalacat puts the barrio founding earlier at 1842, but a more plausible date is 1878 when the area was developed by the dela Cruzes and was politically organized. The original owner was Don Francisco Pamintuan, and the land was inherited by his son, Camilo. Mariano de la Cruz later bought the vast, agricultural land and settled it. One of the early settlers of the barrio, Ines Basilio, gave the place its name. She, in turn, asked that the place be held under the titular patronage of the child-martyr, St. Agnes.

Santa Maria

Named by the founder in honor of her grandmother, Maria Magdalena. The land was inherited by her son, Julio, who was executed as a mason in Bacolor during the Spanish regime. The ownership of Sta. Maria changed hands several times: it was sold to Prig, a Spaniard and then to Gregorio Oligaria and Leandro Angeles. The HDP on Mabalacat has an earlier founding date for Sta. Maria: 1842.

Santo Rosario

Named after the patron Nuestra Sñra. Del Rosario, a very popular Philippine devotion promoted by the Dominicans.

Sapang Balen

The barrio serves as the catch basin for the town’s main river, which is traversed by the San Felipe Bridge. Before the war, Sapang Balen was well populated under Segundo Mariano. Most of the land in the locality were owned by the Gonzaleses of Apalit and Sandicos of Angeles.

Sapang Biabas

Named after the guava trees (Psidium guajava) that grew in profusion on the banks of the creek. HDP on Mabalacat dates the founding to 1860. Early settlers included the Tolentino family.

Tabun

“Tabun” (presa de rio) means land filling or reclaimed land. However, Spanish chronicler and engineer Don YIdefonso de Aragon reported in his 1819 visit to this area, that “tabun” is a name of a bird that thrived in Mabalacat. The prominent hacenderos Don Teodoro and Dña. Africa Ventura-Santos made their stately home here, and a road was even named in the lady’s honor.