Pampanga is one of Central Luzon’s provinces. It is located in the northern shore of Manila Bay and it’s surrounded by the provinces of Tarla and Nueva Ecija (North), Bataan and Zambales (West) and Bulacan (Southeast). It’s main capital is the San Fernando City but it also has another urban place which is the Angeles city.
The province is divided into 2 cities and 20 municipalities namely: Apalit, Arayat, Bacolor, Candaba, Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao, Mabalacat, Macabebe, Magalang, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, Porac, San Luis, San Simon, Santa Ana, Santa Rita, Santo Tomas, Sasmuan, Angeles City and San Fernando City.
In terms of the province’s economy, Pampanga is considered rich in agricultural supplies as its two main industries are the farming and fishing. The primary products being produced here are: tilapia, rice, corn, and sugar cane. Aside from agricultural products, Pampanga is also widely-known for other industries like wood-carving, parol-making, various handicrafts and furniture production. The province also has firms that produce caskets and all-purpose vehicles. That’s why if you will visit this place, you will see numerous public utility vehicles that are designed creatively.
Just a few years back, Clark in Angeles City improved its ratings as investors established various firms here. Establishments like call center companies, tire companies and fabric manufacturing companies are just few of the firms that helped the province in boosting its employment rate in just a few years time. Roads projects are also some of the core focuses of politicians in this province. Telecommunication, water and power are the main infrastructure here. For the telephone services, Philippines Long Distance Company(PLDT), Datelcom, Digitel, Pampanga Telecom Company and the Evangelista Telephone Company are some of the phone line services available in Pampanga.
Every year, there’s a celebration here that attracts tourists flock in the province – the Parol Festival. In Pampanga’s capital, you will see numerous displays of Christmas lanterns or “parol” and there’s even the Giant Parol which everybody is rooting to see. Aside from the various industries known here, Pampanga is also known for its culinary distinction. One of the most famous dishes that people love here is the sisig, a roasted pork diced and concocted in various spices and flavorings like chilli, garlic and calamansi.
If you are planning to visit here, you may also try tasting some of the culinary creations like: tocinos, lechon, betute tugak or stuffed frog, kamaru or mole crickets cooked in soy sauce, bulanglang (cooked pork in guava juice), and bringhe (green sticky rice dish with chicken meat). Pampanga is also rich in native sweets and delicacies like: pastillas in carabao’s milk, turonnes de casuy, yema and kalame (sticky rice).
The Province is not just rich in delicacies but is alsoo known for its tourist spots. If you are up for a nature adventure, you can try checking out the Mount Arayat National Park. This park is located at the foot of Mount Arayat. The park consists of a swimming pool resort where fresh water springs forth from the mountain. The resort also has the “100 steps” stairs leading to a higher place of the mountain. You can also visit the Candaba’s famous swamp where load of migratory birds visit this municipality for a short period of time.
It’s easy to get to Pampanga if you’re from Metro Manila. You just have to take a bus ride that has destinations like San Fernando or Dau. The bus terminals here are located on famous landmarks like shopping malls so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. Aside from that, there are also numerous hotels and inns here that you can stay at an affordable price. Public utility vehicles are mostly color-coded so it will be easier for you to get to another place without having to be boggled by confusing signs.