Mabalacat

Mabalacat, officially Mabalacat City (; ), is a component city in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 293,244 people.

Mabalacat is in the urban core of Metro Clark, also known as Metro Angeles, an urban area in Pampanga. This area is considered the industrial and residential heartland of Central Luzon. Metro Clark is also identified as a regional center by the national government.

Etymology

Mabalacat's name was derived from indigenous Negrito word ''mabalacat'' meaning "forest of balacats", a species of tree that was once prominent in the area.

History

Prior to 1712, Mabalacat was a barrio (barangay) of Bambang (now Bamban, Tarlac). It became a town in 1792 and was named after the abundant Balacat tree ('' Ziziphus talanai''), a fourth-class timber tree with bark that possesses antimicrobial properties. Once a settlement of an Aeta tribe, the area was a virtual forest of balacat trees. "''Ma-balacat''" in the native Kapampangan language means "full of Balacats." Mabalacat in Maranao is "Mababaapalaqat" (Palacat), which means "maiksing hagdan" in Tagalog.

In 1853, Mabalacat had a population of 2,611 and four barangays, namely, Babangdapu, Duquit, Malabni, and Paglimbunan. By 1903, its population increased to 7,049 across 19 barangays. These were Bical, Bundagul, Dapdap, Dau, Dolores, Iba, Mabiga, Mamatitang, Mangalit, Matas, Mawaque, Paralayunan, Poblacion, Quitangil (later renamed to San Francisco), San Joaquin, Santa Ines, Santa Maria, Sapang Balen, and Sapang Biabas. In 1948, Mabalacat's barangays increased to 20 with the addition of Fort Stotsenburg.

In 1860, a military command was established by authorities of the Spanish Governor-General due to the lawlessness and depredations perpetrated by the negritos (Aetas, or derogatorily called ''balugas''). The Pampanga towns of Bamban, Capas, Concepcion, Victoria, Tarlac, Magalang, Porac, and Floridablanca and Mabalacat were created into what was called a ''Commandancia Militar''. However, in 1873, the Military Command returned Mabalacat together with the towns of Magalang, Floridablanca, and Porac to the parent province, Pampanga.

Cityhood

The former municipality was officially upgraded to a city following a referendum on July 21, 2012, and became the third in Pampanga after Angeles City and San Fernando. It is home to roughly most of the Clark Freeport Zone, the rest in nearby Angeles, where the main gate is located. Clark International Airport, as well as the numerous hotels, casinos, golf courses, and resorts in Clark Freeport, are mostly situated in Mabalacat.

Geography

Mabalacat has a land area of . It is from Manila, from Angeles, and from the provincial capital, San Fernando.

The soil is charcoal black and shiny, a sign of fertility, and is suitable for growing rice, sugarcane and other rootcrops. Like the neighbouring cities of Angeles and San Fernando and the towns/municipalities of Porac, Bacolor, Santa Rita, Mexico, Magalang and Arayat, this city rarely gets inundated by floods from heavy rains and typhoons because it is situated on an elevated, well-drained part of the Central Luzon plains known as the "Upper Pampanga".

Barangays

Mabalacat is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

* Atlu-Bola (San Isidro)
* Bical (San Roque)
* Bundagul (San Antonio)
* Cacutud (San Roque)
* Calumpang (San Jose Obrero)
* Camachiles (Inmaculada Concepcion)
* Dapdap (including Madapdap Resettlement: Santo Rosario)
* Dau (Center Business Downtown: San Isidro)
* Dolores (Virgen de Dolores)
* Duquit (San Jose)
* Lakandula (Virgen de Fatima)
* Mabiga (San Rafael Arkanghel)
* Macapagal Village (Inmaculada Concepcion)
* Mamatitang (San Roque)
* Mangalit (San Jose Obrero)
* Marcos Village (San Martin de Porres)
* Mawaque (Sta. Teresita)
* Paralayunan (San Antonio)
* Poblacion (Virgen de Gracia)
* San Francisco (San Francisco de Assisi)
* San Joaquin (San Joaquin y Sta. Ana)
* Santa Ines (Sta. Ines de Roma)
* Santa Maria (Sta. Maria Magdalena)
* Santo Rosario (Virgen Santo Rosario)
* Sapang Balen (San Carlos Borromeo)
* Sapang Biabas (including Mauaque Resettlement: San Vicente Ferrer)
* Tabun (San Isidro)

The largest barangay is Dau, which became a barrio in 1936 by virtue of ''Presidential Proclamation No. 1''. It is now a business center whose commercial output runs parallel to that of downtown. A former terminus of the North Luzon Expressway, it is the most urban and most populous area in Mabalacat, home to roughly 23% of the city's population.

San Francisco, the second largest barangay, along with San Joaquin, Santa Ines, Poblacion, Calumpang and other barangays are categorized as urban in view of their proximity to the city proper. Sapang Balen, with a population of 166 persons, is the smallest barangay.

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Mabalacat has an average annual income of as of 2011 derived mostly from municipal license fees, land tax, Internal Revenue allotment, roads and bridges fund. In 1997, there were 2,447 business establishments registered in the Mabalacat City, consisting of 79 manufacturers mostly involved in sash factory, iron works, ceramics, bakery and 1,806 trading companies. The financial needs are served by eleven banks, mostly concentrated in Dau.

Public utilities include the Mabalacat Water System, Pampanga Electric Cooperative II (PELCO II), three telephone companies namely, Datelcom Corporation (DATELCOM), Smart Communications (SMART) and Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Incorporated (DIGITEL) and one cable television network (PRO-SAT) which runs solely for Mabalacat.

The city is also a major transportation hub; a number of major road networks including the North Luzon Expressway, Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway, and MacArthur Highway cut across the region. At the southern part of the city is the Dau Bus Terminal, which caters to passengers bound for Metro Manila and provinces in Northern Luzon such as Tarlac, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Ecija, La Union, Bataan, Baguio, and Zambales.

Ayala Land Logistics Holdings Corp.'s ''Artico Mabalacat'' is a cold storage at the Pampanga Technopark equipped with 19 cold rooms capable of housing 4,000 pallet positions.

Local government

Mabalacat City Government is composed of a Mayor as a Chief Executive and Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by the City Vice Mayor and 10 Sangguniang Panlungsod members with 3 ex-officio.

The following are the elected officials of Mabalacat City who assumed office on the noon of June 30, 2022 ''(except for the Ex-Officio members)''
* Mayor: Crisostomo C. Garbo (NPC)
* Vice-Mayor: Gerald Guttrie P. Aquino ( Kambilan)
* Sangguniang Panlungsod:
:# Marcos Castro Jr. ( Kambilan)
:# Cherry Manalo (Kambilan)
:# Timothy Paul Dee (NPC)
:# Marjorie Grace Sambo (Independent)
:# Dr. Victor Tiglao III (NPC)
:# Noelito Castro (NPC)
:# Elizabeth Pineda (NPC)
:# Roland Peña (NPC)
:# Jerry Magsino (NPC)
:# Francis Carlo Dizon (NPC)

Ex-Officio Members:
# ABC President Rey Pineda (since December 18, 2023)
# SK President Paul Andre Tiongco (since November 14, 2023)
# Ruvielane S. Margarito

During the 2022 Presidential and Local Elections, Garbo's ticket under the Nationalists People's Coalition (NPC) gain a historic victory by a landslide on both Mayoral and Vice-Mayoral race together with the entire slate making it the first ever ticket in Mabalacat to win 10 out of 10 seats in the City Council of Mabalacat.

During the 2025 Midterm Elections, Garbo filed his Certificate of Candidacy for his alleged 3rd Term. Despite legal challenges, Garbo pursued his candidacy. It was during the same election that a Graft Case was filed by his former ally, Councilor Jun Castro, due to alleged graft, malversation, and unauthorized loan for the construction of the New Government Center. In the said case, Garbo, along with the entire City Council and Vice-Mayor Geld Aquino, were accused.

In October 2024, it was finally revealed that Incumbent Vice-Mayor Gerald P. Aquino and Councilor Marcos Castro Jr. will challenge Garbo for the 2025 Midterm and Local Elections. Garbo, on the other hand, picked his daughter, incumbent 1st District Board Member Krizzanel "Win-Win" C. Garbo as his running mate.

In November 2024, Councilor Jun Castro said that he submitted a manifestation in the ombudsman signifying his "prayer" to remove Vice-Mayor Geld Aquino, Councilor Elizabeth Pineda, and Councilor Marjorie Grace Sambo from the said case.

After the 2025 Midterm and Local Elections, Incumbent Vice-Mayor Gerald P. Aquino successfully unseated Incumbent Mayor Cris Garbo, while Councilor Marcos Castro Jr. will succeed Aquino after defeating 1st District Board Member Krizzanel Garbo.

Here are the results of the recently concluded 2025 elections;

Mayor-Elect Gerald Guttrie P. Aquino ( Kambilan)
- Incumbent Vice-Mayor

Vice-Mayor-Elect Marcos T. Castro Jr. ( Kambilan)
- Incumbent City Councilor

''SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD''

Councilor-Elect Miguel Ignacio "Ike" M. Morales ( Kambilan)
- Incumbent Barangay Kagawad of Dau, Son of Former Mayor Marino P. Morales

Re-elected Councilor Timothy Paull Llanos Dee (Nationalist People's Coalition)
- Now in his Third and Final Term as City Councilor

Councilor-Elect Victor Rene Ong ( Kambilan)
- Son of the First Mabalacat-Born General, Gen. Rene Ong

Councilor-Elect Eroll Jake C. Soliven ( Kambilan)
- Incumbent Barangay Kagawad of Dau, Son of Former City Councilor Dwight Morales and Grandson of Former Mayor Morales

Councilor-Elect Benjamin Jocson ( Kambilan)
- Graduating Three-termer Board Member from Pampanga's First District

Re-elected Councilor Noelito B. Castro (Nationalist People's Coalition)
- Now in his Third and Final Term as City Councilor

Re-elected Councilor Marjorie Grace M. Sambo (Independent)
- Now in her Second Term as City Councilor

Councilor-Elect Patricia Anne L. Acorda ( Kambilan)
- Incumbent SK Chairwoman of Barangay Cacutud

Councilor-Elect Stephen Aurelio ( Kambilan)
- Son of Former Dau Barangay Captain and ABC President Oscar Aurelio

Re-elected Councilor Elizabeth Pineda ( Kambilan)
- now in her Third and Final Term as City Councilor

City Fiesta

Legend tells us that when the early settlers were clearing the forests, Cabezang Laureana's workers found, hidden among the bushes, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with baby Jesus sitting on her lap. On February 2, the statue was presented by Caragan as a gift to Padre Maximo Manuguid, the priest of the early Mabalacat Church that was made of ''sawali'' and cogon grass. From then on, the city fiesta was observed on the second of February.

The old town hall was named Tabnuan: Mabalacat Cultural Center, or museum of arts, cultural displays and exhibits. It opened on February 28, 2024, the city’s Balacat Festival.

Pastorella

The pastorella ( Misa de Pastores in honor of the shepherds at the birth of Jesus Christ - a set of Latin hymns of the 9-day Christmas Masses) ceased in Pampanga towns for 40 years after Vatican II.

In Mabalacat, however, at Our Lady of Divine Grace Parish, pastorella lives on: In the 4:30 a.m. mass on Monday, the pastorella repertoire includes the Kyrie (Lord, Have Mercy), Gloria (Glory to God in the Highest), Credo (Nicene Creed), Sanctus (Holy) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). The hymns are in Latin, except for Kyrie, which is in Greek.

Parishes

* Our Lady of Grace Parish (Poblacion, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)
* Our Lady of Victories Parish (Dau, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)
* San Rafael Arkanghel Parish (Mabiga, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)
* San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish (Dau Access Road, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)
* Parish of the Lord's Resurrection (Madapdap Resettlement, Dapdap, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)
* Parish of Christ the Prince of Peace (Mauaque Resettlement, Sapang Biabas, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)
* Our Lady of Sorrows Parish (Xevera, Tabun, Mabalacat City, Pampanga)

Education

There are 31 educational institutions in Mabalacat: one state college, one private college, one technical training school, two secondary public, two private high schools and 25 public elementary schools divided into two districts, Mabalacat North and Mabalacat South. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) accredited institutions offering vocational-technical skills abound in the area.

State University

The University of the Philippines - Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga (Clark) is located in a portion of Clark Freeport Zone that is located in Mabalacat City. It offers undergraduate courses such as BA Applied Psychology, BA Business Economics and BS Business Management. It also offers a non-thesis graduate course, Master in Management (MM) (University of the Philippines Diliman - Extension Program in Pampanga, 2020).

Private schools

Private schools in Mabalacat listed with the Department of Education are Livingstone International School, Athena's Cradle Center, Inc., Brightstone Learning Center, Children of Fatima School, Inc., Christian Vision Academy Madapdap, Dee Hwa Liong College Foundation, Don Bosco Academy Pampanga (originally from Bacolor; moved to Mabalacat after lahar struck the old campus), Don Teodoro V. Santos Institute, Doña Asuncion Lee Integrated School, Great Shepherd Christian Academy, Immanuel Montessori School, Inc., Clark College of Science and Technology, Jose C. Feliciano College, Mabalacat Christian Academy, Mary Help of Christians School, Inc., Montessori School of St. Nicholas, Nehemiah Christian School, Inc., School of the Infant Jesus the Empowered Zone for Excellence in Education, Inc. Dau, Shield of Victory Christian School, St. Anthony College of Technology, St. Mutien College, and Divine Grace Academy, FDSA Aviation College of Science and Technology Inc.

Listed with and accredited by TESDA is the Asian Institute of Computer Studies (AICS), a private technical school offering I.T. courses.

Gallery

File:Mabalacat 2.JPG, Entering Mabalacat
File:3691ajfChrist Prince Peace Parish Mabalacat Pampangafvf 04.JPG, Parish of Christ the Prince of Peace, located at Mauaque Resettlement, Sapang Biabas
File:Mabalacat 1.JPG, Mabalacat welcome arch

References

External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System

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