PLACES TO VISIT (SENIOR CITIZENS C/O RANDY OF RJ TOURS / MAURICE OF WILD ORCHID RESORTS)
ANGELES CITY
Pamintuan Mansion (Museum of Philippine Social History)
Angeles City, Pampanga
The building served as the viewing area during the first anniversary celebration of Philippine Independence led by General Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy on June 12, 1899. The historic event featured civic and military parade participated by more than 2,000 troops led by two youngest generals of the Philippine Republican Army namely, Gen. Gregorio H. del Pilar and Gen. Manuel Tinio of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, respectively. The parade started from Barrio Talimunduc (now Brgy. Lourdes Sur) where the town square was then situated. The building served as the central headquarters of Major General Arthur MacArthur in May 1899. Eventually, it served as the seat of the First Philippine Revolutionary Army under General Emilio Aguinaldo as the President and Commander-in-Chief. The first Filipino General to use the house as headquarters was Gen. Venancio Concepcion. Gen. Antonio Luna used it as a general headquarters of the First Filipino Army, drawing plans for the defense of Pampanga against the Americans. Today, it houses the Museum of Philippine Social History curated by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
Kapampangan Cuisine
Province of Pampanga
Must-tries are the Kapampangan halo-halo places in various places in the province. In fact, there are three distinct halo-halo varieties in Pampanga. These are Guagua (Razon’s), Angeles (Corazon’s) and Arayat (Kabigting's and Jurado's) halo-halo. It must also be noted that Kapampangan halo-halo is distinct from the other halo-halo served in the country because it uses only three or four ingredients or sahog. However, the richness of these ingedients more than compensates for the number of types thrown in the glass. Arayat for example is distinct for its pastillas, crushed beans and saging combination; Guagua for its macapuno, saging, and leche flan; while Angeles is distinct for its mais, saging, pastillas and crushed beans combination.
Also check out Aling Lucing's at the Crossing (Henson Street, Angeles City) which is the birthplace of Pampanga sisig and the steakhouses in Marisol Subdivision, Angeles City. Luring's of Guagua (with branches all over Pampanga) serves some of the best barbeque and other grilled meat products. Ikabud (the contracted form of ika kabud which translates as only you) is another restaurant that serves grilled food and is located in Hensonville, Angeles City.
If you want to try out everything, go for Smorgasbord, the buffet Kapampangan lunch and dinner offered at Partyland (MacArthur Highway and SM City Pampanga) and Holidayland (Gapan-Olongapo Road) both in San Fernando. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
Holy Angel University Center for Kapampangan Studies
Angeles City, Pampanga
Envisioned to preserve and promote the Kapampangan cultural heritage, the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies hopes to contribute to the total development of the Kapampangan and eventually the Filipino nation and the global community as well. It houses a research center, library and archives, museum and gallery, and a theater. The center has a 7-minute audio-visual presentation of Kapampangan history and culture; a Kapampangan Timeline, which gives a sweep of history from the Stone Age to the 21st century; mural maps (an ethnolinguistic map and a map of La Pampanga province in the 1700's); photomural of the known and little known landmarks and landscapes in Pampanga, and a gallery of 100 faces of commonfolk, collected from every town in the Kapampangan region, arranged according to birth from 1900 to 1999. It is one of few schools in the country that house the works of National Artists, such as (1) the death masks of Ninoy Aquino Jr. and Fernando Poe Jr. done by NAPOLEON ABUEVA of Bohol (declared National Artist for Sculpture in 1976); (2) the Lorenzo Ruiz beatification mural done by JOSE MA. ZARAGOZA of Guagua (declared National Artist for Architecture in 2014); and (3) hundreds of pencil and charcoal sketches of VICENTE MANANSALA of Macabebe (declared National Artist for Visual Arts in 1981). It is located inside the compound of Holy Angel University in Sto. Rosario St., Angeles City. For reservation, please contact Mr. Robert Tantingco, Tel. No. (63 45) 888-8691 loc 311/312/313 or 888-2514/625-9620 Email or Website www.hau.edu.ph/kcenter. Visiting Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entrance fee for non-HAU users at P10 only.
Museo ning Angeles
Sto. Rosario St., Sto. Rosario Heritage District, Angeles City, Pampanga
The edifice was built in 1922 and served as the Municipio or town hall; it replaced the former La Casa Tribunal built during the construction boom of 1840. Built of typical Bahay na Bato (stone house) with a thatched roof, its location was about 20 yards to the south of the present structure since the present site was the town “Palenque” or public market. In 1855 the market place was razed down by a great fire that endangered the wooden church and the old residences along Sto. Rosario Street, including the La Casa Tribunal. For several decades, it served as the town hall of the city until it was transferred to a much bigger building in Brgy. Pulung Cacutud in the same city, thus paving the way to its conversion into what it is now. Today, the museo showcases the history, lifestyle and culture of the Angelenos. It houses the "Balikdan" (a short narration of the chronological account of the city's history thru photos, illustrations and memorabilia), "Munika" (Kapampangan traditions and values depicted by Patis Tesoro's Ninay dolls such as The Kusinang Kapampangan, Pascu Na, Manduruquit, etc.), Culinarium (dedication to Kapampangan culinary art and science through exhibits and cooking demonstrations), and the Reynaldo G. Alejandro Culinary Library. From the time it opened in the year 1999, it has been a beehive of activity from exhibits, art classes, concerts, venue for performances and climax for traditional celebrations. Contact Information Ms. Joy Cruz (Executive Director), Old Municipal Bldg., Sto. Rosario St., Sto. Rosario Heritage District, Angeles City, Phone (63 45) 887-4703 Mobile 0915-421-6606 Email Website www.angelesmuseum.com / Managed by Kuliat Foundation Inc.
Holy Rosary Cathedral
Angeles City, Pampanga
Located at the intersection of Sto. Rosario and Sto. Entierro Streets, the Holy Rosary Church was constructed from 1877 to 1896 by the townspeople of Angeles by forced labor system known as "polos y servicios" imposed by the Spanish colonial government. From 1899 to 1900 the church was used by the US Army as a military hospital. In 1896 - 1898, the backyard of the church became the execution grounds to the Spanish forces in shooting down Filipino rebels and suspects. It has a beautiful transient and measures 70m. long, 20m. wide and 12m. high. The dominant element of facade is the symmetry created by recessed arched windows which are in harmony with the segmented ones.
CLARK
Clark Museum and 4D Theater
Clark, Pampanga
The museum showcases the rich historical past of Clark, as a former US military base and its dramatic metamorphosis into a special economic zone and eventually, as a world-class aerotropolis. This is depicted in countless pictures, scenic dioramas, true-to-life replicas and murals, artifacts and others. It is also a tribute to the resilient Filipinos who strive to reshape their future despite ravages of war and the wrath of nature. A special section is dedicated to the Thomasites - the first American teachers in the Philippines - in vivid photographs. The Kapampangan Museum showcases Pampanga's rich history and culture thru a huge collection of artifacts and photographs of famous heroes and celebrities from the province. Among the Kapampangan luminaries depicted are Philanthropist Don Honorio Ventura, literary genius Juan Crisostomo Soto, President Diosdado Macapagal, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., Cardinal Rufino Santos, Justice Jose Abad Santos and Sen. Gil J. Puyat.
MAGALANG, PAMPANGA / ARAYAT
Abe's Farm (Events Village Country Cuisine and Spa)
#98 Livestock Village, Brgy. Ayala, Magalang, Pampanga (at the foothills of Mt. Arayat)
Enjoy the culinary delights of Abe Restaurant right where it comes from - the gourmet province of Pampanga, in the town of Magalang where the famed writer and artist Abe Aguilar Cruz first saw the light of day and majestic beauty of Mt. Arayat. For particulars, please call Tel. Nos. (63 45) 865-1930 or call LJC Sales Office at (63 2) 506-8140 / 8141 / 710-7423 / 5267706 Mobile 0922-856-3467 or email Website: www.abesfarm.com.ph HOW TO GET THERE: From Manila, take the Angeles exit on the NLEX. Follow the Magalang road leading to the town plaza (15 mins), turn right after the Magalang Municipal Hall then head towards Brgy. Ayala, go past a resort on the left, go straight till you see the sign pointing to Abe's Farm.
Additional Information:
The Mt. Arayat hideaway of Larry Cruz, the man behind the successful LJC Group of Restaurants. Journalist turned restaurateur and bon vivant just like his father, the late Pampango writer and painter E. Aguilar Cruz, Larry could be credited to have single-handedly revived the lackluster Remedios Circle in Malate way back in the late 1970s into a chic trendsetting landmark, with his flagship Café Adriatico. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town)
Gintong Pakpak Retreat House (Golden Wings)
Mt. Arayat, Pampanga
Founded in October 1969 by Angelito Gomez, Gintong pakpak Retreat House is a peace and beauty welcoming those who seek to deepen their relationship with God, and dedicated to retreats and spiritual direction in the tradition The Retreat House offers a variety of silent retreats for clergy, religious, and laity. The retreats are given in the Ignition tradition by an experienced staff religious, and lay spiritual directors. The retreats are open to anyone, regardless of parish or faith affiliation. We offer our individually directed retreats in the Ignition tradition—that is to say that retreat ants agree to abstain from conversation during their stay, except during the daily meetings with their spiritual director and participation in the celebration of Eucharist. (Source: http://gintongpakpak.net)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA / GUAGUA
Lantern Making
City of San Fernando
The San Fernando lantern industry evolved from the Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando. The festival, which is held every December, finds its root in Bacolor where a much simpler activity was held. Following the transfer of the provincial capital from Bacolor to San Fernando in August 1904, this parul event followed as well. 'Ligligan Parul' was said to have started in San Fernando in the year 1904. But some say that the 'Ligligan Parul' did not happen immediately after the transfer and in fact began in 1908. This predecessor of the modern day Giant Lantern Festival was actually a religious activity which we know today as 'lubenas'. The lanterns measured just two feet in diameter, a far cry from the fifteen feet that we see today. These were created in each barrio from bamboo and other locally available materials. During the nine-day novena before Christmas, which coincided with the simbang gabi from December 16 to 24, these paruls were brought around each barrio in procession to their visita. Before the midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the lanterns were brought to the town church together with the barrio patrons. This tradition gradually evolved as the lanterns became bigger and the designs more intricate. Later, one big lantern was made for each barrio, which was created through a cooperative effort. Each resident contributed to its construction, from the concept and design to the materials and labor.
Everybody's Cafe
City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Everybody's Cafe is where Kapampangan food is available everyday in their turo-turo style display. Try out the pako salad, calderetang baka, morcon, chicharon bulaklak, tortang bangus, inihaw na hito or bulalo soup. For the brave, go further and savor the buro with hito (fermented fish paste with catfish), betute (deep-fried stuffed frog), camaru (fried cricket adobo), dumara (wild duck adobo) or pindang damulag (carabeef tapa). They have branches in the City of San Fernando along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Del Pilar, and Angeles City in Nepo Mart. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
San Guillermo Parish Church
Bacolor, Pampanga
San Guillermo Parish church is one of the oldest and largest churches in Pampanga. It was constructed by the Augustinian friars in 1576 on the lot of Don Guillermo Manabat, a rich landlord believed to be the founder of Bacolor. The church was restored by Fr. Manuel Diaz in 1897. The church measured 56m. long, 15m. wide and 12m. high. It has a central nave and an ample and well-lighted transcept with windows. The main retablo, side retablos and pulpit are gilded with goldleaf. The richness of the decoration of Bacolor is indicative of the advanced stage of its baroque style. In spite of the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo which half-buried the church on Oct. 1, 1995, masses are still held every Sunday morning.
Visitors go in the church through the choirloft windows, and are greeted inside by beautifully restored retablos dug up from several feet of lahar. The citizens of Bacolor take pride in their rich heritage which is why they painstakingly excavated the ornately carved wooden main and side altars which are now back to their pristine condition.
Villa de Bacolor was the capital of Pampanga from 1754 to 1904, and at one time served as the capital of the Philippines from 1762 to 1765 when the British invaded Manila. Once Pampanga’s best preserved heritage town, it was completely buried in lahar in 1995. Today, remnants of Bacolor opulence are now housed in the Museo de La Salle, a “Kapampangan” museum in Dasmariñas, Cavite, where the Santos-Joven-Panlilio house and its contents were transferred before the town was buried by lahar. The museum also contains pieces from the celebrated Arnedo-Gonzales clan from Sulipan, Apalit. (Source: Ivan Henares: Ivan About Town Blog)
Betis as the Woodcarving Capital of the Philippines