Guagua
Guagua, officially the Municipality of Guagua, is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
Etymology
Wawa, which means "river mouth", was the earliest recorded form of the town's name according to records dating back to 1590. The town is strategically located along a river which played a vital role in trade and transportation during the precolonial era.Wawa was already a prosperous settlement when Spanish colonists took control of the town in 1561, from then on calling it Guagua, which is a Hispanised form of the original name. Indeed, archeological artifacts have been excavated in a nearby town which affirmed the existence of a prehistoric community in Guagua.
History
Early history
Early inhabitants opted to stay in the town because it was here that they could engage in barter trade with people from different islands, along with other means of livelihood like fishing and farming. The navigable river with which the town was endowed allowed shipping vessels to transport commodities to and from other chief localities, particularly Manila.Spanish colonial era
The first cargo boat to arrive in Guagua was the Doña Dominga on May 7, 1884. Much later it was followed by the steamships Kaibigan and Kababayan, which anchored at the pier in Bgy Santo Niño, better known as the Yañgco Landing.In 1892, when the Manila–Mabalacat railroad was inaugurated, Guagua was virtually the port of embarkation to and from Manila that served the province. The Chinese have long been part in Guagua's social and economic mainstream.
In the 18th century, they sought refuge in the town to escape discrimination and persecution in Manila. After their near-total slaughter, the Chinese lived in relative peace while they freely practiced their craft and mingled hand-in-hand with the local residents. The Chinese residents were merchants, masons, woodcarvers, carpenters, agriculturists and labourers. Their influence on the cultural and economic life of Guagua cannot be overlooked. The town could not have prospered so well without the economic services provided by the Chinese.
The town took significant part in the revolutionary struggles against the foreign intruders. A house near a church was made a secret cell of the Katipuneros in August 1897.
In March 1898, a massacre of all Spanish sympathizers in Guagua marked the end of Spanish colonialism and the outset of American rule. Moreover, during the Philippine–American War and the ensuing Second World War, Guagua became an important battleground.
American colonial era
At the turn of the twentieth century, a new system of education was introduced and made popular and available to the Filipinos. The Guagua Elementary School in Barangay Santa Filomena, is believed to be the first to be established in the town in the year 1901. Later in that year, an English teacher came to Betis district and opened a primary school which functioned on a regular basis. During that period, the town of Betis to the east was abolished, turning into a township of Guagua.In 1908, Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in Barangay San Roque was established in a two-storey building in downtown, donated by a charitable matron.
Commercial activities further intensified when the San Fernando–Guagua line of the railroad was chartered on November 17, 1907.
Later in 1918, Guagua National Institute in Barangay Santa Filomena was founded in the convento of the local church. Further, in 1941, the then-parish priest felt the need for another high school in town, so he opened Saint Michael's College.
Philippine independence
In November 1959, nine rural barrios of Guagua were granted a 50-year electrification franchise, with the electricity provided by the National Power Corporation.At the overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the local government carried out a sustainable development program to address the town's destitute state. From its income classification in 1986 as a third-class municipality, Guagua grew to a first-class one. Guagua garnered several outstanding citations for its achievement, including of several "Most Outstanding LGU" awards.
Guagua was severely devastated by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
Geography
Guagua is bounded on the north by the towns of Bacolor and Santa Rita; on the south by the towns of Sasmuan and Lubao; on the east, Macabebe and Sasmuan; and on the west, Porac and Floridablanca.It is from the capital city of San Fernando, from Angeles City, from Metro Manila, and from Bacolor.
Topography
The town is mostly flat and is suitable to any kind of development; agricultural, industrial, commercial and others. It is only a meter above sea level.Soil type
In general, the soils of Guagua are of recent alluvial origin consisting of fine sand, silt loam and hydrosol. The average chemical analysis of its top soils is : nitrogen, 0.02 to 0.1; phosphorus, 0.06 to 0.28; potassium, 0.46 to 1.74; organic carbon, 0.41 to 3.02; and pH value, 5.61 to 6.99.Flora and fauna
The climate and topographical features of the vast land of Guagua make it ideal for the growing of fruit trees and vegetables. Among the fruit trees most fitting to be planted are mangoes, guavas, santol, star apples, and bananas. For vegetables, sitao, upo, ampalaya, gabi and cucumber are the most commonly produced by farmers and which thrive best in the community.Being void of forest areas, its fauna are mostly the domesticated ones like, chicken, ducks, cattle, and others.
Climate
Barangays
Guagua is divided into four districts, subdivided into 31 barangays, as shown below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.Poblacion district
- Bancal
- Plaza Burgos
- San Nicolas 1st
- San Pedro
- San Rafael
- San Roque
- Santa Filomena
- Santo Cristo
- Santo Niño
- San Vicente
- Lambac
- Magsaysay
- Maquiapo
- Natividad
- Pulungmasle
- Rizal
- Ascomo
- Jose Abad Santos
- San Pablo
- San Juan 1st
- San Jose
- San Matias
- San Isidro
- San Antonio
- San Agustin
- San Juan Bautista
- San Juan Nepomuceno
- San Miguel
- San Nicolas 2nd
- Santa Ines
- Santa Ursula
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Guagua was 137,948 people, with a density of.Religion
88%, Iglesia ni Cristo 5%, Members Church of God International 3%, Seventh-day Adventists 2%, Others 2%.Economy
Government
Guagua belongs to the Second district of Pampanga, along with the towns in the south-western part of the province. Like other towns in the Philippines, Guagua 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 consisting of councilors.Education
There are two schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. These are the Guagua East Schools District Office, and Guagua West Schools District Office.Primary and elementary schools
- Ascomo Elementary School
- Bancal Elementary School
- Betis Elementary School
- Guagua Elementary School
- Immaculate Conception Academy
- Lambac Elementary School
- Magsaysay Elementary School
- Maquiapo Elementary School
- Maria Montessori School of Guagua
- Mauli Elementary School
- Natividad Adventist Elementary School
- Natividad Elementary School
- Psalms Academy of Pampanga
- Pulungmasle Ecumenical Learning Center
- Pulungmasle Elementary School
- Rizal Elementary School
- San Agustin Elementary School
- San Antonio Elementary School
- San Antonio Elementary School - San Isidro PS
- San Juan 1st Elementary School
- San Juan Nepomuceno Elementary School
- San Matias Elementary School
- San Miguel Elementary School
- San Pedro Elementary School
- San Rafael Elementary School
- San Vicente Elementary School
- Santa Ines Elementary School
- Santa Ursula Elementary School
- Siran Elementary School
- St. Angela's Academy
- St. Mary's Academy of Guagua
- Talang Elementary School
Secondary schools
- Betis National High School
- EZEE Center for the Arts and School
- Guillermo D. Mendoza National High School
- Natividad National High School
- Pulungmasle High School
Higher educational institutions
- Guagua National Colleges
- Mary the Queen College
Landmarks and List of Cultural Properties