Lubao

Lubao, officially theMunicipality of Lubao(Kapampangan:Balen ning Lubao;Filipino:Bayan ng Lubao), is amunicipalityin theprovinceofPampanga,Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 173,502 people.
The town's name derives from the indigenous termlubowhich means low or sunken, reflective of the area's muddy and flooded characteristics. Lubao is also known by itsKapampangan languageequivalentBaba.
According to Spanish records by Fr. Diego Martínez, Lubao was also once calledLubag.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, Lubao was said to have already been one of the prosperous major settlements in Pampanga and is considered as the oldest settlement in Pampanga and the cradle of Kapampangan civilization.
By 1571, Lubao was a heavily fortified settlement claimed to be under the rule of Datu Macabulus, the last chieftain of Lubao who was part of the Soliman clan of Lubao. It is also claimed that the Soliman clan was the origin of the rulers of Maynila, such asLakandula,Rajah MatandaandRajah Sulayman, although this is not widely mentioned in scholarly works, except by historian John Larkin, who suggested that Rajah Sulayman was possibly from Lubao.Revolutionary leader ofTarlac,Francisco Macabulos, whose father himself was from Lubao, was a descendant of Datu Macabulus.
According to Governor-GeneralFrancisco de Sande, Lubao was the site of a major river in Pampanga, which helped the settlement produce large amounts of rice. By 1572, Lubao housed 3,500 people, who were described to be Moros, suggesting thatIslamhad already reached Lubao by the time of Spanish conquest.
After the disastrous defeat at theBattle of Bangkusayon June 3, 1571 between the Spanish andVisayanmercenary forces of Legazpi and the combined Kapampangan-Tagalog fleet under Rajah Sulayman andTarik SulaymanofMacabebe, Betis and Lubao remained defiant to Spanish rule, forcing the Spaniards to launch an invasion against them.After the Spanish conquest of Pampanga,Martín de Goiti, together with Lt. Antonio Carvajal and theAugustinianmissionaries established Lubao as a Spanish settlement on September 14, 1571 after Datu Macabulus and the Council of Elders received the Spaniards with conciliatory promises of capitulation.
Fr. Diego de Herrera first established a convent in the settlement where the locals constructed a brick church called theSan Agustin Churchin the nearby village of Gato in 1572, marking the beginning of Christianization of Lubao. Gato became a visita ofTondoin May 3 of the same year. In 1579, Fr. Francisco Manrique began his missionary efforts in the town.
In 1583, Kapampangans were forced to work in the goldmines ofIlocosand not allowed to return in time for the planting season, causing a severe food shortage and eventual famine in Lubao, leading to the deaths of 1,000 people in the town by 1584.Due to this aforementioned disaster and the abuses by encomenderos, a mass uprising occurred in Lubao in 1585 and other Kapampangan settlements, but were suppressed afterwards.
In 1589,Philip IIIof Spain ordered Governor-GeneralGómez Pérez Dasmariñasin the construction of a fort in Lubao after the recent raids bySambalsfrom the nearbyZambalesregion.
In 1591, Lubao was described to be anencomiendaalong withBetisunder the Spanish crown, which housed 5,000 tributes which amounted to 20,000 inhabitants, with four Augustinian convents and an alcalde mayor with a deputy.
After theFrancisco Maniago Revoltin October 1660, the people of Lubao was successfully persuaded byJuan MacapagalofArayatto end their participation in the revolt. As a result of the revolt, Governor-GeneralSabiniano Manrique de Laraordered the construction of a fort in Lubao called the Fortaleza de Mamalas, to serve as a garrison fort for any future revolts in the town.
On November 17, 1896, the people ofBataaninvited the locals of Lubao to join in the attack against the Spanish church in Hermosa. The people of Lubao accepted the invitation, and together with the combined forces of the people from the towns of Lubao,Orani,HermosaandHagonoyinBulacan, they attacked theHermosa Churchand proceeded to behead and mutilate the fingers and genitals of Fr. David Varas. Other parts of his body were turned into amulets (anting-anting). After the incident, Spanish forces along with a Kapampangan contingent launched an offensive against the revolutionaries at Orani, leading to the deaths of 200 revolutionaries. Two Spanish contingents were then assigned in the nearby towns ofDinalupihanand Hermosa.
On June 3, 1898, Spanish religious authorities fled from Bataan and Lubao towards Macabebe, which was followed by a takeover by revolutionaries, who were later absorbed into thePhilippine Revolutionary Army. On June 12,the Philippinesunder PresidentEmilio Aguinaldodeclared independence from Spain.
In 1899, the Church of Lubao was used as a hospital by American soldiers fighting the Philippine Republican Army. On September 22, 1900, theMilitary Government of the Philippine Islandsunder theUnited Statesplaced Lubao under a civil administration. Between 1911–1912, a group of outlaws began raiding various barrios of Lubao near the Bataan border.
On December 8, 1941, theJapanese Invasion of the Philippinesbegan. On January 3, 1942, theJapanese2nd Formosa Infantry pushed theUSAFIP11th Infantry south from Guagua, then on to Lubao in the evening of the 4th, and then to the Gumain River by the 5th.
During the month of January, Silvestre Liwanag reported the presence of armed groups of theAguman ding Maldang Talapagobrastationed in the nearby mountains carrying homemade guns and stolen rifles from hacienderos in defiance to Japanese rule in Lubao, in which Liwanag would later join the group. These groups were later incorporated into theHukbalahap, the leading communist resistance guerrilla organization at the time.
Located in the south-western part ofPampanga, Lubao is bounded by the municipalities ofSasmuanon the east,Guaguaon the north-east,Floridablancaon the north andHermosa, Bataan, on the south. It is one of the three coastal towns in Pampanga along withSasmuanandMacabebeand it is also noted forrice,sugar cane,fish, andsampaguita.
Lubao is 18 kilometres (11 mi) fromSan Fernando, 35 kilometres (22 mi) fromAngeles, and 84 kilometres (52 mi) fromManila.
Lubao is politically subdivided into 44barangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroksand some havesitios.
Cluster 1:
Cluster 2:
Cluster 3:
Cluster 4:
Cluster 5:
Cluster 6:
Cluster 7:
Bancal Pugadis a barangay of the Lubao,Pampanga, Philippines. The population is 1,374 in 2020.
In legend, Bancal Pugad was once known as "Pinak" being the birthplace of the princess Alitaptap. Bancal Pugad continues to flood due toclimate change.
In the 2020 census, the population of Lubao, Pampanga, was 173,502 people,with a density of 1,100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,800 inhabitants per square mile.
As the first Augustinian missionary center in Central and Northern Luzon, majority of the residents in Lubao are Roman Catholics.
Lubao at present has six parishes :
There are adherents of Iglesia ni Cristo wherein a chapel in Barangay Baruya was dedicated to God on November 26, 2011, with Pastoral Visitation of the present Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo Brother Eduardo V. Manalo.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) has also significant numbers of member in the town. On August 17, 2012, they celebrated their 25th Year anniversary of the Opening of the Missionary work in the said town with Cong. Juan Miguel Macapagal Arroyo as the special guest. The chapel is located at Santa Cruz, Lubao, Pampanga with 600 Members.
Other religion includesProtestantismandNondenominational Christianity. Among the Protestant churches in Lubao are theUnited Methodist Church,C&MA,Pentecostal, andBaptist.
TheSeventh-day Adventist Churchthat has 1,100 members is also a remarkable distinct denomination for giving community services and free livelihood seminar to the town all the year round.
Poverty Incidence of Lubao
The Parish of Saint Augustine celebrated its 440th Founding Anniversary on May 5, 2012, with the launching of the 1st Sampaguita Festival; participated by the six parishes of Lubao. Parish of St. Augustine de Hippo bagged the Over-All Champion trophy.
2nd Sampaguita Festival was held on May 5, 2013, participated by the 10 secondary public schools of Lubao. San Vicente National High School emerged as the Over-All Champion of the festival.
The 3rd Sampaguita Festival was celebrated on May 4, 2014, and participated by the 7 clustered barangays of Lubao. Cluster 6 (Cluster Malagu - Barangay Santo Domingo, San Miguel, Concepcion, San Francisco, San Vicente,
The 1st ever Philippine International Balloon Festival was held on April 10–13, 2014 in Barangay Prado Siongco, Lubao, Pampanga. It was organized by Pilipinas International Balloon Festival, Inc. (PIBF) in cooperation with the Arts, Culture and Tourism Office of Pampanga (ACTO) with the theme "It's More Than Just Hot Air"
The 2nd Lubao International Balloon Festival was held on March 26 to 29, 2015 in Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco, Lubao, Pampanga. It was organized by Forthinker Inc. Philippines.  It was touted as the biggest annual hot air balloon festival in Southeast Asia that featured more than forty (40) colorful hot air balloons from different countries all over the world, fourteen (14) of which are special shaped balloons like Darth Vader, Yoda, Humpty Dumpty and Frog.
The 3rd edition of Lubao International Balloon Festival was held on April 14–17, 2016 in Pradera Verde, Prado Siongco, Lubao, Pampanga.
From April 6 to 9, 2017, the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival was held. For the 4th year in a row, 35 balloons showered the skies of Lubao, Pampanga with their magnificent design and beautiful colors while wonderful music from international artists (Alex Aiono and Redfoo) and local artists (Sponge Cola, Gloc 9, Parokya ni Edgar, Moonstar88, Yeng Constantino and Bamboo) graced the event.
The municipal government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judiciary. The executive branch is composed of the mayor and the barangay captains. The legislative branch is composed of theSangguniang Bayan(town assembly), Sangguniang Barangay (barangay council), and theSangguniang Kabataanfor the youth sector.
The Lubao Institute is in front of theDiosdado MacapagalMuseum and Library which is at the back of his Bahay Kubo birthplace. Some meters from these 2 landmarks is the San Nicolas Lubao residence ofGloria Macapagal Arroyo. Lubao Institute or LI is the first and oldest private school in Lubao established in 1929.
The Escolastica Romero District Hospital located in San Nicolas 1st, Lubao and St. Joseph Hospital of Remedios located in Barangay Remedios, Lubao are the prime health institutions of the town.
The parish church of San Agustin (considered one of the oldest inPampanga- 1572) celebrated its 440th Founding Anniversary last May 5, 2012, with the launching of the 1st Sampaguita Festival; participated by the six parishes of Lubao. And the reception of the relics of St. Augustine & St. Monica. The church was declared by the National Historical Commission as Important Cultural Property last August 28, 2013 (441st Founding Anniversary).
Baybay Ilog (Sagip Ilog) is a project of Department of Tourism and Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
In the Baybay Ilog, Bye-bye Basura project,officials and volunteers gathered at the Banqueruan Port in San Nicolas 1st, Lubao where the clean-up drive started.  After a brief program, the whole contingent coursed the river, checked the preparation of the communities and conducted the river clean-up. The Lubao-Sasmuan River was one of the ecosystems heavily affected when Mount Pinatubo erupted 20 years ago. With this project coinciding with the anniversary of the said volcanic eruption and our country's independence day celebration, the people from Lubao and Sasmuan are looking at it as a liberation from the dreaded effects of the said natural disaster which, through tourism, will pave the way for the rise to progress of the said communities.  Once again, the river is resuming its role, as a driving factor for the growth of a civilization.
The symbolic river clean-up dubbed as “Baybay-Ilog, Bye-bye Basura”, is the first step in preparing the people in 17 identified Barangays that will benefit from the Pampanga bayou river cruise project spearheaded by the local government units of Sasmuan and Lubao in cooperation with the Provincial government of Pampanga and the second district congressional office of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.River Clean-up held last June 12, 2011. This event mobilized more than 700 volunteers from Sasmuan and Lubao for ground and boat contingents. With the support of the Local Government Units of Sasmuan and Lubao, Community Volunteers and Social Preparation Group of Pampanga Bayou Development Project, this was really an astounding success.
There were 700 volunteers from 13 coastal barangays boarded participating boats at the Banqueruan banca port at the town of San Nicolas, Lubao to participate in the symbolic river cleanup shortly after the sun rose on an otherwise lazy Sunday morning. Armed with cleaning tools, the residents carefully rid the river of wastes in preparation for the formal launch of the town's newest tourist attraction – the Pampanga river bayou cruise. Prior to the river cleanup, Christian Narito, project leader of the social preparation phase of the Pampanga Wetlands Development Project, said the identified 17 barangay communities located along the cruise route had earlier been educated about the benefits tourism could bring into the communities. “People within and around the area participated in determining how will they react or be affected by any major development planned within their area of residence. We helped them identify their strengths and how they could contribute to the river cruise project,” Narito said.