Bacolor | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Bacolor | |
 Bacolor Municipal Hall  Jose Abad Santos Avenue in Bacolor | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Etymology: Level ground | |
| Nickname: Athens of Pampanga | |
| Motto: "Non Plus Ultra"(English: "No Further Beyond") | |
 Map of Pampanga with Bacolor highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Bacolor | |
.svg)  Bacolor Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:14°59′54″N120°39′10″E / 14.998428°N 120.65265°E /14.998428; 120.65265 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Province | Pampanga |
| District | 3rd district |
| Founded | October 8, 1762[1] |
| Barangays | 21 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Eduardo "Diman" G. Datu |
| • Vice Mayor | Ron Earvin E. Dungca |
| • Representative | Alyssa Michaela M. Gonzales |
| • Councilors | Members
|
| • Electorate | 49,890 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 71.70 km2 (27.68 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 53 m (174 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | −3 m (−9.8 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[4] | |
• Total | 59,361 |
| • Density | 827.9/km2 (2,144/sq mi) |
| • Households | 11,679 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 3rd municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 6.48 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 356.7 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 825.2 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 235.2 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 322.4 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Pampanga 2 Electric Cooperative (PELCO 2) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 2001 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)45 |
| Native languages | Kapampangan Tagalog |
| Website | www |
Bacolor, officially theMunicipality of Bacolor (Kapampangan:Balen ning Bakúlud;Tagalog:Bayan ng Bacolor), is amunicipality in theprovince ofPampanga,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 59,361 people.[6]
Bacolor is the birthplace of Father Anselmo Jorge de Fajardo, considered the "Father ofKapampangan literature"[7] for writing the 1831 Kapampangan "kumidya"Don Gonzalo de Cordova.
Historical records show that Bacolor has been in existence as a proposed settlement as early as 1571, the same year Manila was founded by the Spanish. The original name of the settlement wasBakúlud, which became Hispanicized as "Bacolor" (cf.Bacolod andBacoor). The original name isKapampangan for "high level rocky place" or "plateau."[8]
Bacolor officially became the capital of Pampanga in 1755. According to Spanish chronicler Fray Gaspar de San Agustin, before 1755, Mexico town “es la corte de Pampanga,” while Bacolor “es la capital” and Guagua “es igualmente.” Historian Dr. Luciano Santiago theorizes thatbefore Bacolor was formally recognized as provincial capital, it was already informally functioning as capital, although other provincial administrative offices were elsewhere in Mexico and Guagua.[9]
During theBritish occupation of Manila, when Manila fell to the British, it became capital of the exiled government of Governor GeneralSimón de Anda y Salazar from October 6, 1762, to May 30, 1764. The provincial offices were temporarily moved to Factoría (now San Isidro, Nueva Ecija). Through a decree of the King of Spain on November 9, 1765, Bacolor becameVilla de Bacólor, one of the only three villas in the Philippines and was granted a special coat of arms. Simón de Anda organized an army of natives for the defense of Bacolor and with the aim of recapturing Manila.[10]
Bacolor remained the capital of Pampanga until the provincial seat of government was transferred to neighboringSan Fernando in 1904. Moves to transfer the provincial capital to San Fernando actually began as early as 1852 with an expediente from the alcalde mayor. The King of Spain granted the request in a real cedula dated September 11, 1881.[11] Despite royal approval, the transfer was not executed until August 15, 1904, by virtue of Act No. 1204.[12]
The coming of the American colonizers broke up the military form of government and instead political and economic reforms were introduced. A civil form of government was organized and was inaugurated on February 13, 1901, by Com. William H. Taft which took place in the old Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Bacólor, later known as the Pampanga School of Arts and Trade and now thePampanga State University, the first state university in Pampanga.
The first provincial Civil Governor was Don Ceferino Joven and the first Municipal President of Bacolor was Don Estanislao Santos.
When theSecond World War broke out, Japanese fighter and bomber planes invaded Bacolor in December 1941 until the town was occupied by the Imperial Japanese forces in 1942. Pampangan guerrillas andHukbalahapCommunist groups joined in an insurgency centered around the municipality, supported by local soldiers and military officers of thePhilippine Commonwealth Army. Their attacks against the Japanese occupation continued until 1945, when Filipino and American forces liberated Bacolor.[further explanation needed]
In 1956, the sitio of Mesalipit was converted into a barrio.[13]
Due to theeruption of Mount Pinatubo on June 15, 1991, the municipality was hit bylahar flows from 1991 to 1995 which buried the town by 20 feet (6.1 m), killing hundreds of people and destroying livelihoods. Eighteen out of the 21barangays of Bacolor were buried. The lahar fromMount Pinatubo raised the town to its current level of 20 meters above sea level. Subsidence caused the constant reclaiming of parts of Pampanga by the sea.
Bacolor is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from theCity of San Fernando, 26 kilometres (16 mi) fromAngeles, and 75 kilometres (47 mi) fromManila.
Bacolor is politically subdivided into 21barangays, as shown below. Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
| Climate data for Bacolor, Pampanga | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 33 (91) | 34 (93) | 33 (91) | 31 (88) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 31 (87) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 23 (73) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 20 (68) | 23 (73) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 8 (0.3) | 9 (0.4) | 15 (0.6) | 34 (1.3) | 138 (5.4) | 203 (8.0) | 242 (9.5) | 233 (9.2) | 201 (7.9) | 126 (5.0) | 50 (2.0) | 21 (0.8) | 1,280 (50.4) |
| Average rainy days | 3.7 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 11.2 | 21.2 | 24.9 | 27.7 | 26.5 | 25.5 | 21.8 | 12.6 | 5.6 | 191.3 |
| Source: Meteoblue[14] | |||||||||||||
Population census of Bacolor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2024 census, the population of Bacolor was 59,361 people,[20] with a density of 830 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,100 inhabitants per square mile.
Poverty incidence of Bacolor
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]
Like other towns in the Philippines, Bacolor 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 (Sangguniang Bayan) consisting of councilors from the barangays or barrios.
The municipal building is the former site of the Venturas house, one of Bacolor's most prominent families. On July 8, 1953, the new town hall was completed during the tenure of Mayor Manuel de Jesus. Its construction was a project of SenatorPablo Ángeles y David, a native of Bacolor.[29]
The main landmark of the town is theSan Guillermo Parish Church known as the 'sunken church', one of the structures that was half-buried by the lava flow from the eruption ofMount Pinatubo in 1991. The church has since been renovated and is currently operational and may be accessed through what were once the second floor windows, now converted into doorways. The sunken church and town of Bacolor served as the main production location of the 2009–2013ABS-CBN religious-oriented television seriesMay Bukas Pa from January 15, 2009 to February 5, 2010, with the show underwent two versions which are cut ABS-CBN from February 2, 2009 to the said date of February 2010 and extendedJeepney TV versions from March 11 to December 5, 2013.
It also made appearances in various media before its prominent one onMay Bukas Pa, such as the 1996 movieIstokwa, 2006 movieSummer Heat and 2008 movieJay, and in the music video of the songPromise Me by J Brothers. The Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Cabetican is also famous for its annual pilgrimage and barrio fiestas.
Other notable landmarks in Bacolor include Memorial Kilometer Posts of theBataan Death March along the Old National Road, the oldest trade school in Far East, thePampanga State University; theSimón de Anda y Salazar monument at the town hall; monument to theKapampangan writer and revolutionary leader Juan Crisostomo Soto (1867–1918); and Monument to Felix Galura Y Napao.[30]
Bacolor's festivals are the Feast of San Guillermo and Nuestra Senora del Santissimo Rosario (La Naval) which are celebrated every 10th day of February and 3rd Sunday of November, respectively.
Buried by the devastatinglahar flows ofMount Pinatubo eruption in June 1991, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes of Cabetican (abbreviated as "Maluca"), now more popularly known as theSunken Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes of Cabetican, remains at the center of the Marian Concordia Pilgrimages and Healing in Pampanga. Originally built as an annex to the older, smaller shrine, it is under the care of Fr. Ronnie Cao, Healing Priest and Rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine.
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.[31] Theres are the Bacolor North Schools District Office, and Bacolor South Schools District Office.
| Preceded by | Capital of theSpanish East Indies 1762–1764 | Succeeded by |
Places adjacent to Bacolor | |
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 Province ofPampanga | |
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| Municipalities | |
| Component cities | |
| Highly urbanized city |
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| International | |
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| National | |
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