Floridablanca, officially the Municipality of Floridablanca (; ) is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

Etymology The town was initially named San José de Calampaui, in honour of its patron, Saint Joseph. Floridablanca itself is derived from Spanish and translates to "white flower,” with two versions of the name's origin.

One version suggest that the town was named in honor of José María de Castillejo y Moñino, 3rd Count of Floridablanca (25 February 1826 – 1892), who inherited the title of Condado de Floridablanca from the 2nd holder, his aunt María Vicenta Moñino y Pontejos, through his mother, María Ana. María Vicenta died in 1867 and thus José inherited the title; 1867 was also the year the town was renamed "Floridablanca". The rest of María Vicenta's titles devolved to her husband's family, the Marquesado de Miraflores, whose present holder married the granddaughter of President Elpidio Quirino. The Moñino family is popularly remembered as reformists against abuses by the Church: the clan patriarch, the first count also named José Moñino, secured from Pope Clement XIII the Suppression of the Society of Jesus in the reign of King Charles III of Spain, in 1767, exactly a hundred years before the foundation of the town. The expulsion of the friars in 1867 from the Calampaui monastery and renaming of the estate to Floridablanca thus made sense.

Another version of more credible origin suggests that the town was named after the white flowers of a pandacaqui plant (Tabernaemontana pandacaqui) that flourished in the area. Florida means "flower" and blanca means "white".

History

Floridablanca was founded in 1823 as Hacienda de San Jose de Caumpaui at the site of a monastery. In 1867, it was renamed to Pueblo de Floridablanca.

In the 1920s, the Pampanga Sugar Mill was built at Del Carmen in the 1920s. The area was the site of military bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the Philippine Constabulary from 1942 to 1946. The Philippine Air Force established Basa Air Base at a former American military airfield in 1947.

In 1991, the Santo Nino enshrined in San Jose Obrero parish was stolen. Within two months or so, Mount Pinatubo erupted. Sand and ash and lahar fell into Floridablanca, killing hundreds and destroyed the rice paddies. Superstitions by the elders of the town exist that the theft of the statue resulted in such unimaginable disaster.

In 2024, the Santo Nino was rediscovered after almost 22 years. The Foronda family assisted in raising funds for its eventual return to San Jose Obrero parish.

Geography Floridablanca is located on the western part of Pampanga along the Zambales Mountains and is bounded by the municipalities of Porac on the north, Lubao on the south, Guagua on the east, and Dinalupihan on the west. It is from the city of San Fernando, from Manila, from Balanga, and from Porac.

The town is at an elevation of above sea level. Floridablanca is north of Dinalupihan via Dinalupihan-Floridablanca Access Road at the Bataan-Pampanga boundary line.

With an area of , it is the third largest municipality in the province, after Porac and Candaba.

Barangays Floridablanca is politically subdivided into 33 barangays, as shown below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

LIST OF BARANGAYS Barangay Punong Barangay PortraitANON ERNESTO NAGUIAT APALIT RUBY GEGANTE BASA AIR BASE ARABELLA TANGENTE BENEDICTO OSCAR GOMEZ, JR. BODEGA ANTONIO BAU CABANGCALAN MARIA THERESA ARCABOS CALANTAS RANDY GUEVARRA CARMENCITA EMIL DIMLA CONSUELO JOSE GERRY MARAMOT DAMPE ROY GARCIA DEL CARMEN JOEL SANTOS FORTUNA RANDY PAGUIO GUTAD MICHAEL REYES MABICAL FEDERICO PATAWARAN MALIGAYA LORIANO MIRANDA MAWACAT MARILOU BACANI NABUCLOD ROMEO ALVARO PABANLAG RENATO BAST PAGUIRUAN RAQUIEL GARCIA PALMAYO MARCO JAKE FAJARDO PANDAGUIRIG JESUS SANTOS POBLACION WARNER BAIS SAN ANTONIO WILLIAM MARIANO SAN ISIDRO RAFAEL BAUL SAN JOSE FLORDELIZA G. GOZUN SAN NICOLAS ANA MARIE GALANG SAN PEDRO RODOLFO MORALES SAN RAMON RONIE CAPULONG SAN ROQUE NARDO NAGUIAT SANTA MONICA WILFREDO BUNDALIAN SANTO ROSARIO JUAN MAQUESIAS SOLIB ARIEL MASA VALDEZ ANTONIO CASUPANAN

Climate

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Floridablanca was 146,095 people, with a density of .

Economy

Floridablanca is the second largest producer of rice in the province. It produces more than enough rice to meet its needs resulting in a surplus. In 1999, only 37.76% of its produce was used for its own rice requirement resulting in a surplus of 65.24% equivalent to 17,553 metric tons.

Banking and finance The Bank of Florida, formerly Rural Bank of Floridablanca, Inc. was first established on February 10, 1964, with its first branch in Floridablanca, as one of the six subsidiaries of House of David Group headed by Ladislao Sibal-David, founder and chair. Its executive office, the BOF Corporate Center is located along Jose Abad Santos Avenue, San Jose, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Government Local government

Like other towns in the Philippines, Floridablanca 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 of Barrios.

List of Municipal Leaders

Capitan Municipal 1897 – Don Gerónimo Romero Dinio 1898 – Don Cecilio Alvendia 1899 – Don Alejandro Ramos

Municipal Presidents 1900–1902 – Don Gerónimo Romero Dinio 1903–1905 – Don Alejandro Ramos 1906–1908 – Don Gregorio Panlaqui 1909–1911 – Don León Gutiérrez 1911 – Don Arcadio Ramírez 1912–1917 – Don Martin Sundiam 1918–1922 – Don José O. Dinio 1923–1925 – Don Isidoro Alvendia 1926–1931 – Don Roberto Nuguid 1932–1937 – Don Camilo Ocampo

MUNICIPAL MAYOR No. Image Municipal Mayor Term started Term ended Vice-Mayor 1 Geronimo Dinio Coronel 1938 1941 2 Benigno Layug 1941 1941 3 Francisco Vargas 1942 1943 4 Fidel Pekson 1943 1944 5 Leandro Garcia 1944 1944 6 Benigno Layug 1945 1945 7 Dr. Vicente Chincuanco 1945 1945 8 Mariano Macabulos 1945 1946 9 Arsenio Isip 1946 1947 Dominador Songco (8) Mariano Macabulos 1948 1951 Dominador Songco 1948-1949 TBD 1950-1951 10 Dominador Diyco Songco 1952 1955 11 Atty. Marcelo Mendiola 1956 1959 (10) Dominador Diyco Songco 1960 1967 11 Jose Dungca Mendiola 1968 1971 12 Pedro Manuel Capulong 1972 1986 Rodante Pascual (1980–1986) 13 Tito Morales Mendiola 1986 June 30, 1992 (12) Pedro Manuel Capulong June 30, 1992 June 30, 2001 Raul Capulong (1992-1998) Joe Rey Montemayor (1998-2001) 14 Joe Rey P. Montemayor June 30, 2001 June 30, 2004 Raul Capulong 15 Darwin Ronquillo Manalansan June 30, 2004 June 30, 2007 Romeo Lingad Jr. 16 Eduardo Dizon Guerrero June 30, 2007 June 30, 2016 Joe Rey Montemayor (15) Darwin Ronquillo Manalansan June 30, 2016 June 30, 2025 Engr. Michael Galang 17 Engr. Michael Lugtu Galang June 30, 2025 Incumbent Dr. Allan Policarpio

Tourism Aside from Basa Air Base, the town has cultural treasures and interesting points. 1887 San Jose Obrero Parish Church: the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando exercises jurisdiction over the Heritage Church. Bahay na Puti (Alvendia House): the Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr. ancestral mansion is owned, preserved and maintained by his family. Bale Kastila (Paguiruan): a heritage mansion from 1800's. The Lafangfangan Gastro-Cultural Experience : Curated by Atching Katrina Monseratt "Monet" Siat-Roque—a respected local culinary figure and former town councilor—the activity shifts away from standard commercial buffets to provide a deep dive into Pampanga's food heritage.

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 Floridablanca East Schools District Office, and Floridablanca West Schools District Office.

Primary and elementary schools

Anon Elementary School Apalit Elementary School Basa Air Base Central School Benedicto Elementary School Bodega Elementary School Cabangcalan Elementary School Calantas Elementary School Camachile Elementary School Caritas Elementary School Carmencita Elementary School Central Luzon Adventist Academy Consuelo Elementary School Dampe Elementary School Del Carmen Elementary School Divine Wisdom School of Palmayo Inc. Floridablanca Christian Academy Floridablanca Elementary School Floridablanca New Settlement Elementary School (Resettlement Area) Fortuna Elementary School Golden Sunrise Learning Center Gutad Elementary School Mabical Elementary School Marifer School of Divine Mercy Mawacat Elementary School Mindhearts Academy of the Philippines Pabanlag Elementary School Paguiruan Elementary School Palmayo Elementary School Pandaguirig Elementary School Pulong Dagal Elementary School San Isidro Elementary School San Jose Elementary School San Nicolas Elementary School San Pedro Elementary School San Ramon Elementary School San Roque Elementary School Sitio Culubasa Elementary School St. Augustine Academy of Pampanga Sta. Monica Elementary School Sto. Rosario Elementary School Valdez Elementary School Zion of the Holy One Academy

Secondary schools

Basa Air Base High School Bodega High School Diosdado Macapagal Memorial High School Floridablanca National Agricultural School - Main Campus Floridablanca National Agricultural School - Annex Campus Gutad National High School Nabuclod Integrated School Paguiruan National High School San Jose High School Valdez High School

Higher educational institutions I S School of Technology and Skills Development Megabyte College Foundation Inc. Philippine State College of Aeronautics West Central College of Arts and Science

Notable personalities

NOTABLE FLORIDABLANCANS No. Image Name Industry Brief Description Barangay 1 Major General Reynaldo "Narding" Vitug Reyes (Retired) Military First and only Floridablancan Air Force General Maligaya 2 Ricardo Buensuceso (Jeric Raval) Entertainment Filipino film and television actor 3 Luisito Meyer Jr. (Dante Rivero) Entertainment Filipino film and television actor and FAMAS Awardee 4 Jhyllianne Wardë (Jillian Ward) Entertainment Actress and FAMAS Awardee Maligaya 5 Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr. Judiciary Justice of Court of Appeals and Founder of Quezon City Academy Poblacion

Gallery

Notes

References

External links

Floridablanca Profile at PhilAtlas.com Official site [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code] Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System