Sasmuan, Pampanga

Sasmuan
Municipality

Town hall
Nickname(s): Pampanga Mini SEA

Map of Pampanga showing the location of Sasmuan
Sasmuan

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 14°56′N 120°37′E / 14.933°N 120.617°E / 14.933; 120.617Coordinates: 14°56′N 120°37′E / 14.933°N 120.617°E / 14.933; 120.617
Country Philippines
Region Central Luzon (Region III)
Province Pampanga
District 2nd District
Barangays 12
Government[1]
 • Mayor Nardo Mangalindan Velasco
Area[2]
 • Total 91.80 km2 (35.44 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
 • Total 27,254
 • Density 300/km2 (770/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 2004
Dialing code +63 (0)45
Income class 4th class

Sasmuan (known as Sexmoan until January 15, 1991)[4] is a fourth class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 27,254 people.[3]

Etymology

The town's former name of "Sexmoan" was how it was spelled by Spanish friars attempting to transcribe "Sasmuan". In medieval Spanish, the letter <x> was pronounced as a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/, identical to the digraph <sh> in English. It was derived from the ancient Kapampangan rootword sasmo, which means to meet, according to a 17th-century Kapampangan dictionary. Sasmoan therefore is synonymous with "pitagmuan" or "meeting place of the datus". It was named "Sasmuan" because it is where the Pampangos meet when they were at war with the Chinese in Guagua.[5] In 1991, it was unanimously changed into Sasmuan, since the previous name, Sexmoan, denoted a very negative sexual connotation not only to the town, but to the people living within the town itself.[6][7]

History

Sasmuan already had a well-developed system of government well before the era of Spanish colonization. It evolved to be one of the oldest and major settlements in Pampanga by the 16th century. The Santa Lucia Church was one of the first Roman Catholic churches built in the Philippines by the Spaniards with the political and financial support of the Principalia.

Barangays

Sasmuan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays.[2]

Demographics

Population census of Sasmuan
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 21,148—    
1995 23,146+1.71%
2000 23,359+0.20%
2007 26,630+1.82%
2010 27,254+0.85%
Source: National Statistics Office[3][8]

Economy

Sasmuan Fish port

Sasmuan has a unique geography in that it is surrounded by fish ponds. Aquaculture has been the main industry that drives the local economy. The fish from ponds and other areas are sold at the Fish Port.

The town has 2 prime business ventures and both are in the food industry. These two are Sasmuan Delicacies which was founded in 1990 and Aiza's Sweets which was started in 2000. For Sasmuan Delicacies, their products are being sold in many big supermarkets and malls in the Philippines, including SM City Malls. Aiza's Sweets on the other hand, has SM City Malls as one of their primary customer, but they also sell to several popular local shops such as Susie's Sweets, Nathaniels, etc. Also, Aiza's Sweets exports to USA and Canada.

Culture

Cuisine

Fiestas

Santa Lucia Parish Church

Santa Lucia Parish Church

The Santa Lucia Parish Church in Sasmuan is the first church in the province built by Augustinién priests. It stands right beside the Río Grande, the ancient waterway that connected Pampanga to Manila Bay. The structure is said to have been built by Jose Duque in the 17th century. It was rebuilt in early 1800 and was reinforced by Toribio Fanjul in 1884.

The edifice has an interesting and unique façade. It has decorative floral carvings on its main entrance. The old town church is one of the few, if not the only church in the country where the single belfry is situated between the church and the convento. The church, which measures 45 metres (148 ft) long, 11 metres (36 ft) wide, and 6 metres (20 ft) high, also features a grotto of Our Lady of Fatima. Devotees from all over the province flock here to honor Saint Lucy, believed to be a miraculous saint.

Founded in 1590, Santa Lucia is a parish of the Vicariate of St. Joseph in the Archdiocese of San Fernando. The parish celebrates the feast day of its titular patron on December 13.

An author described it as “very beautiful and of very good condition.” When looking at the complex of church and convent, one is stuck by the impression that the round and rectangular openings are capriciously aligned. This makes the façade both interesting and unique.[9]

It was renovated in 2003 under parish priest Teodro P. Valencia. On June 9, 2007, it was solemnly rededicated.[10] [11]

Images

Panorama of the Fish port

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Official City/Municipal 2013 Election Results". Intramuros, Manila, Philippines: Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 1 July 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Province: Pampanga". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Eighth Congress of the Philippines (January 15, 1991). "Republic Act No. 6976: AN ACT CHANGING THE NAME OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SEXMOAN IN THE PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA TO MUNICIPALITY OF SASMUAN". Philippine Laws and Jurisprudence Databank.
  5. ↑ "Sasmuan". eK! - electronic Kabalen. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  6. ↑ "Santa Lucia Church, Sasmuan, Pampanga". Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Jennings, Ken (17 April 2012). Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks. Scribner. ISBN 1439167184.
  8. ↑ "Province of Pampanga". Municipality Population Data. LWUA Research Division. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  9. ↑ http://pampanga.islandsphilippines.com/natural.php
  10. ↑ http://lakbaypinas.ph/landmarks.aspx?city=5422&grp=Location&index=2
  11. ↑ http://heritagesentinel.wordpress.com/2006/07/28/church-of-santa-lucia-sasmuan-pampanga/
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