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Pampanga

Angeles Cityhood Anniversary

Angeles Cityhood Anniversary is celebrated in the city of Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines every January 1st. Its commemorates its conversion to a chartered city by the enactment of Republic Act No. 3700 in 1964.

The city also celebrates Kuliat Festival every October.

History of Angeles City

Angeles City was the result of the clearing of the lands north of San Fernando led by the San Fernando municipal capitan Angel Pantaleon de Miranda and his spouse, Rosalia de Jesus. Founded in 1796, it was given the name Culiat after a woody, thorny vine (Gnetum indicum) that grew abundantly in the area.

From the beginning, it was a barrio of San Fernando. After the woodlands were cleared, people setled and began cultivating rice and sugar.

Afterwards, they petitioned for the barrio to be established as a separate town on May 12, 1812. The petition was met with opposition by the clergy headed by Fr. Jose Pometa, and it was denied. A similar fate befell on a similar petition filed again by the principales on February 11, 1822.

De Miranda and other leaders submitted yet another proposal for its independence from San Fernando. Along with the proposal was the donation of lands for the building of a church, rectory, school, and public market.

He also paid an amount to make the secession possible. At that time, new pueblo must constitute at least 500 tax contributors and Culiat only had 160.

A third petition was submitted in 1828 and like the previous requests, it did not prosper.

In 1829, De Mirand, his son-in-law Mariano Henson, and Severino Henson (Mariano’s father) signed the fourth petition. On December 8, 1829, it finally became an independent town.

It was renamed El Pueblo de los Angeles (The Town of Angels) from its patron saint Los Santos Angeles Custodio (Holy Guardian Angels) and the namesake of its founder Angel Pantaleon de Miranda.

One of its many famed heritage buildings is the Pamintuan Mansion. The mansion became the official residence of Emilio Aguinaldo, the head of the Philippine Revolutionary Government, on May 1899, making Angeles became the seat of the government.

It also played the host for the first Independence Day celebration that commemorated the declaration of independence in Kawit, Cavite. Aguinaldo, however, moved to Tarlac shortly when the Americans occupied Pampanga.

The Americans established their presence beginning in January 1900 when General Frederick D. Grant appointed a town mayor. A military camp was instituted in Talimundoc (now Barangay Lourdes Sur) in 1902.

A year later, a much bigger camp called Fort Stotsenberg was set up in Barangay Sapang Bato. Its area would be expanded and later became the Clark Air Base in 1908.

When the Japanese Imperial Army began attacking the Philippines in World War II, they executed heavy air raids over Clark Air Base on December 8, 1941 to destroy the American fleet. They occupied Angeles on January 1 the following year.

After the war, the growing expatriate community contributed to the flourishing of Angeles. The Philippine-American Military Base Agreement was signed on March 14, 1947, permitting the Americans to have sovereignty over Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base for 44 years.

Mayor Rafael del Rosario led the initiative in transforming the town to a city. A house bill was introduced by Juanita L. Nepomuceno, then the representative of the first district of Pampanga.

Angeles became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 3700, otherwise known as “An Act Creating the City of Angeles”, on January 1, 1964. The law was signed by President Diosdado Macapagal.

How to reach Angeles City, Pampanga

Angeles City is an hour away from Clark International Airport.

References

Angeles Cityhood Anniversary Summary

NameAngeles Cityhood Anniversary
Contact893-2212/322-7247 to 48
CountryPhilippines
DateJanuary 1
Emailinfo@angelescity.gov.ph
Facebookwww.facebook.com
LocationAngeles City, Pampanga
OrganizerCity Government of Angeles
Twittertwitter.com
Websitewww.angelescity.gov.ph