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.

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.

  • Anon
  • Apalit
  • Basa Air Base
  • Benedicto
  • Bodega
  • Cabangcalan
  • Calantas
  • Carmencita
  • Consuelo
  • Culubasa
  • Dampe
  • Del Carmen
  • Fortuna
  • Gutad
  • Mabical
  • Maligaya
  • Mawacat
  • Nabuclod
  • Pabanlag
  • Paguiruan
  • Palmayo
  • Pandaguirig
  • Poblacion
  • San Antonio
  • San Isidro
  • San Jose
  • San Nicolas
  • San Pedro
  • San Ramon
  • San Roque
  • Santa Monica
  • Solib
  • Santo Rosario
  • Valdez

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.

<!-- Deleted image removed: 150px|thumbnail|right|Bank of Florida [[San Fernando, Pampanga|CSFP]] -->

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

{| class="wikitable"

!style="background: #f4e6b8; text-align:center" colspan=6 |MUNICIPAL MAYOR

|-

! No.

! Image

! Municipal Mayor

! Term started

! Term ended

! Vice-Mayor

|-

| 1

|

| Geronimo Dinio Coronel

| 1938

| 1941

|-

| 2

|

| Benigno Layug

| 1941 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

{| class="wikitable"

!style="background: #f4e6b8; text-align:center" colspan=6 |NOTABLE FLORIDABLANCANS

|-

! No.

! Image

! Name

! Industry

! Brief Description

! Barangay

|-

| 1

|

| Luisito Meyer Jr. (Dante Rivero)

| Entertainment

| Filipino film and television actor and FAMAS Awardee

|

|-

| 2

|

| Jhyllianne Wardë (Jillian Ward)

| Entertainment

| Actress and FAMAS Awardee

| Maligaya

|-

| 3

|

| Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr.

| Judiciary

| Justice of Court of Appeals and Founder of Quezon City Academy

| Poblacion

|-

|

|-

|}

<gallery widths=200 heights=150>

File:Dbasaairbasejf.JPG|Basa Air Base Main Gate

File:Floridablancapampangajfhh.JPG|Façade of the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church

File:Floridablancapampangajfa.JPG|The heritage house of the town

File:Floridablancapampangajfg.JPG|Public market

</gallery>

Notes

References

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