25. 23 OFFICIAL SEALS OF PAMPANGA PROVINCE, ITS TOWNS AND CITIES

PAMPANGA SEAL, updated version, as approved by the NHCP

A gallery featuring the great seal of Pampanga province and the official seals of its 19 municipalities and 3 cities.

ANGELES. The seal of the city features a shield divided into 4 quadrants, with the following emblems: a ‘kuliat’ vine leaf  (Kuliat was the old town name of Angeles), an American eagle (home to Clark Air Base for nearly a century), a sun with 8 rays from the Katipunan flag (Aguinaldo celebrated the first anniversary of Philippine Independence in Angeles) and two  A’s ( Angeles name is derived from Angel Pantaleon de Miranda, the town founder, and Angeles Custodios, the town patrons).

APALIT. The apalit tree (Pterocarpus indicus) stands tall in the background, with an anvil and a blacksmith’s hammer in the foreground—symbols of its metalsmithing industry for which the town is known for. Many foundries still exist in the town.

ARAYAT. The landscape-like seal of Arayat shows its most famous landmark, the legendary Bundok Alaya (eastern mountain) more commonly known as Mount Arayat, with clouds billowing yonder.  Agricultural workers—a farmer plowing the fields with a carabao,  rice planters working in the paddies—are in the foreground.

BACOLOR. Through a decree of the King of Spain on November 9, 1765, Bacolor became "Villa de Bacolor", one of the only three villas in the Philippines and was granted a Special Coat of Arms. This was in recognition for being the capital of the exiled government of Gov. Gen. Simon de Anda from 1762-64, during the British Occupation of the Philippines. The coat of arms was adapted for its municipality seal.

CANDABA. Candaba’s well-composed seal makes reference to the many roles its pinac or swamp plays in its development—a sanctuary for migratory birds, a breeding ground for fishes during the wet season, and a field for growing its sweet watermelons during summer.

FLORIDABLANCA. Floridablanca’s seal features three important elements associated with the town: sugarmill smokestacks (Pampanga Sugar Mills or PASUMIL was located in Del Carmen), flying jetplanes (home to Basa Air Base) and a white flower (English meaning of "Floridablanca"). The seal was designed by Mr. Jose D. Laxamana, an artist-musician.

GUAGUA. The industries of Guagua are represented on its seal: agriculture, fishery, carpentry (Betis carpenters were renowned furniture makers, house builders and craftsmen). The torch represents enlightenment, as the town was also a seat of learning (Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús , Guagua National Institute) , home to erudites and literati (Aurelio Tolentino, Amado Yuson, Angela Manalang-Gloria) , and many religious (including the first Filipino cardinal, Rufino J. Santos).

LUBAO. The 3-layered seal of Lubao features the belltower of its ancient 17^th century church of San Agustin on top, a representation of its vast rice fields in the middle (it is the largest rice producer of the province), and its natural water resources at the bottom, as the town is traversed by the great Gumain and Kaulaman Rivers .

MABALACAT. Stalks of rice, canes of sugar—the town’s main agricultural produce—flank the sturdy ‘balacat’ (Zysiphus zonulata blanco) tree, which once grew in production in the area, and which gave Pampanga’s newest sity its name—Mabalacat. The tableau is circumscribed by 27 stars, representing the 27 barangays.

MACABEBE. The central figure of the seal is the young unknown Macabebe warrior, often referred to as Tarik Soliman or Bambalito. He died in the battle of Bangkusay in 1571, resisting the Spaniards to the very end, thus becoming the first native to die for freedom.

MAGALANG. The town of Magalang rests on the foothills of the great mountain of the east, Bundok Alaya, where the sun rises. Its exalted location is depicted on the seal, along with the town’s vast and extensive agricultural lands.

MASANTOL. Masantol’s seal makes references to the iconographic elements and attributes of its patron saint, San Miguel Arcanghel. A pair of angel’s wings is paired with the sword that the archangel used to subdue the devil. The blade supports two weighing pans to form a balance scale, which the saint employed to weigh people’s souls. San Miguel is also the patron of grocers and traders owing to his weighing scale), which alludes to Masantol’s important role as a trading post. 

MEXICO. The municipio or town hall of Mexico occupies an eminent place on the town seal, with nearby Mount Arayat on the right, and a representation of its strategic location that drives its commercial progress.  Then, as now, Mexico is an important crossing points between towns, hence the roads on the seal. The dove of peace flies overhead while the wheel of progress is turned by a man below.

MINALIN. The design of the Minalin seal echoes the Philippine tri-color. A chicken and her eggs occupy the red portion, an industry which has earned for Minalin the monicker “Egg Basket of the Philippines”. The fishing trade is represented by a pair of fish on the blue section. The seal is bisected in the middle by a stylized rice stalk that reaches to the 3 stars. 

PORAC. The mountainous terrain of Porac forms the backdrop of the town seal. A portion of Pinatubo is also appended to the municipality. In the foreground are its vast agricultural lands, an allusion to Porac as the biggest town of Pampanga (occupying 78,000 acres). Its primary product is represented by a clump of sugarcane  The 29 rays of the sun represent the 29 barangays.

SAN FERNANDO. True to its title as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines”, the city seal prominently features its most popular product, the Christmas sampernandu lantern, a 5-pointed star. In the center, are the city’s high-rise buildings and avenues, symbols of its industry and progress.

SAN LUIS. The hatmaking tradition of this town is depicted on the upper part of the shield. It shows a silhouette of a man wearing a hat. The lower part shows symbols of its other important industries—a plow to represent agriculture and a fish, for fishery. Grains of rice and 17 stars representing its 7 barangays, circumscribe the seal.

SAN SIMON. The San Simon seal pays tribute to its many mango farms, its fishing and rice industry. The hand in broken shackles holding the rice seedling symbolizes the peasants’ freedom from the bondage of the soil, as the town played an important role in the 'revolt of the masses'and the Huk movement.

SANTA ANA. The dove of peace descends on the verdant plains of Sta. Ana, with the majestic Mount Arayat in the background. The scene is enclosed in a shield, its perimeter lined with fourteen stars, representing its 14 barangays.

SANTA RITA. Sta. Rita’s seal is laden with imageries inspired by its many local produce: fruits and vegetables, fishes and livestock, its landmark church and famous  duman (green glutinous rice) and suman. In the center is a hand holding a sapling, a visualization of the town motto: “Sesen taya ing Sta. Rita” (Let’s nurture Sta. Rita).

SANTO TOMAS. The nationally-renown pottery industry of Santo Tomas which has consistently been a driver of the town economy is given tribute  in its seal with a picture of a large pot (banga) in the center, surmounted by the 7 rays of the sun. 

SASMUAN. Sasmuan has a unique geography in that it is surrounded by fish ponds, and this forms an integral part of its seal. A hut is shown hear a fishpond teeming with shrimps, crab and fishes. Then, as now, aquaculture has been the main industry that drives the local economy.