113. 7 ANCESTRAL HOUSES OF GUAGUA: A LIST BY JERRY PUNZALAN SAGMIT

Guagua—or uaua--meaning “mouth of a river”, has been called as such since 1590 owing to its location along the river which played a role in turning it early into one of Pampangan’s most prosperous towns. The affluence of the twon led to the erection of some of the most stunning ancestral residences in the province.

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1. ARRASTIA-GONZALES HOUSE 1929, San Roque, Guagua

2. DE MESA HOUSE 1935, San Isidro, Guagua

3. DR. GALICANO CORONEL HOUSE 1925, San Nicolas II, Betis

Former vice mayor of Guagua in 1928. The symmetrical looking Victorian house or "gingerbread", is notable for its lace-like fretwork carvings, and its graceful steps that lead to a gated open porch. The house sits on a well-kept, manicured garden.

4. GONZALES-ARAULLO HOUSE 1928, Sto. Nino

 5. OCAMPO HOUSE 1928

Former residence of Mayor Isidro Ocampo.

6. SANTOS-OCAMPO HOUSE 1920

Now occupied by the Jiao Family

7. LOPEZ MANSION 1929, San Nicolas 1^st

One of Guagua’s most spectacular landmarks is the Lopez Mansion, an imposing concrete residence built by the sugar magnate, Don Alejandro Lopez (b. 16 May 1883). Done in the  Greek revival style, the façade is dominated by Grecian columns accented with reliefs of foliate swags. Sandwiched in between are glass-paneled openings that lead to individual room balconies. During the war, Japanese Col. Gempachi Sato, commander of the 61st infantry took over the house in 1942. The Alejandros reclaimed the house in 1945. Severely damaged by the Pinatubo eruption in 1991, it was restored in 2016 by an heir, Jose Ronrico “Rico” Vitug Gueco. The house is open for social events and for various functions.

ABOUT OUR CONTRIBUTOR.  JERRY PUNZALAN SAGMIT originally hails from Guagua, but now resides in Porac. He operates Funeraria Punzalan, a memorial service company founded by his ancestor Pedro Manalili Punzalan in Arayat in 1930. He is also interested in heritage and local culture and history.

112. 5 REPUTATIONS THAT KAPAMPANGANS WERE WELL KNOWN FOR IN THE 1700s.

By Robby P. Tantingco

Kapampangans today are known for their pride, vanity, culinary skills, loud voice, love for the good life and entrepreneurial skills. But what was their reputation back in the early days? Bergano's Kapampangan dictionary (1729) provides us with clues:

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KAPAMPANGAN VANITY

Our female ancestors were magale ("wearing formal dresses outside proper occasion") while our male ancestors were maticas ("good looks, good form in size, waist, figure, shape of legs and calves"), masanting ("handsome"), maticmus ("good figure"), matingquis ("well-dressed"). You can differentiate between a Tagalog and a Kapampangan by putting them on a slippery road: the Tagalog falls while the Kapampangan "very, very rarely falls," according to Bergano.

KAPAMPANGAN PERFECTIONISM

 Our ancestors always insisted on accuracy and excellence, were never satisfied, for example, with grazing a moving target, unlike most Filipinos. "The Pampango," Bergano said, "would say, E me tiran, atambisan mea mu ("You did not hit it, you only grazed it"). Our ancestors had many synonyms for perfection and excellence: sampat ("beauty at its peak;" "the greater perfection"), pauit ("excellence"), liclic ("excellence in writing, debate, running")

KAPAMPANGAN BRAVERY

Bergano wrote, Sagan ya, pablasang indio ya ("He is weak, because he is an indio"), paqui Tagalog ya, nun e talaralit, talaterac ya ("Being a Tagalog, if he is not fond of singing, he is fond of dancing"), paqui Capampangan ya, magmatapang ya ("Being a Kapampangan, he is brave").

KAPAMPANGAN PARIOTISM

Ancient Kapampangans felt a strong attachment to their land and fellow Kapampangans. Bergano observed that our ancestors were proud pablasang daya lang Capampangan ("for they belong to the Pampango nation"). Kapampangans, he wrote, were misangdaya ("you are my countryman," "we have the same blood," "we are all Pampangos") and cadaya ("We are of the same blood even if we are not relatives... we are of one nation").

KAPAMPANGAN ACCENT

Kapampangans were maitad ("They speak with a lilt, with their peculiar accent").

SOURCE:
Reposted from Robby Tantingco's FB Page