Floridablanca, officially the Municipality of Floridablanca (; ) is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 135,542 people. Floridablanca is a part of the province of the Pampanga located in Central Luzon lying north of Dinalupihan, Bataan and south-southwest of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Etymology
Floridablanca is derived from Spanish which translates to "white flower." However, there are two versions of the name's origin:
in honor of José Moñino, 1st Count of Floridablanca, a former chief minister of Spain whom the locals believed to have visited the place in the early 1800s despite the lack of evidence of his visit; or
white flowers of a pandacaqui plant (Tabernaemontana pandacaqui) that flourished in the town, considered as a more credible origin.

Previously, the town was named San Jose de Calampaui, which is derived from Spanish for Saint Joseph, its patron saint.

History

Floridablanca was founded in 1823 as Hacienda de San Jose de Calampaui at the site of a monastery. In 1867, it was renamed to Pueblo de Floridablanca.

In the 1920s, the Pampanga Sugar Mill was built at Del Carmen in the 1920s. The area was the site of military bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the Philippine Constabulary from 1942 to 1946. The Philippine Air Force established Basa Air Base at a former American military airfield in 1947.

Geography
Floridablanca is located on the western part of Pampanga along the Zambales mountain ranges and is bounded by the municipalities of Porac on the north, Lubao on the south, Guagua on the east, and Dinalupihan, Bataan on the west. It is  from the city of San Fernando and  from Manila. The town is at an elevation of  above sea level. Floridablanca is north of Dinalupihan, Bataan 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. 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 2020 census, the population of Floridablanca, Pampanga, was 135,542 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.

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

Municipal Mayors
 1938–1940 – Geronimo Dinio Coronel
 1941 – Benigno Layug
 1942–1943 – Francisco Vargas
 1943–1944 – Fidel Pekson
 1944 – Leandro Garcia
 1945 – Benigno Layug
 1945 – Dr. Vicente Chincuanco
 1945–1946 – Mariano Macabulos
 1946–1947 – Arsenio T. Isip
 1948–1951 – Mariano Macabulos
 1951–1955 – Dominador Diyco Songco
 1956–1959 – Atty. Marcelo Dungca Mendiola
 1960–1967 – Dominador Diyco Songco
 1968–1971 – Jose Dungca Mendiola
 1972–1986 – Pedro Manuel Capulong
 1986–1992 – Tito Morales Mendiola
 1992–2001 – Pedro Manuel Capulong
 2001–2004 – Joerey Montemayor
 2004–2007 – Darwin Manalansan
 2007–2016 – Eduardo Guerrero
 2016–present – Darwin Manalansan

Tourism
Aside from Basa Air Base, the town has cultural treasures and interesting points.
 1887 San Jose Obrero Parish Church: the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando exercises jurisdiction over the Heritage Church.
 Bahay na Puti (Alvendia House): the Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr. ancestral mansion is owned, preserved and maintained by his family.

Notable personalities

 Leandro Coronel, news reporter/columnist and book author
 Dante Rivero, movie actor
 Jillian Ward, actress
 Justice Carmelino Alvendia, Sr.
 Reynaldo Vitug Reyes, a native of Maligaya, Floridablanca a Major General of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and known as the first Floridablancan Air Force General
Rhea Santos, newsreader from GMA and OMNI

Gallery

References

External links

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

Municipalities of Pampanga
Populated places established in 1867
1867 establishments in the Philippines