63. NTDP IN PAMPANGA

NTDP IN PAMPANGA

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

21 March 2018

Instructed by the Governor through the Provincial Administrator, I proceeded to Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga province particularly at Quest Hotel and Hill Top to participate in the Northern Luzon Cluster Roll-Out of NTDP Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and Tourism Rapid Assessment (TRA) Manuals.

The National Tourism Development Plan 2016-2022 is a continuation of the National Tourism Development Plan 2011-2016 formulated in 2010 by the Department of Tourism as mandated by Republic Act 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009. It was completed with the assistance of Asia Pacific Projects, Inc., in association with Indra Philippines. The vision of developing a highly competitive and environmentally sustainable tourism industry that is focused on creating inclusive growth was adopted to provide the long-term implementation framework consistent with the declaration of policy set forth in the Tourism Act of 2009.The Department of Tourism started the review of the original Plan in December 2015 followed by extensive consultations with National Government Agencies and private tourism-related associations in January 2016. Through March 2016, a series of focus group discussions and consultations were undertaken on a regional, provincial, and local level participated in by sectors representing local tourism and business councils, local government units, non-governmental organizations, and the academe. The extensive discussions were also supported by a SWOT survey conducted among the participants which essentially validated some issues identified in the first Plan as continuing challenges that remain to be addressed in the coming years. The industry’s performance vis-à-vis the economic goals and targets set forth during the period of 2011-2016, likewise, formed the basis for strategic programs and action plans covering 2016-2022 laying down the basis for the new goals and targets. Efforts have been undertaken to consolidate the gains already made and adopt a more strategic and innovative approach in exploring new opportunities to pursue inclusive growth which will be done by expanding community participation across the full range of facilities and services planned in the tourism circuits and development areas. Continuity is the cornerstone of the new plan with special focus on what is achievable as well as on building on the momentum of what has already been initiated through the efforts of the numerous stakeholders comprising the tourism industry.

My maternal ancestors particularly the Gozum lineage originated in Pampanga. Originally from Amoy (now Xiamen), China, my grandfather’s great grandfather – Zun Go, arrived in Luzon and assumed the name Pedro Gozun and settled in the area of Macabebe, Pampanga. One of his sons, Mateo, changed the surname to “Gozum” for phonetic reasons. Mateo Gozum’s family migrated to Sorsogon, Sorsogon when his son, Leocadio (one of the first batch of University of the Philippines graduates who became CPA), was assigned as provincial auditor of the combined provinces of Sorsogon and Masbate. The family, particularly the Leoncio Gozum (older brother of Leocadio) clan permanently settled in Ilagan, Isabela before the Japanese Occupation when he was brought by Leocadio who became provincial auditor of Isabela and another brother Patricio (a friend of Isabela Governor Lino Castillejo) became superintendent of schools. My grandfather, Rafael (son of Leoncio and 1^st elected mayor of Cabatuan, Isabela), knew how to speak Kapampangan but was not able to teach his lineage. Our remaining relatives in Pampanga are scattered in the towns of Macabebe, Masantol and Apalit. Aside from the Gozums, the Suñga, Lobo, Maniego and Cortez families are also our relatives. A street in Apalit bears the name of my great great grandmother, Doña Venancia Suñga de Cortez - mother of Nicolasa, wife of Mateo Gozum.

Surfing Google, ancient Pampanga's territorial area included portions of the modern provinces of Tarlac, Bataan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. Pampanga was re-organized as a province by the Spaniards on December 11, 1571. For better administration and taxation purposes, the Spanish authorities subdivided Pampanga into pueblos, which were further subdivided into districts (barrios) and in some cases into royal and private estates or encomiendas.

Due to excessive abuses committed by some encomenderos, King Philip II of Spain in 1574 prohibited the further awarding of private estates, but this decree was not fully enforced until 1620. In a report of Philippine encomiendas on June 20, 1591, Governor-General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas reported to the Crown that La Pampanga's encomiendas were Bataan, Betis y Lubao, Macabebe, Candaba, Apalit, Calumpit, Malolos, Binto, Guiguinto, Caluya, Bulacan and Mecabayan. The encomiendas of La Pampanga at that time had eighteen thousand six hundred and eighty whole tributes.

The historic province of Bataan which was founded in 1754 under the administration of Spanish Governor-General Pedro Manuel Arandia, absorbed from the province of Pampanga the municipalities of Abucay, Balanga (now a city), Dinalupihan, Llana Hermosa, Orani, Orion, Pilar, and Samal.

The old Pampanga towns of Aliaga, Cabiao, Gapan, San Antonio and San Isidro were ceded to the province of Nueva Ecija in 1848 during the term of Spanish Governor-General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua. The municipality of San Miguel de Mayumo of Pampanga was yielded to the province of Bulacan in the same provincial boundary configuration in 1848.

In 1860, the northern towns of Bamban, Capas, Concepcion, Victoria, Tarlac, Mabalacat, Magalang, Porac and Floridablanca were separated from Pampanga and were placed under the jurisdiction of a military command called Comandancia Militar de Tarlac. However, in 1873, the four latter towns were returned to Pampanga and the other five became municipalities of the newly created Province of Tarlac. During the British occupation of Manila (1762-1764), Bacolor became the provisional Spanish colonial capital and military base.

Pampanga, which is about 2,200 square kilometers in area and inhabited by more than 1.5 million people, had its present borders drawn in 1873. During the Spanish regime it was one of the richest Philippine provinces. Manila and its surrounding region were then primarily dependent on Kapampangan agricultural, fishery and forestry products as well as on the supply of skilled workers.

A fourth of my blood is Kapampangan and stories were handed down from generation to generation that I am a descendant of Francisco Maniago (Maniego), a leader of the village in Mexico, Pampanga, who led a revolt in 1660 in protest against forced labor and confiscation of rice by the Spaniards. He blocked the mouths of the rivers of Pampanga to stop commerce with Manila and his rebellion ended with the acceptance of his demands by the Spaniards.

Everytime I stay in Clark in Angeles City and in the City of San Fernando or just passed by TPLEx and SCTEx, I always recollect the old stories of my lolo Paeng (Rafael) on how our ancestors migrated from Amoy, Macabebe, Sorsogon-Masbate, Kalookan (now Caloocan City) and finally in Ilagan. I am proud of my roots and I am proud to be a Kapampangan.