San Simon, Pampanga

San Simon is a 4th class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 41,253 people in 7,680 households.

San Simon, an emerging business haven in Central Luzon particularly in the province of Pampanga had its humble beginnings in 1770 as a farming village when it was founded by Don Mariano del Pilar de los Reyes and named it Barrio Del Pilar. It was in a productive agricultural area between the towns of San Luis in the North and Apalit in the South. As the population kept on growing in the local community, the leading citizens of the progressive village initiated a petition to consolidate a portion of the southern part of the town of San Luis and a land area from the northern part of the municipality of Apalit to form an independent municipality.

Appraised of the economic potential of a new town and confidence in the management capability of the leaders, the Spanish Governor General at the time during his second term as chief administrator of the Philippines, Don Simón de Anda y Salazar approved the official creation of the town on November 15, 1771.

The town was named in honor of the Spanish Governor General who approved its creation and of the Apostle Simon Peter, the Patron Saint of the illustrious town of Apalit. Like any other typical Spanish town (pueblo) it was administered by a “Capitan del Pueblo” and had a municipal policy making body called today as Municipal Council. The Catholic Parish Church, the Public Market, the Town Plaza and homes of prominent families were located within the proximity of the Municipal Hall. The people of San Simon celebrate two town fiestas, one in honor of Lady of the Pillar, the patron saint of the first barrio and the other in honor of the Apostle Simon Peter. In 1898, the retreating military forces of General Antonio Luna on their way to Nueva Ecija burned the parish church. In 1979, through the effort and financial contributions of the Ibanez, Guevarra, Santos, Punsalan, Pangan and other families, the church was rebuilt and named as Nuestra Senora Del Pilar.

Among the early settlers of the town were the de los Reyes, de los Santos, Macapagal, Pangan, Punzalan, Puyat, Santos and Simbulan families.

By the year 1835, the town had eight barrios. However, since the late 1940s, the number of barrios increased to fourteen in a land area of 57.36 square kilometres and by the early years of the 21st century, the population grew to more than 39,000 people. As of this writing, the barrios in San Simon are the following:

Barangays

Concepcion
San Juan
San Pedro (Cutcut)
De la Paz
San Miguel (Calonge)
Santa Cruz
San Agustin(Tulauc)
San Nicolas (Sompong)
Santa Monica (Pangkiari)
San Isidro (Litlit)
San Pablo Libutad (barrio anak)
Santo Nino
San Jose
San Pablo (Pulo) or (barrio matwa)

Town Executives

Available records at the Municipal Hall list the following town executives from 1898 to June 2004:

Name Year Title

Juan Agulo 1898 Kapitan del Pueblo Solomon Ibanez 1899 Kapitan del Pueblo Diego de los Santos 1900 Kapitan del Pueblo Macario Santos 1901 Kapitan del Pueblo Basilio de los Santos 1902 Kapitan del Pueblo Manuel Ibanez 1903 Kapitan del Pueblo Mariano Pangan 1904 Kapitan del Pueblo Mariano Vergara 1905 Kapitan del Pueblo Sisenando Pineda 1906-1908 Presidente Municipal (San Luis) Pablo Cruz 1908-1910 Presidente Municipal (San Luis) Teodoro Punsalan 1910-1912 Presidente Municipal Macario Perez 1913-1915 Presidente Municipal Urbano Guevara 1916-1918 Presidente Municipal Servillano Ibanez 1919-1924 Presidente Municipal Ramon Tuano 1925-1927 Presidente Municipal Catalino Ibanez 1935-1936 Mayor Domingo Pineda 1937-1938 Mayor Patrocinio Yabut 1938-1939 Acting Mayor Patrocinio Yabut 1939-1941 Elected Mayor Agustin Sese 1941-1942 Acting Mayor Ramon Ibanez 1942-1944 Appointed Mayor by Japanese Felipe Almario 1945-1946 Mayor Eusebio Francisco June–Dec 1946 Appointed Mayor Fernando Galang 1947-1949 Appointed Mayor Jose S. Yabut Sr. 1949-1952 Elected Mayor Gregorio Santillan 1953-1956 Elected Mayor Jose S. Yabut Sr. 1957-1960 Elected Mayor Felicisimo Pamandanan 1960 (6 months) Officer-In-Charge (OIC) Cornelio S. Sanga 1961-1968 Elected Mayor Lamberto Punsalan 1969-1975 Elected Mayor Ruben Dagdag 1976-1979 Acting Mayor Jose Yabut Jr. 1980-1986 Elected Mayor Gaudencio Pineda 1986-Jan 1988 Appointed Mayor Manuel S. Bondoc 1988-1998 Elected Mayor Azor L. Sitchon 1998-2001 Elected Mayor Rodrigo M. Canlas 2001-2004 Elected Mayor Rodrigo M. Canlas 2004 - Present Elected Mayor

In 1904, the town of San Simon was merged with the municipality of San Luis and about three years after, it became again an independent municipality. In 1920, the geographical boundaries of San Luis, Apalit and San Simon were officially established.

Like most Kapampangan people, residents of San Simon retain their Kapampangan language and traditional culture and arts brought about by their Malay ancestors and enriched by Chinese, Spanish, American, Japanese and other ethnic and foreign cultures. The principal industries in San Simon are farming, fishing and poultry and swine industries.

Following the advancement of technology and industrialization, the climate for investment in San Simon is very promising because of its geographic location and the incentives initiated by Mayor Manuel S. Bondoc and the Municipal Council presided then by Vice Mayor Azor L. Sitchon. Through their effort and efficient leadership, the town with an annual gross income of about 500,000.00 Philippine pesos in 1988 as a 6th class municipality became a 4th class municipality with an annual gross income of more than 3,500,000 Philippine pesos by the end of the 20th century. When Mayor Azor L. Sitchon, an Economics graduate with honors from the famed Ateneo de Manila University took over the administration as elected mayor, he not only continued the completion of the projects and programs of his predecessor, Mayor Manuel S. Bondoc but he also initiated his own new economic programs and infrastructure projects including a modern public market and a new Municipal Hall along the national highway in barrio San Agustin (Tulauc) and made it centrally accessible from all directions. Barrio San Agustin (Tulauc) became a commercial center and the seat of municipal government, thus contributing to the increase of municipal tax revenues. Total target tax revenues from business taxes, real property taxes and other fees were projected to be more than 7,000,000.00 Philippine pesos. It is acknowledged that the significant economic growth in San Simon was brought about by the Comprehensive Municipal Development and Land Use Plan enacted by the Municipal Council. The zoning ordinance reclassified the entire stretch of Quezon Road as Industrial and Commercial Zone, but limited only to light and medium size industries and those that are environmental friendly.

Another factor that contributes to the potential economic growth of San Simon in the 21st century is its geographic location. It is strategically located in the central part of the “W” Growth Corridor of Central Luzon and it is accessible from major road networks and arteries coming from the different provinces of Central Luzon and Metro Manila. From the North Luzon Expressway, one can take an exit through the San Simon Toll Plaza, which is about 45 kilometers from Metro Manila and seven kilometers from San Fernando City, Pampanga and approximately 20 kilometers from the Clark Special Economic Zone in Angeles. City.

Taking advantage of the conducive local business environment, tax incentives and availability of skilled workers, many manufacturing and commercial firms have been established or relocated in San Simon. The infusion of private capital investment was about ten billion pesos and expected to increase to more than twenty bullion pesos by the early years of the 21st century. Among these enterprises are the following:

Name of Business Firm Product Line

SKK Steel Corporation Steel Billet Sta. Monica Feed Mills Animal Feeds Mass V Group Inc. Battery Importation Buildcom Constructive Materials SG Farms Repackers of Magnolia Products Terra Cotta Artworks Inc. Ornamental Potteries Powerpoint Battery Manufacturing Corp. Automotive Batteries Grand Caesar Ceramic Tiles Ceramic Tiles Selecta Feeds Inc. Animal Feeds Ingot Casting Phils. Inc. Industrial Valves Comtex International Corp. Hosiery Products Radiance Commercial Phils. Inc. Gas Steel Cylinders Philippine Sanimaster Mfg. Corp. Kitchen wares Alman Anodizing Corp. Jonathan Commercial Concrete Products Construction Materials INGASCO Inc. Industrial Gases 4B Construction & Asphalt Plant Asphalt Products Asia Pacific Recyclers Corp. Lead Smelting Kyoto Health Foods Inc. Food Products Princess Leah Resort & Restaurant Resort & Restaurant First Clarkway Industrial Park Industrial Park/Eco-Zone San Simon Industrial Park Industrial Park/Eco-Zone

For elementary and high school education, the people of San Simon are served by thirteen elementary schools, two barangay public high schools and three private schools. For marketing, there are two public markets in San Simon, one in the old poblacion area and another one located in the industrial zone area.

For telecommunications, the town is served by DIGiTEL, PLDT,PILTEL,DATELCOM and SMARTBRO ("wireless internet broadband") has been located in Sto. Nino or most commonly known is barrio saluso. another wireless internet connection was also used many of establishment building here in San Simon that is COMCLARK SureStream it can locate this antenna on the City of San Fernando on building of Saver's Mall.

The following prominent Filipinos have/had their heritage or roots in San Simon:

Rufino Almario – Poet and Author Marta Santos de Asis – Business Entrepreneur, Owner of Famous Dry Cleaning Gen. Paulino Briones – Philippine Army – Recognized Guerrilla Col. Paulino Briones, Jr. – Assistant Chief, TRAFCON, Philippine Constabulary Agapito Calanoc – Poet and Novelist Candido P. Caluag – Poet, Writer and Orator Felix Capulong – Vice President, Chinese Insurance Corporation Cesario P. Cunanan – Supervising Teacher Esteban P. Cunanan – Poet and Author Datu Patricio S. Cunanan – Governor in Davao, Municipal Judge in Mati, Davao Atty. Pacifico Garcia – Corporate Lawyer Bonifacio Gomez – Governor in Mindoro, President of Mindoro Sugar Central Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez – Outstanding Socio-Civic Leader and Dental Surgeon in California Cirila Punsalan Macapagal – Versista and Woman Poetess Capt. Cielo de Leon – Nursing Corps, Philippine Army Atty. Leonardo de Leon – Assistant Director, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)) Demetrio Macapagal – Catholic Music composer and grandfather of President Diosdado P. Macapagal Atty. Eligio Mallari - Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights 2001-2008 and President, Philippine Trial Lawyers Association, Inc. 2003-2005 Judge Florentino Mercado – Municipal Judge of Apalit, Pampanga Atty. Felicisimo Pamandanan – Philippine National Bank Legal Counselor Catalino G. Punsalan – Governor of Occidental Mindoro Atty. Cicero J. Punsalan – Lawyer, Provincial Board Member and Vice Governor of Pampanga Felix B. Punsalan – Poet Laureate, Dramatist, Historian, Writer and Stage Director Col. Leon F. Punsalan – Regular US Army Leonardo Punsalan – Governor in Oriental Mindoro Dr. Narciso Punsalan – Mayor of San Jose, Mindoro Atty. Primitivo B. Punsalan – Philippine National Bank Legal Counselor Atty. Silvestre M. Punsalan – Lawyer, Poet Laureate, Novelist and Philippine National Bank Chairman Simeon B. Punsalan – Supervising Teacher Teodoro Punsalan – Mayor of San Luis, Pampanga Roman P. Reyes – Poet Laureate, Dramatist, Stage Actor and Director Judge Macario P. Santos – Court of First Instance, Dumaguete City Major Dante Simbulan – Philippine Army Dr. Donato Simbulan Jr. – Director, St. Michael Hospital in Cotabato Major Isauro Simbulan – Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Ruperto Simbulan – US Navy Sergio Taruc – Division Superintendent of Antique Conrado S. Yabut – Division Superintendent of Abra Engr. Moises Yabut – 1st Provincial Engineer of Pampanga; Engr. George Mallari Simbulan, was one of the youngest to pass the "Professional Electrical Engineer" licensure examination in April 1995 and served as president of Rotary Club of Metro-Clark for RY2006-07, born in Bgy. Santa Cruz, San Simon, raised in Floridablanca and now practicing his profession in Angeles City. Mr. Herminio Cuyugan Santos of Sta Cruz- Chairman of Ugnayang Magsasaka ng San Simon, 2003-04, help improved the financial status of the organization in cooperation with the NFA-R3 office.

External links

* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information]
* [http://eksite.com/ eK! - (electronic Kabalen) a Pampanga-based Kapampangan journal of new writing]