Apalit, Pampanga

Infobox Philippine municipality
infoboxtitle = Municipality of Apalit


sealfile = Ph seal pampanga apalit.png region = Central Luzon (Region III)
province = Pampanga
founded =
pop2000 = 78,295
popden2000 =
areakm2 = 72
coordinates = 14°57′N 120°46′E
barangays = 12
districts = 4th District of Pampanga
class = 1st class municipality
mayor = Oscar "Jun" D. Tetangco Jr. (Lakas-CMD)
locatormapfile = Ph_locator_pampanga_apalit.png caption = Map of Pampanga showing the location of Apalit

Apalit is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 97,296 inhabitants ("78,295 people in 15,072 households in census 2000").

This town has a land area of 72 km². Its nearby towns are Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin and San Simon of Pampanga and Calumpit of Bulacan.

Barangays

Apalit is politically subdivided into 12 barangays.
* Balucuc
* Calantipe
* Cansinala
* Capalangan
* Colgante
* Paligui
* Sampaloc
* San Juan (Pob.)
* San Vicente
* Sucad
* Sulipan
* Tabuyuc (Santo Rosario)

History

Malayan immigrants that settled along the banks of Rio Grande de la Pampanga at the beginning of the 14th century were the ancestors of many Apalitenos. The art and culture of this early settlers' civilization reached the Zambales mountains and the rest of Central Luzon.

At the time Apalit was settled, there was a big sturdy tree "Pterocarpus indicus" or Apalit (also known as Narra) in Kapampangan at the present site of the Catholic Parish Church of Saint Peter. Apparently, the town got its name from that big legendary tree which is now the National tree of the Philippines.

Apalit was formally established as an independent municipality in 1582 during the term of office of Spanish Governor General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa. It was initially composed then of four encomiendas namely, Apali (Pale), La Castilla, Cabambangan and Capalangan. La Castilla was made the town proper (Poblacion) and was renamed later as San Juan Nepomuceno.

It was not until 1597 when the Apalit Parish of Saint Peter was created after its separation from the Parish of Calumpit. Fr. Pedro de Vergara was appointed as the first Parish Priest to attend to the spiritual needs of the Catholic community of Apalit. In conjunction with the annual town fiesta, the traditional fluvial parade of Saint Peter was initiated by Capitan del Pueblo Don Pedro Armayan Espiritu on June 28, 1844.

The town of Apalit is located in the southern part of Pampanga bounded in the south by Calumpit, Bulacan, in the north by the town of San Simon and in the west by the municipality of Macabebe.

With about 72 square kilometers in land area, the town of Apalit has a population of about 78,295 people (per the year 2000 census) in its twelve barangays.

Feast of Saint Peter

The Apung Iru Fluvial Procession which is annually held during June 28, 29 and 30, is the most widely recognized religious procession in the province of Pampanga. Here the venerated ivory image of St Peter is paraded along the Pampanga River

References

[http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~camiling/history_apalit.htm]

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 ideas]