Sasmuan, Pampanga

Sasmuan
—  Municipality  —
Map of Pampanga showing the location of Sasmuan.
Sasmuan Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°56′N 120°37′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Pampanga
District	2nd District
Founded
Barangays	12
Government
• Mayor	Fernando Baltazar Jr
Area
• Total	91.80 km2 (35.44 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Total	26,630
• Density	290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2004
Income class	4th class

Population Census of Sasmuan
Census	Pop.		Rate
1995	23,146		—
2000	23,359		0.20%
2007	26,630		1.82%

Sasmuan (formerly Sexmoan) is a fourth class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 26,630 people in 4,343 households.

Etymology

The town's former name of "Sexmoan" was how it was spelled in Spanish by friars with "X" pronounced as "S" as in xylophone attempting to transcribe "Sasmuan", the original and current name. It was derived from the Malayo-Polynesian word "pitagmuan" or "meeting place of the datus". It was named "Sasmuan" because it is where the Pampangos meet when they were at war with the Chinese in Guagua.

History

Sasmuan already had a well-developed system of government well before the era of Spanish colonization. It evolved to be one of the oldest and major settlements in Pampanga by the 16th century. The Santa Lucia Church was one of the first Roman Catholic churches built in the Philippines by the Spaniards with the political and financial support of the Principalia.

Barangays

Sasmuan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays.

• Batang 1st
• Batang 2nd
• Mabuanbuan
• Malusac
• Santa Lucia (Pob.)
• San Antonio
• San Nicolas 1st
• San Nicolas 2nd
• San Pedro
• Santa Monica
• Santo Tomas
• Sebitanan

Economy

Sasmuan has a unique geography in that it is surrounded by fish ponds. Aquaculture has been the main industry that drives the local economy.

Cuisine

• Polvoron- Roasted flour with sugar, milk, and butter or margarine.
• Tamales- Rice flour with shrimp gravy, garlic, and a little slice of boiled egg steamed in banana leaves.
• Palatpat- A sour fruit from a tree that grows in shallow waters. Often utilised as a condiment.
• Tabang Talangka- fat derived from talangka, a small breed of crab.
• Eko- a type of fish sauce.
• Taklang Dagis - A Stool from Dakung.

Fiestas

Fiesta San Juan

• Celebrated every June 24 in honour of St. John the Baptist. Customarily, visitors to the town are doused with water in imitation of the saint's biblical role. A grand fluvial parade is conducted that lasts throughout the day.

Kuraldal Festival

• Celebrated every January 6 in honour of the town's patron saint, Saint Lucy. This saint is believed to help not only the blind but women who wish to have fertility and to bear children.

External links

• Sasmuan, Pampanga (video)
• Sasmuan, Pampanga II (video)
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 1995 Philippine Census Information
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information