Sasmuan, officially the Municipality of Sasmuan (Kapampangan: Balen ning Sasmuan, Tagalog: Bayan ng Sasmuan), formerly known by its Spanish name Sexmoán (pronunciation: ses-mo-wan) , is a 4th class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,076 people, making it the least populated municipality in the province.[4]

Sasmuan
Municipality of Sasmuan
Municipal hall
Municipal hall
Map of Pampanga with Sasmuan highlighted
Map of Pampanga with Sasmuan highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Sasmuan is located in Philippines
Sasmuan
Sasmuan
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°56′10″N 120°37′23″E / 14.936°N 120.623°E / 14.936; 120.623
CountryPhilippines
RegionCentral Luzon
ProvincePampanga
District 2nd district
Barangays12 (see Barangays)
Government
[1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorCatalina M. Cabrera-Bagasina
 • Vice MayorMamerto Tamayo Jr.
 • RepresentativeGloria Macapagal Arroyo
 • Municipal Council
Members
 • Electorate22,860 voters (2022)
Area
 • Total91.80 km2 (35.44 sq mi)
Elevation6.0 m (19.7 ft)
Highest elevation
53 m (174 ft)
Lowest elevation
−7 m (−23 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[4]
 • Total29,076
 • Density320/km2 (820/sq mi)
 • Households
6,202
Economy
 • Income class4th municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
14.61
% (2021)[5]
 • Revenue₱ 121.9 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 105.9 million (2020), 58.79 million (2012)
 • Expenditure₱ 111 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 19.26 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityPampanga 2 Electric Cooperative (PELCO 2)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
2004
PSGC
IDD:area code+63 (0)45
Native languagesKapampangan
Tagalog

It is one of the three coastal towns in Pampanga along with Lubao and Macabebe.

Etymology

edit

It was known as Sexmoan until January 15, 1991.[6] The town's former name in Spanish was Sexmoán, as was initially transcribed by Spanish friars. In Spanish, the letter <x> used to be pronounced as a voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/, identical to the digraph "sh" in English. It was derived from the ancient Kapampangan root word sasmo, which means to meet, according to a 17th-century Kapampangan dictionary. Sasmuan therefore is synonymous with "pitagmuan" or "meeting place of the datus" or "meeting point". It was named "Sasmuan" because it is where the Pampangos meet when they were at war with the Chinese in Guagua.[7] In 1991, the spelling was unanimously changed into Sasmuan, due to perceived sexual connotations.[8][9]

History

edit

Sasmuan already had a well-developed system of government well before the era of Spanish colonization. It was one of the major towns of Pampanga in 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.

Geography

edit

Sasmuan is located in the southern part of Pampanga. It is one of the three towns in the province along the Manila Bay coastline (Others are Macabebe and Lubao). It is bounded to the north by the municipalities of Guagua and Minalin; to the east by the municipality of Macabebe; to the west by the municipality of Lubao; and to the south by Manila Bay. Most of the town's area is fish ponds.

Barangays

edit

Sasmuan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Batang 1st "San Vicente"
  • Batang 2nd "Sto. Nino"
  • Mabuanbuan "Sagrada Pamilya"
  • Malusac "Sto Rosario"
  • San Antonio
  • San Nicolas 1st
  • San Nicolas 2nd includes Sitio Remedios (Dakung)
  • San Pedro
  • Santa Lucia
  • Santa Monica includes Sitio San Francisco (Cutud)
  • Santo Tomas includes Sitio Santa Cruz
  • Sebitanan "Sto Cristo"

Climate

edit
Climate data for Sasmuan, Pampanga
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 30
(86)
31
(88)
33
(91)
34
(93)
33
(91)
31
(88)
29
(84)
29
(84)
29
(84)
30
(86)
31
(88)
30
(86)
31
(87)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 19
(66)
20
(68)
21
(70)
23
(73)
25
(77)
25
(77)
25
(77)
25
(77)
24
(75)
23
(73)
22
(72)
20
(68)
23
(73)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 8
(0.3)
9
(0.4)
15
(0.6)
34
(1.3)
138
(5.4)
203
(8.0)
242
(9.5)
233
(9.2)
201
(7.9)
126
(5.0)
50
(2.0)
21
(0.8)
1,280
(50.4)
Average rainy days 3.7 4.1 6.5 11.2 21.2 24.9 27.7 26.5 25.5 21.8 12.6 5.6 191.3
Source: Meteoblue[10]

Demographics

edit
Population census of Sasmuan
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 6,981—    
1918 7,224+0.23%
1939 10,018+1.57%
1948 9,804−0.24%
1960 13,081+2.43%
1970 16,792+2.53%
1975 16,849+0.07%
1980 17,901+1.22%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 21,148+1.68%
1995 23,146+1.71%
2000 23,359+0.20%
2007 26,630+1.82%
2010 27,254+0.85%
2015 28,004+0.52%
2020 29,076+0.74%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[11][12][13][14]

In the 2020 census, the population of Sasmuan, Pampanga, was 29,076 people,[4] with a density of 320 inhabitants per square kilometre or 830 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

edit

Poverty incidence of Sasmuan

5
10
15
20
2006
12.10
2009
11.45
2012
6.73
2015
15.88
2018
6.07
2021
14.61

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

 
Sasmuan Fish port

Sasmuan has a unique geography in that it is surrounded by fish ponds. Aquaculture has been the main industry that drives the local economy. The fish from ponds and other areas are sold at the Fish Port.

The town has 2 prime business ventures and both are in the food industry. These two are Sasmuan Delicacies which was founded in 1990 and Aiza's Sweets which was started in 2000. For Sasmuan Delicacies, their products are being sold in many big supermarkets and malls in the Philippines, including SM City Malls. Aiza's Sweets on the other hand, has SM City Malls as one of their primary customer, but they also sell to several popular local shops such as Susie's Sweets, Nathaniels, etc. Also, Aiza's Sweets exports to the United States and Canada.

Santa Lucia Parish Church

edit
 
Santa Lucia Parish Church

The Santa Lucia Parish Church in Sasmuan is the first church in the province built by Augustinian priests. It stands right beside the Río Grande, a river that connects Pampanga to Manila Bay. The structure is said to have been built by Jose Duque in the 17th century, was rebuilt in the early 1800s, and was reinforced by Toribio Fanjul in 1884.

The edifice has decorative floral carvings on its main entrance. The old town church is one of the few, if not the only church in the country where the single belfry is situated between the church and the convento. The church, which measures 45 metres (148 ft) long, 11 metres (36 ft) wide, and 6 metres (20 ft) high, also features a grotto of Our Lady of Fatima. Devotees from all over the province flock here to honor Saint Lucy, believed to be a miraculous saint.

Founded in 1590, Santa Lucia is a parish of the Vicariate of St. Joseph in the Archdiocese of San Fernando. The parish celebrates the feast day of its titular patron on December 13.

[23]

Notable People

edit
edit
Panorama of the Fish port

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Municipality of Sasmuan | (DILG)
  2. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ https://www.philatlas.com/luzon/r03/pampanga/sasmuan.html. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Census of Population (2020). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  5. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  6. ^ Eighth Congress of the Philippines (January 15, 1991). "Republic Act No. 6976: AN ACT CHANGING THE NAME OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SEXMOAN IN THE PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA TO MUNICIPALITY OF SASMUAN". The LawPhil Project. Philippine Laws and Jurisprudence Databank.
  7. ^ "Sasmuan". eK! - electronic Kabalen. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  8. ^ "Santa Lucia Church, Sasmuan, Pampanga". Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  9. ^ Jennings, Ken (17 April 2012). Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks. Scribner. ISBN 978-1439167182.
  10. ^ "Sasmuan: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  11. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  12. ^ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  13. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  14. ^ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  16. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  17. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  18. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  19. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  20. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  21. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  22. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  23. ^ "Church of Santa Lucia (Sasmuan, Pampanga)". July 28, 2006.
edit