Wawa (Lán-nâng: 偎岸, Hua-hua), which means "river mouth" (Pampangan: alua or bukana), was the earliest recorded form of the town's name according to records dating back to 1590. The town is strategically located along a river which played a vital role in trade and transportation during the precolonial era.
Wawa was was already a prosperous settlement when Spanish colonists took control of the town in the year 1561, from then on calling it Guagua, which is a Hispanised form of the original name. Indeed, archeological artifacts have been excavated in a nearby town which affirmed the existence of a prehistoric community in Guagua.
Early inhabitants opted to stay in the town because it was here that they could engage in barter trade with people from different islands, along with other means of livelihood like fishing and farming. The navigable river with which the town was endowed allowed shipping vessels to transport commodities to and from other chief localities, particularly the imperial Manila. The first cargo boat to arrive in Guagua was the Doña Dominga on 7 May 1884. Much later it was followed by the steamships Kaibigan and Kababayan, which anchored at the pier in Bgy Santo Niño, better known as the Yañgco Landing.
In 1892, when the Manila–Mabalacat railroad was inaugurated, Guagua was virtually the port of embarkation to and from Manila that served the province. Commerce was further improved when the San Fernando–Guagua line of the railroad was chartered on 17 November 1907.
The Chinese have long been part in Guagua's social and economic mainstream. In the 18th century, they sought refuge in the town to escape discrimination and persecution in Manila. After their near-total slaughter, the Chinese lived in relative peace while they freely practiced their craft and mingled hand-in-hand with the local residents. The Chinese residents were merchants, masons, woodcarvers, carpenters, agriculturists and labourers. Their influence on the cultural and economic life of Guagua cannot be overlooked. The town could not have prospered so well without the economic services provided by the Chinese.
The town took significant part in the revolutionary struggles against the foreign intruders. A house near a church was made a secret cell of the Katipuneros in August 1897. In March 1898, a massacre of all Spanish sympathisers in Guagua marked the end of Spanish colonialism and the outset of American rule. Moreover, during the Philippine–American War and the ensuing Second World War, Guagua became an important battleground.
At the turn of the twentieth century, a new system of education was introduced and made popular and available to the Filipinos. The Guagua Elementary School in Bgy Santa Filomena, is believed to be the first to be established in the town in the year 1901. Later in that year, an English teacher came to Betis Area and opened a primary school which functioned on a regular basis. In 1908, Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (now St Mary's Academy in Bgy San Roque) was established in a two-storey building donated by a charitable matron, in downtown Guagua. Later in 1918, Guagua National Institute (now Guagua National Colleges in Bgy Santa Filomena) was founded at the convent of the Catholic church. Further, in 1941, the then-parish priest felt the need for another high school in town, so he opened Saint Michael's College.
At the overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the local government carried out a sustainable development program to address the town's destitute state. From its income classification in 1986 as a third-class municipality, Guagua grew to a first-class one. Guagua garnered several outstanding citations for its achievement, including of several "Most Outstanding LGU" awards.
Guagua was severly devastated by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
Topography
The town is almost flat and is suitable to any phase of development; agricultural, industrial, commercial and others. It is only a meter above sea level. The general slope is south and southeast toward the Bay of Pampanga (Bahía de Pampanga in Spanish) which drains out into Manila Bay. Further, Guagua is traversed by several creeks and tributaries during rainy days, which collect and convey floodwater to the Guagua river and into the Manila Bay.
Climate
The climate prevailing in Guagua, like in other parts of Pampanga is Type I - District, wet and dry seasons. The dry season starts from December until May, with the months of March, April and May as the driest and hottest. Upon the other hand, wet season occur from June to November, in which period the rain are heaviest.
Soil type
In general, the soils of Guagua are of recent alluvial origin consisting of fine sand, silt loam and hydrosol. The average chemical analysis of its top soils is : nitrogen, 0.02 to 0.1; phosphorus, 0.06 to 0.28; potassium, 0.46 to 1.74; organic carbon, 0.41 to 3.02; and pH value (acidity and alkalinity), 5.61 to 6.99
Natural resources
Guagua's location makes it rather poor in natural timber, mineral and non-mineral resources. The town sources these materials from outside
Flora and fauna
The climate and topographical features of the vast land of Guagua make it ideal for the growing of fruit trees and vegetables. Among the fruit trees most fitting to be planted are mangoes, guavas, santol, star apples, and bananas. For vegetables, sitao, upo, ampalaya, gabi and cucumber are the most commonly produced by farmers and which thrive best in the community.
Being void of forest areas, its fauna are mostly the domesticated ones like, chicken, ducks, cattle, and others.
For political and economic purposes, Guagua is divided into four (4) sectoral areas, subdivided into 31 barangays:
Poblacion Area, Bancal, Plaza Burgos, San Nicolas 1st, San Pedro, San Rafael, San Roque, Sta. Filomena, Sto. Cristo, Sto. Niño, Pangulo Area, San Vicente Ebus, Lambac, Magsaysay, Maquiapo, Natividad, Pulungmasle, Rizal, Ascomo, Jose Abad Santos (Siran), Locion Area, San Pablo, San Juan 1st, San Jose, San Matias, San Isidro, San Antonio, Betis Area, San Agustin, San Juan Bautista, San Juan Nepomuceno, San Miguel, San Nicolas 2nd, Sta. Ines, Sta. Ursula
San Rafael was constituted from Duck Island in 1956.
Like other towns in the Philippines, Guagua is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council (Sangguniang Bayan) consisting of councilors from the Barangays of Barrios.
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at San Roque, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Olongapo Road, Guagua Pampanga
(Tel no.: (045) 455 7674)
Located at Provincial Hospital San Matias Guagua Pampanga
Located at Sto Nino, Guagua Pampanga
Located at San Roque
Located at San Roque
Located at San Matias
Located at San Antonio
Located at San Pedro
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at San Nicolas 2nd Market area Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga (045)900-4321
Located at San Roque, Guagua Pampanga
Located at St. Filomena, Guagua, Pampanga
Tel: 900-22-07 Fax: 900- 03-41
Located at Gapan-Olongapo Road, Guagua, Pampanga
Tel: (045) 901-0650 Fax: (045) 961- 7079
Located at Calle Mc Kinley, Sto. Cristo, Guagua, Pampanga
Tel: (045) 900-2412 Fax: (045) 900-2412
Located at San Matias, Guagua, Pampanga
Located at San Roque, Guagua, Pampanga
Tel: (045) 900-0719 / Fax: (045)9000719; 900-0219
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at Plaza Burgoz, Guagua Pampanga
Located at San Roque, Guagua Pampanga
Meat Products
Located at Purok 1 Lambac Guagua, Pampanga
Tel:4514589.912
Located at Betis, Pampanga
Land:
Public jeepneys, Tri-cycle, Baliwag Transit Bus
Rufino Cardinal Santos .He is the first Filipino Cardinal, became the 29th Archbishop of Manila.
Aurelio Tolentino (October 13, 1867 – July 5, 1915) was a great writer in the annals of Tagalog literature. A member of the revolutionary organization Katipunan who worked alongside Andres Bonifacio, he was imprisoned by the Spaniards for his activities. He was one of the signatories of the Declaration of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898.
Juan Flores. Hails from Sta. Ursula, Betis, Guagua carved and installed three large wood and glass chandeliers in the Ceremonial Hall of the Malacanang Palace in 1979.
Summer and Rainy Seasons
Guagua is a second class Municipality with an income of 34,827,886.20 in 1995. It is basically agricultural but, it is more known as the commercial center of District II, this is due to its strategic location, among others.
Travel Agencies
Ezway Travel and Tours – San Roque
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