HISTORY and hope bookend the 441st celebration of Pampanga Day today, Dec. 11.

The day recalls the founding of Pampanga and its recognition by the Spanish civil government on Dec. 11, 1571.

At the same time, the observance alerts the people of Pampanga to the challenges and possibilities of the future and asks them to renew and strengthen their energies for the creation of a more prosperous and peaceful province.

Simplicity, tradition and symbolism will mark the Day as Gov. Lilia G. Pineda leads close to two million province mates in the annual celebration.

A huge audience is expected at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in the City of San Fernando for a simple but celebrative program. The traditional parade, job fair and cultural show will follow a morning Holy Mass.

A highlight is the presentation of the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award (MOKA) to notable men and women who have excelled in the different professions and vocations.

The Capampangan in Media Inc. (CAMI), an association of writers, journalists and artists, is scheduled to launch a book on the history of Capampangan journalism during the Spanish colonial period.

The oldest province
“December 11, 1571, is not the day Pampanga started existing, but the day the Spaniards discovered that Pampanga had already been existing,” wrote Robert Tantingco, a historian at the Center for Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University in Angeles City. Ancient Pampanga kingdom’s territory included a huge portion of today’s provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac and Zambales.

Looking forward to the future, Gov. Pineda — “NanayGov” or “Nanay Baby” to most cabalen—has begun building the foundation for a highly developed province where businesses, tourism, jobs, entrepreneurship, self-employment, law and order and public health grow in abundance, along with universal access to public education, affordable housing and efficient public transportation.

Pampanga as nation’s capital
Urban planners and city administrators have advocated the conversion of the Clark-Angeles-San Fernando-Mabalacat region to a new national capital and seat of government for its robust economy, size, location, infrastructure and the attraction of the Clark International Airport and the Clark Freeport Economic Development Zone, among other reasons.

Availability of trained workers, good roads and bridges, modern telecommunication systems, and abundant raw materials and power attract foreign and Filipino investors. As of September 2010, the Clark Freeport Zone, former home base of the US 13th Air Force, had 460 locators and 59, 000 workers.

The Kapampangans’ skills, artistry, and fine sensibilities show in their crafts and trade. Skill and soul go into the making of the giant Christmas lanterns of San Fernando, the potteries and jars of Sto. Tomas, the knives and bolos of Apalit, the wood carvings and furniture of Betis, the rattan-woven products of Angeles City, and the religious sculptures of Macabebe.

Farming, fishing, manufacturing, handicrafts, poultry, swine, and food processing industries are the chief livelihood.

Outstanding men and events
A virtual empire before the coming of the Sword and the Cross, the original Pampanga embraced the midsection of Luzon, from Zambales in the west to Aurora in the east, from Nueva Vizcaya in the north to Bulacan in the south.

It was one of the eight provinces to revolt against Spain in 1898 and had been a birthing place for social and political activism from Taric Soliman to Luis Taruc. The Capampangan-speaking region has produced four Filipino Presidents.

The province’s outstanding sons include Juan Crisostomo Soto, Diosdado Macapagal, Vicente Manansala, Jose Abad Santos, Benigno Aquino Jr., Zoilo Galang, Aurelio Tolentino, Rufino Cardinal Santos and Jose Luna Castro.

Change, hope and renewal
Gov. Pineda, seeking a place in history, started her administration in June 2010 on a note of change, hope and renewal.

She set her focus on job creation, economic growth and improving public health. Her integrated medical assistance program brought balanced health care to every town and city. She built new hospitals or rehabilitated old ones.

In October, the 12th National Congress of the Association of Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Managers named Gov. Pineda the Most Outstanding Governor for raising employment levels in the province and launching a spirited campaign for the employment of overseas workers abroad, particularly South Korea and Taiwan.

Her priorities have included improving education, law and order, and environmental protection. Tree planting, zero-waste trash collection, livelihood assistance and infrastructure building have picked up new steam. A special concern is improving the lives of the Aetas in their native habitat.

History crowns Pampanga Day but a brighter future beckons. For Governor Lilia Pineda and the cabalens, the future has endless possibilities.