Mexico is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 109,481 people in 20,382 households.
The town was named after Mexico, the name of the country in North America. It has seen such significant economic progress since it became home to large commercial malls, such as SM City Pampanga and Robinsons Starmills. It is a home of residential, commercial and recreational developments.
Mexico is administratively subdivided into 43 barangays.
- Acli
- Anao
- Balas
- Buenavista
- Camuning
- Cawayan
- Concepcion
- Culubasa
- Divisoria
- Dolores (Piring)
- Eden
- Gandus
- Lagundi
- Laput
- Laug
- Masamat
- Masangsang (Sto. Cristo)
- Nueva Victoria
- Pandacaqui
- Pangatlan
- Panipuan
- Parian (Pob.)
- Sabanilla
- San Antonio
- San Carlos
- San Jose Malino
- San Jose Matulid
- San Juan
- San Lorenzo
- San Miguel
- San Nicolas
- San Pablo
- San Patricio
- San Rafael
- San Roque
- San Vicente
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Maria
- Santo Domingo
- Santo Rosario
- Sapang Maisac
- Suclaban
- Tangle (Tanglay)
History
In the 16th century, the place we now call Mexico sat as a crossing point between the Áitâ Mag-Anchî and Áinu (Abûrlin) nations at the upper reaches of the Ábakan River and the international port cities of Bétis and Lúbao to the south. Upland products such as deerskins and beeswax became important commodities to the 16th century Japanese who made candles out of beeswax and samurai armours out of deerskins. Plying their goods down the Ábakan River, these upland traders would have had no choice but to slow down and dock at the place "where the river bends" (nung nú ya másíku ing ílug) or "where the river has an elbow" (nung nú ya makisíku ing ílug) before continuing their trip downstream. From there, the river is matúlid (straight) all the way to its mouth at Uáuâ. Enterprising merchants from the elsewhere in Luzon, and perhaps even from Japan and China formed a trading base at this natural checkpoint known as Makisíku or Másíku.
In 1571, Mexico became the capital of the new colonial province of Pampanga at a place called Masangsang.[1] It was named "Mexico" in honour of the place where the first Spanish Governor General Miguel López de Legazpi founded his new life, Mexico City. Subsequently Toltecs, Aztecs and Mayans migrated here as by-product of the Manila Galleons' trade between New Spain and the East Indies. The capital of Pampanga was moved further downstream to Bacolor after the widespread Kapampangan Revolt of 1660 led by Don Francisco Maniago. Mexico's town fiesta is celebrated every May 4 in honor of its patron saint, Santa Monica.
Source: Wikipedia
