Sasmuan
Sasmuan
Sexmoán | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Sasmuan | |
Sasmuan Municipal Hall Saint Lucy Parish Church Sasmuan Town Proper | |
 Map of Pampanga with Sasmuan highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Sasmuan | |
.svg)  Sasmuan Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 14°56′10″N 120°37′23″E / 14.936°N 120.623°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Province | Pampanga |
| District | 2nd district |
| Barangays | 12 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Catalina M. Cabrera |
| • Vice Mayor | Mamerto Tamayo Jr. |
| • Representative | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 23,365 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 91.80 km2 (35.44 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 6.0 m (19.7 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 53 m (174 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | −7 m (−23 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[4] | |
• Total | 32,081 |
| • Density | 349.5/km2 (905.1/sq mi) |
| • Households | 6,202 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 4th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 14.61 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 161.6 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 170.6 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 133.8 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 13.78 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Pampanga 2 Electric Cooperative (PELCO 2) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 2004 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)45 |
| Native languages | Kapampangan Tagalog |
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Sasmuan, officially the Municipality of Sasmuan (Kapampangan: Balen ning Sasmuan; Filipino: Bayan ng Sasmuan; Spanish: Municipio de Sexmoán), formerly known by its Spanish name Sexmoán ([sesmoˈan]), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 32,081 people, making it the least populated municipality in the province.[6]
Etymology
[edit]The municipality'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]
On January 15, 1991, the spelling was unanimously changed into Sasmuan, due to perceived sexual connotations of the former name.[8][9][10]
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 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 covered by fishponds. It is one of the three coastal towns in Pampanga along with Lubao and Macabebe.
Barangays
[edit]Sasmuan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays, as shown below. 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[11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]Population census of Sasmuan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2024 census, the population of Sasmuan was 32,081 people,[17] with a density of 350 inhabitants per square kilometre or 910 inhabitants per square mile.
Economy
[edit]Poverty incidence of Sasmuan
32.56
18.38
12.10
11.45
6.73
15.88
6.07
14.61
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
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.
Tourism
[edit]Santa Lucia Parish Church
[edit]
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.[26]
Education
[edit]The Sasmuan Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.[27]
Primary and elementary schools
[edit]- Batang II Elementary School
- Mabuanbuan Elementary School
- Malusac Elementary School
- Remedios Elementary School
- San Pedro Elementary School
- Santa Lucia Academy
- Sasmuan Central School
- Sebitanan Elementary School
- St. Lucy School of the Archdiocese of Pampanga
- St. Vincent School of Pampanga
- Sta. Monica Primary School
- Sto. Tomas Elementary School
Secondary schools
[edit]- Malusac National High School
- Sebitanan National High School
- Sto. Tomas National High School
Notable people
[edit]- Jose Montemayor Jr., a candidate for the 2022 Philippine presidential election.
- Japeth Aguilar, Filipino basketball player
- Mónico R. Mercado, member of the Philippine Assembly from 1907 to 1912
- Lina Cabrera, Filipino politician
Gallery
[edit]-
Welcome Marker at Lubao-Sasmuan Road -
St. Lucy School of the Archdiocese of Pampanga -
Covered court and gymnasium
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Municipality of Sasmuan | (DILG)
- ^ https://www.philatlas.com/luzon/r03/pampanga/sasmuan.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "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.
- ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Sasmuan". eK! - electronic Kabalen. Retrieved December 24, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Santa Lucia Church, Sasmuan, Pampanga". Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
- ^ Jennings, Ken (April 17, 2012). Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks. Scribner. ISBN 978-1439167182.
- ^ "Sasmuan: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
- ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
- ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
- ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
- ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
- ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
- ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ "Church of Santa Lucia (Sasmuan, Pampanga)". July 28, 2006.
- ^ "Masterlist of Schools" (PDF). Department of Education. January 15, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
External links
[edit]
- Sasmuan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- Philippine Census Information
- Local Governance Performance Management System Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
Places adjacent to Sasmuan | ||||||||||||||||
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 Province of Pampanga | |
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| Municipalities | |
| Component cities | |
| Highly urbanized city |
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