About Masantol
Brief History:
Masantol is situated in the western part of Pampanga and close to Manila Bay. It was called at one time as San Miguel de Masantol and used to be a part of the historic town of Macabebe. On the strength of a motion filed by three town patriarchs namely Manuel Fajardo, Gregorio Bautista and Juan Lacap on June 26, 1877 to separate the barrios of Bebe, Bulacus, Caingin and Nigui from Macabebe, a new Spanish pueblo called San Miguel was inaugurated on May 1, 1878.. The Spanish Governor General who approved the creation of a new town was Domingo Moriones y Murillo. However, it was not until November 30, 1893 when the Catholic Parish of San Miguel was approved by a royal decree.
On July 26, 1904 the town was consolidated one more time with Macabebe. However, in 1907, it was returned to its former status as an independent municipality with its own town executives and municipal council.
Masantol claims Rajah Tarik Sulaiman as its son, a courageous Macabebe warlord in fighting the invading Spaniards in 1571. The hero's birthplace identified as sitio Batong Dalig, known today as Barangay Sagrada. Sulaiman army, it was believed, came from this town, aside from recruits in nearby communities in his crusade to save Manila from Spanish conquistadors.
The warrior blood of the pre-Spanish rajah flowed, the stories go, in the veins of gallant fighters known as casadillos, the Katipuneros, followed by the Philippine Scouts, wartime guerillas, and soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In World War II, many Masantolenios joined the guerillas led by Colonel Bernardo Poblete known as Jose Banal of the famed Huk Regiment of the USAFFE and aligned themselves with Americans in restoring peace and order.
Except for the yearly floods that inundate its farmlands and the perennial intrusion of saline water from the sea into its area, Masantol enjoys a progressive agriculture life. Some of its peripheral industries include egg production, fishponds, duck raising and piggeries.
