Lubao Church

Most of the curators of the museums we visited are former students of the hubby. Most of them are AB History graduates and it is great to know they are all gainfully employed in different fields that deal with our colorful and rich historical past.

We had lunch at Apag Marangle with Ms. Geneva Uricar, the curator of the Jose B. Lingad Museum. It is a famous restaurant that serves original Kapampangan cuisine and has several branches through the province as well as in Metro Manila.

Sisig without egg is an original Kapampangan dish

Nasing Marangle - fried rice, pinakbet and lechon kawali

Sinigang ng bangus sa bayabas (guava)

Then our last stop before heading back to Manila was at the San Agustin Parish Church aka the Lubao Church. A historical and cultural landmark in Lubao, Pampanga. A 17th century Neo classic Spanish stone and brick church. It is one of the oldest churches in the province. It was destroyed several times by earthquakes and floods but always restored to its former glory. 

In 1898, the church was occupied by Philippine revolutionaries during the Philippine-American War. In 1942, it was destroyed by Japanese shelling during the second World War. In 1952, it was restored and declared a National Historical Landmark. In 2013, the National Museum of the Philippines named it an Important Cultural Property.

Jose B. Lingad Museum, Lubao Pampanga

Just a few meters away from the Museum of President Diosdado Macapagal is the Jose B. Lingad Museum. We made our way on foot under the scorching sun. 

Entrance is FREE.

Jose B. Lingad, a lawyer served in the cabinet of former President Diosdado Macapagal. A former governor of Pampanga, he was the representative of Pampanga's first district when former President Ferdinand Marcos abolished Congress upon the declaration of Martial Law. A member of the opposition, Liberal Party he was jailed for 4 months.

In 1941, when Japan invaded the Philippines, JBL as he was fondly called, joined
the armed resistance in Bataan. He survived the Bataan Death March and 
was a part of the guerrilla movement against the Japanese army.

During the administration of his good friend, President Diosdado Macapagal, Lingad served
as the Commissioner of  Internal Revenue, then as Commissioner of Customs and ultimately
as Secretary of Labor.

In the January 1980 local elections, he was coaxed out of retirement by opposition leader Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. to run as governor of Pampanga. JBL was defeated by staunch Marcos associate Estelito Mendoza. Lingad filed a protest with the Commission of Elections, claiming incidents of electoral fraud and cheating, calling for new election to be held in their district.

On December 16, 1980 while his electoral case was still pending, Jose Lingad was shot dead by a gunman as he stopped by a roadside gas station to buy cigarettes in San Fernando, Pampanga. His assassin, a Philippine Constabulary sergeant died in a vehicular accident before he could be tried for the murder of Lingad. Until now, the case is still unresolved and the mastermind was never identified.

I found it very interesting that several of the visitors to the museum were elementary and secondary

students from nearby schools. They had just finised their exams and decided to drop by during their

free time. It warms my heart to know that the youth are socially aware and make a conscious effort 

to learn about the past. 

Museo (Museum) at Aklatan (Library) ni Diosdado Macapagal in Lubao, Pampanga

We left Subic Olongapo in Zambales at around 9:35 A.M. heading for the province of Pampanga. My late mother (even though she grew up in Manila) was from the town of Bacolor while D's father was born in San Luis. So we are both, half Kapampangans. Our route was through the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), exited at Dinalupihan then on national roads with rice fields on both sides until we reached the town of Lubao. 

My hubby was named after the 9th President of the Republic of the Philippines, Diosdado P. Macapagal. Both of them were born on the 28th of September, albeit several years apart. Cong Dadong served from December 30, 1961 - December 30, 1965.  He was a lawyer, writer and prolific poet in the Spanish language and the father of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. 

He was also affectionately called "the poor boy from Lubao" due to his roots in poverty. He had 4 children, Cielo M. Salgado and Arturo Macapagal from his first wife Purita de la Rosa (the sister of movie star Rogelio de la Rosa) who died in 1943. And Gloria M. Arroyo and Diosdado Macapagal, Jr. with his second wife, Eva Macaraeg.

A replica of the nipa hut where he was born to farmer parents stands prominently in front of a two storey museum dedicated to the narrative of his rise from Lubao to Malacanan Palace, his writings and several photographs.

Entrance is FREE.

Overnight: By the Sea Resort Hotel, Olongapo Zambales

I plotted our entire itinerary from searching on google maps the distance between our destinations, to finding the appropriate hotels, restaurants where we could dine, notable attractions to visit. Even though it was just an overnight trip. :D

For the hotels, I had two criteria: (1) beach front property and (2) it had to be on the main road. You see, we have an old car so I didn't want to pass on dirt, unpaved roads, tiny alleys. I, painstakingly searched on google maps, zoomed in on the street directions to see the road conditions. I also noted its distance to our next museum visit, how far it was from dining places. Most importantly the parking slots: if it was a wide area or if someone had to knock on our door for us to move the car. LOL It took me hours and days before I could decide on the most suitable accommodation.

I picked By the Sea Resort Hotel because it met all my requirements. It was cheaper to book it at their website than on Agoda. The deluxe room came with plated breakfast. It has access to a clean beach and the facilities although old were neat and tidy. Check in time: 3 P.M.  Check out: 11 A.M.

We checked in at 3:30 P.M, rested in the room because the sun
was blazing then went out at around 5:15 P.M. to the beach to catch the sunset.

Early dinner at their restaurant. Grilled blue marlin with rice and veggies
and camaron rebosado.

The next day: early morning walk along the beach before breakfast

Checking out!