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Municipality in Pampanga, Philippines
Photo: Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Guagua is a town in southwestern Pampanga. A municipality created from the merger of four settlements, it is best known for the woodcarving traditions and intricately painted interior of the colonial-era parish church of Betis district, although the rest of Guagua has touristic assets of its own such as Guagua's parish church, which also dates from the colonial era, and a significant number of heritage structures and residences that survived the ravages of World War II and the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
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Santiago Apostol Parish Church
The Baroque parish church of Betis district. The original structure was built in 1660, but was damaged by fire and rebuilt in the 1770s. It was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2001. The church's interior is likened to that of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. Flash photography is discouraged.
Guagua Church
The massive parish church of Guagua proper, with its cupola looming across town. The present barn-style Baroque church and belfry dates to 1772, after the original 1587 building was destroyed by fire. Unlike Betis Church, its interior is painted in austere white, with only the pulpit and altarpiece giving away its Spanish origins.
Guagua Mansion
Built in 1929 as the residence of a sugar magnate, Don Alejandro Lopez, it is the first concrete house in Pampanga. The house later fell into a long period of neglect caused in part by family squabbles and lahar flows caused by the Mount Pinatubo eruption, which is why some locals refer to the place as the “Haunted Mansion” when asked for directions. The house was repaired in 2016 and is now used as a wedding and events venue, retaining much of its elegant interior.
Built in 1937, it is one of the few remaining civic buildings in the Philippines to survive World War II.
Manuel P. Santiago Park
Guagua's main square, featuring civic monuments, a gazebo and trees. A fine spot for recreational activities, finding some shade from the weather or just people-watching. It is also the de facto main transport terminal for most jeepneys in Guagua.
A private residence built in 1928. Despite the perimeter walls, its two storeys are visible from outside.
A private residence built during the colonial era.
A blue-green two-story private residence built in 1935.
Bahay Pawid
A nipa (pawid)-roofed residence built in the early 1900s for the David-Siongco family, whose members have produced senior clergy members, journalists and other intellectuals who have influenced cultural discourse in the Philippines.
A small park with a life-sized statue of Jesus Christ overlooking Guagua's wetlands
The flagship branch of a restaurant chain that began in Guagua in 1972 and later expanded to Metro Manila in 2003. Its main specialties are dinuguan (pork blood stew), pancit luglug noodles, and its minimalist halo-halo, made from finely-shaved ice, sweetened bananas, leche flan, milk and sweetened macapuno,
The oldest chicharon (pork rind) maker in Pampanga, in operation since 1968. Sells the product by weight. Atsara (pickled vegetables) sold separately.
A Pampanga-based restaurant and grill chain serving Filipino dishes.
A bakery established in 1985 and known for its cheesebread.
A restaurant serving Kapampangan cuisine since 2008. Some of their more exotic delicacies include crickets (camaru), fried and stuffed frogs, and Tinolang Tugak (frog s in a thin soup with vegetables).
A resort complex with restaurant set in a converted factory.
Has a Savemore grocery and retail dry goods stores.
From Manila, take the San Fernando exit along the North Luzon Expressway leading to the Gapan-Olongapo Road, also known as Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA).
Read in the guideA one-way traffic scheme is in effect for a stretch of highway running from Poblacion to Betis.
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Manila (Pasay) · International · MNL
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