Guagua, Pampanga

Wawa (Lán-nâng: 偎岸, Hua-hua), which means "river mouth" (Kapampangan: alua or bukana), was the earliest recorded form of the town's name according to records dating back to 1590. The town is strategically located along a river which played a vital role in trade and transportation during the precolonial era.

Wawa was already a prosperous settlement when Spanish colonists took control of the town in the year 1561, from then on calling it Guagua, which is a Hispanised form of the original name. Indeed, archeological artifacts have been excavated in a nearby town which affirmed the existence of a prehistoric community in Guagua.

Early inhabitants opted to stay in the town because it was here that they could engage in barter trade with people from different islands, along with other means of livelihood like fishing and farming. The navigable river with which the town was endowed allowed shipping vessels to transport commodities to and from other chief localities, particularly the imperial Manila. The first cargo boat to arrive in Guagua was the Doña Dominga on 7 May 1884. Much later it was followed by the steamships Kaibigan and Kababayan, which anchored at the pier in Bgy Santo Niño, better known as the Yañgco Landing.

In 1892, when the Manila–Mabalacat railroad was inaugurated, Guagua was virtually the port of embarkation to and from Manila that served the province. Commerce was further improved when the San Fernando–Guagua line of the railroad was chartered on 17 November 1907.

The Chinese have long been part in Guagua's social and economic mainstream. In the 18th century, they sought refuge in the town to escape discrimination and persecution in Manila. After their near-total slaughter, the Chinese lived in relative peace while they freely practiced their craft and mingled hand-in-hand with the local residents. The Chinese residents were merchants, masons, woodcarvers, carpenters, agriculturists and labourers. Their influence on the cultural and economic life of Guagua cannot be overlooked. The town could not have prospered so well without the economic services provided by the Chinese.

The town took significant part in the revolutionary struggles against the foreign intruders. A house near a church was made a secret cell of the Katipuneros in August 1897. In March 1898, a massacre of all Spanish sympathisers in Guagua marked the end of Spanish colonialism and the outset of American rule. Moreover, during the Philippine–American War and the ensuing Second World War, Guagua became an important battleground.

At the turn of the twentieth century, a new system of education was introduced and made popular and available to the Filipinos. The Guagua Elementary School in Bgy Santa Filomena, is believed to be the first to be established in the town in the year 1901. Later in that year, an English teacher came to Betis district and opened a primary school which functioned on a regular basis. In 1908, Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (now St Mary's Academy in Bgy San Roque) was established in a two-storey building donated by a charitable matron, in downtown Guagua. Later in 1918, Guagua National Institute (now Guagua National Colleges in Bgy Santa Filomena) was founded at the convent of the Catholic church. Further, in 1941, the then-parish priest felt the need for another high school in town, so he opened Saint Michael's College.

At the overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, the local government carried out a sustainable development program to address the town's destitute state. From its income classification in 1986 as a third-class municipality, Guagua grew to a first-class one. Guagua garnered several outstanding citations for its achievement, including of several "Most Outstanding LGU" awards.

Guagua was severely devastated by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991.

In the 2015 census, the population of Guagua, Pampanga, was 117,430 people,[4] with a density of 2,400 inhabitants per square kilometre or 6,200 inhabitants per square mile.

1937 Town hall

Like other towns in the Philippines, Guagua is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council (Sangguniang Bayan) consisting of councilors from the Barangays of Barrios.

Immaculate Concepcion Academy

St. Mary's Academy

For elementary and high school education, Guagua has numerous schools.

The town has interesting culture and heritage attractions and landmarks, including Rufino Santos Catholic Center, Capt. Ruben P. Sonco Freedom Square, Monument of Aurelio Tolentino (1867-1915). The Guagua National Colleges is also declared as a national historical landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines during the college's 75th Foundation anniversary in 1993.

Cultural Property wmph identifier	Site name	Description	Province	City/Municipality	Address/Location	Coordinates	Image
	Saint James the Apostle Parish Church	declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines	Pampanga	Guagua, Pampanga	Barangay San Nicolas II	14.975596°N 120.642936°E / 14.975596; 120.642936 (Saint James the Apostle Parish Church)
	Immaculate Conception Parish Church	18th-century Roman Catholic church, with marker from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines	Pampanga	Guagua, Pampanga	Barangay Plaza Burgos	14.964644°N 120.634049°E / 14.964644; 120.634049 (Immaculate Conception Parish Church)
	The Lopez Mansion (Bale Matua)	Built in 1929 by the sugar magnate, Don Alejandro Lopez (b. 16 May 1883) of Guagua. It was coined as the first all-concrete house in Pampanga and in the 1935 telephone directory the house was named as “The Pride of Guagua Pampanga”. The Guagua Mansion or popularly known as the Lopez Mansion (Bale Matua) was restored in 2016 to be an events venue.	Pampanga	Guagua, Pampanga	72 San Nicholas 1st Guagua, Pampanga	14.968628°N 120.634161°E / 14.968628; 120.634161 (The Lopez Mansion (Bale Matua))
	Goseco Ancestral House		Pampanga	Guagua, Pampanga	Barangay Plaza Burgos	14.964421°N 120.634447°E / 14.964421; 120.634447 (Goseco Ancestral House)
	Rizal Monument		Pampanga	Guagua, Pampanga	Barangay Plaza Burgos	14.965949°N 120.633126°E / 14.965949; 120.633126 (Rizal Monument)
	Guagua Municipal Hall	Built in 1937	Pampanga	Guagua, Pampanga	Barangay Plaza Burgos	14.965006°N 120.633609°E / 14.965006; 120.633609 (Guagua Municipal Hall)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guagua, Pampanga.

• Guagua Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Official website of the Municipality of Guagua, Pampanga
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System