Hizon-Singian House

Pampanga is a remarkable province filled with wonder and history.  Over the centuries of its existence, Pampanga can be said to have a unique culture all its own. The many wondrous landmarks that follow are all testaments of Pampanga's long tradition of being a much-loved tourist destination.

Buluyut Bridge

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Formerly known as Puente Colgante, it was reconstructed in 1896 using iron and stone. It was replaced in 1928 by a reinforced concrete arch bridge designed by Sotero J. Baluyut for his Bachelor's thesis at the University of Iowa in 1909. The bridge served as the only link of Manila with the rest of Northern Luzon. It was restored by Mayor Rey B. Aquino in 2003.

Camel Backbridge

Bacolor, Pampanga

• Located at the Olea Creek in Sta. Ines, this was used as the principal link between the western and eastern sitios of the barrios. Under this bridge passed large bancas from the other parts of Pampanga and is said to be the landing place of Simon de Anda y Salazar when they retreated from the English invaders who established Bacolor as the seat of the Spanish government and the capital of the Philippines in 1762.

Clark Historical Marker Trail

Clark, Pampanga

• With the myriad markers scattered throughout the freeport zone, the marker trail is a good and healthy way of learning about the history of Clark Field and its various structures.

Crissot Monument

Bacolor, Pampanga

• A monument built in honor of Juan Crisostomo Soto, he was a distinguished Pampango poet, dramatist and newspaperman (1867-1918). Born in Sta. Ines, Bacolor, he is known as the Father of Pampango Literature. He learned his first letters from a town tutor, Cirilio Fernandez; pursued higher education under a noted teacher Vicente Quirino; wrote numerous lyrical poems, historical dramas, humorous plays, fiery editorials and philosophical essays; translated into Pampango the Spanish version of Romeo and Juliet and old European plays like the Lovers of Turuel Faust and Nero and the Gladiators; translated Rizal's Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo; joined the Philippine Revolution in 1896, and figured in several battles against the American forces in 1898. He wrote no less than fifty plays and sarsuwelas, the most common of which is Alang Dios or There Is No God (1901). The poetic joust crissotan was coined from his psuedonym Crissot (d. July 12, 1918).

Dayrit - Cuyugan Residence

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Built by the couple Joaquin Dayrit and Maria Paz Cuyugan in 1920, it is a perfect example of the architecture prevalent during the American colonial period, and is listed as a Heritage House in the registry of the National Historical Institute.

Dayrit - Galang Residence

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Home of Amando G. Dayrit, renowned journalist of pre-war fame, he is remembered for his fiery opinions in his Tribune column "Good Morning, Judge."

Death March Marker

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• The site marks the endpoint of one of the most heinous war crimes committed by the Japanese in the country. The forcible transfer from Bataan of Filipino and American prisoners of war, known as the infamous Death March, ended in San Fernando in 1942. A marker has been built on the site to commemorate the day the prisoners ended their long and excruciating march and boarded box-carts that took them to their final destination in Capas, Tarlac.

Flag Pole Memorial Marker (Stone #1)

Clark, Pampanga

• To the memory of the gallant men of the 26th Cavalry, Philippine Scouts and United States Army, commemorating their heroic actions in Lingayen, Luzon and Bataan, 1941-1942 (Officers Station at Fort Riley 1942).

Flag Pole Memorial Marker (Stone #2)

Clark, Pampanga

• Dedicated to the gallant men of the United States Army and the Phil. Air Corps who fought in defense of the Philippine Islands and to those airmen of both nations who participated in the liberation of this land in 1941-1945. (By the 5th and 13th Air Force, May 10, 1964)

Flag Pole Memorial Marker (Stone #3)

Clark, Pampanga

• Death place of President Manuel A. Roxas. On this base, at the official residence of the commanding general of the US 13th Air Force. Roxas, the first President of the Republic of the Philippines, fine soldier, statesman, and exponent of the Phil-Am Friendship, died on April 15, 1948. (PAF-Phil.-Clark Air Base Command AFP.)

Fort Stotsenberg Gate Posts

Clark, Pampanga

• These pillars were originally located on the right side of the Bong Highway from 1917 to 1919. They were relocated at the Consolidated Base Personnel Office (CBPO) and served as the on-base American Legion post, In 1948, these pillars were again relocated and still can be seen at the southern boundaries of the parade ground. Special crews and a giant crane were rented from Manila to do the job. A host of onlookers viewed the move and cheered as the last post was dropped very gently into its new post. The memorial marks the establishment of a small encampment in 1902 by the U.S. Cavalry due to the availability of abundant grass for their horses. The encampment was named Fort Stotsenberg in honor of Col. John M. Stotsenberg who was killed in action by Filipino forces under Gen. Mariano Llanera in Quingua, Bulacan in 1899. It was renamed Clark Air Field in 1917 in honor of Major. Harold M. Clark, U.S. Army aviator who was born in the United States, but was reared in the Philippines.

Friendship Tree

Clark, Pampanga

• This tree can make the fiercest of enemies become good friends, so goes one story. Another story circulated among the service members of the US Air Force then stationed here alleges that if both you and your love interest touch this tree, you will get married, and several couples did.

Henson-Hizon Residence

Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Antonio Consunji St., City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Built by the couple Saturnino Henson and Maria Lacson in the late 19th century, what used to be one of the grandest houses houses in the area was partially ruined by lahar in 1995. It used to be a vacation home of the current owners, and occasionally as function hall for small group lectures and conferences. Remnants of the structure's former grandeur are evident in intricate fretwork on walls, thick metal wiring on window screens, calado design on ceiling panels, and sliding windows of colored glass and capiz shell. Vintage photographs, paintings, old prints and the Philippine flag adorn the greenish walls from the dining hall to the salon to the stairwell. Orange banquettes have been installed along one wall. A broken piano stands on a corner. This was the residence of local heroine Nicolasa Dayrit Panlilio, hence also called Casa Nicolasa. An example of the bahay na bato, it is listed as a Heritage House in the registry of the National Historical Institute.

Hizon Residence

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Built by the couple Teodoro Santos and Africa Ventura at the turn of the century, this Victorian-inspired ancestral residence was later acquired by Maria Hizon.

Hizon-Singian House

Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Antonio Consunji St., City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Built by the couple Capitan Anacleto Hizon and Victoria Singian de Miranda, it served as headquarters of Spanish General Antonio Ruiz Serralde during the Philippine Revolution, as a military hospital and barracks during the Japanese Occupation, and as headquarters to American General Walter Krueger during the liberation period. A perfect example of the bahay na bato, it is listed as a Heritage House in the registry of the National Historical Institute in 2003.

Japanese Memorial Marker

Clark, Pampanga

• Found behind the Lily Hill Plaza, this marker memorializes the spot where gallant Japanese soldiers made their last stand against the invading US Forces during World War II.

Kamikaze East Airfield

Mabalacat, Pampanga

• In the northernmost town of Mabalacat is a memorial marker to remember the first Japanese Kamikaze pilots called Shimpu Special Attack Corps under Lt. Yukio Seki who took off for their last mission as official "human bombs" on October 25, 1944. A garden shrine has been built by the local tourism office to symbolize the Philippine-Japan friendship ties. In Clark, Japanese forces staged the same air operations from the so-called west airfield by using kamikaze (divine winds) tactics against American and allied forces.

Memorial & Kamikaze Peace Shrine

• A memorial and sign mark the site of the old runway, and it is frequently visited by tourists, especially Japanese. The memorial was built by ther Mabalacat Tourism Office: 'Not for the glorification of the Kamikaze but rather for the use of war history as a tool for the promotion of peace and friendship among nations. This shrine serves as a reminder that the Kamikaze phenomenon shall never happen again.'

Lazatin Mansion

Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Antonio Consunji St., City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Built by the couple Serafin Lazatin and Encarnacion Singian in 1925, this house is probably the most well-kept of the houses in San Fernando. The regal structure in white and light green has a wide, well-manicured lawn where peacocks, pleasants and turkeys peck and strut - it looks like a scene from a movie. Visitors step on a glistening brown-and-black marble steps, lounge on a verandah with maroon tiles, before entering to marvel at the surfeit of a bric-a-brac delicately arranged in grouping from the foyer through the hallways to the antechambers. A perfect example of the architecture prevalent during the American colonial period. The house carries impressive reproductions of such items as a marble bathtub, crystal chandeliers, and furniture reminiscent of those popular in the American colonial era. This served as the residence of the Japanese general Masaharu Homma during the war. It is listed as a Heritage House in the registry of the National Historical Institute.

M.A.R.S. Antenna

Clark, Pampanga

• This was the largest communications antenna used by the US Air Force. Known as the "elephant cage", the antenna received signals from orbiting satellites, making the communications system the possible forerunner of the Internet. On its site now stands Expo Pilipino.

Macario Arnedo Park

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• The park is dedicated to Governor Macario Arnedo who was responsible for the transfer of the capital from Bacolor to San Fernando. Among the attractions in the park are the monument of revolutionary general Maximino H. Hizon, the statues of Chief Justice Abad Santos, Governor Honorio Ventura, Sen. Benigno Aquino and the markers of the province of Pampanga and Zoilo S. Hilario.

Maj. Harold M. Clark Memorial

Clark, Pampanga

• Clark Air Base was renamed after Harold M. Clark, U.S. Army Signal Corps. Born in Minnesota, reared in Manila, Clark was commissioned a 2nd Lt. U.S. Cavalry in 1916. He was transferred to the aviation section of the Signal Corps and 1917, was rated a junior military aviator. His first assignments were in Cleveland, Columbus, New Mexico, Kelly Field, Texas and Fort Sill, Oklahama. He went to the Hawaiian island to command an air service group and became the first U.S. Airman to fly in Hawaii. Upon his return to the United States, Clark served at air fields in Washington, D.C. and San Diego, California. Major Clark died on May 2, 1919 in a seaplane crash in the Milaflores Locks, Panama Canal Zone and was interred in the National Cemetery at Arlington, Virginia. A stone marker was erected here by thirteenth U.S. Air Force July 4, 1984.

Marcos Santos Residence

Mabalacat, Pampanga

• The Marcos Santos residence is the exact location where Vic Admiral Takijro Ohnishi of the Japanese Imperial Navy organized the first Kamikaze group called the Shimpu Special Attack Corps on October 20, 1944. The first to volunteer were the 23 fliers of the 201st Air Group, 1st Air Fleet, Imperial Nippon Naval Air Force under Commander Asaichi Tamai, then stationed in Mabalacat. The Mabalacat Tourism Office supports the establishment of the Kamikaze Peace Memorial Shrine as an instrument to promote peace, friendship and undertanding among nations - that the Kamikaze phenonment shall never happen again.

Monumento Fernandino

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• The sculptural masterpiece pays tribute to the city's colorful history and cultural heritage. Its artistic composition when seen from a distance would seem like a sprouting plant amidst a barren landscape. The monument would in a way shows a four-fold aspect of the "Fernandino" story.

Ocampo-Hizon Residence

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• The ancestral home of Fernando Ocampo, a pioneer of modern Filipino architecture. Ocampo was one of the founders of the UST School of Fine Arts and Architecture, including the founding of the Philippine Architects Society which was later named Philippine Institute of Architects. His works include the restoration of the Manila Cathedral and Metropolitan Cathedral of San Fernando, among others. He is a recipient of the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila in 1964.

Parade Ground

Clark, Pampanga

• Located in front of the former 13th Air Force building is the parade ground where a flag pole was constructed on September 16, 1906 at a cost of $220. Upon the signing of the RP-US Military Bases Agreement in 1979, the site became the only place where the American flag may be properly displayed. In 1984 at Maj. Gen. Kenneth Burns' request, the Philippine government amended the agreement to allow another American flag to be flown at the Clark cemetery near the main gate. Today, only the flag at the cemetery is flown.

Parul Ning Fernandino Fountain

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• The fountain aims to recognize the Fernandinos' distinct contribution to the city's progress by popularizing the lantern-making indusry in the country. Its construction is the affirmation of the city government in its strong belief in restoring and preserving the rich heritage and culture of the Fernandinos as vital tools in the advancement of those who transformed the city into becoming the "Christmas Capital of the Philippines."

Pasudeco Sugar Central

City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• Finished in March 1921, it was the first Filipino-financed sugar central in Pampanga. Built through the initiative of the Pampanga Sugar Development Company, it was constructed by the Honolulu Iron Works.

President Roxas Marker

Clark, Pampanga

• Situated in front of the 13th Air Force building, this marker signifies the exact location where then President Manuel Roxas - first Chief Executive of the Philippine Republic - suffered a heart attack while delivering a speech before the US military personnel on April 15, 1948. President Roxas died at the quarters of 13th Air Force commander, Maj. Eugene L. Eubanks.

Santos-Hizon House

Brgy. Sto Rosario, Antonio Consunji St., City of San Fernando, Pampanga

• This house looks massive and elaborate, notable for the geometrical patterns of its windows, the sweeping curves and severe straight lines of its eaves and walls, positively Victorian. What sets it apart are its twin peaks of pomegranate-colored domes harshly set against whitewashed walls. This house was declared a Heritage House by the National Heritage Commission in 2010. (Excerpted from Phil Daily Inquirer, Pampanga - from heritage tour to food trip, by Constantino Tejero, Oct. 13, 2012)

Suspension Bridge

Candaba, Pampanga

• A miniature San Francisco-like bridge, it is one of the town's top tourist drawers.