Santa Ana, Pampanga

Santa Ana, officially the Municipality of Santa Ana (Kapampangan: Balen ning Santa Ana; Tagalog: Bayan ng Santa Ana), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 61,537 people.^[6]

Santa Ana
Municipality
Municipality of Santa Ana
Santa Ana Church Santa Ana Public Market Jose Abad Santos Avenue in Santa Ana
Seal
Nickname:  Balen Pimpin
Map of Pampanga with Santa Ana highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Santa Ana Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°05′38″N 120°46′05″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Pampanga
District	3rd district
Founded	Founded 1598 as Pimpin Reinstated January 1, 1913[1]
Named after	Saint Anne
Barangays	14 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Engr. Ferdinand P. Labung
• Vice Mayor	Rhodora C. Nacpil
• Representative	Alyssa Michaela M. Gonzales
• Municipal Council	Members Rommel Conception Jerome Ian S. Gaddi Reinhart Guevarra Arthur Diaz Cir Anthony Alfonso Louis Gio V. Mesina Myriam "Jingle" M. Lansangan Vergel T. Mallari
• Electorate	36,297 voters (2025)
Area [3]
• Total	39.84 km2 (15.38 sq mi)
Elevation	9.0 m (29.5 ft)
Highest elevation	33 m (108 ft)
Lowest elevation	1 m (3 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[4]
• Total	63,431
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
• Households	13,567
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	9.05 % (2021)[5]
• Revenue	₱ 175.1 million (2021)
• Assets	₱ 428.4 million (2021)
• Expenditure	₱ 147 million (2021)
• Liabilities	₱ 128.5 million (2021)
Service provider
• Electricity	Pampanga Rural Electric Service Cooperative (PRESCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2022
PSGC	0305419000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)45
Native languages	Kapampangan Tagalog

History of Santa Ana (Town and Parish)

The chapter of December 19, 1598 accepted the town of Pinpin (meaning "land laid aside") as a visita of Arayat. Sta. Ana was a track of forest and bordered by the towns of Arayat, Candaba, Mexico and San Luis. A settlement was established by people who came from the neighboring towns. They cleared the area and as the years passed, more people came to settle the place. Years later, they selected a leader among themselves, the bravest, most diligent and who can defend and provide the needs of the people, whom they addressed as DATU, CAT and APOL.

The name of the town was changed to Santa Ana, who became the titular patroness of the town. The town continued as a visita of Arayat in 1617.

Augustinian historians mark 1756 as the year the church was made independent. Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Guerra was the first parish priest.

Fr. Vicente Ferrer started the construction of the present church in 1853. Fray Lucas Gonzalez, OSA finished it and constructed a five-store belfry in 1857. Materials used for the construction of the church vary from stones brought from Meycauayan and wood from Betis and Porac. Fray Antonio Redondo built the convent with stone in 1866. Fray Francisco Diaz, OSA began restoration work in 1872, which was continued by Fray Paulino Fernandez, OSA in 1877.

On 1910, Sta. Ana became a barrio of Arayat, but on January 1, 1913 it is reinstated back to its status as a town.

During the Japanese Occupation, the church convent was converted into a garrison where Japanese Soldiers torture captured Filipino and American soldiers using the "water cure" method.

On November 29, 1945, Sta. Ana established its first private catholic school, the Holy Cross Academy thru the efforts of Rev. Msgr. Francisco Lansangan as its founder.

In October 22, 2013, the National Historical Commission, installed a historical marker in the church belfry, bearing the church's history. It was inaugurated with the town former Mayor Rommel Concepcion, Archbishop Emeritus Paciano B. Aniceto D.D and the Rev. Fr. Nolasco L. Fernandez, parish priest.

The town celebrates its annual town fiesta every July 26. In honor of their patroness Santa Ana, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Santa Ana Parish also have a daughter parish, San Agustin Parish in Brgy. San Agustin (Sumpung) that established in 1992.

Majigangga Festival

If there’s one reason to visit Pampanga, it’s to attend one of their festivals. The practice of manufacturing Majiganggas in the town of Santa Ana, Pampanga, is one of the re-emerging festivals to look out for. The festival has proven to be one of the most memorable events in Santa Ana, being more colorful and vibrant than ever before.

The Majiganggas, or enormous puppets, are claimed to be inspired by John the Baptist, who cleared the way for the arrival of the Savior. The Majiganggas follow the light processions in Santa Ana and are also present for the three major festivities such as Christmas, New Year’s, and the feast of the Three Kings.

The puppets, which stand 10 feet tall, are made by both children and adults out of bamboo, springs, steel rods, and colorful paper mache and cloth. These puppets’ faces feature comically large eyebrows and mustaches made of dried durian bark, the body is constructed of discarded tarpaulins, and the hair is made of recycled sacks. During the event, the people also work together to control the huge puppets that dance around the streets of Santa Ana.

The custom of making Majiganggas goes all the way back to before World War II and was pioneered by Jacinto Quiambao. It was supposedly suspended during the Japanese occupation, but was restored by Quiambao’s family members in the 1970s, and was ultimately brought back by the barangay and municipal administration in 2010 and is still going on today. The local administration intends to make it a popular celebration that future generations will enjoy.

Geography

Santa Ana is bordered by Arayat and Magalang to the north; Candaba to the east; San Luis to the south; and Mexico to the west.

The town can be accessed by via Olongapo-Gapan Road, Candaba-Santa Ana Road (Santa Lucia) and Magalang-Arayat-Santa Ana Road (San Pablo).

Santa Ana is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from San Fernando, 81 kilometres (50 mi) from Manila, and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Mexico.

Barangays

Santa Ana is politically subdivided into 14 barangays, as shown below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• San Agustin (Sumpung)
• San Bartolome (Patayum)
• San Isidro (Quenabuan)
• San Joaquin (Poblacion, Canukil)
• San Jose (Catmun)
• San Juan (Tinajeru)
• San Nicolas (Sepung Ilug)
• San Pablo (Darabulbul)
• San Pedro (Calumpang)
• San Roque (Tuclung)
• Santa Lucia (Calinan)
• Santa Maria (Balen Bayu)
• Santiago (Barrio Libutad)
• Santo Rosario (Pagbatuan)

Climate

Climate data for Santa Ana, Pampanga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	31 (88)	33 (91)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	28 (82)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	20 (68)	20 (68)	21 (70)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	21 (70)	23 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	6 (0.2)	4 (0.2)	6 (0.2)	17 (0.7)	82 (3.2)	122 (4.8)	151 (5.9)	123 (4.8)	124 (4.9)	99 (3.9)	37 (1.5)	21 (0.8)	792 (31.1)
Average rainy days	3.3	2.5	3.6	6.6	17.7	22.2	25.2	23.7	23.2	17.9	9.2	5.2	160.3
Source: Meteoblue[7]

Demographics

Population census of Santa Ana

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 5,532 —     1918 6,528 +1.11% 1939 8,183 +1.08% 1948 10,491 +2.80% 1960 14,121 +2.51% 1970 19,402 +3.22% 1975 22,595 +3.10% 1980 25,361 +2.34%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 32,540 +2.52% 1995 37,975 +2.94% 2000 42,990 +2.69% 2007 49,756 +2.04% 2010 52,001 +1.62% 2015 55,178 +1.14% 2020 61,537 +2.32% 2024 63,431 +0.73%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11][12]

In the 2020 census, the population of Santa Ana, Pampanga, was 61,537 people,^[13] with a density of 1,500 inhabitants per square kilometre or 3,900 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Santa Ana

5 10 15 20 25 30 2000 28.59 2003 15.52 2006 13.00 2009 10.95 2012 6.10 2015 8.78 2018 6.18 2021 9.05 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

The Municipal Government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judiciary. The Judicial Branch is administered solely by the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The executive branch is composed of the mayor and the barangay captain for the barangays. The legislative branch is composed of the Sangguniang Bayan (town assembly), Sangguniang Barangay (barangay council), and the Sangguniang Kabataan for the youth sector.

Education

Private schools

• Holy Cross College Pampanga
• Saint Mary's Angels College of Pampanga
• Adelle Grace Montesorri School Inc., Santa Ana

Public secondary schools

• Sta. Ana Central High School
• Sta. Ana National High School
• San Isidro High School
• Telesforo and Natividad Alfonso High School

Elementary schools

• Fulgencio Matias Elementary School – San Joaquin
• San Juan/San Pedro Elementary School – San Pedro
• San Agustin Elementary School – San Agustin
• Sto Rosario Elementary School – Sto Rosario
• San Roque Elementary School – San Roque
• San Pablo Elementary School – San Pablo
• Santiago Elementary School – Santiago
• San Isidro Elementary School – San Isidro
• San Nicolas Elementary School – San Nicolas
• Sta Lucia Elementary School – Sta Lucia
• Sta Maria Elementary School – Sta Maria
• Sta. Ana Elementary School - Sta. Lucia, Sta. Ana
• Adelle Grace Montesorri School Inc Annex - Fausto Street, Sta. Ana

Notable personalities

• Michael Miranda, is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing in the Philippine Basketball Association.
• Oca Rodriguez, is a Filipino politician, a former Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Pampanga's 3rd district.
• Paciano Aniceto, former archbishop of San Fernando from 1989 to 2014.
• Larry Muyang, is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing in MPBL.

Gallery

• 
  Town hall
• 
  Public market
• 
  St. Anne Parish Church (Founded 1756, Built on 1836)
• 
  Saint Mary's Angels College
• 
  Holy Cross College