Apalit - Pampanga Destinations

Apalit

It is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines.
Malayan immigrants that settled along the banks of Rio Grande de la Pampanga at the beginning of the 14th century were the ancestors of many Apalitenos. The art and culture of this early settlers' civilization reached the Zambales mountains and the rest of Central Luzon.
 
At the time Apalit was settled, there was a big sturdy tree Pterocarpus indicus or Apalit (also known as Narra) in Kapampangan at the present site of the Catholic Parish Church of Saint Peter. Apparently, the town got its name from that big legendary tree which is now the National tree of the Philippines.
 
Apalit was formally established as an independent municipality in 1582 during the term of office of Spanish Governor General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa. It was initially composed then of four encomiendas namely, Apali (Pale), La Castilla, Cabambangan and Capalangan. La Castilla was made the town proper (Poblacion) and was renamed later as San Juan Nepomuceno.
 
It was not until 1597 when the Apalit Parish of Saint Peter was created after its separation from the Parish of Calumpit. Fr. Pedro de Vergara was appointed as the first Parish Priest to attend to the spiritual needs of the Catholic community of Apalit. In conjunction with the annual town fiesta, the traditional fluvial parade of Saint Peter was initiated by Capitan del Pueblo Don Pedro Armayan Espiritu on June 28, 1844.
 
The town of Apalit is located in the southern part of Pampanga bounded in the south by Calumpit, Bulacan, in the north by the town of San Simon and in the west by the municipality of Macabebe.
 
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