The municipality of San Luis in the province of Pampanga in the Philippines was initially created from a land area under the original geographical jurisdiction of the town of Santa Ana, one of the early permanent settlements in Pampanga.

 

The town of Santa Ana which was originally known as Pinpin used to be one of the municipalities of Pampanga with the largest land areas in the province. As new settlers kept on migrating to the town, there was a pressure to increase the agricultural production and to enhance the economic development of the community. Hence, the town people who foresaw the economic needs of the growing population cleared the wilderness area in the southern part of the town. These pioneers planted rice, corn, cacao, sugar cane, vegetables, etc. The community was blessed with economic prosperity.

 

When there were already about three hundred taxpaying-residents who could support financially a new municipality, the villages were reorganized into eight settlements with barrio San Isidro in the center. Augustinian missionaries were assigned in the new settlements to take care of the spiritual needs of the local people. The people in the central area built a new church building.

 

As the population kept on multiplying, the visionary leaders of the new community led by Jose Sugui, Miguel Bruno Panlilio, Sebastian Tigad, Diego Mangulabnan, Lorenzo de Ocampo, Vicente de Guevara, Mariano Dantis, Nicolas Pangilinan and Juan Mangalus Lacanilao initiated a petition to establish a new municipality separate and independent from the town of Santa Ana. The petition was submitted to the ad interim Spanish Governor General of the Philippines, Miguel Lino de Espeleta on January 12, 1760. The proposed township was initially called Cabagsac (bagsacan cabag) due to the presence of numerous bats in the local community.

 

 

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