PORAC

Porac, officially the Municipality of Porac, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 124,381 people.

The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) traverses this town, the exit of which is located in Barangay Manuali.

With an area of 31,400 hectares (78,000 acres), Porac is the largest town in Pampanga. It was once among the largest municipalities in the archipelago before it was divided into separate municipalities.

Porac was founded on October 31, 1594, upon acceptance by Fray Mateo Peralta in the Friar’s Intermediate Chapter (recorded by Fray Gaspar de San Agustin, by saying Porac has its First Minister and Friar, Fray Mateo de Mendoza.

The General Headquarters and Military Camp Base of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary was stationed in Porac from 1942 to 1946 and the local military operates against the Imperial Japanese military and local collaborators from 1942 to 1945. The Mexican Expeditionary Air Force were given a base around Porac to help liberate the country from the Japanese Empire in World War II. (Marker: October 31, 2008, 412th Anniversary of Porac).

Porac is 26 kilometres (16 mi) west from the provincial capital San Fernando, south of Angeles City and north of Floridablanca. A portion of Mount Pinatubo is in the municipality.

Porac has a hilly to mountainous terrain in the majority of its plains. Most rivers, if not all, are heavily silted by mudflow due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo and succeeding lahar flows. Tourist spots include Darabulbul Falls (nicknamed Dara Falls) in Jalung, Miyamit Falls in Sapang Uwak, and the hot springs of Sitio Puning, accessed through Sapang Bato in Angeles City. Babo Pangulo offers a view of Porac and Mount Negron.

Barangays[edit]

Porac is politically subdivided into 29 barangays.