Bacolor

Bacolor Baculud
Municipality
The half-buried San Guillermo parish church of Villa de Bacolor
Seal
Nickname(s): Athens of Pampanga
Map of Pampanga showing the location of Villa de Bacolor
Bacolor Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°00′N 120°39′E / 15.000°N 120.650°E / 15.000; 120.650Coordinates: 15°00′N 120°39′E / 15.000°N 120.650°E / 15.000; 120.650
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Pampanga
District	3rd District
Founded	1574
Barangays	21
Government
• Mayor	Jose Maria O. Hizon
Area
• Total	71.70 km2 (27.68 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	31,508
• Density	440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2001
IDD : area code	+63 (0)45
Income class	3rd class

Bacolor, officially Villa de Bacolor (Kapampangan: Balen ning Baculud), is a third class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 31,508 people.

Don guillermo, a rich landlord, is believed to be the founder of Villa de Bacolor. Historical records show that Villa de Bacolor has been in existence as proposed settlement as early as 1571. When the Spaniards arrived they found "Baculud"; its original name meant "level ground" because the site was formerly part of the Luzon coastline until eruptions from ancestral Mount Pinatubo raised it above the ocean floor.

The first settlers of Villa de Bacolor were believed to be Malays that came from Atjeth Sumatra led by Panday Pira. It is believed to have been founded by Monmon, first cousin and sister-in-law of Malangsic, a son of Prince Balagtas. However, historians recorded the official foundation of Villa de Bacolor to have occurred in 1574 through a landlord named Guillermo Manabat, whose palatial house and resting place is now the site of the San Guillermo Church, hence the church's name.

The name Baculud was changed to Bacolor when the Spaniards came to the place. It was recorded to have been the first capital of Pampanga for two centuries (1698 to 1904) before San Fernando was declared the capital town of the province in July 1904. In 1757, the provincial building, Casa Real, was constructed at the place where the Bacolor Elementary School is now located.

During the British Occupation of the Philippines, when Manila fell to the British, it became capital of the exiled government of Governor General Simón de Anda y Salazar from October 6, 1762 to May 30, 1764. The provincial offices were temporarily moved to Factoria (now San Isidro, Nueva Ecija). It remained the former capital town of Pampanga until the provincial seat of government was transferred to neighboring City of San Fernando in 1904. Through a decree of the King of Spain on November 9, 1765, Bacolor became "Villa de Bacolor", one of the only three villas in the Philippines and was granted a Special Coat of Arms. Simon de Anda organized an army of natives for the defense of Bacolor and the aim of recapturing Manila.