IT SEEMED to be just another regular day for me and my ‘Inside Pampanga’ team as we geared up to shoot in an exciting location to feature the beauty of my province. On that sunny day, our next destination was Magalang. When the crew cab arrived to meet me halfway, I noticed that the windows were rolled down. Ken, our pilot, was scratching his head when he told me that the A/C broke down. Anticipating the traffic and the heat, I thought I was going to experience one hell of an afternoon.
Our first stop was at the municipal hall of Magalang. Immediately, I noticed a lot of physical improvements in the town hall since I used to cover a lot at the place during my time with ABS-CBN Pampanga. The young staff of Magalang’s tourism office welcomed us and informed us that my interview with Mayor Malou Lacson will take place later in the afternoon. So, we went on to one of the sweetest places to visit in this town, the pastillas factory of Carreon family.
At the store, we were accommodated by the mother of Francis Carreon, Mrs. Elisa Rivera Carreon. Their story was not only popular locally but also well-known even abroad. In fact, the family had already been featured and interviewed on various national TV programs. Mrs. Carreon took us inside the candy factory which is not as big as Willy Wonka’s. The holiday season has just ended but the facility continues to be busy. The mom of the owner also shared one of the many secrets of their mouth-watering pastillas. She said that they only use pure carabao’s milk.
After our tasty visit at Carreon’s, I finally got to interview the first woman mayor of this town, Maria Lourdes Paras Lacson. She’s a co-Familian (a graduate from Holy Family Academy) and a seasoned legislator before becoming the head of Magalang LGU. Various interesting personalities have led this town in the past… from friars, gobernadorcillos, capitan municipal, presidente local, presidente municipal, and mayors.
The town of Magalang which also means “respect” in our Filipino language has had different names in the past according to elders. Many locals believe that their town that used to be a “visita” of Arayat was called Magalo, derived from Kapampangan word “galo” meaning “likot” or moving. Some locals also mentioned that Magalang was also called by other names like Magao, Magala, Magalao, and Magalan.
Graciously, the current name of the municipality and the people residing in it has similarities during my last visit. The front-liners greeted us with their warm smile and welcomed us with open arms. There is more to this town than just sweet pastries and historical landmarks. Mayor Malou Lacson emphasizes on the importance of enriching the culture of the Magaleños, molding the people into responsible and reverent citizens of Magalang.