San Simon, officially the Municipality of San Simon (Kapampangan: Balen ning San Simon; Tagalog: Bayan ng San Simon), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 59,182 people.[3]
In 1770, Don Mariano del Pilar de los Reyes founded a farming village named 'Barrio Del Pilar', which later became the town of San Simon.[5] The village was located between the towns of San Luis in the north and Apalit in the south. As the population of the village kept on growing, the village leaders of that time petitioned to consolidate the village and portions of the towns of San Luis and Apalit, to form an independent pueblo (town).[5]
In 1898, the retreating forces of General Antonio Luna, on their way to Nueva Ecija, burned the town's parish church. The church was only rebuilt after almost a century in 1979.[5]
In 1904, San Simon was merged with San Luis but only for three years. In 1920, the geographical boundaries of the towns of Apalit, San Luis, and Simon are officially established.[5]
By the year 1835, San Simon had eight barrios (barangay). But in the late 1940s, the population grew and the number of barrios were increased to fourteen, which has been maintained until the present times.[5]
Geography
Barangays
San Simon is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
In the 2020 census, the population of San Simon, Pampanga, was 59,182 people,[3] with a density of 1,000 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,600 inhabitants per square mile.
Like most Kapampangan people, residents of San Simon retain their Kapampangan language and traditional culture and arts brought about by their Malay ancestors and enriched by Chinese, Spanish, American, Japanese and other ethnic and foreign cultures. Religious affiliations are:
The principal industries in San Simon are farming, fishing and poultry and swine industries. There are two public markets in San Simon, one in the old poblacion area and another one located in the industrial zone area.
San Simon is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council (Sangguniang Bayan) consisting of councilors from the barangays of barrios.
List of local chief executives
Available records at the Municipal Hall list the following town executives from 1898 until present:
Year
Name
Title
1898
Juan Agulo
Kapitan del Pueblo
1899
Solomon Ibanez
Kapitan del Pueblo
1900
Diego de los Santos
Kapitan del Pueblo
1901
Macario Santos
Kapitan del Pueblo
1902
Basilio de los Santos
Kapitan del Pueblo
1903
Manuel Ibanez
Kapitan del Pueblo
1904
Mariano Pangan
Kapitan del Pueblo
1905
Mariano Vergara
Kapitan del Pueblo
1906–1908
Sisenando Pineda
Presidente Municipal (merged with San Luis)
1908–1910
Pablo Cruz
Presidente Municipal (merged with San Luis)
1910–1912
Teodoro Punsalan
Presidente Municipal
1913–1915
Macario Perez
Presidente Municipal
1916–1918
Urbano Guevara
Presidente Municipal
1919–1924
Servillano Ibanez
Presidente Municipal
1925–1927
Ramon Tuano
Presidente Municipal
1935–1936
Catalino Ibanez
Appointed Mayor
1937–1938
Domingo Pineda
Appointed Mayor
1938–1939
Patrocinio Yabut
Acting Mayor
1939–1941
Patrocinio Yabut
Elected Mayor
1941–1942
Agustin Sese
Acting Mayor
1942–1944
Ramon Ibanez
Appointed Mayor by Japanese
1945–1946
Felipe Almario
Appointed Mayor
1946
Eusebio Francisco
Appointed Mayor
1947–1949
Fernando Galang
Appointed Mayor
1949–1952
Jose S. Yabut Sr.
Elected Mayor
1953–1956
Gregorio M. Santillan Sr.
Elected Mayor
1957–1960
Jose S. Yabut Sr.
Elected Mayor
1960
Felicisimo Pamandanan
Officer-In-Charge
1961–1968
Cornelio S. Sanga
Elected Mayor
1969–1975
Lamberto Punsalan
Elected Mayor
1976–1979
Ruben Dagdag
Assumed the post being Vice Mayor at the time. (Mayor Punsalan was killed)
1980–1986
Jose Yabut Jr.
Elected Mayor
1986–1988
Gaudencio Pineda
Appointed Mayor
1988–1998
Manuel S .Bondoc
Elected Mayor
1998–2001
Azor L. Sitchon
Elected Mayor
2001–2010
Rodrigo Miranda Canlas
Elected Mayor
2010–2019
Leonora Capule Wong
Elected Mayor
2019–Present
Abundio Punsalan Jr.
Elected Mayor
Education
For elementary and high school education, residents of San Simon are served by thirteen elementary schools, two barangay public high schools, and three private schools.
For Example:
Assumpta Technical High School (ATHS)
Pampanga Central High School (PCHS)
St. Augustine Institute of Pampanga (SAIP)
San Simon High School (SSHS)
San Pedro Elementary School (SPES)
San Pedro National High School (SPNHS)
Next Generation Technological College
Dela Paz Libutad High School
Communications
For telecommunications, the town is served by Digitel, PLDT, PILTEL, DATELCOM, SMART, GLOBE and with new copper line CONVERGE ICT.
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