Angeles University Foundation

Its More Fun in Candaba!

(A Written Report) Accomplished by: Kimberly Ann M. Paras BSE IV-B English

OVERVIEW
Candaba is known for its rich farmlands, where sweet watermelons are grown, and for its wide and scenic swamps, the habitat of mudfish and gigantic catfish. Citizens of this locality make use of Candaba swamps as fishponds during the rainy season and watermelon and rice fields during the dry season. Migrant wild ducks and various wildlife escape winter winds from China and Siberia, making Candaba their yearly sanctuary. Hunting birds in the swamp is a tourist attraction. The popular unimitatable burong isda, a distinct Kapampangan fermented delicacy, is made from the best catfish or mudfish as only Candaba can produce.

LEGEND AND HISTORY

One of the oldest settlements during pre-Hispanic time, long before the encomienderos took hold of the town in 1593, is what is known as Candaba. Not much is known before that period except for extant proofs holding that the Candabeos had their own culture, commerce and industries, which were basically farming and fishing. Candaba, as told by Dr. Juan P. Gatbonton, one of the most knowledgeable chroniclers of the town, derived its name from Candawe, a name of a place close to Sitio Culumanas in Candaba. Candawe was later corrupted by Spanish derivation to Candaba. Another school of thought, based on lore perpetuated by word of mouth through the years, traced the origin of the word Candaba from Cang Daba or Brother Daba. Daba was a term used for a big earthen jar and obese people were teased by likening them to a daba. Before long, it came to pass that every out-of-towner buying fish and famed buru (pickled fish) was almost invariably referred to Cang Daba. The town, later on, came to be called Candaba.

CLIMATE
There are two seasons, the wet and dry, wet during the months of May to October and dry the rest of the year. During the months July to August, the temperature is between 25.8 degrees centigrade, the months of January and February are the coldest. Candaba has a very high economic potential but the lack of good infrastructures such as paved roads especially the long delayed

Candaba Road stretching from the highly urbanized municipality of Baliuag, Bulacan to the town proper of Candaba. Due to the fact that it is the lowest point in Central Luzon, floods are frequent in this area, causing many planted farmlands along the Candaba Road to be submerged during the rainy season. This leads to the inability of the local folks to transport their goods to the town proper and in other areas. Trade between the people of Kapampangan and Tagalog region is rare as access between their goods because it is hampered and challenged by the lack of infrastructures, environmental challenges, and to some extent the linguistic differences among them. Way back in the late 90s, there was a proposal to divide the area into two municipalities: Candaba for the Kapampangan region and Bahay Pare for the Tagalog. The latters name is derived from the largest barangay in terms of population named Bahay Pare.

BARANGAYS
It is subdivided into 33 political units called barangays. It is inhabited by 91,940 (CY 2001) people which are distributed in the different barangays regionally designated as: Poblacion riverside region; Kapampangan region and Tagalog region. There are eleven barangays which compose the riverside region; eight for the Kapampangan region, which is separated from the town proper by the swamp and is closer to Nueva Ecija than to Candaba town proper; and fourteen for the Tagalog region and this is separated from the town proper and is adjacent to Baliuag and San Miguel, Bulacan. The Kapampangan region whose inhabitants use Pampango (Kapampangan) as their daily lingua franca even in school as a medium of speech. The Tagalog region mostly located on the boundaries of Bulacan provinces municipalities, Kapampangan is rarely used by the majority of the population, especially the younger generation who prefer to use the national language as their medium of speech when communicating with each other.

LOCAL OFFICIALS Rene Maglanque- Mayor Normita Babes Evangelista- Vice Mayor

CHURCHES
St. Andrew Parish Church- The simplicity of line and scarcity of ornamentation are the main traits of the faade of this church, the triangular pediment with its protruding center helps maintain the simplicity of line. Features of the Church- A new feature of the facade is the depressed three-centered arches of the windows on the second level. The second level is separated by a cornice decorated with geometric designs. Saint Andrew- Patron of Fisherman Andrew, like his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, Behold the Lamb of God! Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once, he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, What do you seek? When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, Come and see. Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah. From then on, he chose to follow Jesus. Andrew was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple. At first, the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Other Churches- Jesus Reigns Ministries; Pescadores Church

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Candaba Swamp Candaba Wetlands St. Andrew Parish Church Ibon-Ebon Festival

HISTORICAL DISCOVERIES
Candaba Adze- The Candaba Adze, which dates back to 3,000 years before Christ, or around the time the Egyptians were building the pyramids, was found in the area. Burong Isda Santa Catalina Parish Church- This church has many quaint details, including a piedra de china (granite slab) at the church entrance with an untypical Chinese inscription.