Mission, vision, history, municipal profile, and past elected officials.
Mission content pending.
By 2026, Magalang will be a city anchored in agricultural productivity, technological advancement, social and tourism development, and will have an empowered and God-inspired community living in a clean, healthy and safe environment and governed by capable, effective and dynamic leaders.
The vision statement was crafted in November 2016 through a multi-sectoral workshop and serves as the guiding framework for the municipality's major plans, programs, and projects for 2017–2026.
Situated on the northwestern side of Mount Arayat, Magalang was established by Spanish Augustinian missionaries in 1605 in a place then known as Macapsa. In 1616, the municipality became a battleground in the rebellion led by Melchor de Vera, an emissary of Andres Malong. Magalang was selected as a training camp for approximately 6,000 followers before the forces withdrew to Pangasinan.
In 1734, the original settlement was in San Bartolome, Concepcion, Tarlac. Flooding from the Parua River swept the settlement away in 1863, prompting residents to move the seat of government to San Pedro on December 13, 1863. The re-establishment was led by Gobernadorcillo Pablo M. Luciano, with Santiago Suing, and the new community in Talimunduk became present-day San Pedro, Magalang. Another group of families moved to Matandok and established Concepcion, bringing with them the image of the Immaculate Concepcion.
The Revolutionary Government took over Magalang on June 1, 1889. American rule began on November 5, 1889. Japan occupied the town beginning January 3, 1942, until liberation on January 24, 1945. Magalang was turned over to the Philippine Government on July 4, 1946, when executive functions shifted from the gobernadorcillo to municipal mayors.
Pampanga State Agricultural University is one of Magalang's notable historical institutions. It began in 1885 as the agricultural experiment station “La Granja Modelo de Magalang,” later became “Estacion Pecuaria,” and was renamed several times before becoming Pampanga Agricultural College under Republic Act No. 4576 in 1965. It is now known as Pampanga State Agricultural University. The municipality's symmetrical poblacion, Spanish-influenced layout, and old houses along its main streets continue to reflect its history.
Magalang is located in the northern portion of Pampanga. It is bounded by Concepcion, Tarlac to the north; Cabiao, Nueva Ecija and Arayat to the east; Mexico to the south; and Mabalacat City to the west. The municipality is an agricultural community on the northwestern slope of Mount Arayat, approximately 11 kilometers from Angeles City, 28 kilometers north of San Fernando, 92 kilometers north of Manila, and nearly 178 kilometers from Baguio City.
| 2015 population | 113,147, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority Census of Population. |
|---|---|
| 2007 population | 98,595 |
| 2010 population | 103,597 |
| Average annual population growth rate | 1.69% from 2007–2010 and 1.84% from 2010–2015. |
| Projected 2026 population | 138,527, based on the average annual population growth rate. |
Source: 2015 Census of Population, Philippine Statistics Authority; Comprehensive Land Use Plan 2018.
