Porac

Named after the plentiful Purac trees that the area's first settlers came across, this beautiful region is believed to be the first town established in Pampanga. It was originally named Poraq by Provincial Surveyor Don Ramon N. Orozco in his sketch of the nearby Poraq River but was later officially changed to Porac on September 16, 1867. 

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Agriculture came to the place with the settling of Pampangans, of native Malay descent, accompanied by a small number of Spaniards. Porac was a ranch in the slope of the mountain known as Batiawan, but due to the scarcity of water in the mountains, the residents moved to the lower grounds near the "Poraq River" to sustain their needs. 

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In 1853, the settlements in Porac were composed of six barangays namely, Dolores, Manibaug, Mitla, Pias y Pio, Pulong Santol, and Salu with a total population of 5,408. By the early 19th Century, Porac was a stable agricultural town with its own church, local government, and Guardia Civil detachment. After the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, however, six (6) lowland and three (3) upland barangays were either partially or completely buried under lahar, forcing residents to evacuate to different temporary relocation sites in the neighboring provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. In 1992, the National Government, through the Mount Pinatubo Commission and the Municipal Government, started building several relocation sites within the municipality. In 1995, the Pio Model Community was finished and housed displaced residents. This was followed by the relocation of the Aetas from Barangay Inararo to the Planas Tent City in 1997.

 

Today, with the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Porac is set to be the Industrial Hub of Central Luzon with investments coming from companies such as Ayala Land Inc. and LLL Holdings because of its proximity to Clark International Airport and Subic Bay Seaport. Additionally, with several indoor and outdoor tourist attractions,  there is a steady flow of local and foreign visitors to the area.