What to do in Pampanga? Where else to travel?
Is there anything new? It seems ordinary, but these are the inquiries I have always asked about Pampanga.
For someone who was born in Pampanga, I always thought that there was nothing special about Pampanga. Everything around is normal. Simple as that!
We had neither stunning white sand nor clear blue water like the ‘Boracay’ of Panay Island or the jaw-dropping Underground River of Palawan.
Not even the cold climate of Baguio City compares to the scorching sun here in Pampanga. Everything seems normal to me. Nothing extraordinary!
However, that didn’t last long.
Soon, I began to realize that Pampanga was a place where you can trace your roots and a place that tells a thousand stories. It’s a place where anything ordinary can be extraordinary.
Pampanga is a never-ending destination that anyone can experience.
The city of San Fernando witnessed some of the darkest periods of our history as Filipinos, and it’s something we should remember in our hearts.
In San Fernando, located there was an old San Fernando railway station, which became a stopping place for the Filipino and American prisoners of war during the Bataan Death March in 1942. (Japanese Occupation)
A historical marker can visibly be seen as built to remember the importance of the event in the city.
Source: San Fernando Train Station.
Now, the San Fernando railway station is considered a historic landmark in Pampanga province.
Similar to the San Fernando Railway was the Kamikaze Memorial and Peace Shrine found in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.
The site of the memorial is at the former Mabalacat East Airfield.
The place has become a tourist spot for Japanese tourists.
The objective of the memorial was not to glorify kamikaze but somehow use it as a tool for promoting peace and friendship among nations.
The purpose of the memorial was to remind individuals that the Phenomenon of Kamikaze should never happen once more.
The monument has a sign written in English with the words “Kamikaze First Airfield Historical Marker” and an inscription in Japanese with the following phrases, “Airfield where Kamikaze Special Attack Corps aircraft first took off in World War II.”
The Kamikaze was a particular aviation unit of the Japanese military during WWII. Its pilots went on self-destruction missions against naval vessels of Allied forces.
Aside from looking for a place where you can relax and enjoy, we should also look for a place where we can learn our history, and it is their story to tell.
Each landmark found in Pampanga is not just a familiar landmark. Each has its own untold story, and it’s up to us if we’re willing to listen to their untold stories.
Through that, we can remember our roots and appreciate what now has become in the present times.
A day may end, but your destination in Pampanga is a never-ending journey.
