400th YEAR SAN BARTOLOME PARISH
MAGALANG, PAMPANGA
Kind of Issue
Denomination & Quantity
Date of Issue
Perforation
Printing Process
Paper
Printer
Design Coordinator
Designer
Graphic Artist
: Commemorative
: P6.00 ----- 115,000
: July 25, 2005
: 14
: Litho-Offset ( 4 colors )
: Imported Unwatermarked
: Amstar Co., Inc.
: Rev. Fr. Raul delos Santos
: Victorino Z. Serevo
: Richard Allen M. Baron
The PARISH OF SAN BARTOLOME, in Magalang, Pampanga marks this year the 400th anniversary of its establishment as a parish. Established in 1605, it is one of the oldest parishes in the country.

After being separated from the parish of the nearby town of Arayat, Pampanga, the first parish church was built in a small Barangay of Macaspac, Magalang. After being flooded, it was transferred to Barangay Talimundok where a church was built in 1725. The present church was built in 1866 by Fr. Ramon Sarrionanda, an Augustinian Friar. The church is basically made of dead stones or pumice, gathered from the nearby town of Porac, Pampanga, which up to now has a mine of sand and such stones, especially after the eruption of the Mt. Pinatubo.

The facade and walls of the church are still of the original design. Like much of the town, nothing much has changed. The parish of San Bartolome and the town of Magalang is home to a peaceful, quiet and loving people, of respectful folks. Magalang is a Filipino word for respectful. These qualities are recognized in this simple and not so remote town, being a neighbor to the highly urbanized Angeles City. They are the typical simple Filipino folks of similar towns that live in rural peace and simplicity.

The parish is a beacon of Filipino faith and culture. It is home to a growing populace of more than 50,000 people, and it is the center of 27 barangays and 5 barrio parishes. The town celebrates its fiesta on August 24, feast of her patron saint.