Feb. 4, 2001
San Fernando, the capital town of Pampanga province, was declared a city after residents cast their votes in a plebiscite. Results showed that 12,378 registered voters endorsed conversion to a city, while 8,519 rejected it. San Fernando became the second town in Pampanga (after Angeles) and the eighth in Central Luzon to elect to become a city. In January 2001, then President Joseph Estrada approved Republic Act No. 8990, converting the more than 300-year-old town into a component city. Carved out from Mexico and Bacolor towns during the 1700s, San Fernando has become Central Luzon’s main commercial and business hub beginning in the 1970s as a result of its strategic location.
Feb. 7, 2017
The Regional Development Council in Bicol approved a proposal to build a bridge linking Matnog town in Sorsogon province and Allen town in Samar province. The bridge, spanning 40 kilometers, will connect four islands and will take four years to build. The project is part of the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program. The bridge is seen to cut travel time of delivery trucks as well as boost trade, tourism and hasten the delivery of government aid during emergencies.
—Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research
Sources: Inquirer Archives, DOT, cityofsanfernando.gov.ph, northernsamar.gov.ph, negros-occ.gov.ph, philballoonfest.net