MPDC Mexico

The name Mexico is believe to be derived from the term “Macasicu”, as the town is endowed with river bends; or with the term “Masicu”, which in ancient Kapampangan means abundant with water. Some believed that the town was abundant with “Chico” trees, hence the word “Ma-chico”. Other historians believed that the town’s name was simply taken from the Central American nation because of the trading ties of the Philippines to the Spanish-colonized Mexico, and was called Nuevo Mexico from the beginning. Other documents recalled the town as New Mexico.
Before 1755, there was no single capital town of Pampanga and according to Spanish Chronicler Fray Gaspar de san Agustin, provincial courts were located in this town as “es la corte de Pampanga”. Mexico was once one of Pampanga capitals and centers of commerce and trade among Chinese traders due to its accessibility to Sapang Matulid, a straight river passing through several towns in the province up to Manila de Bay. “Cascos” and “sampans” maintained the flow of goods along the Malabon – Guagua- Mexico chain. Parian, the town’s capital, was once the commercial center of Mexico. Mexico is a plain land bounded on the north by Angeles City & Magalang; on the south, by San Luis; on the east, by San Fernando; and Arayat and Sta. Ana on the west. It used to include some areas of San Fernando and Angeles in its geographical jurisdiction before they became independent cities.
The town lies on a flat terrain, with an elevation which is higher by one (1.0) meter compared to San Fernando and is gradually sloping by .30 % up north. It is primarily an agricultural land with crops ranging from rice, corn, sugar and vegetables. Livestock industries and aquaculture also thrive here. Bisecting the vast lands of Mexico is the great Abacan River. Other rivers which pass through the municipality and are therefore utilized for flood control and irrigation purposes these are the Mexico River, Sapang Bungang Guinto and the Betis River.
The Municipality of Mexico used to have 37 barangays which increased to 43 barangays at present, as enumerated below:

Acli,Dolores,Pandacaqui, San Juan,Sta. Cruz,
Anao,Eden,Pangatlan,San Lorenzo,Sta. Maria
Balas,Gandus,Panipuan,San Miguel,
Sto.Domingo,Buenavista,Lagundi,Parian, San Nicolas,Sto. Rosario,Camuning,Laput, Sabanilla,San Pablo,Sapang Maisac,Cawayan Laug,San Antonio,San Patricio,Suclaban,
Concepcion,Masamat,San Carlos,San Rafael ,Tangle,Culubasa,Sto. Cristo,
(old name: Masangsang) ,San Jose Malino, San Roque,Divisoria,Nueva Victoria,San Jose Matulid,San Vicente

Today, Mexico is a first class municipality by income. The advent of commercial investments and urbanization of some strategically located prime lands benefited neighboring barangays and brought prosperity and fame to the town. With Mexico’s continuous growth and development and its aim to be the next city of Pampanga, this land use plan will serve as a blueprint of development and guideline to direct investments and improvement towards the attainment of the vision.