Adventure
Golf at Pradera Verde Golf Club
Championship golf in the Lubao countryside, about 45 minutes from Clark, with wide fairways, water hazards and a clubhouse.
Lubao
Town
Lubao
One of Pampanga's earliest settlements, with a 1572 brick church, a bamboo nature park and two presidents' roots.
Lubao is a municipality of 44 barangays with about 174,000 residents at the 2020 census. It was among the most prosperous settlements in Pampanga before the Spanish arrived, and is described as the cradle of Kapampangan civilization. The Spanish established it as a settlement in 1571.
The brick San Agustin Church, built from 1572, is one of the oldest in Pampanga and an Important Cultural Property. Lubao is the birthplace of President Diosdado Macapagal, whose birthplace house, library and museum are local landmarks, and home to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The town is known for rice, sugar cane, fish and sampaguita, celebrated in its Sampaguita Festival. Outdoor stops include the Lubao Bamboo Nature Park in Santa Catalina and Pradera Verde, which has hosted hot air balloon festivals.
Good to know about Lubao
How old is Lubao church?
The San Agustin Church in Lubao was built from 1572 and is one of the oldest churches in Pampanga. It was declared an Important Cultural Property in 2013.
Which presidents are from Lubao?
Diosdado Macapagal, 9th President of the Philippines, was born in Lubao. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the 14th President, has her residence in the town.
How far is Lubao from San Fernando?
About 18 km. Lubao is also about 35 km from Angeles and 84 km from Manila.
Things to do in Lubao
Adventure
Pradera Verde, Lubao
Leisure estate in Prado Siongco with a golf course, the home ground of the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival.
Lubao
Attractions
Jose B. Lingad Park and Museum
Park and museum in San Nicolas 1st, Lubao, named after Jose B. Lingad.
Lubao
© Ralff Nestor Nacor on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SAAttractions
President Diosdado P. Macapagal Museum and Library
Interactive museum and library in San Nicolas 1st on the life and times of President Diosdado Macapagal, a native of Lubao.
Lubao
Attractions
San Agustin Church, Lubao
Massive brick church begun in 1614, one of Pampanga's oldest and an Important Cultural Property.
Lubao
Attractions
Lubao Bamboo Hub
Bamboo eco-park in Sta. Catalina, Lubao, with a hanging bridge and a floating restaurant.
Sta. Catalina
Upcoming events in Lubao
May
Date TBA
Early May 2027 (dates to be announced)
Sampaguita Festival 2027, Lubao
Lubao's early-May festival for the sampaguita, the national flower, and the farmers who grow it, with a river procession, floats and street dancing.
Lubao
May
Date TBA
Opening day of the 2027 Sampaguita Festival (to be confirmed)
Libad Apu Sto. Cristo 2027, Lubao
Fluvial procession of the Apu Sto. Cristo image on the Porac-Gumain River, first held in 2026 to open the Sampaguita Festival.
Lubao
Wed
5
May
Wed, May 5
Kapistahan ng Lubao 2027
Lubao's town feast on May 5, the anniversary of its founding in 1572, in the middle of the Sampaguita Festival.
Lubao
Itineraries & guides in Lubao
Travel Guides
Where to stay near Lubao
Lubao's few places to stay, and nearby options in Guagua, for the balloon festival and Pradera Verde.
Lubao
Travel Guides
Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival: tips for first-timers
What to expect at Lubao's balloon and music festival at Pradera Verde, and how to plan around the crowds.
Lubao
Itineraries
A day in Lubao: presidents, bamboo and the oldest church
One day in Pampanga's oldest town: the 1572 church, the Macapagal museum, the Bamboo Hub and a drive past Pradera Verde.
Lubao
Getting Around
How to get to Lubao
Lubao is 18 km from San Fernando and about 84 km from Manila, on the road to Bataan. Distances and what to plan around.
Lubao
Latest stories in Lubao
Community
Balloons over Prado Siongco
How a field in Lubao became the home of one of the country's biggest hot air balloon and music festivals.
Lubao
Culture
Sampaguita: the flower farms of Lubao
Lubao supplies much of the country's national flower. How the sampaguita shapes the town's farms, festival and even its kitchens.
Lubao
Culture
Lubao, cradle of Kapampangan civilisation
Why Lubao, low and muddy by name, claims to be Pampanga's oldest town and the cradle of Kapampangan culture.
Lubao