Old municipio to reopen as Mabalacat City arts center

FREEPORT— The old municipal hall of Mabalacat City is set to reopen as an arts and culture center.

Mabalacat City tourism officer Arwin Paul Lingat said the old town hall will be named Tabnuan: Mabalacat Cultural Center (Tabnuan), a place for arts and cultural displays and exhibits.

“Tabnuan means ‘this is the place where we agree to meet’,” Lingat explained during the Pampanga Press Club’s News at Hues briefing at Park Inn by Radisson Clark on February 20.

Lingat said visitors will have a background and glimpse of what Mabalacat is all about when they visit Tabnuan.

He added that an office of the mayor, replicating the looks and setup during the American period, will also be recreated inside the building.

The opening of Tabnuan on February 28 is part of the city’s Balacat Festival.

The upcoming festival will run from February 26 to March 2, 2024.

It includes Lubenas, a lantern parade procession; opening of agro-industrial trade and food fair bazaar pavilions of barangays; MCG Fun Run: “Takbo para Balacat”; Miss Mabalacat

City 2024 Coronation Night; and a street dance competition.

Lingat said they invited officials from other towns including Magalang, Sto. Tomas, Mexico, and cities Angeles and San Fernando, to celebrate the shared culture and heritage of "Lubenas.”

The MCG Fun Run supports the city’s Balacat Tree Planting Program which aims to provide a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future for the community.

Meanwhile, Miss Mabalacat City 2024 promises to be a celebration of not only beauty and grace but also of the city's rich cultural tapestry.

Balacat Festival is in celebration of the roots of the city, having derived its name from the Balakat tree which was aplenty in the place from several decades ago.