History

That the town of Mexico was said to have been founded in the year 1581. In the book of a certain Fr. Buzeta, conquerors arrived in this town in small boats coming from the south landing in a bushy place now called San Jose Matulid. But according to Augustininan records, the town was probably founded earlier in 1581 or 10 years after colonizers entered Manila Bay. It was originally named Novo Mexico or New Mexico.

That in the year 1660, a valiant warlord and leader Francisco Maniago of Mexico town led the kapampangans in revolting against Spain? The uprising was caused by the kapampangans’ love for freedom and response against the oppression of then Spanish authorities

That from the year 1863 to 1865, a missionary school was built and established in the town. Teachers came from the best educators from Manila teaching ABCs, religious mysteries, catechism and prayers? That during the old times, there is a Market Day set for the week wherein traders from Malabon, Meycauayan and Guadalupe which were all then established towns? Rivers then were navigable and were used as highways by traders and travelers riding in cascos and bancas? From the nearby provinces of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac came in carts drawn by ox or horses with lots of goods for trade.

That in June 1897, a Filipino General by the name Maximino Hizon of Mexico town organized a revolution against Spain? He called thousands of men armed with bolos to attack San Fernando where a Spanish General named Monet was based. Sensing this, the latter promised General Hizon autonomy to the town if they would put down their arms. The revolutionaries didn’t believe this until General Monet was forced to fled somewhere to what is now Macabebe town. That many prominent kapampangan families such as Bondoc, Canals, Cunananm Dizon, Hizon, Inventor, Jimenez, Lacandola, Laus, Laxamana, Lazatin, Lising, Lorenzo, Lumba, Makabali, Manalang, Maniago, Meneses, Nuqui, Ocampo, Panlilio, Padilla, Pinpin, Punsalan, Quioc, Salas, Sampang and many others trace their roots from Mexico town?

Mexico is a first-class municipality belonging to the third district of the Province of Pampanga. It has a total land area of 11,761 hectares and a recorded population of 141,298 in 2007.

Meanwhile, agriculture is still the main source of livelihood in Mexico. It is one of the largest producers of rice in the province and remains as the top producer of corn in Pampanga. To date, Mexico’s yellow corn production reach 11,311 metric tons a year while its rice production was recorded at 29,980 metric tons in 2010

In terms of education, Mexico has 16 elementary schools, two primary schools, one public college and several private high schools and colleges. The public college is an extension of the Don Honorio Ventura State University. Among the elementary schools, Mexico Central School is the biggest with a population of about 3,000 students and a faculty of about 50. As far as its health services, Mexico has its own hospital. The newly-built Mexico Community Hospital is the most equipped and the biggest public hospital in the province. The P45 million hospital sits on a 12,490 square meter land in Barangay San Carlos. It is approved by the DOH as a tertiary level hospital with five operating rooms, a special operating room for children, and more than 50 beds. To date, the municipality has also 20,000 Philhealth members with premiums continuously paid by the municipal government.