“Pampango” refers to the people who speak the Pampango language or inhabit the province of Pampanga. The name of the province was coined by the early Spanish conquerors from “pangpang” or “pangpangan” which means riverbank. “Kapampangan” literally means “region of, or people inhabiting riverbanks.” Pampango is the Spanish version of “Pampanga.”

Pampanga ProvinceLocated in Central Luzon

Capital City:San Fernando, Pampanga

• The name “La Pampanga” was given by spaniardswho found the early natives living near the river bank

Pampanga ProvinceLocated in Central Luzon

Borders:• Zambales and bataan in

west• Tarlac and Nueva Ecija in

north• Bulacan in South East

Pampanga Province

The province is home of 2 Philippine Air Bases• Basa Air base in

Floridabalanca

• U.S. Clark Air Base in Angeles City

Pampanga Province

• The inhabitants of Pampanga are generally referred to Kapampangans, Pampango or Pampangueños

Pampanga Province

• The Province of Pampanga is the Culinary Capital of the Philippines

Pampanga Province

• Kapampangan ranks seventh among 8 majors languages in Philippines

Pampanga Province

Crissotan – A debate in verse and was named in Honor of Juan CrisostomoSoto

Full Name: Juan Crisóstomo CaballaSotoA.K.A.:Crissot “The Father of Pampango Literature”

Born : January 27, 1867Died: July 12, 1918Father: Santiago SotoMother: Marciana Caballa

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

Family Background:Soto married twice. By his first wife Julia Amaida, who died in 1903, he had six children. He remarried on 24 January 1910, this time to Rosario Palma, with whom he had four children. Soto’s maternal grandfather, Sixto Caballa, was also a local poet who participated in poetical debates known as karagatan. The debate is now called Crissotan in Soto's honor.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

He was a:• Poet• Dramatist• Journalist• Newspaperman

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

Other Information:After graduating, Soto enrolled in the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán and studied philosophy, Latin and theology. However, his passion for poetry and theatrical plays prohibited him from finishing with a degree. He went back to Bacolor before the school year was over and wrote a Pampango version of the Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. His version was entitled “Ing Pamaquisawa ning Mete”(“The Marriage of the Dead”).

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

Soto’s first attempt in producing a play failed. Yet, he did not go back to college as he fell in love with the girl who played Juliet in his play. His father did not approve of the relationship and instead he was wed to Julia Almaida in 1891. His next works were all Pampango adaptations from Spanish plays, namely: IngMarino, Ding MipalsintaTeruel, Fausto and I NeronAmpon Ding Gladiadores.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

As Revolutionary:It was Francisco Makabulos that introduced Soto to the Katipunan. Once in the organization, the poet worked with Maximino Hizón in building the organization’s chapter in Pampanga. Later on, he enlisted himself as a volunteer in the Spanish government’s forces to be able to score arms and ammunitions for the revolutionary movement. When the Spanish government learned about his secret mission and his safety was compromised, he left his chapter and joined the Katipunero force organized by Tomas Mascardo.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

As Revolutionary:Soto was active during the second stage of the Revolution and was shot twice in action, first in Porac then in Floridablanca. He was promoted to captain for his heroic work. Meanwhile, he contributed his writing skills to the revolutionary paper La Independencia when the said periodical was set up in San Fernando. He joined the guerilla forces at the time the Americans finally took over Pampanga but he was captured by American soldiers while visiting some relatives in Bacolor and was imprisoned in a convent in Guagua. It was during his imprisonment that he wrote Sigalut.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

As Revolutionary:After being released from prison, Soto continued to write plays while also writing for the periodicals El Liberal and La Publicidad. The playwright helped Luther Parker in writing An English-Spanish-Pampango Dictionary together with Modesto Joaquin. In 1906, he edited the Pampango publication Ing Imangabiran, where his only novel, Lidia, appeared serially. The said serial was published in book form but all of its copies were burned. The wealthy woman who bought all of the copies was believed to be the same woman being referred to in the novel.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

As Revolutionary:After Ing Imangabiran’s publication ended, he found himself editing the paper Ing Balen. Later on, he became editor of Ing Alipatpat, the publication he founded together with PascualGozún and Félix Galura. The paper’s first issue appeared on 3 November 1917. It was in this publication that his Pampango translation of José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere appeared. However, the playwright died a year later, so the paper ceased publishing, leaving the translated work unfinished. Soto used the pen names Crissot, Rubí, Natis Balén, Lacan Batbat, Vitaliano in his verses and Julio Septiembre in his articles.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO

List of literacy work:

Most of Soto’s works have remained unpublished and most of those that were preserved were written during the American period.