French
DeutschApalit is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. It is a primarily commercial town at the crossroads between the Pampanga River delta, Bulacan, and the rest of Pampanga.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Apalit is one of the oldest towns in Pampanga, having been established by the Spanish in 1582. For much of its history, Apalit has prospered thanks to its location at the southern edge of the Candaba Swamp and the Pampanga River, then a vital trade artery that also sustains its agricultural and fishing industries while at the same time providing chronic headaches through flooding during the rainy season.
Since the shift to motorized transportation beginning in the 20th century, Apalit has further prospered, first due to its location along a now-defunct railroad (now being revived), its position along the MacArthur Highway and it being at the junction leading to the towns of Macabebe and Masantol further downstream along the Pampanga River.
Get in
[edit | edit source]Apalit lies along MacArthur Highway, the main thoroughfare of Pampanga. To avoid chronic traffic congestion, most travelers from Metro Manila take instead the Pulilan or San Simon Exits of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) before entering Apalit from either Calumpit or San Simon via MacArthur Highway. NLEX itself passes through town, including near Apalit Church, but has no dedicated exit within its territory.
From Trinoma in Quezon City, passenger vans link Apalit with Metro Manila from 4AM to 12MN, but will involve waiting for the vehicle to fill up before leaving. There are also passenger vans in the adjacent SM North EDSA mall.
Victory Liner also offers limited bus services from Apalit to Metro Manila. It is also a stopover on some buses along the San Fernando-Metro Manila route, especially if the bus signages indicate “Inner Cities”. These buses enter MacArthur Highway at NLEX Tabang Exit in Guiguinto, Bulacan, and pass through Malolos and Calumpit before reaching Apalit.
Apalit is the terminus of a minibus route running south from Dau in Mabalacat, ideal for those commuting from Clark and Angeles. It is also along the jeepney and minibus route from Malolos in Bulacan to San Fernando, the capital of Pampanga, as well as the ones running between San Fernando and Macabebe and Masantol. All four routes traverse MacArthur Highway.
A secondary road also connects Apalit with Pulilan in Bulacan.
- 1 Victory Liner Bus Terminal, MacArthur Highway, Sampaloc, ☏ +63 998 591 5102.
There are no trains to Apalit since the main line to La Union closed in 1988. There is ongoing construction of an electrified standard-gauge railway running from Metro Manila to Clark International Airport in Angeles and New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac. As of 2026, the line is still under construction, with a station serving Apalit being built near Apalit-Macabebe-Masantol Road in Barangay San Vicente.
Get around
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Tricycles are the main form of transportation between barangays, especially as Apalit Church and the Municipal Hall are bypassed by MacArthur Highway, 500 metres (1,600 ft) away. The tricycle terminal leading to these sites is along Gonzalez Avenue, a few meters from the junction with MacArthur Highway. Fares start at P20.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church (Apalit Church), Gonzalez Avenue, San Juan. Apalit's main Roman Catholic church, built during the Spanish era in a Renaissance Revival style during the 19th century and featuring exquisite ceiling paintings made by local artists and gravestones of prominent residents on the walls. Its large dome is visible from the North Luzon Expressway.
- 2 Apalit Municipal Hall, Gonzalez Avenue, San Juan. The seat of Apalit's municipal government was built in imitation of the back of the White House, complete with an ellipse filled with trees, a park and a Hollywood-like sign of the town.
- 3 Casa Sulipeña (Arnedo Ancestral House), Alauli Road, Sulipan. A 19th-century bahay na bato that belonged to one of Apalit's elite families and hosted visiting Spanish and dignitaries from other countries including future US president William Howard Taft.
- 4 Timoteo-Uyan House, Gonzalez Avenue, San Juan. A Spanish-era residence.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 ADD Convention Center, MacArthur Highway, Sampaloc (inside La Verdad Christian College). A .5 hectares (1.2 acres) multi-purpose venue with a 100,000-seat capacity, commonly used by the Members Church of God International (MCGI), a homegrown evangelist Christian sect.
- Apung Iru Festival (Libad Festival). June 28-30. Apalit’s annual patronal festival, dedicated to its patron saint, Saint Peter the Apostle (known in Kapampangan as Apung Iru). The highlight of the event is a fluvial procession along the Pampanga River.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Savemore Market Apalit, MacArthur Highway, San Vicente, customercare@smsupermalls.com. 10AM–9PM.
- 2 New Apalit Public Market, San Vicente.
- 3 Puregold Apalit, MacArthur Highway, San Vicente, toll-free: 246 7044Country code missing, 045 879 1010Country code missing. 7AM-8PM.
- 4 588 Shopping Mall, MacArthur Highway corner Sulipan Road, San Vicente.
- 5 7Mart Shopping Mall, MacArthur Highway, San Vicente.
- 6 Red Camia Supermarket, MacArthur Highway, San Vicente.
- 7 Jumbo Jenra Apalit, MacArthur Highway, Sampaloc, ☏ +63 907 030 0200, +63 965 331 3888.
- 8 Robinsons Easymart Apalit, MacArthur Highway, Sampaloc. 7AM-10PM.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- 1 Funnside Ningnangan, Apalit-Macabebe-Masantol Road, San Vicente. A Pampanga-based restaurant and grill chain serving Filipino dishes.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 Hotel Impressa, MacArthur Highway, Sampaloc, ☏ +63 916 300 7260, toll-free: +63 45 302 9905.
Stay safe
[edit | edit source]A low-lying town, Apalit is susceptible to flooding from the Pampanga river during the rainy season, which is exacerbated by typhoons and high tide from Manila Bay.
Stay healthy
[edit | edit source]Due to chronic flooding, medication against leptospirosis (a disease carried by rat urine) is necessary after wading into floodwaters.
Respect
[edit | edit source]Apalit is the birthplace of the Members Church of God International (MCGI), an evangelist Christian sect founded by televangelist Eli Soriano colloquially known as Ang Dating Daan (The Old Road). Known for Soriano's fiery and sometimes controversial oratory and its long-running feud with another denomination, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), tread carefully when mentioning the topic in town.
Be respectful also when discussing the chronic flooding situation, as many residents have had enough from the long-term disruptions and displacement. Since 2025, protests have erupted in town after it emerged that public funds meant for the construction of dikes and flood control measures have been embezzled by corrupt politicians, engineers and contractors.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Apalit |
| San Fernando ← San Simon ← | N  S | → Calumpit → Malolos |