There are many stories about how a place got its name but Lambingan Bridge has only one. As the story goes, it is where lovers go and spend their time cuddling. There is a proof that it is actually a lovers’ nest and these are the names written on the bridge – names of lovers who went there.
More than anything, it is a place where tranquility awaits the yearning eye. Away from heavy population and surrounded by rice farms, it is undoubtedly a good place to spend the day. Wind blows so strong it feels like all the stress from the summer heat is washed away.
It is located at the Palakaw area in Barangay Cadanglaan in Pura, Tarlac, Philippines. Pura - a town which is not known by many, this is where I came from. When I tell people where my hometown is, they always have that confused look saying “okay, now where is that place?” Sometimes I tell them it is near Gerona or I just simply say basta. I got tired explaining that this little town is located north-eastern side of Tarlac and is within the proximity of three expressways including the recently opened Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx).
Situated near the towns of Gerona and Victoria, lies the small town of Pura. Even some Tarlaqueños do not know that it is included in Tarlac’s 17 municipalities. But just like the other municipalities, Pura is also a land of rice and corn. The people who live here are called Puranians and according to the 2010 census, there are approximately 22, 949 of them. It is composed of 16 barangays.
A plain town you may say but Pura has great things to offer. Pura is now a growing town and continues to make a name. The resident’s primary livelihood, Agriculture also continues to bloom. There are also numerous commercial establishments around the town. Tarlac State University has even built an annex campus at the center of the town making college education more accessible.
Once, Pura was a forest until migrants from Ilocos region came. It was during the Spanish colonial period when they found a land which is suitable for agriculture. These migrants labeled the place as “PURA” because they believed they were pure Ilocano settlers. Pura is the Spanish word for pure. #
References:
http://puratarlac.gov.ph/history-of-pura/
http://tarlac.com.ph/about-us/the-province-of-tarlac/
