Don Dionisio Piedad Fausto

Don Dionisio Piedad Fausto moved from San Fernando to Sta. Ana where he became the first Fausto to set his roots in the small town formerly known as Pinpin. The Municipality of Sta. Ana was known to have been owned by three (3) families. The Dizon Family, The Lansangan Family, and The Fausto Family.

The name "Fausto" is not the real surname of the Faustos. On November 21, 1849, Governor General Narciso Claveria issued an edict, now known as the Claveria Edict or the Catálogo Alfabético de Apellidos, establishing the systematic distribution of family names and the imposition of the Spanish naming system on the inhabitants of the Philippines. Don Dionisio, at the time, was a resident Fernandino and owned tracts of land in the vicinity of Barangay Sta. Teresita called Baritan (cow pastures owned by our ancestor, which to this day still retain the name "Baritan") and the land where the old St. Scholastica's Academy was located. In order to comply with Spanish law, Don Dionisio took the letter "F" from San Fernando and adopted the name "Fausto". After aquiring huge parcels of land in Sta. Ana, Don Dionisio left San Fernando and donated his landholdings there to the Catholic Church. (this information was passed on to me by Lolo Pepe and my Dad. My Mom also attests to the veracity of this information which was passed on to her by Imang Sitang, Imang Ubing, and Imang Loreng)

Inspite of his adoption of the name "Fausto", he retained the real surname of the Faustos, that being "PIEDAD". That is what the "P" stands for in the names of our parents and grandparents. I'm happy to say that my Dad decided that his children carry that name too, and that is why my siblings and I have the name Piedad preceding Fausto on all our birth certificates.

Piedad means "Piety", which is Spanish in origin. I guess that is why there are a lot of pious Faustos.

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A Brief History of Sta. Ana

Once upon a time, Sta. Ana was a track of forest and bordered by the towns of Arayat, Candaba, Mexico and San Luis. A settlement was established by people who came from the neighboring towns. They cleared the area and as the years passed, more people came to settle the place. Years later, they selected a leader among themselves, the bravest, most diligent and who can defend and provide the needs of the people, whom they addressed as DATU, CAT and APOL. When the Spaniards came, they subjugated the settlers and named it as Sta. Ana, in honor of their Patron Saint Anne, to whom they pray for their material and spiritual needs. Because of their cruelty and oppressive form of government, the natives joined the Katipunan, a secret movement who fought again the Spaniards. Prominent among them were Pio Lansangan, Marcelino Canlas, the American Occupation, of Sta. Ana was a barrio of Arayat. It was created as a municipality in the year 1910.

Among those who become town mayors were Alfonso Martin, Pio Lansangan, Antonio Fausto, Serafin Gamboa, Arsenio Garcia, Aniceto Pangan, Arcenio Dizon, Roque Dizon, Ubaldo Dizon, Agapito Gaddi, Conrado Dizon, Bernardino Mulong, Jose Fausto Jr., Juan Deang, Magno Maniago Sr., Vicente Dayrit, Amado Dizon, Ramoncito M. Barro and the incumbent Dr. Francisco B. Gaddi Jr.

In the field of politics, though Sta. Ana is one of the smallest town of Pampanga, the town’s populace are proud of their nationally recognized politicians such as: Former Governor (1941) and three term Congressman and Assemblyman Jose P. Fausto and 4-term Ex-Congressman Emilio Cortez and the incumbent Congressman Oscar Rodriguez for the 3rd District of Pampanga.

Other prominent residentswho have specialized in their fields also hail from this humble town. They are Provincial Fiscal Villamor Dizon, former NBI Chief Serafin P. Fausto, City Fiscal of Angeles, Antonio G. P. Fausto, Ex-CFI Judge Ceferino S. Gaddi and physicians like Dr. Francisco G. Dizon, Ex-President of the Philippine Medical Association, Chest Surgeon Dr. Jesus L. de Jesus, Drs. Bienvenido S. Gaddi, Santiago del Rosario and Dr. Vicente Balatbat, leading heart specialist in Pampanga. The incumbent and first Pampanga Archbishop, His Eminence Paciano Aniceto is a native son of Sta. Ana and also Engineer Romer S. Montoya, a foremost Structural Engineer.

In the field of military, Sta. Ana is equally proud of General Leonardo D. Sanggalang and now Commander Jose G. Lansangan Jr., President, National Defense College, Commodore Juanito Cortez of the P.N. and many colonels and other officers of the various branches of the military.

The people in general are peace loving and deeply religious and a dream of every child to pursue higher education in order to free themselves from the grinding poverty that look upon the citizens of our town.

Copyright @ 2002 last updated: 05-07-02

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