Bulacan

The conquest of the area comprising present-day Bulacan traces to the first years of the Spanish in the Philippines. Upon the defeat of the Macabebe and Hagonoy forces led by Bambalito in the Battle of Bangkusay on June 3, 1571, Martín de Goiti to proceeded north, first to Lubao in September 1571.

Two months later, on November 14, 1571, Goiti reached Malolos and Calumpit, respectively, and it was reported to Adelantado Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the first Governor-General of the Philippines. Adelantado established Calumpit and Malolos as an encomienda entrusted to Sargento Juan Moron (Morones in other documents) and Don Marcos de Herrera.[10] These two conquistadores were one of the first group of conquerors accompanied by Legaspi who have arrived in the Islands in 1565.

On April 5, 1572, the encomiendas of Calumpit and Malolos were unified and co-administered by Moron and Herrera. Also in that year, Alcaldia de Calumpit was formed in which the areas of Macabebe, Candaba, Apalit in Pampanga, and the settlements of Meyto, Panducot, Meysulao, and Malolos. On December 28, 1575, Governor-General Francisco Sande ordered to include Hagonoy in Calumpit.

In 1575, Bulakan was established as a visita of Tondo, and it is not part of Calumpit as the boundary between Tondo and Calumpit was marked in Mambog River and placed the statue of Our Lady of Visitacion (patroness of Calumpit) was erected. It was gone and recreated in 1997 upon the re-establishment of the Roman Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Presentacion in Malolos.

On April 30, 1578, the town of Bulakan was officially established by the Augustinians, with Fray Diego Vivar as its first prior, and the convent was dedicated to San Agustin; when this was changed to Our Lady of Assumption is uncertain. It was reported that the western part of present-day Bulacan was to be very well-populated and rich. There is no documentation of the exact year and date when the Alcaldia de Calumpit was dissolved nor of the exact foundation year of the Province of Bulacan. It has only been documented that Malolos (then part of Calumpit in 1572) was first to appear as part of Alcaldia de Bulacan in 1582. It may be assumed that the reorganization of encomiendas occurred between 1580 and 1582 at the time of Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa.

The same document, also from the 1582 Relacion de las Islas Filipinas by Miguel de Loarca, reports that Alcaldia de Calumpit had jurisdiction in the areas of Calumpit (the capital), Capalangan, Cabangbangan and Hagonoy, which made up the Alcaldia's villages. Then Loarca mentioned that Alcaldia de Bulacan had Bulakan (its capital), Malolos, Caluya, Guguinto, Binto and Catanghalan (instead of Meycauayan) as its encomiendas, which formerly had one alcalde (mayor), though Loarca wrote that Alcaldia de Bulacan was formed in 1580 at the time of Penalosa.

Accrding to the document of Governor-General Luis Pérez Dasmariñas in the Account of the Encomiendas for the King of Spain furnished on June 21, 1591, the Alcaldia of Bulacan was part of La Pampanga with the Encomiendas subject to it such as the Encomiendas of Malolos (3,600 persons), Binto (2,000 persons), Guiguinto (2,000 persons), Caluya (2,800 persons), Mecabayan (2,800 persons) and Bulacan identified as " capital" and residence of "alcalde mayor" with 4,800 persons. In the same 1591 document, it was mentioned that "Calumpit y Hagonoy" belonged to Juan Moron with 12,800 persons, 2 Augustinian Convents, and 1 Alcalde Mayor of its own.

However, the establishment and development of the southern part of present-day Bulacan were not simultaneous and identified with the West. In 1578, the Order of Friars Minor, headed by Juan de Plasencia and Diego Oropesa, arrived in the area called Toril (now part of Meycauayan) and their headquarters. Also in 1578, Plasencia established the Town of Meycauayan. Its pueblos were first only settlements of the Old Meycauayan, founded by Franciscan[11]

The province of Bulacan is on the island of Luzon and is one of the most important Alcadias de Termino. Civilly and politically it corresponds to the Audiencia y capitanía general de Filipinas and spiritually belongs to the Archbishop of Manila.[12] Franciscan friars Juan Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa founded Meycauayan in 1578, and for a time it was the capital of the Province of Meycauayan (which differs from Western Bulacan, administered by Augustinian Order since 1572). The Meycauayan people were able to flourish and became so rich that their sons were six of the best in the then-Province of Meycauayan. These were the towns of Bocaue, Polo, San Jose del Monte, Santa Maria de Pandi, Obando and Marilao).[13]

The Casa Real de Malolos. Served as the office and residency of the Governor of Malolos.

During the General Visitation of October 5, 1762, by Don Simón de Anda y Salazar, the province was headed by Capitan Don Jose Pasarin, alcalde mayor of the province.[14] 1795–96, Don Manuel Piñon was the alcalde mayor.[15]

According to the "Guia de 1839", Bulacan province on the island of Luzon, Philippines, was governed by a mayor and consisted of 19 pueblos, 36,394 tributes and 181,970 souls.[16] D. Felipe Gobantes, Alcalde of the province of Bulacan erected a stone column in the plaza of Bulacan in Memory of Fr. Manuel Blanco O.S.A. who died on April 1, 1845.[17]

In 1848, when the boundaries of Pampanga were changed, the region, which includes the important town of San Miguel de Mayumo and neighboring places that were formerly part of Pampanga, was adjudicated to Bulacan.[18]

Opening of the Malolos Congress (1898)

In an earlier period during 1890, Malolos was a hot spot of Liberal Ilustrados, notably the "20 Women of Malolos", who exerted pressure for education under Filipino professors. However, the first phase of the revolution ceased in 1897 with the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel. Under its terms, the leaders of the revolution were to go to Hong Kong and reside there. Under the illusory peace created by the pact, the end of 1897 saw greater determination on the part of the Filipinos to carry on the revolution.

In early 1898, the provinces of Zambales, Ilocos, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Camarines rose again. In Central Luzon, a revolutionary government was organized under General Francisco Macabulos, a Kapampangan revolutionary leader of La Paz, Tarlac.

The Americans established a local Philippine government in the Philippines when they held the first municipal election in the country in Baliwag on May 6, 1899. At the beginning of the American rule, 1899–1900, Malolos became the headquarters of the Military Governor of the Philippines at Casa Real. On February 27, 1901, the Philippine Commission officially transferred the seat of government to Malolos, and the Casa Real de Malolos was the seat of the Provincial Governor from 1900 to 1930 until the completion of the capitol building at Guinhawa, Malolos.

In 1942, at the height of World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army occupied Bulacan and made Casa Real de Malolos its headquarters. In 1945, combined Filipino and American forces and local guerrillas attacked the Japanese Imperial Forces and liberated Bulacan.

After the war, Bulacan was embroiled in the rebellion of Hukbalahap Guerrillas.[19]

In February 1945, Huk Squadron 77 composed of 109 veteran guerillas was surrounded, shot, and buried in a mass grave in Malolos, Bulacan.[20]

Agrarian unrest in the province continued well after the Huk Rebellion. On June 21, 1982, a group of young activists opposing the Marcos dictatorship tried to help farmers form a local chapter of Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMLG). They were arrested by armed soldiers from the 175th Philippine Constabulary Company and were found dead the following day in San Rafael, Bulacan.[21][22][23] The name of the so-called Bulacan Martyrs was added to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani's 'Wall of Remembrance' in 2012.[22][23]

Through Presidential Decree № 824, Bulacan was partitioned on November 7, 1975, to form the National Capital Region. The municipality of Valenzuela was excised to form the new region, while the other 25 towns remained in Bulacan.

To determine the tentative date of Bulacan's foundation and to trace its roots from colonial period, efforts and research conducted by Jaime Veneracion, Reynaldo Naguit of the Center for Bulacan Studies, and Isagani Giron of the Samahang Pangkasaysayan ng Bulacan (Sampaka) shows that Bulacan was identified as a visita of Tondo in 1578.

With regards to exact date of foundation of Bulacan as a province, Veneracion correlated it with the practice of Spaniard of dedicating the founding a pueblo to the feast of a patron saint. In the case of Bulacan it is the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion, which is also the patron saint of Bulakan town, the first capital of the province.[2] Officially, the province of Bulacan was created under Act 2711 on March 10, 1917.[24]

Bulacan lies in the southern portion of the fertile plains of Central Luzon. The area is drained by the Angat and Pampanga rivers. The Sierra Madre mountain range forms the highlands of Bulacan in the east and is a protected area known as the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve. Angat Lake, which was formed by the Angat Dam is located in that area. The highest point in the province at 1,206 meters (3,957 ft) is Mount Oriod, part of the Sierra Madre.[26]

The Sierra Madre Mountain Range as seen near Mount Oriod's summit

On January 19, 2008, an 18-hectare (44-acre) dump site, a new landfill that would also be a tourist attraction opened in Norzagaray. Ramon Angelo Jr., president Waste Custodian Management Corp. stated: "I want them to see our system in our place which should not be abhorred because we are using the new state-of-the-art technology."[27]

November to April is generally dry while wet for the rest of the year. The northeast monsoon (amihan) prevails from October to January bringing in moderated and light rains. From February to April, the east trade winds predominate but the Sierra Madre (Philippines) mountain range to the east disrupts the winds resulting to a dry period. From May to September, the southwest monsoon (habagat).

The hottest month is May with an average temperature of 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) while the coldest is February with an average temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F).

Bulacan is subdivided into 20 municipalities and 4 cities. As the population is concentrated in the southern half of the province, so are the legislative districts.

Political divisions

As it is part of the Tagalog cultural sphere (Katagalugan), Tagalog is the predominant language of Bulacan. The Tagalog dialect spoken in Bulacan resembles a poetic form of speech. Some inhabitants also speak Kapampangan, especially in areas close to the border of Pampanga. Bulacan Tagalog itself contains many loanwords of Kapampangan origin. Three municipalities (San Miguel, Doña Remedios Trinidad, and Norzagaray) and one city (San Jose del Monte) are the homelands of the Alta Kabulowan (also known as Dumagat people), the first inhabitants of Bulacan, whose language is also called Alta Kabulowan. Their language is currently endangered due to a present influx of Tagalog speakers.

San Jose del Monte, Santa Maria, Malolos, Marilao, San Miguel and Norzagaray bear the highest numbers of English speakers in the province.

Roman Catholic (89.44%) is the predominant religion in the province. Malolos City is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos, with its mother church, the Minor Basilica and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. On March 21, 2021, Sta. Maria Church was also granted the status of Minor Basilica by Pope Francis. It became Bulacan's second Minor Basilica and the 18th in the Philippines.

Other Christian groups include the Iglesia ni Cristo (3.29%), Evangelicals (1.53%), Jehovah's Witnesses (0.37%), Bible Baptist Church (0.30%), Muslims (0.21%), Seventh-day Adventists (0.21%), and Aglipayans (0.17%), and other small numbers of Christians and non-Christian groups are also present.

The province of Bulacan is steadily becoming industrialized due to its proximity to Metro Manila. Many corporations put up industrial plants and site in Bulacan. Some of the businesses and industries include agribusiness; aquaculture; banking; cement bag making; ceramics; construction; courier; education; food/food processing; furniture; garments; gifts, houseware & decors; hospitals; hotels, resorts and restaurants; information and communications technology; insurance; jewelry; leather and leather tanning; manpower; manufacturing; marble; printing press; pyrotechnics and fireworks manufacturing; realty/real property development; shoe manufacturing; textile; trade; transport services; travel and tours.

The rural areas still mostly depend on agriculture and aquaculture as a source of income. Some of the major crops are rice, corn, vegetables, and fruits such as mangoes. An orchid farm is operating at Golden Bloom Orchids at Barangay Maguinao in San Rafael, Bulacan. The fisheries of Bulacan, aside from fishponds and rivers, include Bustos Dam and waterlogged areas. Major species cultured include bangus, tilapia, prawn, and catfish. This made Bulacan a leading province in Bangus (milkfish) production based on reports of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).[39]

Bulacan is served by all major banks with more than 200 banks doing business in the province. The entrepreneurial culture is supported by the strong cooperative movement with total assets of over ₱2 billion.

This is a partial list of industrial sites in the province:

Bulacan received the top place for "LGU's with Highest Gross Income" (₱1,717,600,000.00) and "Top Spender by LGU's" (₱1,349,420,000.00), and third (3rd) among the "Top Provinces with Generated Biggest Net Income" (₱368,180,000.00) according to the 2006 Annual Financial Report - Local Governments of the Commission on Audit.[42] The first time to top the perennial top placer, which was the Province of Cebu.[43]

The province received the top place for "LGU's with Highest Gross Income" (₱1,807,600,000.00), second (2nd) in "Top Spender by LGU's" (₱1,372,160,000.00), and third (3rd) among the "Top Provinces with Generated Biggest Net Income" (₱434,830,000.00) according to the 2007 Annual Financial Report - Local Governments of the Commission on Audit.[44]

Based on the Commission on Audit's 2008 Annual Financial Report for Local Governments, the province's total gross income had increased to ₱1,965,633,000.00 (including the subsidies and extra items). Its expenses had also increased to ₱1,641,325,000.00, which brings a total net income of ₱324,308,000.00.[45]

This is the list of the top income earners in Bulacan from 2014 and 2017:

"Tatak Bulakenyo Program" was launched in 2004, conceptualized to stimulate economic activity in the province and sustain the anti-poverty thrust of the government through the promotion of entrepreneurship. The program's beneficiaries are potential micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the province.[50][51]

Tatak Bulakenyo Products comprises sabutan bags, buntal hats, beverages, and even jams such as tomato jam.

There are currently four (4) schools divisions under the Department of Education:

• Bulacan (Province)
• City of Malolos
• City of San Jose del Monte
• City of Meycauayan

Bulacan has 475 public Elementary schools: 383 under the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Bulacan, 52 under the Division of City Schools of San Jose del Monte, and 38 under the Division of City Schools of Malolos.

Bulacan has 68 public high schools, national and provincial: 43 under the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Bulacan, 18 under the Division of City Schools of San Jose del Monte, 3 under the Division of City Schools of Malolos, and 4 under the Division of City Schools of Meycauayan.

There are numerous privately owned (by individual or group) and church-operated schools located in the province.

The Immaculate Conception School for Boys and the Immaculate Conception School of Malolos are both under the Diocese of Malolos, with the incumbent Bishop of Malolos as president. Also under the Diocese is the Immaculate Conception Seminary. Others are under the direction of religious orders and congregations such as the La Consolacion University Philippines (Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation), the St. Martin de Porres Catholic School (Dominican Sisters), St. Paul College of Bocaue and St. Paul University at San Miguel (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres) and the Holy Spirit Academy of Malolos (Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit). The Immaculate Heart of Mary School was established in 1992 with student enrollment less than 200 (as of 2016–17).

There are also schools under other denominations such as the Bulacan Ecumenical School and Bulacan Ecumenical Kindergarted (United Methodist Church).

Private schools in the province are members of the Bulacan Private Schools Association (BULPRISA) While in the City of San Jose del Monte private schools are organized by City of San Jose del Monte Private Schools Association (CSanPRISA). In Malolos, private schools are organized as Malolos City Private Schools Association (MACIPRISA). In Meycauayan, private schools are organized as Meycauayan City Private Schools Association (MEYCIPRISA). In Marilao, private schools are organized as Association of Private Schools in Marilao (APRISM).

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