San Rafael, Bulacan
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

San Rafael, officially the Municipality of San Rafael (,
Kapampangan Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to: *Kapampangan people, of the Philippines *Kapampangan language Kapampangan, Capampáñgan, or Pampangan, is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. ...
: ''Balen ning San Rafael''), is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 103,097 people.


Etymology

According to legend, the origin of town's present name San Rafael traces to a local fisherman. A few days after he had dreamed that he could heal, he successfully treated an ill neighbor using a fish's liver. Because of this, the news spread that he was indeed able to heal. When the Spanish missionaries arrived, they visited his house that was flocked by many people. Because of this, they named the place after
Saint Raphael the Archangel Raphael ( , ; "God has healed") is an archangel first mentioned in the Book of Tobit and in 1 Enoch, both estimated to date from between the 3rd and 2nd century BCE. In later Jewish tradition, he became identified as one of the three heavenly v ...
, the patron saint of healing whose name is in turn derived from a
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
word meaning "God has healed."


History


Spanish era

San Rafael was established as a pueblo in 1750. The San Juan de Dios Church still stands as the silent witness of the bloody battles that the Filipino insurgents fought during the
Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...
of 1896. This church was used as military barracks for almost three days, after the insurgents had destroyed all papers and documents they found in the convents. When the Spanish Cazadores learned of these rebellious activities, they entered the church and fought the insurgents. The combatants fought heavily inside the church to a point that blood was spilled all over the church floor. The patio in front of the church was littered by dead bodies of Filipino insurgents. The gobernadorcillo ordered people to dig a common grave near the church for the bodies of the insurgents.


American influence

The Americans succeeded the Spaniards with their policy of benevolent assimilation. Schools were established as a potent factor for pacification. In 1903, schools were opened in San Rafael. The municipal building was used as a school house. Since then, with the supervision of the American administrators, San Rafael has enjoyed the education and the progress which was denied to them during the three–century rule of the Spaniards. In 1899, the Americans incorporated the town to
Baliuag Baliwag, officially the City of Baliwag (; , Kapampangan: ''Lakanbalen ning Baliwag/Siudad ning Baliwag,'' also spelled as ''Baliuag''), is a component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...
when the latter was intended to be the new provincial capital of Bulacan. However, due to a number of petitions of the people of San Rafael, especially when the plan to make Baliuag the capital of Bulacan did not materialize, the Americans where convinced to separate San Rafael as an independent town from Baliwag. Julian V. Valte was appointed to be the first Presidente Municipal of San Rafael, and Emilio Reyes was the last. However, its incorporation to Baliuag pushed through, alongside Bustos, on October 8, 1903, by virtue of Act No. 932. It was separated from Baliuag to become an independent town once again on March 21, 1907. In the year 1924 and 1927, with the help of some influential men, the Spaniards were able to get the signatures of the land owners of San Rafael and San Ildefonso to an agreement purporting to show their willingness to donate their lands to the Hospital of San Juan de Dios. Thus the town of San Rafael and San Ildefonso became properties of the hospital and started to be called Hacienda de Buenavista until 1944, when it got back its original name.


Japanese occupation

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was invaded by the Empire of Japan in December 1941 shortly after Japan's declaration of war upon the United States of America, which controlled the Philippines at the time and possessed important military bases there. The combined American-Filipino army was defeated by April 1942. In May, 1942, the Japanese government opened schools and introduced the teaching of Nippon-go. As part of its war drive, Japanese propaganda included phrases like "Asia for the Asians!" and talked about the perceived need to liberate Asian countries from imperialist powers. Similarly, the Philippines were propagandized about "American exploitation," "American Imperialism," and "American tyranny," and blame was laid on the United States for starting the war. They were assured that the American forces would not return and that they were not Japan's enemies. The effect of this was considerably undermined by the actions of the Japanese Army, and the Filipinos soon waited for the return of the Americans to free them from the Japanese. Japanese education condemned anything American, tried to infuse Japanese culture and to teach Filipinos the concept of the
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere The , also known as the GEACPS, was a Pan-Asianism, pan-Asian union that the Empire of Japan tried to establish. Initially, it covered Japan (including Korea under Japanese rule, annexed Korea), Manchukuo, and Wang Jingwei regime, China, but as ...
under the Japanese influence. Socio–economic, educational and religious programs were largely non-existent. The people were deprived of property, food, supplies and shelter. They were forced or resorted to eat camote, wore
jute Jute ( ) is a long, rough, shiny bast fibre that can be Spinning (textiles), spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', of the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ...
sacks and tattered clothes. The people of San Rafael evacuated to Upig, Licheria, Coral na Bato and Camachile. Schools were closed and the church was ordered to stop performing its religious duties. Guerrilla resistance against the Japanese continued throughout the war. Uncaptured Filipino army units, a communist insurgency and supporting American agents all played a role in the resistance. The people of San Rafael refused to be subjected to Japanese authority and they organized and joined small guerrilla bands and harassed the units of the Japanese army stationed in the town whenever there was a chance to do so. These small, organized guerrillas in San Rafael later became members of BMA (Bulacan Military Area).


The liberation of San Rafael

When the American forces landed in
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
in October 1944, the Japanese became more brutal. Hundreds met their death in the hands of the enemy. One cruel incident occurred at Barrio Pulo. Men and women who were assembled where tied together, dynamites were strapped to many of them and these were later detonated by the Japanese captors. A lone survivor, Marcelo Mangahas, told the world of the gory incident. Other atrocities followed. However, the unity of the people of San Rafael and the heroism of the Filipino soldiers and guerrillas prevented further casualties and destruction. When the Americans arrived, they found San Rafael liberated by the courageous guerrillas with the Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army 32nd, 35th and 36th Infantry Division and the Philippine Constabulary 3rd Constabulary Regiment that were mostly from San Rafael. Local Filipino troops of the 32nd, 35th and 36th Infantry Division of the
Philippine Commonwealth The Commonwealth of the Philippines (; ) was an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States that existed from 1935 to 1946. It was established following the Tydings–McDuffie Act to replace the Insular Government of the Phi ...
Army and 3rd Constabulary Regiment of the
Philippine Constabulary The Philippine Constabulary (PC; , ''HPP''; ) was a gendarmerie-type military police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Police. It was created by the Insular Government, American occupat ...
liberated the town in San Rafael, Bulacan and aided the guerrillas of the Bulacan Military Area (BMA) and defeated Japanese soldiers and aftermath in World War II.


Contemporary history

On December 14, 2024, the municipality set a
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
for the "largest gathering of people dressed as angels," which was held by
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, in 2015. Reportedly, there were more than 2,000 participants in the event which was held at the Victory Coliseum.


Geography

With the continuous expansion of
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
, San Rafael is part of Manila's built-up area which reaches San Ildefonso, Bulacan at its northernmost part. San Rafael is from
Malolos Malolos , officially the City of Malolos (), is a component city and capital of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 261,189 people. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the ...
, the provincial capital, from
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, the country's capital, and from
Baliwag Baliwag, officially the City of Baliwag (; , Kapampangan: ''Lakanbalen ning Baliwag/Siudad ning Baliwag,'' also spelled as ''Baliuag''), is a component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...
.


Barangays

San Rafael is politically subdivided into 34
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, as shown in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of 7
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
. There are 5 urban and 29 rural barangays.


Climate


Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of San Rafael, Bulacan, was 103,097 people, with a density of .


Economy


Infrastructure


Housing

In April 2023, the San Rafael Heights Township Development Project, a socialized housing innovation, based on Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) started the construction of 3,920 residential
condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...
units in a seven-
hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. ...
lot in Sitio Gulod, Barangay Caingin. It is developed by First Dynabloc Construction and Development Corporation. Primeworld Enclave San Rafael is owned by Primeworld Land Holdings Inc. It is a gated and
planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
and
affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median, as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on ...
in Barangay Caingin. Its amenities include a
clubhouse Clubhouse may refer to: Locations * The meetinghouse of: ** A club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal ** In the United States, a country club ** In the United Kingdom, a gentlemen's club * A ...
, basketball court, park and playground, garden
walkway In American English, walkway is a composite or umbrella term for all engineered surfaces or structures which support the use of trails. '' The New Oxford American Dictionary'' also defines a walkway as "a passage or path for walking along, esp. ...
and
jogging Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase physical fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking, or to maintain a steady speed for longer periods ...
path. Primeworld Land received multiple awards as house developer - DOT Property Philippine Awards 2023, Lamudi Philippine Real Estate Awards, and PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2023.


Tourism

The 8 Waves Waterpark & Hotel is the prime resort of the Town, and is one of the biggest in the Philippines. The Big Rock Farm Resort is another notable resort of the Town which is located in Barangay Coral na Bato. Bulacan's Prime - Home of Garlic Longaniza located in Diliman 1 San. Rafael who is well known for Authentic Bulakenyo Garlic “Bawang”and Sweet Hamonado Longaniza. The Malangaan Cave and Spring, located in Barangay Tukod is a large cave untouched by quarry operations in San Rafael, Bulacan and according to the locals of the barangay, it was once a hiding place of guerillas during World War II. The Dela Fuente-Villaroman Ancestral House or Casa dela Fuente (Caingin) was declared a Heritage House per
National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP; ) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management ...
Resolution No. 7, s. 2022 under RA 10066 at 10086. The historical marker was unveiled on 17 August 2022 by Carminda R. Arevalo, OIC, NHCP and San Rafael Mayor Mark Cholo Violago with G. Leween V. Castro and G. Alvin R. Alid. Barangay Caingin Resolution of June 24, 2022 declared it "Bahay na Malaki" as Heritage House by Captain Ramilito B. Capistrano and all Councilors. Built in 1890, this 19th-century architecture in the Philippines with its Azotea built in 1957, is owned by Vicente Trinidad dela Fuente (November 14, 1866 – December 16, 1920) a Cabeza de Barangay or Kapitan, husband of Paz Lim Villaroman (February 18, 1875 – March 20, 1913) with children Amanda (February 20, 1891 – January 14, 1960), Luisa, Luisa, Araceli (November 25, 1895 – April 7, 1995) and Dolores-Lolita (December 31, 1898 – April 18, 1986), all spinsters, who established the "dela Fuente Lines". Their cousins Leticia Trinidad Gonzales and Dalisay Lim Cruz, teacher, built the Caingin chapel.


Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Angels

In 2024, Mayor Mark Cholo Violago conceptualized the “Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Angels”, a verified
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...
, as tribute to the Seven Archangels in the town's annual September "Angel Festival" and to promote its
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
. On December 14, Senator
Imee Marcos Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as a Senate of the Philippines, senator since 2019. She previously served as governor of Ilocos Norte ...
witnessed the
civic engagement Civic engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity addressing issues of public concern. Civic engagement includes communities working together or individuals working alone in both political and non-political actions to ...
of 2,000 residents dressed in white robes, halos, and wings at the Victory Coliseum, Town Hall.


Festivals

Every year, the town celebrates its Angel Festival in honor of their 2nd patron saint, Saint Raphael, together their town's pride, the Angel Festival, which attracts many tourists every year. It is a colorful celebration in honor of the Seven Archangels. This is held every 29 September. This is highlighted by a parade participated by children from the public and private schools in San Rafael. More than a thousand children in angel costumes in the street make it look like heaven has come down to the town of San Rafael. This is followed by an interpretative dancing competition by all participant schools. The Angel Festival was started last September 29, 2002 through the initiative of the San Juan de Dios Parish and the San Rafael Tourism Council.


Notable personalities

*Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos (October 30, 1957) – fourth Bishop of Balanga (April 1, 2010 – July 22, 2023; appointed to the position on Holy Thursday of 2010 in April 1, 2010 by
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
and installed or assumed office on July 8, 2010) and fifth Bishop of Antipolo (July 22, 2023–present).


Gallery

File:Sanrafmtcjf.jpg, San Rafael Fire & PNP Police Stations and Municipal Trial Court, inside the New San Rafael Municipal Hall (Sampaloc) File:San Rafael, Bulacan Municipal Hall Complex 28.jpg, Bahay Pagbabago File:Spc2jf.JPG, St. Paul College San Rafael (Pantubig) File:Church of San Rafael, Bulacanjf.jpg, San Juan de Dios Church, a witness to the bloody 1896
Philippine Revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...
(used as military barrack of Filipino insurgents for 3 days) File:Organics4rjf.JPG, MMPCI Ecology Center (Maronquillo) File:09674jfWelcome Arch Boundary Sign Pan-Philippine Highway Baliuag San Rafael Bulacanfvf 11.jpg, San Rafael Welcome Arch File:Baywalk3jf.JPG, Baywalk view (Lico, San Rafael) of Angat Dam-River &
Sierra Madre (Philippines) The Sierra Madre is the longest mountain range in the Philippines. Spanning over , it runs from the province of Cagayan down to the province of Quezon in a north-south direction on the eastern portion of Luzon, the largest island of the archipe ...


References


External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>All About San Rafael BulacanPhilippine Census Information
{{Authority control Municipalities of Bulacan