Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a
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 ...
in the
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 ...
located in the
Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
. Its capital is the city of
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 ...
. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the
Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region. This province is a part of the
Greater Manila Area
The Greater Manila Area () is the contiguous urbanization region surrounding the Metro Manila, Metropolitan Manila area of the Philippines. This built-up zone includes Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan to the north, Cavite and ...
.
It has 572 barangays in 20 municipalities and four component cities (
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 ...
,
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,
Meycauayan, and
San Jose del Monte the largest city). Bulacan is located immediately north 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 ...
. Bordering Bulacan are the provinces of
Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
to the west,
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
to the north,
Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
and
Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
to the east, and Metro Manila and
Rizal to the south. Bulacan also lies on the north-eastern shore of
Manila Bay
Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...
.
In the 2020 census, Bulacan had a population of 3,708,890 people, the most populous in
Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
and the third most populous in the Philippines, after
Cebu
Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
and
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
. Bulacan's most populated city is
San Jose del Monte, the most populated municipality is
Santa Maria, while the least populated is
Doña Remedios Trinidad yet the largest municipality in terms of area.
In 1899, the historic
Barasoain Church
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, also known as Barásoain Church () is a Roman Catholic church built in 1888 in Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos and is about from Manila. Having earned the ...
in Malolos was the birthplace of the
First Philippine Republic
The Philippine Republic (), now officially remembered as the First Philippine Republic and also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was a state established in Malolos, Bulacan, during the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish ...
, sometimes described as the first constitutional democracy in Asia.
On November 7, 2018, the Provincial Government of Bulacan bagged its fourth Seal of Good Local Governance award. The SGLG award is a progressive assessment system that gives distinction to remarkable governance performance.
Etymology
The name ''Bulacan'' was named after the town ''Bulakan'' which is derived from the
Tagalog word ''bulak'', which means ''cotton'' in the
English language. It is due to the abundance of
cotton
Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...
plant growing in the region.
History
The First Constitutional Democracy in Asia was proclaimed in 1899 at the Barasoain Church in
Malolos City
Malolos , officially the City of Malolos (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
, the capital of Bulacan.
Bulacan is also the birthplace of the famous men and women of the country, like
Marcelo H. del Pilar
Marcelo Hilario del Pilar y Gatmaitán (; ; August 30, 1850July 4, 1896), commonly known as Marcelo H. del Pilar and also known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Pláridel,.''Filipinos in History: Volume II'', National Historical Commission o ...
, known as "The Great Propagandist", and General
Gregorio del Pilar
Gregorio Hilario del Pilar y Sempio (; ; November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899) was a Filipino general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War.
As one of the youngest generals in the Revolutionary Army, he ...
who is famed as "The Tirad Pass Hero".
The poet
Francisco Balagtas
Francisco Balagtas y de la Cruz (April 2, 1788 – February 20, 1862), commonly known as Francisco Balagtas and also as Francisco Baltazar, was a Filipino poet and litterateur of the Tagalog language during the Spanish rule of the Philippines. ...
, the singer
Nicanor Abelardo
Nicanor Santa Ana Abelardo (February 7, 1893 – March 21, 1934) was a Filipino composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by ...
, and the sculptor
Guillermo Tolentino are some notable artists from Bulacan.
Spanish colonial period

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
Macabebe, officially the Municipality of Macabebe (; ), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,151 people.
Etymology
The town was named Macabebe because it is locat ...
and
Hagonoy forces led by Bambalito in the
Battle of Bangkusay on June 3, 1571,
Martín de Goiti
Martín de Goiti (c. 1534 – 1575) was a Spanish conquistador and one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish voyage of exploration to the East Indies and the Pacific in 1565, in search of rich resources such as gold, spice and settlements. ...
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 Legazpi, the first
Governor-General of the Philippines
The governor-general of the Philippines (; ; ) was the title of the Executive (government), government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Spanish in Mexico City and l ...
. Adelantado established Calumpit and Malolos as an
encomienda
The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish Labour (human activity), labour system that rewarded Conquistador, conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including mil ...
entrusted to Sargento Juan Moron (Morones in other documents) and Don Marcos de Herrera. 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 Peñalosa.
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
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...
. 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 Peñalosa.
According to the document of
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Luis Pérez Dasmariñas in the ''Account of the Encomiendas'' for the
King of Spain
The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country.
The Spanish ...
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
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
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.
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
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).
During the General Visitation of October 5, 1762, by Don
Simón de Anda y Salazar
Simón de Anda y Salazar (28 October 1709 – 30 October 1776) was the Spanish governor-general of the Philippines from July 1770 to 30 October 1776. He was born in the Basque Country in northern Spain.
Oidor at the Royal Audience of Manila an ...
, the province was headed by Capitan Don Jose Pasarin, ''alcalde mayor'' of the province. 1795–96, Don Manuel Piñon was the alcalde mayor.
In the same year,
British occupation of Manila
The British occupation of Manila was an episode in the History of the Philippines (1565–1898), colonial history of the Philippines when the Kingdom of Great Britain occupied the Spanish colonial capital of Manila and the nearby Cavite City, ...
happened, and many Tagalog refugees from Manila & north areas of Cavite escaped to Bulacan and to neighboring Nueva Ecija, where the original Kapampangan settlers welcomed them. Bulacan, along with Nueva Ecija, was natively Kapampangan when Spaniards arrived. Majority of Kapampangans sold their lands to the newly-arrived Tagalog settlers and others intermarried with and assimilated to the Tagalog, which made Bulacan dominantly Tagalog.
In 1774, authorities from Bulacan, Tondo, Laguna Bay, and other areas surrounding Manila reported with consternation that discharged soldiers and deserters (from Mexico, Spain and Peru) were providing Indios military training for the weapons that had been disseminated all over the territory during the British war.
By the end of the 1700s, Bulacan had 16,586 native families and 2,007
Spanish Filipino families.
[ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO SEGUNDO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)](_blank)
/ref>
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. 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.
In 1848, when the boundaries of Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
were changed, the region, which includes the important town of ''San Miguel de Mayumo'' and neighboring places that were formerly part of Pampanga, was adjudicate
Adjudication is the legal process by which an arbiter or judge reviews evidence and argumentation, including legal reasoning set forth by opposing parties or litigants, to come to a decision which determines rights and obligations between th ...
d to Bulacan. Bulacan also had claims on the present-day eastern portion of Rizal, northern portion of Santa Maria, Laguna, and western portion of General Nakar
General Nakar, officially the Municipality of General Nakar (, Ilocano: ''Ili ti Heneral Nakar''), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,225 people.
It was named after ...
and Real in Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
(formerly Tayabas).
The Philippine Revolution
In an earlier period during 1890, Malolos was a hot spot of Liberal ''Ilustrado
The Ilustrados (, "erudite", "learned" or "enlightened ones") constituted the Filipino intelligentsia ( educated class) during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century. Elsewhere in New Spain (of which the Philippines were part), ...
s'', notably the "20 Women of Malolos", who exerted pressure for education under Filipino professors. However, the first phase of the revolution
In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
ceased in 1897 with the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato
The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 14, 1897, created a truce between Spanish colonial Governor-General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo and his fellow re ...
in San Miguel. Under its terms, the leaders of the revolution were to go to Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
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 revolutionary struggle.
In early 1898, the provinces of Zambales
Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales (; ; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is Iba, Zambales, Iba, which is located in t ...
, Ilocos, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
, Tarlac
Tarlac, officially the Province of Tarlac (; ; ; ; ), is a landlocked Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. It had a population of 1,503,456 people according to ...
, and Camarines rose again. In Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
, a revolutionary government was organized under General Francisco Macabulos, a 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. ...
revolutionary leader of La Paz, Tarlac
La Paz, officially the Municipality of La Paz (; , ), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Tarlac, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,952 people.
History
The ...
.
Pandi was, in 1896-97, with the "Kakarong Republic", the early epicenter of revolutionary fevor. Despite its defeat in the Battle of Kakarong de Sili, the memory of the Kakarong defenders still remain as part of the history and heritage of Bulacan as the first organized revolutionary government established in the era of the Revolution.
American colonial period
The Americans established a local Philippine government in the Philippines when they held the first municipal election in the country in 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 ...
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
The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines.
The First Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Pre ...
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.
Japanese occupation
In 1942, at the height of World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Japanese Imperial Army
The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
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 Hukbalahap Rebellion. In February 1945, Huk Squadron 77 composed of 109 veteran guerillas was surrounded, shot, and buried in a mass grave in Malolos.
Marcos dictatorship
The beginning months of the 1970s marked a period of turmoil and change in the Philippines, as well as in Bulacan. During his bid to be the first Philippine president to be re-elected for a second term, Ferdinand Marcos launched an unprecedented number of foreign debt-funded public works projects. This caused the Philippine economy took a sudden downwards turn known as the 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis
The 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis was a currency crisis experienced by the Philippine economy as a result of heavy government spending linked to Ferdinand Marcos' campaign for his second presidential term in 1969. It was notable f ...
, which in turn led to a period of economic difficulty and a significant rise of social unrest.
With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under Martial Law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years. This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record of human rights abuses
Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...
, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.
By this time, the social unrest of the pre-martial law period and the Marcos' violent responses to the protests of the time led many of the Philippines' youth, who previously held moderate positions calling for political reform, to be radicalized. Some were convinced to joined the newly-formed New People's Army
The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...
as a last desperate way to resist Marcos' authoritarianism. 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
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 ...
Company and were found dead the following day in San Rafael, Bulacan. The name of the so-called Bulacan Martyrs was added to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani's 'Wall of Remembrance' in 2012.
Move of Valenzuela to Metro Manila
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.
Issues concerning the foundation date
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 Spanish practice of dedicating the founding of a ''pueblo'' to the feast of a patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
. In the case of Bulacan it is the ''Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion'', which is also the patron saint of Bulakan
Bulakan, officially the Municipality of Bulakan (), is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,232 people.
Bulakan, which is one of the oldest towns in the Philippines ...
town, the first capital of the province. Officially, the province of Bulacan was created under ''Act 2711'' on March 10, 1917.
Geography
Bulacan covers a total area of occupying the southeastern section of the Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
region. The province is bounded by Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
( San Isidro, Gapan
Gapan , officially the City of Gapan (, Ilocano: ''Siudad ti Gapan'', Kapampangan: ''Ciudad/Lakanbalen ning Gapan''), is a component city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1 ...
, General Tinio) on the north, Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
( Dingalan) on the northeast, Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
(General Nakar
General Nakar, officially the Municipality of General Nakar (, Ilocano: ''Ili ti Heneral Nakar''), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,225 people.
It was named after ...
) on the east, Rizal ( Rodriguez) on the southeast, 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 ...
( Valenzuela City, Malabon
Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
, Navotas
Navotas, officially the City of Navotas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it ha ...
, Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...
and Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
) on the south, Manila Bay
Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...
on the southwest, and Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
(Candaba
Candaba, officially the Municipality of Candaba (Kapampangan: ''Balen ning Candaba''; ; formerly Candawe), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 119,497 people.
History ...
, San Luis, Apalit, Macabebe
Macabebe, officially the Municipality of Macabebe (; ), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,151 people.
Etymology
The town was named Macabebe because it is locat ...
, Masantol
Masantol, officially the Municipality of Masantol (; ), is a municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 57,990 people.
Etymology
The municipality is named after the santol trees ...
) on the west.
Several rivers irrigate the province of Bulacan; the largest one is that of Angat. Angat River passes through the towns of Norzagaray, Angat, Bustos, San Rafael, Baliwag, Plaridel, Pulilan, and Calumpit. It flows thence into the Pampanga River
The Pampanga River is the second largest river on the island of Luzon in the Philippines (next to Cagayan River) and the country's fifth longest river. It is in the Central Luzon region and traverses the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, and Nuev ...
, goes out again, washes Hagonoy, and loses itself in the mangroves. The banks of these rivers are very fertile and are covered with trees.
Terrain
Bulacan lies in the southern portion of the fertile plains of Central Luzon. The area is drained by the Angat and Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
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
The Angat Watershed Forest Reserve is a List of protected areas of the Philippines, conservation area that protects the drainage basin in the southern Sierra Madre (Philippines), Sierra Madre range north of Metro Manila in the Philippines where ...
. Angat Lake, which was formed by the Angat Dam is located in that area. The highest point in the province at is Mount Oriod, part of the Sierra Madre.
On January 19, 2008, an dump site, a new landfill
A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was ...
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."
Climate
November to April is generally dry while wet for the rest of the year. The northeast monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
('' 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)
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 ...
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 while the coldest is February with an average temperature of .
Administrative divisions
Bulacan is subdivided into 20 municipalities
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' ...
and 4 cities
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
. As the population is concentrated in the southern half of the province, so are the legislative districts.
Demographics
The population of Bulacan in the 2020 census was 3,708,890 people, making it the second most populous province in the country, only behind from Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
, which is also located in Luzon. It had a density of , the country's 4th highest for a province.
On May 1, 2010, the province had 2,924,433 inhabitants with an annual population growth rate of 2.73 from the year 2000 to 2010, There were 588,693 households in the province with an average size of 4.8 persons. Bulacan had a median age of 23 years in 2007.
Languages and ethnicities
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
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. ...
, especially in areas close to the border of Pampanga. Bulacan Tagalog itself contains many loanwords of Kapampangan origin. Like mentioned aboved, Bulacan was natively Kapampangan when Spaniards arrived, but when British invaded Manila, the province became dominantly Tagalog after many Tagalog refugees from Manila and northern areas of Cavite escaped to Bulacan, where the original Kapampangan settlers welcomed them and assimilated to them. Many place names of Kapampangan origin are evident in the province, like Malolos, Baliwag, Guiguinto, Pandi, Quingwa (former name of Plaridel), & San Miguel de Mayumo. 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. Being bordered by Metro Manila from its south, people from farther provinces settled in Bulacan, resulting in minor but significant usage of non-native languages in the province such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Maranao, Maguindanaon, Tausug, Ilocano, Pangasinan
Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
and Bicolano.
San Jose del Monte, Santa Maria, 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 ...
, Marilao, San Miguel and Norzagaray bear the highest numbers of English speakers in the province.
Religion
Catholicism
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(89.44%) is the predominant religion in the province. Malolos City is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos
The Diocese of Malolos (Latin language, Latin: ''Dioecesis Malolosinae''; Tagalog language, Tagalog: ''Diyosesis ng Malolos''; Spanish: ''Diócesis de Malolos'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church i ...
, 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
Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...
by Pope Francis. It became Bulacan's second Minor Basilica and the 18th in the Philippines.
Others
Other Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
groups include the second largest religion Iglesia ni Cristo
The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...
(4.01%), MCGI, Evangelicals
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian g ...
(1.53%), Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
(0.37%), Bible Baptist Church (0.30%), Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
(0.21%), Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabba ...
(0.21%), and Aglipayans (0.17%), and other small numbers of Christians and non-Christian groups are also present.
Economy
Industries
The province of Bulacan is steadily becoming industrialized
Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for the ...
due to its proximity to 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 ...
. Many corporations put up industrial plants and site in Bulacan. Some of the businesses and industries include agribusiness
Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy,
in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise.
The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit ...
; aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...
; banking; business process outsourcing; cement bag making; ceramics; construction; courier; electronics; education; food/food processing; furniture; garments; gifts, houseware & decors; home appliance assembly; hospitals; hotels, resorts and restaurants; information and communications technology
Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computer ...
; insurance; jewelry; leather and leather tanning; manpower
Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ...
; marble; pharmaceutical manufacturing; printing press; pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...
and fireworks manufacturing; realty/real property development; school & office supply manufacturing; shoe manufacturing; textile; trade; transport services; travel and tours.
Agribusiness and aquaculture
The rural areas still mostly depend on agriculture and aquaculture as a source of income. Some of the major crops are rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
, maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
, vegetables, and fruits such as mango
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
es. 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
Bustos Dam, also known as Angat Afterbay Regulator Dam, is a small irrigation dam at Bustos, Bulacan is often mistaken by the locals as Angat Dam since it is located close to the nearby town of Angat. The project is located at Barangay Tibagan, ...
and waterlogged areas. Major species cultured include bangus, tilapia
Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically mos ...
, prawn
Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton
An exoskeleton () . is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the intern ...
, and catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
. This made Bulacan a leading province in bangus production based on reports of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).
Banking and finance
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 .
Industrial estate and parks
This is a partial list of industrial sites in the province:
* First Bulacan Industrial City—Malolos City
* Intercity Industrial Estate—Wakas, Bocaue
* Bulacan Agro-Industrial Subdivision—Calumpit
* Bulacan Metro Warehouse (BMW) Center—Guiguinto
* Horizon IT Park—San Jose del Monte
* Meycauayan Industrial Subd. I, II, III & IV—Meycauayan
* Meridian Industrial Compound—Meycauayan
* Muralla Industrial Project—Meycauayan
* First Valenzuela Industrial Compound—Meycauayan
* Sterling Industrial Park Phase I, II, III & IV—Meycauayan
* Grand Industrial Estate—Plaridel
* Sapang Palay Industrial Estates—San Jose del Monte
* Agus Development Corporation—Santa María
* Bulacan ICT Park—Marilao
* Golden City Business Park—Wakas, Bocaue
* Sterling Industrial Park—Marilao
Income
Bulacan received the top place for "LGU's with Highest Gross Income" () and "Top Spender by LGU's" (), and third (3rd) among the "Top Provinces with Generated Biggest Net Income" () according to the 2006 Annual Financial Report - Local Governments of the Commission on Audit. The first time to top the perennial top placer, which was the Province of Cebu.
The province received the top place for "LGU's with Highest Gross Income" (), second (2nd) in "Top Spender by LGU's" (), and third (3rd) among the "Top Provinces with Generated Biggest Net Income" () according to the 2007 Annual Financial Report - Local Governments of the Commission on Audit.
Based on the Commission on Audit's 2008 Annual Financial Report for Local Governments, the province's total gross income had increased to (including the subsidies and extra items). Its expenses had also increased to , which brings a total net income of .
This is the list of the top income earners in Bulacan from 2014 and 2017:
Local Products
"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.
Tatak Bulakenyo Products comprises ''sabutan'' bags, buntal hats, beverages, and even jams such as tomato jam.
Government
Current provincial government officials (2025-2028):
*Governor: Daniel R. Fernando ( NUP)
*Vice Governor: Alexis C. Castro ( NUP)
Provincial Board Members:
*First District
**Michael M. Aquino ( NUP)
**Romina D. Fermin (Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
)
*Second District
**Atty. Erlene Luz V. Dela Cruz ( NUP)
**Lee Edward V. Nicolas ( NUP)
*Third District
**Romeo V. Castro Jr. ( NUP)
**Raul A. Mariano ( NUP)
*Fourth District
**Anna Kathrina M. Hernandez ( PFP)
**William R. Villarica ( PFP)
*Fifth District
**Richard A. Roque ( NUP)
**Cezar L. Mendoza ( NUP)
*Sixth District
**Renato D. De Guzman Jr. ( Lakas-CMD)
**Arthur A. Legaspi ( Lakas-CMD)
*Lone District of San Jose Del Monte
**Enrique A. Delos Santos Jr. ( NUP)
**Efren C. Bartolome Jr. ( AR)
Ex-officio Board Members:
*PCL President
** TBD
*ABC President
** Ramilito B. Capistrano
*SK President
** Casey Tyrone E. Howard
*IP Representative
** Liberato P. Sembrano
Congressional District Representatives:
* ''First District'': Atty. Danilo A. Domingo ( NUP)
* ''Second District'': Augustina Dominique C. Pancho ( NUP)
* ''Third District'': Mark Cholo I. Violago ( Lakas-CMD)
* ''Fourth District'': Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica ( PFP)
* ''Fifth District'': Agatha Paula A. Cruz ( Lakas-CMD)
* ''Sixth District'': Salvador A. Pleyto Sr. ( Lakas-CMD)
* ''Lone District of San Jose del Monte'': Arthur B. Robes ( Lakas-CMD)
Official seal
Transportation
Bulacan is dubbed as "The Gateway to the Northern Philippines". The province is linked with 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 ...
primarily through the North Luzon Expressway and Manila North Road
The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan at the north. It is t ...
(better known as the MacArthur Highway
The MacArthur Highway, officially the Manila North Road (MNR or MaNor), is a , two-to-six lane, national primary highway and tertiary highway in Luzon, Philippines, connecting Caloocan in Metro Manila to Aparri in Cagayan at the north. It is t ...
) which crosses the province into Pampanga
Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...
and western part of Northern Luzon (western Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
, Ilocos and Cordillera Administrative Region
The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR; ; ), also known as the Cordillera Region and Cordillera (), is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, situated within the island of Luzon. It is the only Landlocked co ...
). While taking the Cagayan Valley Road in Guiguinto, the road leads to Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
and to the eastern part of Northern Luzon (eastern Central Luzon
Central Luzon (; ; ; ; ), designated as Region III, is an administrative region in the Philippines. The region comprises seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga (with its capital, San Fernando City serving as the re ...
and Cagayan Valley Region). Bulacan will be accessed by the future C-6 Road connecting the provinces of Rizal and Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
and the cities of Taguig
Taguig (), officially the City of Taguig (), is the List of cities in the Philippines, fifth-most populous city in the Philippines situated on the eastern shores of Metro Manila, the national capital region. It is a center for culture, finance ...
, Parañaque
Parañaque, officially the City of Parañaque (, ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of ...
and Muntinlupa
Muntinlupa (), officially the City of Muntinlupa (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population o ...
in 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 ...
.
The proposed North Luzon East Expressway
The North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) is a proposed four-lane, long limited-access toll expressway in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. The expressway was originally planned in 2000, when the route would have linked to the Cagayan ...
(NLEE) is the future expressway link between 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 ...
and the provinces of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija, officially the Province of Nueva Ecija ( ; ; ; ), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Palayan, while Cabanatuan, its former capital, is the largest Local gove ...
. It will also serve as a new alternate route of motorists coming from Manila going to Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
and Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley (; ), designated as Region II, is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines. Located in the northeastern section of Luzon, it is composed of five Provinces of the Philippines, Philippine provinces: ...
region.
The MacArthur Highway traverses the province from north to south. Most major towns can be reached through the North Luzon Expressway. A good number of motor vehicles owned largely by private individuals provide mobility to Bulacan's populace. Aside from five main highways that traverse the province, all roads are widely dispersed throughout Bulacan.
Bus terminals of Baliwag Transit Inc., Golden Bee Transport and Logistics Corp., California Bus Line, Sampaguita Liner, and Royal Eagle are in Baliwag, Balagtas and Hagonoy. The main bus lines of Philippine Rabbit, Victory Liner, Aladdin Transit that originates from their main terminals in Manila, Pasay and Quezon City and travels northward to cities and towns in Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales, pass through Bulacan via the Tabang exit. Other bus companies that travel to Bulacan include ES Transport Corp. (Earth Star Transportation), Baliwag Transit, First North Luzon, Five Star
Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) were a British Pop music, pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman Pearson, Stedman, Lorraine, Denise Pearson, Denise, Doris, and Delroy Pearson. From 1985 to 1988, Five Star had four top-20 a ...
, Agila Bus Transport, Sta Monica Transport Corp TSC, NSDC Buenasher Lines (Del Carmen), Shannen And Pauline Bus Co., Phil. Corinthian, Marsan, Mayamy, RJ Express. Bulacan is the home of its pride, one of the biggest bus lines in Luzon, the Baliwag Transit Inc. which headquarters in Baliwag, Bulacan hence it's named.
Public transportation within the province, like in most of the urban areas in the Philippines, is facilitated mostly using inexpensive jeepneys and buses. Tricycles are used for short distances.
A construction of Philippine National Railways
The Philippine National Railways (PNR) (; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation, state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Laguna (province), Laguna and Quezon, and local servic ...
(PNR) North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) system is on track, and officials say the remnants of old PNR stations built in Bulacan province in 1892 will be preserved. The ruins of the station in Guiguinto town, Bulacan province, will be among the structures that will be preserved. The structures in the city and in the towns of Balagtas, Guiguinto, Malolos, and Calumpit would also be renovated to complement the design of the new railway stations.
Junn Magno, PNR general manager, said 10 structures left standing from the old stations would be restored to give a glimpse of the PNR's history.
The San Miguel Corporation's proposed Bulacan Airport, dubbed as New Manila International Airport, involves the construction of a brand-new international airport and is being positioned as an alternative to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport, NAIA in Manila. It has also been seen that the four million tourists that visit the country yearly will be tripled once the airport project proposal pushes through.
Education
The province is home to several nationally recognized public and private educational institutions such as Baliuag University (First school granted full autonomy in Region 3), the Bulacan State University (Main & Satellite Campuses), the Bulacan Polytechnic College (Malolos, Bocaue, Pandi, Angat, San Miguel, San Rafael, Obando & City of San Jose del Monte Campus), Bulacan Agricultural State College (San Ildefonso & DRT Campus), Polytechnic University of the Philippines (Santa Maria Extension Campus and Pulilan Campus), La Consolacion University Philippines and Centro Escolar University (Malolos Campus). On the other hand, National University (Philippines), National University, a non-sectarian Manila-based university, has established its first campus outside 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 ...
in the city of Baliwag, Bulacan, Baliwag, and Baliuag Polytechnic College, a public non-sectarian institution in the city of Baliwag, Bulacan, Baliwag.
Emille Joson's Bulacan Tourism Commercial:
In 2010, Internationally Acclaimed Filmmaker Emille Joson, a proud Bulekanya, selected Bulacan as the backdrop for tourism project at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Colegio De San Juan De Letran Manila, showcasing her niece Daniela Barlan, along with the Bulacan Culture and injected some fairy tale style. The promotional campaign became a viral and winning admirations of many Bulakenyos, including prominent politicians.
Primary and intermediate
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 (Philippines), 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.
Secondary
Bulacan has 68 public high schools, national and provincial: 43 under the Department of Education (Philippines), 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.
Private schools
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
The Diocese of Malolos (Latin language, Latin: ''Dioecesis Malolosinae''; Tagalog language, Tagalog: ''Diyosesis ng Malolos''; Spanish: ''Diócesis de Malolos'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church i ...
, 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 (Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, 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, Bulacan, 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 Kindergarten (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).
Bulacan University and Collegiate Athletic Association
On April 15, 2024, w:en: Daniel Fernando, Daniel Fernando, Chairman of Bulacan University and Collegiate Athletic Association (BUCAA) with w:en: Alex Castro, Alex Castro led the opening ceremony of the Basketball tournament, with 32 competing teams and the Cheerleading, Cheerdance competition at the w:en: Baliwag, Baliwag Star Arena. w:en:Joko Diaz, Joko Diaz with w:en: Mark Herras, Mark Herras and :tl:Gab Lagman, Gab Lagman played basketball as w:en: Movie star, All star goodwill tour visitors in the w:en:Exhibition game, exhibition game.
Notable personalities
See also
* List of radio stations in Central Luzon#Bulacan, List of radio stations in Bulacan
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos
* Malolos Cathedral
References
External links
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Philippine Standard Geographic Code
{{Authority control
Bulacan,
Provinces of the Philippines
Provinces of Central Luzon
States and territories established in 1578
1578 establishments in the Philippines