Philippines A-Z: Bulacan
February 26, 2009 by DJ
Filed under Cultural, Education, History, Philippines, Philippines A-Z, Trips
Hi Everyone!
We take our travels to a beautiful province steeped in history. Our visit is to the Province of Bulacan.
Bulacan is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. It has three cities: Malolos City (the capital), Meycauayan City and San Jose del Monte City. Bulacan is located immediately north of Metro Manila. Bordering Bulacan are the provinces of Pampanga to the west, Nueva Ecija to the north, Aurora and Quezon to the east, and Rizal to the south. Bulacan also lies on the northern shore of Manila Bay.
Bulacan figures prominently in Philippine History. Many national heroes and political figures were born in Bulacan. The province was also one of the first to revolt against Spain. Bulacan is most noted for being the capital of the first Philippine Republic in the now city of Malolos as well as its Malolos Constitution.
History
The province’s name is derived from the Tagalog word “bulak” meaning cotton, which was its former principal product.
Bulacan started with small fishing settlements along the coast of Manila Bay, and expanded into the interior with the coming of the Spaniards in the 16th century. These settlements formed the nucleus of towns that were founded from 1572 (Bulacan and Calumpit) to 1750 (San Rafael). In 1848, the town of San Miguel was annexed to Bulacan from Pampanga.
Bulacan was one of the first eight provinces to rise against Spanish rule in the Philippine Revolution. The first phase of the revolution ended with the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel in 1897 between the Filipinos and the Spaniards, after which the revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo was exiled to Hong Kong. The second phase saw the drafting of the constitution of the First Philippine Republic by the Malolos Congress at Barasoain Church in 1898. The subsequently established republic had its capital at Malolos until President Emilio Aguinaldo transferred it to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija in 1899 when the Philippine-American War broke out.
When the Americans established a civil government in the Philippines, they held the first election in the country in the town of Baliuag, Bulacan on May 6, 1899.
Notable Filipino figures from Bulacan include Francisco Baltazar (Balagtas), Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and Gregorio del Pilar.
Demographics
Population: According to the May 2000 census, there are a total of 2,234,088 Bulaqueños, making Bulacan the fourth most populous province in the country. It is also the fifth most densely populated province at 851 people per square kilometer. There are 463,886 households in the province with an average size of 4.81 persons, significantly lower than the national average of 4.99.
Languages: Tagalog is the predominant language of Bulacan because of its proximity to Manila. Inhabitants also speak Kapampangan, which is the language of neighboring Pampanga.
Geography
Bulacan is bounded by Nueva Ecija on the north, Aurora (Dingalan) on the northeast, Quezon (General Nakar) on the east, Rizal (Rodriguez) on the southeast, Metro Manila (Valenzuela City and Caloocan City) on the south, Manila Bay on the southwest, and Pampanga on the west.
Physical
Terrain: 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. Angat Lake, which was formed by the Angat Dam is located in that area. The highest point in the province at 1170 meters is Mount Oriol, part of the Sierra Madre.
Climate: 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) prevails and the period is characterized by numerous storms and typhoons.
The hottest month is May having an average temperature of 29.7°C while the coldest is February with an average temperature of 18.1°C.
Economy
Industries: 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 industries include leather tanning, cementmaking, fireworks manufacturing, ceramics, textiles, feed milling, food processing, and shoe manufacturing.
Agriculture: The rural areas still mostly depend on agriculture as a source of income. Some of the major crops are rice, corn, vegetables, and fruits such as mangoes.
Transportation: Bulacan is linked with Metro Manila primarily through the North Luzon Expressway, which crosses the province into Pampanga.
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