Bulacan | |
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   .jpg) .jpg)  From the top, left to right:Bulacan Provincial Capitol,Malolos Cathedral,Bulakan Church,Philippine Arena,Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine,Barasoain Church | |
 Flag | |
| Nicknames: We, the South of Central Luzon Metro Manila Greater Area Cradle of the Nation's Noble Heroes | |
| Motto: Dakilang Bulacan[1] | |
| Anthem:Himno ng Bulacan (Hymn of Bulacan) | |
 Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
| Coordinates:15°00′N121°05′E / 15°N 121.08°E /15; 121.08 | |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Founded | August 15, 1578[2] |
| Capital | Malolos |
| Largest city | San Jose del Monte |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Daniel R. Fernando (NUP) |
| • Vice Governor | Alexis C. Castro (NUP) |
| • Legislature | Bulacan Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,796.10 km2 (1,079.58 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 46th out of 81 |
| Highest elevation | 1,188 m (3,898 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[4] | |
• Total | 3,876,806 |
| • Rank | 2nd out of 81 |
| • Density | 1,386.50/km2 (3,591.03/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th out of 81 |
| Demonyms |
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| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 569 |
| • Districts | |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic groups |
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| • Languages | |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)44 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-BUL |
| Income class[5] | First Class |
| • Assets (2018) |  ₱11.166 billion |
| • Liabilities (2018) | ₱2.623 billion |
| • Equity (2018) | ₱8.543 billion |
| • Revenue (2018) |  ₱4.971 billion |
| • Expenses (2018) | ₱3.819 billion |
| Website | www |
Bulacan, officially theProvince of Bulacan (Tagalog:Lalawigan ng Bulacan;Kapampangan:Lalawigan ning Bulacan;Southern Alta:Lalawigan na Bulacan;Spanish:Provincia de Bulacán), is aprovince in thePhilippines located in theCentral Luzonregion. Its capital is the city ofMalolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of theMetro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region. This province is a part of theGreater Manila Area.
It has 572 barangays in 20 municipalities and four component cities (Baliwag,Malolos the provincial capital,Meycauayan, andSan Jose del Monte the largest city). Bulacan is located immediately north ofMetro Manila. Bordering Bulacan are the provinces ofPampanga to the west,Nueva Ecija to the north,Aurora andQuezon to the east, and Metro Manila andRizal to the south. Bulacan also lies on the north-eastern shore ofManila Bay.
In the 2020 census, Bulacan had a population of 3,708,890 people, the most populous inCentral Luzon and the third most populous in the Philippines, afterCebu andCavite.[4] Bulacan's most populated city isSan Jose del Monte, the most populated municipality isSanta Maria, while the least populated isDoña Remedios Trinidad yet the largest municipality in terms of area.
In 1899, the historicBarasoain Church in Malolos was the birthplace of theFirst Philippine Republic, 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.[6]
The nameBulacan was named after the townBulakan which is derived from theTagalog wordbulak, which meanscotton in theEnglish language. It is due to the abundance ofcotton plant growing in the region.
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The First Constitutional Democracy in Asia was proclaimed in 1899 at the Barasoain Church inMalolos City, the capital of Bulacan.[7]
Bulacan is also the birthplace of the famous men and women of the country, likeMarcelo H. del Pilar, known as "The Great Propagandist", and GeneralGregorio del Pilar who is famed as "The Tirad Pass Hero".[7]
The poetFrancisco Balagtas, the singerNicanor Abelardo, and the sculptorGuillermo Tolentino are some notable artists from Bulacan.
The conquest of the area comprising present-day Bulacan traces to the first years of the Spanish in the Philippines. Upon the defeat of theMacabebe andHagonoy forces led by Bambalito in theBattle of Bangkusay on June 3, 1571,Martín de Goiti to proceeded north, first toLubao in September 1571.
Two months later, on November 14, 1571, Goiti reached Malolos and Calumpit, respectively, and it was reported to AdelantadoMiguel Lopez de Legazpi, the firstGovernor-General of the Philippines. Adelantado established Calumpit and Malolos as anencomienda entrusted to Sargento Juan Moron (Morones in other documents) and Don Marcos de Herrera.[8] 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-GeneralGonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa.
The same document, also from the 1582Relacion 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'svillages. Then Loarca mentioned that Alcaldia de Bulacan had Bulakan (its capital), Malolos, Caluya, Guguinto, Binto and Catanghalan (instead of Meycauayan) as itsencomiendas, which formerly had onealcalde (mayor), though Loarca wrote that Alcaldia de Bulacan was formed in 1580 at the time of Peñalosa.
According to the document ofGovernor-GeneralLuis Pérez Dasmariñas in theAccount of the Encomiendas for theKing of Spain furnished on June 21, 1591, the Alcaldia of Bulacan was part of La Pampanga with the Encomiendas subject to it such as the Encomiendas of Malolos (3,600 persons), Binto (2,000 persons), Guiguinto (2,000 persons), Caluya (2,800 persons), Mecabayan (2,800 persons) and Bulacan identified as " capital" and residence of "alcalde mayor" with 4,800 persons. In the same 1591 document, it was mentioned that "Calumpit y Hagonoy" belonged to Juan Moron with 12,800 persons, 2 Augustinian Convents, and 1 Alcalde Mayor of its own.
However, the establishment and development of the southern part of present-day Bulacan were not simultaneous and identified with the West. In 1578, the Order of Friars Minor, headed by Juan de Plasencia and Diego Oropesa, arrived in the area called Toril (now part of Meycauayan) and their headquarters. Also in 1578, Plasencia established the Town of Meycauayan. Its pueblos were first only settlements of the OldMeycauayan, founded byFranciscan[9]
The province of Bulacan is on the island of Luzon and is one of the most importantAlcadias de Termino. Civilly and politically it corresponds to theAudiencia y capitanía general de Filipinas and spiritually belongs to the Archbishop of Manila.[10]Franciscan friarsJuan Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa foundedMeycauayan 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).[11]
During the General Visitation of October 5, 1762, by DonSimón de Anda y Salazar, the province was headed by Capitan Don Jose Pasarin,alcalde mayor of the province.[12] 1795–96, Don Manuel Piñon was the alcalde mayor.[13]
In the same year,British occupation of Manila 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.[14][15][16]
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.[17]
By the end of the 1700s, Bulacan had 16,586 native families and 2,007Spanish Filipino families.[18]: 539 [19]: 31, 54, 113
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.[20] 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.[21]
In 1848, when the boundaries ofPampanga were changed, the region, which includes the important town ofSan Miguel de Mayumo and neighboring places that were formerly part of Pampanga, wasadjudicated to Bulacan.[22] Bulacan also had claims on the present-day eastern portion ofRizal, northern portion ofSanta Maria,Laguna, and western portion ofGeneral Nakar andReal inQuezon (formerly Tayabas).[23]
In an earlier period during 1890, Malolos was a hot spot of LiberalIlustrados, notably the "20 Women of Malolos", who exerted pressure for education under Filipino professors. However, the first phase of therevolution ceased in 1897 with the signing of thePact of Biak-na-Bato inSan Miguel. Under its terms, the leaders of the revolution were to go toHong Kong and reside there. Under the illusory peace created by the pact, the end of 1897 saw greater determination on the part of the Filipinos to carry on the revolutionary struggle.
In early 1898, the provinces ofZambales,Ilocos, Pampanga, Bulacan,Laguna,Pangasinan,Nueva Ecija,Tarlac, andCamarines rose again. InCentral Luzon, a revolutionary government was organized under GeneralFrancisco Macabulos, aKapampangan revolutionary leader ofLa Paz, Tarlac.
Pandi was, in 1896-97, with the "Kakarong Republic", the early epicenter of revolutionary fevor. Despite its defeat in theBattle 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.
The Americans established a local Philippine government in the Philippines when they held the first municipal election in the country inBaliwag on May 6, 1899. At the beginning of theAmerican rule, 1899–1900, Malolos became the headquarters of the Military Governor of the Philippines at Casa Real. On February 27, 1901, thePhilippine Commission officially transferred the seat of government to Malolos, and theCasa Real de Malolos was the seat of the Provincial Governor from 1900 to 1930 until the completion of the capitol building at Guinhawa, Malolos.
In 1942, at the height ofWorld War II, theJapanese Imperial Army occupied Bulacan and madeCasa 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 theHukbalahap Rebellion.[24] In February 1945, Huk Squadron 77 composed of 109 veteran guerillas was surrounded, shot, and buried in a mass grave in Malolos.[25]
The beginning months of the 1970s marked a period of turmoil and change in the Philippines, as well as in Bulacan.[26] During hisbid 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[27][28] the Philippine economy took a sudden downwards turn known as the1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, which in turn led to a period of economic difficulty and a significant rise of social unrest.[29][30][31][32]: "43"
With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president, Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines underMartial Law in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years.[33] This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record ofhuman rights abuses,[34][35] particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.[36]
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-formedNew People's Army as a last desperate way to resist Marcos' authoritarianism.[37][38] 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 175thPhilippine Constabulary Company and were found dead the following day in San Rafael, Bulacan.[39][40][41] The name of the so-calledBulacan Martyrs was added to the Bantayog ng mga Bayani's 'Wall of Remembrance' in 2012.[40][41]
ThroughPresidential Decree № 824, Bulacan waspartitioned on November 7, 1975, to form theNational Capital Region. The municipality ofValenzuela was excised to form the new region, while the other 25 towns remained in Bulacan.
To determine the tentative date of Bulacan's foundation and to trace its roots from colonial period, efforts and research conducted by Jaime Veneracion, Reynaldo Naguit of the Center for Bulacan Studies, and Isagani Giron of theSamahang 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 apueblo to the feast of apatron saint. In the case of Bulacan it is theNuestra Señora de la Asuncion, which is also the patron saint ofBulakan town, the first capital of the province.[2] Officially, the province of Bulacan was created underAct 2711 on March 10, 1917.[42]
Bulacan covers a total area of 2,796.10 square kilometers (1,079.58 sq mi)[43] occupying the southeastern section of theCentral Luzon region. The province is bounded byNueva Ecija (San Isidro,Gapan,General Tinio) on the north,Aurora (Dingalan) on the northeast,Quezon (General Nakar) on the east,Rizal (Rodriguez) on the southeast,Metro Manila (Valenzuela City,Malabon,Navotas,Caloocan andQuezon City) on the south,Manila Bay on the southwest, andPampanga (Candaba,San Luis,Apalit,Macabebe,Masantol) 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 thePampanga River, goes out again, washes Hagonoy, and loses itself in the mangroves. The banks of these rivers are very fertile and are covered with trees.
Bulacan lies in the southern portion of the fertile plains of Central Luzon. The area is drained by theAngat andPampanga rivers. TheSierra Madre mountain range forms the highlands of Bulacan in the east and is a protected area known as theAngat Watershed Forest Reserve. Angat Lake, which was formed by theAngat Dam is located in that area. The highest point in the province at 1,206 meters (3,957 ft) is Mount Oriod, part of the Sierra Madre.[44]
On January 19, 2008, an 18-hectare (44-acre)dump site, a newlandfill that would also be a tourist attraction opened inNorzagaray. 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."[45]
November to April is generally dry while wet for the rest of the year. The northeastmonsoon (amihan) prevails from October to January bringing in moderated and light rains. From February to April, the east trade winds predominate but theSierra Madre (Philippines) mountain range to the east disrupts the winds resulting to a dry period. From May to September, the southwest monsoon (habagat).
The hottest month is May with an average temperature of 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) while the coldest is February with an average temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F).
| Climate data for Bulacan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.5 (88.7) | 33.1 (91.6) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34 (93) | 32.6 (90.7) | 32 (90) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.4 (88.5) | 30.5 (86.9) | 32.0 (89.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 22.9 (73.2) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24 (75) | 23.5 (74.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.7 (74.6) |
| Average rainy days | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 156 |
| Source:Storm247[46] | |||||||||||||
Bulacan is subdivided into 20municipalities and 4cities. As the population is concentrated in the southern half of the province, so are thelegislative districts.
The population of Bulacan in the 2020 census was 3,708,890 people,[4] making it the second most populous province in the country, only behind fromCavite, which is also located in Luzon. It had a density of 1,300 inhabitants per square kilometer or 3,400 inhabitants per square mile, 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,[48] 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.[49]
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| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[47][48][48] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 speakKapampangan, 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 whenBritish 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.[14][15] 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.[50][15][16] Three municipalities (San Miguel,Doña Remedios Trinidad, andNorzagaray) 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 asCebuano,Hiligaynon,Waray,Maranao,Maguindanaon,Tausug,Ilocano,Pangasinan andBicolano.[51][52]
San Jose del Monte,Santa Maria,Malolos,Marilao, San Miguel and Norzagaray bear the highest numbers of English speakers in the province.[citation needed]
Roman Catholic (89.44%) is the predominant religion in the province. Malolos City is the seat of the Roman CatholicDiocese of Malolos, with its mother church, theMinor Basilica and Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. On March 21, 2021,Sta. Maria Church was also granted the status ofMinor Basilica by Pope Francis. It became Bulacan's second Minor Basilica and the 18th in the Philippines.
Here, most Muslims are converts, especially from Roman Catholicism, who are calledBalik Islam. In mid-2015, nearly a hundred people from a village inHagonoy municipality declared theirconversion to Islam. They were guided by Ustadz Mohammed Yousef Pamintuan, from an Balik Islam organization there.[53]
OtherChristian groups include the second largest religionIglesia ni Cristo (4.01%),MCGI,Evangelicals (1.53%),Jehovah's Witnesses (0.37%), Bible Baptist Church (0.30%),Muslims (0.21%),Seventh-day Adventists (0.21%), andAglipayans (0.17%), and other small numbers of Christians and non-Christian groups are also present.
The province of Bulacan is steadily becomingindustrialized due to its proximity toMetro Manila. Many corporations put up industrial plants and site in Bulacan. Some of the businesses and industries includeagribusiness;aquaculture; 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; insurance; jewelry; leather and leather tanning;manpower; marble; pharmaceutical manufacturing; printing press;pyrotechnics and fireworks manufacturing; realty/real property development; school & office supply manufacturing; shoe manufacturing; textile; trade; transport services; travel and tours.
The rural areas still mostly depend on agriculture and aquaculture as a source of income. Some of the major crops arerice,maize, vegetables, and fruits such asmangoes. 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, includeBustos Dam and waterlogged areas. Major species cultured includebangus,tilapia,prawn, andcatfish. This made Bulacan a leading province in bangus production based on reports of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).[62]
Bulacan is served by all major banks with more than 200 banks doing business in the province. The entrepreneurial culture is supported by the strong cooperative movement with total assets of over₱2 billion.
This is a partial list of industrial sites in the province:
Bulacan received the top place for "LGU's with Highest Gross Income" (₱1,717,600,000.00) and "Top Spender by LGU's" (₱1,349,420,000.00), and third (3rd) among the "Top Provinces with Generated Biggest Net Income" (₱368,180,000.00) according to the 2006 Annual Financial Report - Local Governments of theCommission on Audit.[65] The first time to top the perennial top placer, which was theProvince of Cebu.[66]
The province received the top place for "LGU's with Highest Gross Income" (₱1,807,600,000.00), second (2nd) in "Top Spender by LGU's" (₱1,372,160,000.00), and third (3rd) among the "Top Provinces with Generated Biggest Net Income" (₱434,830,000.00) according to the 2007 Annual Financial Report - Local Governments of the Commission on Audit.[67]
Based on the Commission on Audit's 2008 Annual Financial Report for Local Governments, the province's total gross income had increased to₱1,965,633,000.00 (including the subsidies and extra items). Its expenses had also increased to₱1,641,325,000.00, which brings a total net income of₱324,308,000.00.[68]
This is the list of the top income earners in Bulacan from 2014 and 2017:
| Total Annual Income | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"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.[73][74]
Tatak Bulakenyo Products comprisessabutan bags, buntal hats, beverages, and even jams such as tomato jam.
Current provincial government officials (2025-2028):
Provincial Board Members:
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Ex-officio Board Members:
Congressional District Representatives:
Bulacan is dubbed as "The Gateway to the Northern Philippines". The province is linked withMetro Manila primarily through theNorth Luzon Expressway andManila North Road (better known as theMacArthur Highway) which crosses the province intoPampanga and western part of Northern Luzon (westernCentral Luzon,Ilocos andCordillera Administrative Region). While taking theCagayan Valley Road inGuiguinto, the road leads toNueva Ecija and to the eastern part of Northern Luzon (easternCentral Luzon andCagayan Valley Region). Bulacan will be accessed by the future C-6 Road connecting the provinces ofRizal andCavite and the cities ofTaguig,Parañaque andMuntinlupa inMetro Manila.
The proposedNorth Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) is the future expressway link betweenMetro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan andNueva Ecija. It will also serve as a new alternate route of motorists coming from Manila going toAurora andCagayan Valley 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 ofBaliwag 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, 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, theBaliwag Transit Inc. which headquarters inBaliwag, Bulacan hence it's named.
Public transportation within the province, like in most of the urban areas in the Philippines, is facilitated mostly using inexpensivejeepneys and buses. Tricycles are used for short distances.
A construction ofPhilippine National Railways (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.[75]
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.
TheSan Miguel Corporation's proposed Bulacan Airport, dubbed asNew Manila International Airport, involves the construction of a brand-new international airport and is being positioned as an alternative to the congestedNAIA in Manila.[76] 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.[77]
The province is home to several nationally recognized public and private educational institutions such asBaliuag University (First school granted full autonomy in Region 3), theBulacan 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 andCentro Escolar University (Malolos Campus). On the other hand,National University, a non-sectarian Manila-based university, has established its first campus outsideMetro Manila in the city ofBaliwag, andBaliuag Polytechnic College, a public non-sectarian institution in the city ofBaliwag.
Emille Joson's Bulacan Tourism Commercial:
In 2010, Internationally Acclaimed Filmmaker Emille Joson, a proud Bulekanya, selected Bulacan as the backdrop for tourism project atColegio 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.[78]
There are currently four (4) schools divisions under the Department of Education:
Bulacan has 475 public Elementary schools: 383 under theDepartment of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Bulacan, 52 under the Division of City Schools of San Jose del Monte, and 38 under the Division of City Schools of Malolos.
Bulacan has 68 public high schools, national and provincial: 43 under theDepartment of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Bulacan, 18 under the Division of City Schools of San Jose del Monte, 3 under the Division of City Schools of Malolos, and 4 under the Division of City Schools of Meycauayan.
There are numerous privately owned (by individual or group) and church-operated schools located in the province.
The Immaculate Conception School for Boys and the Immaculate Conception School of Malolos are both under theDiocese of Malolos, with the incumbent Bishop of Malolos as president. Also under the Diocese is the Immaculate Conception Seminary. Others are under the direction of religious orders and congregations such as theLa Consolacion University Philippines (Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation), the St. Martin de Porres Catholic School (Dominican Sisters), St. Paul College of Bocaue and St. Paul University at San Miguel (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres) and the Holy Spirit Academy of Malolos (Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit). TheImmaculate Heart of Mary School was established in 1992 with student enrollment less than 200 (as of 2016–17). The Colegio de San Pascual Baylon (formerly St. Pascual Institution) which is established in 1913 and currently managed by the Dominican Sisters of St. Joseph.
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).
On April 15, 2024,Daniel Fernando, Chairman of Bulacan University and Collegiate Athletic Association (BUCAA) withAlex Castro led the opening ceremony of the Basketball tournament, with 32 competing teams and theCheerdance competition at theBaliwag Star Arena.Joko Diaz withMark Herras andGab Lagman playedbasketball asAll star goodwill tour visitors in theexhibition game.[79]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) 2006 ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS (Provinces, Cities and Municipalities) Volume III-A (full text report) Pages 44, 53 & 58
Media related toBulacan at Wikimedia Commons
Bulacan travel guide from Wikivoyage
Geographic data related toBulacan atOpenStreetMap
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