BULACAN PROVINCE

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Brief History. Bulacan lies at the heart of the Fareast Asia – a province in the

Republic of the Philippines, situated in the country’s Central Luzon Region,

north of Manila, the nation’s capital.

The name "Bulakan" was derived from the Tagalog word "bulak" which is

cotton in English. When the Spaniards first came to the country's shore, they

found cotton, among others, growing abundantly in many places in Luzon,

particularly in Bulakan.

Bulacan prides itself for its rich historical heritage. In 1899, the historic

Barasoain Church in Malolos City (Bulacan’s capital city) is the birthplace of the

First Constitutional Democracy in Asia. Bulacan is also the cradle of the nation’s

noble heroes, of great men and women; among them: Marcelo H. Del Pilar-
“The greatest Propagandist,” and General Gregorio Del Pilar- “The Hero of

Tirad Pass”. Bulacan is also home to many of the country’s greatest artists, with

a good number elevated as National Artists; among them: the legendary poet

Francisco “Baltazar” Balagtas, the musician Nicanor Abelardo, and the

nationalist sculptor Guillermo Tolentino.

Bulacan is well-known for the industries of marble and marbleized

limestone, pyrotechnics, leather, aquaculture, meat and meat products, high

value crops and sweets and natives’ delicacies, and a wide variety of high-

quality native products. It is also known for excellent craftsmanship as in

its jewelry, garments and furniture making.

Today Bulacan is noted as the land of noble heroes, progressive

cooperatives and small and medium scale enterprises. As it is today a leading

choice for foreign and local investments, the province continues to play a

significant role in the country's march to progress. Bulacan is among the

progressive provinces in the Philippines. Its people are highly educated,

enterprising and industrious.

Physical Profile. Bulacan has a total land area of 279,610 hectares or roughly

15 percent of the total area of Central Luzon, the biggest Philippine island, and

0.9% of the country's total land area. The province has 21 municipalities, 3

component cities and 569 barangays. Malolos City in the southwestern part is

the capital of the province. Of the 21 municipalities and 3 component cities of

the province, Dona Remedios Trinidad (DRT) is the biggest municipality having
a total land area of about 93,296 hectares or almost 33 percent of the provincial

land total. DRT is followed by the municipalities of San Miguel and Norzagaray

with land areas representing more than 19 percent of the provincial total.

Guiguinto, on the other hand, has the smallest landmass with only 2,750

hectares or 0.98 percent of the entire area of Bulacan.

Population. Based on the results of the 2007 National Statistics Office's

census, Bulacan has a total population of 2,826,926.

Climate. The climate of the province is generally warm. The Sierra Madre

Range shields the western portion from the northeast monsoons and trade

winds. The eastern portion is characterized by an even distribution of rainfall

throughout the year.

Topography. The province's total land area has a topography ranges from

level to rugged terrain. The western part of Bulacan for instance has been

classified in the Landscape Map as belonging to the lowland category with an

approximate coverage of close to 50 percent of the provincial land area. On the

other hand, the eastern part of the province covers those areas that are hilly to

mountainous. This is where the province interfaces with the southeastern part

of Luzon. In the middle of these two major landforms are the piedmont

landscapes, which have elevation of about 50 to 100 meters above sea level.

Over one half of Bulacan's overall land area have been classified as having

slopes less than 8 percent or those considered as having level to gently sloping

terrain and this is found on the western part of Bulacan.

Power and water supply. The Manila Electric Company serves the whole

province. Around 97.7% of households receive power supply, vital factor for

industries. Out of the 21 municipalities and 3 components cities, 19 are served

by vicinity water districts, rural waterworks and sanitation associations.

Demography and Economy