HISTORY ARTS OF STA.

MARIA BULACAN
CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Santa Maria officially the Municipality of Santa Maria (Bayan ng Santa Maria), is a 1st
class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a
population of 289,820 people. representing 7.8% of the population of the province. Santa Maria was the
home town of José Corazón de Jesús, a Filipino poet popularly known as "Huseng Batute", who started
composing his verse as a child. Another native of Santa Maria is Francisco Santiago, a composer who
wrote "Nasaan Ka Irog" and other kundiman songs. In the political arena, Santa Maria has produced
three Bulacan governors: Jose Serapio (1900-1901), Trinidad Icasiano (1912-1916), Fortunato Halili
(1943-1944 and 1946–1951); and two representatives of the second and fourth district: Rogaciano
Mercado (1953-1992) and Reylina Nicolas (2001-2010).

In times of war, Santa Maria has contributed the blood of its people. She is proud of their "Veteranos de la
Revolucion" who took part in the past struggles for the nation's independence. The town Santa Maria is
full of contrasts: It has an old, remodeled church, and a stone's throw away from this religious façade is
the new modern municipal building of the town build a few years ago. Santa Maria has modern
embroidery factories, which manufacture ready-made dresses for young and old alike; well-paved roads,
busy poblacion and big residential houses, and a general hospital. Santa Maria has been known for many
years as the "egg basket" of the Philippines and one of the towns in the province, which is thriving with
cottage industries. Unemployment is not a problem in this town. The best thing a non-Santa Maria
resident to do to feel the town's busy atmosphere is to join the people.
The town of Sta. Maria in Bulacan recently staged its annual festival celebrating the product it is most
proud of—chicharon.
Now on its 13th year, Chicharon Festival promotes Sta. Maria as a food destination in Bulacan, said
municipal tourism consultant Jaime Corpuz.
Corpuz, coauthor of a book on the history and culture of the town, said the festivity is a way of giving
importance to one of the most notable products not only of the town but the whole province.
He said the chicharon industry in Sta. Maria started as a backyard industry in the 1920s using native
black pigs called “baboy Tagalog.” It has since become one of the major industries of the town.
One of the customs of the people of Sta. Maria every festival is the "Alay Kay Maria" a

music offering in our La Purisima Concepcion of the four Banda of our town where

Banda 31 Kapisanang Ligaya, Banda 88, Banda 85 and Banda 31 Original Inc. offers a

variety of music to our Dear Lord, La Purisima Concepcion. This serves as a signal that

the Feast is near in our town. It began in 2012 under the leadership of the President of

the Festival of that year "Engr. Bobby Nicolas" in his desire to bring together the bands

of our town and show their skills and talent in the field of music. Because the town of

Sta. Maria with great music not only in the Philippines but all over the world.

Under the leadership of the current President of Fiesta 2020, Mr. Christopher Nono

Trajano, a successful program has once again been demonstrated. The Bands in our

town came together again and united. Everyone's passion and music is real.