Bulakan, officially the Municipality of Bulakan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. A former provincial capital, it is relatively quieter than its neighboring towns that have become noisy thoroughfares on the Philippine highway network and manages to retain monuments from its colonial and revolutionary past. In the future, it will be the site of the New Manila International Airport in the Taliptip area.
Understand
[edit]Bulakan was established by the Spanish in 1578 and later gave its name to the province in which it is part of. To avoid confusion, locals speak out Bulakan's name twice to refer to the town, while Bulakan town is spelled with a K to avoid confusion with the province, which is spelled with a C.
Throughout the Spanish era, Bulakan was the capital of its eponymous province and was a prosperous town thanks to its location along Manila Bay, then the main transport artery. Among relics of this era are its unique Roman Catholic church, some Spanish-era houses and the monuments to Marcelo H. del Pilar and his nephew, Gregorio del Pilar, both of which contributed greatly to the cause of Philippine independence. Bulakan's fortunes changed in 1901, when the Americans made neighboring Malolos the new provincial capital. This caused an economic decline that was exacerbated by the town being bypassed by MacArthur Highway, which became the main toll-free transport artery in coastal Bulacan.
The construction of a new airport on reclaimed land along Manila Bay in Barangay Taliptip in the hopes of alleviating chronic overcrowding in Metro Manila is expected to bring an increase in economic activity to Bulakan, at the cost of displacing local residents, destroying valuable fishing grounds and worsening flooding and ground subsidence in the province due to its location blocking the estuaries of many rivers.
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,232 people. It is 35 kilometers north of Manila.
Get in
[edit]Bulakan lies along Manila Bay and is connected to the rest of Bulacan by secondary roads. Most travelers enter the town through a junction from MacArthur Highway in Balagtas leading to Matungao Road, which in turn terminates at a junction with Camino Real, from which a left turn leads to downtown Bulakan while a right turn leads to Del Pilar Shrine.
Secondary entry points include Guiguinto, where Krus Street joins Matungao Road at the boundary of Guiguinto and Bulakan, and Malolos.
A causeway also connects Bulakan with Obando and Valenzuela in Metro Manila, but involves crossing a narrow two-lane road over the estuary of the Meycauayan River into Manila Bay with no rest stops, fuel stations or even guardrails in case of an emergency.
From Cubao in Quezon City, Divisoria in Manila, and Avenida in Caloocan, German Espiritu Liner has daily bus trips to Bulakan. From Trinoma in Quezon City, a point-to-point bus leads to Balagtas, from where transfers to Bulakan via jeepney can be made in the public market.
Bulakan has direct jeepney connections with Balagtas, Malolos and Obando via Meycauayan. A one-way fare from Balagtas costs P15. The Malolos Terminal is in front of Bulakan Church, the Obando Terminal is at the public market, while the Balagtas Terminal is at the alley in front of Andok's Chicken, near the junction with Camino Real and Matungao Road.
- 1 German Espiritu Liner Bus Terminal, Camino Real, San Jose.
Get around
[edit]
Tricycles are the main form of transportation between barangays. Fares start at P30. In downtown Bulakan, the main tricycle terminal is at Bulakan Public Market.
See
[edit]- 1 Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion (Bulakan Church), Camino Real, San Jose. Bulakan's main Roman Catholic church, built in its present style in 1812. Unlike most colonial churches in the Philippines, which are Baroque, Romanesque or even Gothic, Bulakan Church is built in the neo-Byzantine style. At a side chapel to the right of the main doorway is an ecclesiastical museum.
- 2 Marcelo H. del Pilar Shrine (NHCP Museo ni Marcelo H. del Pilar), Maysantol Road, San Nicolas, ☏ +63 906 480 9673, [email protected]. 8AM–4PM; closed Mondays and holidays. A museum dedicated to Marcelo H. del Pilar, an anti-clerical activist who criticized the theocratic influence of Spanish Roman Catholic friars in the 19th century Philippines and advocated for equal rights for Filipinos under the Spanish Crown before shifting to outright independence in his last years. Built on the site of the del Pilar residence, it features a replica of a Spanish-era house that serves as exhibition space. In the spacious grounds of the complex are a monument to del Pilar and a mausoleum carrying his remains and that of other relatives. Free. Donation optional.
- 3 Soc Rodrigo Residence, Daang Estacion, San Jose. A colonial-era heritage house built in 1929 that was the ancestral home of Francisco "Soc" Rodrigo, a figure who took on multiple roles in Philippine social and political life such as playwright, journalist, author, politician and senator. While closed to the public, its iron-grilled fences allow for viewing of its surrounding gardens and the striped façade of its upper floors.
- 4 Ycasiano-Enriquez Ancestral House, Matungao Street, San Jose. A Spanish era bahay na bato built for the family of one of Bulakan's gobernadorcillo (mayor) in the 18th century.
- 5 General Gregorio del Pilar Birthplace, Camino Real, San Jose (in front of Iglesia ni Cristo). A small park built on the site of the house where General Gregorio del Pilar, a revolutionary commander who died aged 24 in a battle against US forces during the Philippine-American War in 1899, was born. It has a statue of the boy-general and a flagpole. Wreathes are laid at the statue on November 14, his birthday and on December 2, the anniversary of his death.
Do
[edit]- Dakip, Tibig. A Holy Week ritual memorializing the Way of the Cross. It features men in Biblical-era costumes reenacting the Passion of the Christ while walking for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) around the barangay for between 4 to 5 hours. Expect to see participants flagellating themselves or being beaten with palm leaves by spectators in commemoration of Jesus Christ's sufferings as part of their devotion and Lenten penance, although the Roman Catholic Church officially disapproves such acts of self-harm.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Bulakan Public Market, Bagumbayan Street, Bagumbayan.
- 2 Puregold Bulakan, Bagumbayan Street, Bagumbayan (in front of Bulakan Public Market).
- 3 GT7 Best Shoppers, Lungos Street, San Jose (beside Bulakan Town Plaza).
Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]The nearest accommodations are in Malolos.
Stay safe
[edit]A low-lying town, Bulakan is highly susceptible to flooding during the rainy season. Some of its coastal villages, particularly Taliptip, are in danger of disappearing altogether due to rising sea levels. This problem is exacerbated during typhoons and high tide from Manila Bay.