San Miguel, officially the Municipality of San Miguel, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. A rural town in the middle of the Central Luzon plains, it counts heritage structures, extensive national parks and dairy candy-makers among its tourist draws.
Understand
[edit]San Miguel was founded during the Spanish era and was originally known as San Miguel de Mayumo, Mayumo being a Kapampangan term for "sweet". The town passed back and forth between Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan before finally being claimed by the latter province. In 1897, the mountains at the back of the town became the headquarters of the Biaknabato Republic, a protostate of the Philippine revolutionary government led by president Emilio Aguinaldo that lasted until the signing of a ceasefire agreement with the Spanish in November that year.
In the early 20th century, San Miguel became a fashionable spa town for its natural springs such as Sibul, which has since dried up thanks to mining activities. Despite this, there are significant natural attractions remaining in town, with Aguinaldo’s mountain hideout in Biaknabato being declared a national park in 1937.
According to the 2020 census, San Miguel has a population of 172,073 people. It is the third largest municipality by area in the province after Doña Remedios Trinidad and Norzagaray. It forms the tripoint boundary between the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.
Get in
[edit]San Miguel lies along Maharlika Highway, also known as Asian Highway 26 (AH 26) and Cagayan Valley Road. From Metro Manila, it is served by buses heading to the neighboring city of Gapan in Nueva Ecija.
Get around
[edit]
Tricycles are the main form of transportation between barangays, especially as Maharlika Highway bypasses downtown San Miguel.
See
[edit]- 1 San Miguel Arcangel Church (Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Miguel Arcangel), Libertad Street, Poblacion. San Miguel's main Roman Catholic church, built during the 19th century and used as a garrison by opposing sides during the Philippine Revolution against Spain. It houses a statue of Saint Michael the Archangel that was found in the forests outside town and is believed by residents to be miraculous. It is one of a few churches in the Philippines whose belfry is built above its façade.
- 2 Biak-na-Bato National Park, Magsaysay Road, Biak-na-Bato. A sprawling 2,117 hectares (5,230 acres) national park that also covers parts of the neighboring towns of Doña Remedios Trinidad and San Ildefonso. Famous as the site of the Biak-na-Bato Republic during the Philippine Revolution, it also contains caves, rivers and forested highlands that belie the misconception of Bulacan as a largely flat province.
- Heritage Houses. San Miguel contains a considerable number of colonial-era residences whose conditions range from decrepit to still inhabited and preserved by its original owners. These are mostly concentrated in Poblacion, particularly in Rizal and Tecson Streets
- 3 Banal na Bundok, Sibul-Biaknabato Road, Sitio Pangarayuman, Barangay Biak na Bato. Meaning "Holy Mountain" in Filipino, it is a hillside monument/park filled with monuments to Jesus Christ and other key figures in the Bible. It is a popular pilgrimage site during the Lenten season, when visitors clamber to pray atop the various hilltop shrines.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]- 1 San Miguel Public Market, Old PLDT Road corner Pineda Street, San Jose.
Eat
[edit]San Miguel is famous for its dairy-based sweets and confectionaries, which are also exported to stores in Metro Manila and are popular takeaway items.
- 1 Sevilla's Sweets, Maharlika Highway, Santa Rita Matanda. A roadside store selling local dairy-based confectionaries such as yema and pastillas.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]Stay safe
[edit]Flashfloods sometimes occur in Biak-na-Bato National Park during May and the rainy season. In 2014, seven students on a field trip died when they were caught on some rapids following a sudden downpour. During those times, avoid swimming after noon, when thunderstorms are most likely to occur.
Connect
[edit]Go next
[edit]| Routes through San Miguel |
| Cabanatuan ← Gapan ← | N  S
|
→ San Ildefonso → Baliwag |