Bocaue, Bulacan


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, the municipality is now part of Manila's built-up area which reaches San Ildefonso in its northernmost part. The Bocaue River runs through most of the town.
Among its tourist attractions are a town museum located near the municipality's center and the town's river festival celebrated on the first Sunday of every July. The river festival is in commemoration of the Holy Cross of Wawa, believed to be miraculous by the town's predominating Roman Catholic populace.

Etymology

The town's name comes from the Old Tagalog word "Bukawe", which refers to a type of long bamboo.

History

Bocaue was first established by Franciscan missionaries as a barrio and visita of Meycauayan in 1582 and as a town on April 11, 1606 under the advocacy of San Martin de Tours. It was the first town to be granted independence from the old Meycauayan that was then a very large town comprising the present territories of Meycauayan City, Marilao, Santa Maria, San Jose del Monte City, Obando, and Valenzuela City.
After the Philippine–American War, the Philippine Commission was established, part of whose functions was the reorganization of Philippine municipalities and provinces. In 1903, Bulacan province reduced the number of towns from 26 to 19. The town of Balagtas was annexed to Bocaue, which later regained its independence and was reestablished as a town in 1911.
During the Bocaue River Festival of July 2, 1993, around 500 people rode the "floating pagoda" for the Holy Cross of Wawa way beyond the boat's capacity and caused the boat to sink, killing more than two hundred people. Despite the lives lost, no one has been made accountable for the tragedy. This incident became known as the Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy.
On the morning of 31 December 2007, ten fireworks stores burned in Barangay Turo, causing a series of explosions within the area and injuring 7 persons.

Geography

Bocaue is north-east of Manila if reached via the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Highway and is from Malolos City. It is at the mid-southwestern portion of Bulacan.
The town is bounded on the north by the municipality of Balagtas and a portion of the municipality of Santa Maria; by the municipalities of Marilao and Obando on the south; a larger portion of Santa Maria on the east; a portion of the municipality of Bulakan on the extreme southwestern side; and a portion of Balagtas on the western side.
Bocaue is traversed by the Bocaue River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River that is in turn a tributary of Angat River. The main source of Angat River and its tributaries is the Sierra Madre mountain range. Along these rivers are many man-made fish ponds used for raising and farming fish like bangus and tilapia.

Barangays

Bocaue is politically subdivided into 19 barangays.

Climate

Demographics

In the, the population of Bocaue, Bulacan, was people, with a density of.

Religion

The St. Martin of Tours Church of Bocaue, otherwise known as The Diocesan Shrine of Bocaue, is one of the oldest churches in the province of Bulacan. The reputed Mahal na Krus ng Wawa is kept here.
The Feast of the Holy Cross of Wawa is a festival held on the first Sunday of July, observed in honor of the Holy Cross of Wawa, a relic believed to have saved the life of an old woman drowning in the Bocaue River. The main feature of this fiesta is what is called The Pagoda, a gaily-decorated structure riding on a huge bangka, which glides along the town river carrying people from all walks of life who would enjoy the ride while religious music is played and while feasting on sumptuous food.
Other religious populations in the town include those belonging to the Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah's Witness, Methodist, Aglipayan, Adventist, Baptist, and Mormons Christian sects. There are also a number of Evangelical, Pentecostal, Members Church of God International and Charismatic churches, ministries, fellowships, and groups in the municipality. The practice of Islam could also be found in the municipality.

Economy

Bocaue's town center is 27 kilometers north of Manila if reached via the North Luzon Expressway and the Bocaue Exit. NLEX provides fast transport to Metro Manila from where it begins at Mabalacat, Pampanga, and Bocaue is the highway's middle route.
The town's major industry is fireworks-making, which has earned it the tag "Fireworks Capital of the Philippines". Among the prominent firecracker stores located in Bocaue is Eat Bulaga Fireworks, owned by fireworks maker Rommel Eustaquio and named after the longest-running noontime variety program in the country.

Culture and arts

Nationally known Bocaueños in the arts include choreographer Francisca Reyes Aquino, TV actress Jewel Mische, contemporary painter Noli Principe Manalang, and diskurso.com art magazine editor and painter-curator Jojo Soria de Veyra. Lauro Delgado, a former veteran character actor of Premiere Productions from the early 1950s to the late 1970s, is also a Bocaue native born in Barangay Bunducan.
Bocaue is also famous for its Bocaue liempo, crispy pata, sinuso, chicharon, rellenong bangus and various sorts of rice cakes, as well as embroidered barong Tagalog and Filipiniana outfits.
The Francisca Reyes Aquino Shrine, under the management of the National Historical Institute, is a shrine erected on the compound of Lolomboy Elementary School in Barangay Lolomboy in honor of Francisca Reyes Aquino. Aquino was a recipient of a National Artist Award for her significant contributions to the development of Philippine dance.

Sports and recreation

The Philippine Stadium, also known as the New Era University Stadium, is a sports stadium located inside the Ciudad de Victoria, a 75-hectare tourism enterprise zone located in the towns of Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan. With a capacity of up to 25,000, it became the biggest stadium in the Philippines upon its completion.
The Philippine Arena, an indoor multi-purpose arena and the centerpiece of Ciudad de Victoria, is located just adjacent to the Philippine Stadium. With a seating capacity of 55,000 it became the largest indoor arena in the world upon its completion in 2014.

Education

Bocaue is also an education center for the Meycauayan, Marilao, Santa Maria, and Balagtas municipalities area. The state-owned Bulacan Polytechnic College has a campus in Bocaue. Private colleges and universities include the Dr. Yanga's Colleges and Jesus Is Lord Colleges Foundation Inc. New Era University and St. Paul University Quezon City also established branch campuses in the municipality. The municipality also has several elementary and secondary schools, both public and private.

Municipal government

Sangguniang Bayan
Mayor: Jose C. Santiago, Jr.
Vice Mayor: Alvin Paul S.P. Cotaco
Municipal Councilors:
Mayors of Bocaue
Vice Mayors of Bocaue