Hagonoy (Filipino: Bayan ng Hagonoy) is a 1st class urban[2] municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2007 NSO census, it has a population of 126,329 inhabitants distributed in 25,900 households.[3] It is the birthplace of Former Senator Blas F. Ople, a famous journalist and politician who had served several high-ranking positions in the executive and legislative branch of the Philippine government including Senate President, Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labor.
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[edit]History
Hagonoy was already a thriving community before the "blood compact" between Spain's Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the Philippines' Sikatuna in 1571.
Hagonoy first appeared in Philippine history when they formed part of the fleet of Rajah Suliman of Macabebe, Pampanga that met Martin de Goiti at the Battle of Bankusay in the initial defense of the Lusong Empire against the Spaniards in 1571.[4] In the beginning, Hagonoy was just a part ofCalumpit. Founded in 1771, although according to records and old folks, there were already inhabitants in some places of this town prior to 1771. These places were Tibaguin and Pugad, coastal barrios sharing the coastline with the city of Manila and Tampok.
Magat Salamat, a revolutionary hero, once headed this town.[5] He was the ancestor of the Salamat families now living in different barrios of this town.
[edit]Origin of name
The town was named after the "hagunoy" (Spilanthes acmella), a medicinal plant that used to be abundant in its river banks and along the seashores. The original populace used its leaves as their herbal remedy of choice for common illnesses and as food ingredients. Because of the medicinal value of the plant, the news of its effectiveness spread leading the people to call the place "Hagonoy".
[edit]Geography
With a total land area of 103.10 square kilometers, Hagonoy is situated at the southwest corner of the province of Bulacan. It is bounded by the municipality of Calumpit on the north, municipality of Paombong on the east, municipality of Masantol, Pampanga on the west and Manila Bay on the south. The municipality is approximately 54 kilometers from Metro Manila or about an hour and a half drive. It can be accessed via North Luzon Expressway and MacArthur Highway.
Hagonoy a long ridge with a lake in its edge by the Manila Bay called "Wawa", which is now part of Barangays San Sebastian and San Nicolas. It is basically a fishing town with the Manila Bay as its proximate fishing ground, which extends up to the provinces of Cavite, Pampanga and Bataan. Its more adventurous fisherfolk brave the waves of the China Sea northward and cross into the Pacific Ocean on the eastern seaboard where they cast their nets and haul their catch to the fishing ports of Quezon province.
[edit]People
The Hagonoeños are known to be very hospitable. Visitors during festivals or fiestas are usually overwhelmed with the degustation that includes the traditional Spanish menu, the popular native recipes, the seafood (assorted fish, shrimps, crabs, prawns, clams, oysters), the very popular "atchara", and the desserts (leche flan, haleya, beans of several varieties, salads, pastries including the pastillas puro, and tropical fruits).
They are profoundly attached to their religious heritage and devoted to their pious Christian life. Their religious predilection is overtly shown by the names of their barangays: 19 of the 26 barangays of this town were named after saints.
Annual fiestas are held to honor the town's and each barangay's patron saints. The town's patron saint is St. Anne (the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary) or fondly called Apo Ana in the vernacular by the natives. She is enshrined at the church named after her in the poblacion. This church is a National Shrine. There are also small fiestas among the different puroks of the barangays. There are feasts for the: Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady of the Rosary, and other commemorative feasts of the Catholic Church. The Holy Week observance include flagellants on the road, zarzuelas, the "pabasa" (the passion sang as a psalm), the Good Fridayand Easter dawn processions, in all the parishes. The Good Friday processions of the Poblacion and the Sto. Rosario parishes are attended by at least 15 Lenten icons. The fiestas and Holy Week rituals are deemed as a sacred tradition. Some barangays hold their feasts with extraordinary roadside decorations and buntings so elaborate that the road is almost covered with overhead decor sufficient to screen-off the sunlight at noontime.
[edit]Barangays
Hagonoy is politically subdivided into 26 urban barangays.
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[edit]Municipal Officials
The following officials were elected in the National and Local Elections on May 10, 2010 to serve a three-year term.[6]
- Mayor: Angel Lontok Cruz, Jr. – Lapiang K
- Vice-Mayor: Reynaldo Ondra Santos – Del Pilar
Councilors
- Lamberto Tayson Villanueva – Lapiang K
- Domingo Magbitang Reyes III – Independent
- Christopher Romulo Baluyot – Independent
- Rosemarie Santos Magat – Lapiang K
- Basilio Rosas Cruz, Jr. – NPC
- Jeffrey Catajan Reyes – Lapiang K
- Francis Dianne Tolentino Cervantes – Lakas-Kampi
- Kim Santos Laderas, Jr. – Lakas-Kampi
[edit]Points of interest
- National Shrine of St. Anne in the Philippines is a 16th century church established by the Augustinian Friars in Hagonoy and the only "National Shrine" built for the Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Philippines. This church holds the relics of St. Anne from the International Shrine of St. Anne in Quebec, Canada and also the relics of St. Joaquim.
- Municipal Hall of Hagonoy and its new buildings.
- Bulacan Garden – located in Barangay San Agustin.
- Aroma Beach is a sandy beach known for its aroma shrubs. It is frequented by local picnickers during summer months.
- Ina ng Laging Saklolo Parish is the first Parish of Ina ng Laging Saklolo in the Province of Bulacan headed by their first parish priest, Rev. Fr. Paul Samuel "Sammy" Sunga. It is located in Hangga, Barangay San Pedro.
- Various antique houses and barangays of the great heroes and statesmen of the Philippines.
[edit]Economy
Hagonoy is mainly a fishing municipality with 7,837.65 hectares devoted to fish farming or about three-fourths of its total land area. It is home to about 1,423 fishpond operators and 55 registered consignacions – a venue for trading aquaculture products. The town offers a variety of harvest which includes prawns, shrimps, milkfish, tilapia, crabs, mussels and oysters.
With its abundant water resources and the coastal nature of the town, majority of the population is dependent on fishing industry. Even the municipal government has its own fishpond locally known as "Propyus", situated in Pugad and Tibaguin, two coastal barangays of Hagonoy along the coast of Manila Bay. It is subdivided to 7 lots with a combined lot area of 412 hectares of municipal waters.
Two local fish ports called "pundohan" – one in barrio San Pascual and the other at the Poblacion, are the busiest commercial areas in the town. Fish traders from Lucena City, Quezon and Dagupan City, Pangasinan among other merchants of other provinces are regular bulk buyers the local ports or at the private "consignacions" (brokerage) of the large milkfish growers.
The coastal barrios are virtually 24/7 as fishermen go out to the sea at night for hours or even days while their loving families and relatives await them. Upon their return, their catch is immediately sorted out and sold at the local public markets and "talipapa" of the barangays. Their catch are also transported to the public markets in nearby towns and up to the public/private markets and supermarkets in Metro Manila.
Barangay Sto. Niño adjacent to the Poblacion is host to the numerous brokers of prawns for the domestic and export markets. The boats that sell their prawn catch at these brokers at times come from as far as the province of Capiz. A processing plant very near the brokers prepares and packages the prawns to export quality and global standards.
There are 2 “talipapa” (flea markets) in Hagonoy that also played minor central business districts – Sto. Rosario and San Agustin. Business activities include wet and dry market, grocery stores, carinderia and computer shops.
According to the Commission on Audit (COA) 2009 Annual Financial Report, Hagonoy ranked as the 10th[7] richest municipality in Bulacan, surpassing the annual income of other 1st class municipalities like Plaridel, San Ildefonso and Balagtas.
[edit]Trade and Commerce
Trade and commerce in Hagonoy is concentrated at the town center where the public market, municipal hall, church, schools, hospital, clinics, and commercial spaces are situated. Major business activities include drugstores, banks, financial institutions, private consignacions, restaurants/food shops, groceries, and construction supplies.[8]
Major Industries
| Major Products
| Indigenous and raw materials
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[edit]List of Commercial and Business establishments
- drugstores/health & beauty shops
- Mercury Drug - The Generics Pharmacy (San Sebastian, Sto. Rosario, San Agustin & San Pedro) - HBC Home of Beauty Exclusives - Save More Drug - RMG Drugstore - Biospa Body Massage and Skin Care Clinic - other minor drugstores
- banks/financial institutions
- Banco de Oro - Metro Bank - Planters Development Bank - Maybank - East Coast Rural Bank of Hagonoy - LBC - RCPI-Western Union - Cebuana Lhuillier - M Lhuillier - Villarica Pawnshop (2 branches) - DLBB Pawnshop (2 branches)
- restaurants/food shops/bakeshops
- Jollibee - Mang Inasal - Mister Donut - Dunkin' Donuts - Julie's Bakeshop - Caroline Bakeshop - Maria's Breadhouse - Minia's Kainan/Meryendahan - Kazins Restaurant - Burger Machine - Minute Burger - Chooks To Go
- groceries/convenience stores
- Best Value Mart - MiniStop-Hagonoy - Convi Shop - Big Value Convenience Store - RichSun Mart - Emie & Nieves Store - Kheil Vin Kim Store
- bookstores/school supplies
- Pandayan Bookshop - Mid Shoppe Inc.
- hardware & construction supplies
- RTC 711 Hardware and Construction Supplies - Hagonoy Builders Supply - Filipe Construction Supplies - Oliveros Hardware - JBMA Hardware & Construction - Apo Kulas Construction
- gasoline stations
- Petron - Shell - PTT - Flying V
- consignacion/other business
- Mega Prawn Trading - De Oro Resources - BBL Consignacion - Aqua Farm Seafoods Enterprises - RT Cruz - Efren Fish Consignacion - RTC 711 Consignacion
[edit]Social Services
[edit]Protective Services
Hagonoy is generally a peaceful community. Peace and order is being maintained by the Philippine National Police – Hagonoy Station manned by 29 PNP personnel. The Hagonoy PNP is equipped by 24 long firearms and 17 short firearms, with 2 patrol cars and 4 motorcycles as service vehicles.
In 2009, there were 113 reported crime incidence in the municipality. The crime solution efficiency rate is registered at 97.26%.[9]
[edit]Health and Nutrition
There are 3 hospitals operating in Hagonoy – 2 private hospitals and a government-controlled district hospital. The Emilio Perez Memorial District Hospital, situated at Barangay Sto. Nino, is a 50-bed capacity hospital that offers secondary healthcare services. It is one of the district hospitals owned and controlled by the Provincial Government of Bulacan. Immediately beside it is the Mateo-Mabborang General Hospital, a private hospital which was opened on October 9, 2010. The Divine Word Hospital is a private hospital situated at Barangay San Pedro also offers secondary healthcare services.
These hospitals are being complemented by the Amado Aldaba Memorial Health Center, the main rural health unit being operated by the municipal government. It offers primary healthcare services which also includes laboratory and dental services.
The municipality also operates two (2) physical therapy and rehabilitation centers. The first is located at the municipal compound while the other is situated at Barangay Sta. Monica.
The medical personnel of the municipal government is composed of 5 Rural Health Physicians, 4 public nurses, 23 midwives, 2 sanitary inspector, 1 medical technologist and 2 dentists. These are aided by the 172 Barangay Health Workers at the barangay level.
On the other hand, nutrition program is being implemented by the Municipal Nutrition Office. At the barangay, they are assisted by the 29 Lingkod Lingap sa Nayon (LLNs) supported by 189 Mother Leaders. As of 2008, there were 35 identified very low and 565 low nutritional status in Hagonoy.
[edit]Power and water supply
The power requirement of the entire municipality is supplied by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) including the coastal barangays of Pugad and Tibaguin. While the Hagonoy Water District provides the water requirement of Hagonoy. It supplies the daily water use of all 26 barangays using their 24 barangay pump stations.
[edit]Transportation
In Hagonoy, the primary and most dominant mode of transportation is tricycle because of its narrow roads. As of the latest count, there are around 4,671 members of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association in Hagonoy servicing all barangays except Pugad and Tibaguin. Both of those barangays are being served by boats for hire.
Other modes of transportation is jeepneys and buses. There are about 565 registered jeepneys in Hagonoy divided into 3 routes – Malolos Bayan, BSU Crossing, and Hagonoy-Calumpit. Passenger buses transport passengers in Hagonoy to and from Divisoria, Monumento, Cubao and Pasay City in Metro Manila via the 2 bus companies that are presently operating in Hagonoy. The Baliwag Transithaving 32 buses leaving Hagonoy every 30 minutes and the First North Luzon Transit with 11 buses leaving every 45 minutes.
- Baliwag Transit
- First North Luzon Transit
- Jeepneys (going to Paombong, Malolos Bayan, Malolos Crossing and Calumpit)
- Tricycles (most common mean of tranpostation locally)
[edit]Communication
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (DIGITEL) are the main landline telephone service provider in Hagonoy with 2,134 and 1,700 subscriber respectively.
Many residents have subscribed to wireless phone services such as Globe, Smart, Talk 'N Text, TM (Touch Mobile), Sun Cellular and Red Mobile. As per Municipal Engineers Office record, there are 10 cell sites installed in strategic locations in Hagonoy to improve the signal coverage and reception.
On the other hand, telegraph and express mail services are being provided by the local post office and private companies such as LBC and RCPI-Western Union.
[edit]Education
The educational institutions in Hagonoy is composed of 30 public elementary schools, 9 private elementary schools, 4 public secondary schools, 3 private schools, 26 Day Care Centers, 1 Technical/Vocational School and 1 satellite campus of the provincial university.
In School Year 2008-2009, the combined elementary school enrollment is 17,934, where 9 out of the 10 students are enrolled in public elementary school. On the other hand, secondary school enrolment is registered at 10,477 students, of which 78.45% are enrolled in public high school.[10]
Every barangay has a Day Care Center with an assigned Day Care Worker. The total number of children enrolled is 1,315 in School Year 2008-2009, composed of 629 boys and 686 girls.
[edit]Tertiary/Technical Schools
The Hagonoy Institute of Technology, situated at the compound of Hagonoy Institute in Barangay San Sebastian, is the only technical/vocational school in Hagonoy. It offers short courses like Computer Technician, Computer Technician, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Food and Beverage Services, and Baking.
The Bulacan State University-Hagonoy Campus situated at Barangay Iba-Ibayo officially opened on June 7, 2011. The fourth satellite campus of BulSU offers Education, Engineering, Information Technology and Hotel and Restaurant Management as its initial courses.
[edit]Public Schools
High schools
- Iba National High School
- Mayor Ramona S. Trillana National High School
- Sta. Monica National High School
- San Pedro High School
Elementary schools
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[edit]Private Schools
High schools
- Hagonoy Institute
- St. Anne's Catholic School (formerly known as Saint Anne's Catholic High School)
- St. Mary's Academy (formerly known as St. Anne's Academy)
Elementary schools
- Godwin’s Montesorri School
- Hagonoy Ecumenical School
- Holy Child School of Hagonoy
- Jesus is Lord Christian School
- Saint Mary’s Academy
- Santiago Trillana Academy
- School of Wisdom for Ideal Children
- Sta. Ana Daughters of Mary Immaculate
- Victoria Vazquez Christian School
[edit]References
- ^ http://nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/municipality.asp?muncode=031409000®code=03&provcode=14
- ^ http://nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/municipality.asp?muncode=031409000®code=03&provcode=14
- ^ http://www.census.gov.ph/data/census2007/index.html
- ^ Gaspar de San Agustin, Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas 1565-1615, Translated by Luis Antonio Mañeru, 1st bilingual ed [Spanish and English], published by Pedro Galende, OSA: Intramuros, Manila, 1998.
- ^ "lakandula". Archived from the original on 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
- ^ "Hagonoy - Certified List of Elected Candidates". Commission on Elections. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
- ^ Commission on Audit http://www.coa.gov.ph/Reports/AFR/2009AFR_Local_Vol3.pdf
- ^ http://www.hagonoybulacan.gov.ph/business/top50biz.asp
- ^ http://www.hagonoybulacan.gov.ph/business/default.asp
- ^ About Education in Hagonoy http://www.hagonoybulacan.gov.ph/about/education.asp
