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27-660: The Bocaue River Festival is an annual celebration held every first Sunday of July in Bocaue in honor of the Holy Cross, the Mahal na Poon ng Krus sa Wawa , established in 1850 in the Bocaue River, a tributary of the Santa Maria River . The festivities involve a decorated pagoda on top of a barge surrounded by small boats accompanying it. A replica of the holy cross is placed at the top of

54-581: 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. Sangguniang Bayan (2022–2025) Municipal Councilors: Greater Manila Area The Greater Manila Area ( Filipino : Malawakang Maynila )

81-550: A few other minor rivers and creeks, all of which are distributaries of the Angat drainage basin . The main source of Angat River and the Angat drainage basin, as well as their distributaries, 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 . Bocaue, along with Balagtas, Guiguinto , and Pandi ,

108-582: A former veteran character actor of Premiere Productions from the early 1950s to the late 1970s, was born in Barangay Bunducan. 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

135-400: 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 continuation of the confluence of Santa Maria River and San Jose River and

162-467: A series of explosions within the area and injuring 7 people. Bocaue is 27 kilometers (17 mi) north-east of Manila if reached via the MacArthur Highway and is 18 kilometers (11 mi) from Malolos City . It is at the mid-southwestern portion of Bulacan. Its land area is 3,187 hectares or 31.87 km (12.31 sq mi). The town is bounded on the north by the municipality of Balagtas and

189-489: A type of long bamboo ( Schyzostachyum lima ). 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

216-407: Is one of the oldest churches in the province of Bulacan. The reputed Mahal na Krus ng Wawa (Beloved Holy Cross of 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 (Mahal na Krus sa Wawa), a relic believed to have saved the life of an old woman drowning in the Bocaue River. The main feature of this fiesta

243-601: Is the Pagoda, a gaily decorated structure riding on a huge bangka , which glides along the town river carrying people from all walks of life. Other religious denominations in the town include Iglesia ni Cristo , Jehovah's Witness , Methodist , Aglipayan , Adventist , Baptist , and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . There are also a number of Evangelical , Pentecostal , Members Church of God International and Charismatic churches, ministries, fellowships, and groups in

270-462: Is the contiguous urbanization region surrounding the Metropolitan Manila area . This built-up zone includes Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan to the north, Cavite and Laguna to the south, and Rizal to the east. Though sprawl continues to absorb new zones, some urban zones are independent clusters of settlements surrounded by non-urban areas. In early 2021, during

297-583: Is the expressway'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 in Bocaue is Eat Bulaga Fireworks, owned by fireworks maker Rommel Eustaquio and named after Eat Bulaga! , the longest-running noontime variety program in the Philippines. In November 2024, Senator Joel Villanueva , Vice Mayor Sherwin Tugna and National Commission for Culture and

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324-572: 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 merged with Bocaue, with the former serving as the seat of government from October 8 to November 20 before it was transferred to the latter. Bocaue later regained its independence and

351-522: The Arts Executive Director Eric Zerrudo led the groundbreaking and time capsule laying for a P45- million Bocaue Museum and Cultural Hub at the 18th century Casa de Municipal de Bocaue which will feature a performance arts center and history hub. Nationally known Bocaueños in the arts include choreographer Francisca Reyes Aquino , TV actress Jewel Mische , and contemporary painter Noli Principe Manalang . Lauro Delgado ,

378-827: The BSP posthumously awarded Bulig with the Gold Medal of Honor, while they awarded Celestino with the Silver Medal of Honor, both for their heroic deeds in the tragedy. In the same year, the Department of the Interior and Local Government created the Sahjid Bulig Presidential Award for Heroism, in honor of Bulig's actions and sacrifice. The 1994 celebrations for the Bocaue River Festival were sized down. The new pagoda made

405-427: The barge reacting to a kwitis ( skyrocket ) flying towards the pagoda. The concentrated weight of the people on board tilted the barge. The people on board the pagoda panicked as they heard the noise of crackling timber. The structure of the pagoda collapsed and gradually sank to the riverbed. Witnesses claimed that fishermen by the river bank drew their fishing boats towards the sinking pagoda to try to save people from

432-601: 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. Bocaue is also an education center for the Meycauayan, Marilao, Santa Maria, and Balagtas municipalities area. The state-owned Bulacan Polytechnic College has

459-577: The guilt and the grief they've shouldered for 21 years." Bocaue Bocaue [bɔˈkawɛ] , officially the Municipality of Bocaue ( Tagalog : Bayan ng Bocaue ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan , Philippines . According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 141,412 people. With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila , Bocaue is part of Manila's built-up area which reaches San Ildefonso in its northernmost part. The Bocaue River runs through most of

486-518: The municipality. 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 predominantly Roman Catholic population. The town's name comes from the Old Tagalog word " Bukawe ", which refers to

513-578: The municipality. Muslims are also found in the municipality. Poverty incidence of Bocaue Source: Philippine Statistics Authority Bocaue's town center is 27 kilometers north of Manila if reached via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Bocaue Exit (in Barangay Turo). NLEX provides fast transport to Metro Manila from where it begins at Mabalacat , Pampanga , and Bocaue

540-442: The pagoda despite Celestino's warnings. In the morning after the incident, Bulig was found to have perished. Retrieval operations of the victims took several days. Victims were checked for vital signs in different area hospitals. The bodies of the deceased were identified at the town plaza, while the basketball court served as a morgue. It was believed that the casualties of the incident involved entire families. On October 31, 1993,

567-406: The pagoda. The pagoda for the 1993 celebrations was estimated to be carrying 800 to 1000 devotees. At 8:15 p.m, the accident occurred taking the lives of between 226 and 279 people. The pagoda sank in the middle of the Bocaue River between the barangays of Bunlo and Bambang. The pagoda was 20 feet tall. According to witnesses many of the people on board the pagoda were forced to move to one side of

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594-478: The pagoda. The pagoda's light was still on and its power generator was still operational as the pagoda sank causing many people to believe that electrocution caused some of the fatalities. Thirteen-year-old Sahjid S. Bulig and his friend Richard Celestino, both members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), were able to save eight children who were on the pagoda, with Bulig saving six by continuously returning to

621-454: Was also held for the victims. July 2 became a day of mourning for the victims of the 1993 tragedy. Church and local officials decided to revive the grand procession and build a large pagoda for the 2014 edition of the festival, after coming up with safety measures for the devotees. The decision came as a bid to boost the local economy of Bocaue. A 48-foot or three stories-high pagoda which stands on top of three large boats rented from Malabon

648-458: Was built for the festival. The ground floor of the pagoda covered 200 square meters. The wooden pagoda was reinforced by steel. Changes included allowing only 150 devotees to board the pagoda per trip. Each devotee was required to register and wear a life vest, and pregnant women were not allowed to board the pagoda. Businessman Ruben Mercado, who chaired the festival committee, said restoring the fluvial festival needed to be done "to relieve people of

675-404: Was just 2 feet tall compared to 1993's 4 feet tall pagoda. Only 50 people were allowed to board the raft. 12 boats accompanied the pagoda. The police and military lifeguards were stationed along the route of the pagoda procession. The event took place in the morning which commenced at 10:00 am. Relatives of the 1993 tragedy floated flowers and candles on the river to honor of their loved ones. A mass

702-514: Was once known as comprising the 2nd district of Bulacan. The grouping would later be known as the 5th district of Bulacan. Bocaue is politically subdivided into 19 barangays . Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios . In the 2020 census, the population of Bocaue, Bulacan, was 141,412 people, with a density of 4,400 inhabitants per square kilometer or 11,000 inhabitants per square mile. The St Martin of Tours Church of Bocaue , otherwise known as The Diocesan Shrine of Bocaue,

729-606: 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 December 31, 2007, ten fireworks stores burned in Barangay Turo, causing

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