Plaridel, Bulacan

Plaridel
Municipality
Plaridel Municipal Hall
Seal
Map of Bulacan showing the location of Plaridel
Plaridel Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°53′N 120°51′E / 14.883°N 120.850°E / 14.883; 120.850Coordinates: 14°53′N 120°51′E / 14.883°N 120.850°E / 14.883; 120.850
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Bulacan
District	2nd District
Founded	1602
Barangays	19
Government[1]
• Mayor	Jocell Vistan
Area[2]
• Total	32.44 km2 (12.53 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	101,441
• Density	3,100/km2 (8,100/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	3004
Dialing code	44
Income class	1st class; urban

Plaridel is a first class urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. In 2010, its population was 101,441 inhabitants.^[3]

With the expansion of Metro Manila, the city is now part of Manila's built-up area which reaches as far north as San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

History

Quingua Church built in 1602 is dedicated to the apostle James the Greater, and named after Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Like many towns in Bulacan, Plaridel has its niche in Philippine history as the site of the Battle of Quingua - Battle of Quingua during the Philippine-American War in part of the defense of First Philippine Republic against the Northern Campaign of American Army. The battle was manned by Pablo Tecson - Lt. Colonel Pablo Ocampo Tecson of San Miguel, Bulacan under Gregorio del Pilar and during which Col. John Stotsenberg was killed on April 23, 1899. A marker now stands at the site of the battle in Barangay Agnaya.

Plaridel's history can be traced through records back to 1581 in the early years of the Spanish colonization.It is the Augustinian friars from Malolos Convent discovered a vast forest in 1581 primarily named as Binto which later known as Quingua. As per as the history of the Parish of St. James Apostles issue the church history in 2001, Quingua was established by the Augustinian Friars of Malolos and named it "Encomienda Binto" (Brgy. Bintog got its name from this settlement). They built a visita (chapel of ease) and placed it under the jurisdiction of the Fray Mateo Mendoza, prior of Malolos.

The visita of Binto was elevated into an independent parish named Parroquia de Santiago Apostol and the whole Quingua was separated from Malolos and created as a new pueblo in September 27, 1602.

Plaridel is surrounded with the rivers of Angat, Bulacan and Tabang River running through it. The Angat River or Bulacan River flows directly to Calumpit, Bulacan meeting the Pampanga River - Pampanga. The Tabang River, a tributary with adjoining intersections dividing the middle of the present Poblacion, flows to Manila Bay passing through the towns of Guiguinto and Bulacan. The water of this river was called "Tabáng" or fresh water.

Very few people lived here, and most were closely related. Each group had a leader called "tandis". Different groups spoke different dialects; Pampango, Pangasinan, Ilocano and Tagalog. From Malolos, the friar curate frequently visited the place, preaching the Catholic faith, using the "balsa" or bamboo raft as their means of transportation. The missionaries decided to clear the land and establish settlements, from which they could work to bring unity to the people. They needed ideas to bring this about so each "Tandis" drew up a plan to pursue. For seven years, the groups of people labored, so much so that when the priest returned they found the area completely cleared. They inquired among the natives for who should be credited and the Pampangos exclaimed, "Quing wawa". So every now and then, to every question of the friars, the people would reply "Quing wa". Thereafter, the place was called Quingua.

Jose J. Mariano, then the "Alcalde" or town mayor, took the initiative of renaming the town. Congressman Pedro Magsalin, a friend of the Alcalde, sponsored a bill changing the name of the town from Quingwa to Plaridel. The bill was passed by the Philippine Congress and was approved by President Manuel L. Quezon. On December 29, 1936, the town was renamed 'Plaridel' in honor of the great hero of Bulacan, Marcelo H. del Pilar. The celebrations were attended by the political luminaries, Speaker Gil Montilla, Congressman Pedro Magsalin, Honorable Nicolas Buendia, Honorable Eulogio Rodriguez, Honorable Elpidio Quirino and Governor José Padilla, Sr. Notable families from Plaridel include the Vergel de Dios (originally from Baliuag who donated the public market of the town), Castros, Vistans, Sayos, Garcías, and the San Diegos.

Barangays

Plaridel is divided into 19 barangays. In 1954, sitio Mayamot in Barrio Banga was changed to Bagong Silang^[4] while a sitio in the eastern part of barrio Tabang, called Bagong Silang, was created.^[5]

Demographics

Cultural References

Plaridel's Parish Church of Santiago Apostol is the location of GMA Network's Fantaserye Darna (2009), Zaido (2007), Iglot (2011) and afternoon drama series, Nita Negrita (2011), Broken Vow (2012). And the Judy Ann Santos-Sarah Geronimo Movie Hating Kapatid in July 2010.

And recently, ABS-CBN's drama anthology Maalaala mo kaya: Toga, starring Albie Casiño and Erich Gonzales and the episode of Police Uniform" starring Empress and Joseph Marco

Parish Church of Santiago Apostol

The Plaridel Church was initially a mission chapel built by the Augustinians in Malolos made of light materials. The Chapel was located near River at Lumang Bayan and transferred to present site. It is clearly evident why the said Barrio named Lumang Bayan means-Old Poblacion. From 1590 to 1602, Quingua was administered by Friar Curate from Malolos Church which close at hand.

The present church was built in 1602 and established as the town church of the newly created Pueblo de Quingua.

Plaridel is one of the earliest settlement to be established at around 1590 as Encomienda. Its Parish Church of Santiago Apostol has one of the unique Moorish architectural style among the Augustinian Churches in the province. It was here that the money and jewels of san Agustin in Intramuros, Manila were kept during British Occupation in 1762-63.

The church is small and its two level facade is bare. However, the crowning pediment is elaborate consisting of a pair of volutes with the inner space filled with triangular patterns and floral embellishments that first glance can be mistaken as having a Moorish influence because of the minaret like dome formed. In between the volutes are a series of spaced relieves of cherubs, ramilletes, two saints including that of St. Agustin and the pierced heart which is the symbol of the Agustinia Order. The octagonal and tapering belltower on the other hand sits on a quadrilateral base and rises 4 levels.

Images

• 

  Downtown Plaridel

• 

  Mayor Jose J. Mariano (1934-1950) Park (Poblacion)

• 

  Control tower of Plaridel Airport, parked planes and aviation schools

• 

  Overview of the Parish of St. James the Apostle

• 

  Public Market (Poblacion)

• 

  La Consolacion University General Hospital (formerly University of Regina Carmeli)

See also

• List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Plaridel, Bulacan.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Plaridel Bulacan

		Pulilan / Baliuag	Bustos
	Calumpit		Pandi
	Plaridel
		Malolos / Guiguinto	Balagtas

Province of Bulacan Malolos (capital) Municipalities Angat Balagtas Baliuag Bocaue Bulakan Bustos Calumpit Doña Remedios Trinidad Guiguinto Hagonoy Marilao Norzagaray Obando Pandi Paombong Plaridel Pulilan San Ildefonso San Miguel San Rafael Santa Maria Component cities Malolos Meycauayan San Jose del Monte