San José del Monte, The Province of Bulacan, Central Luzon Region, Philippines

🇵🇭 San Jose del Monte, officially the City of San Jose del Monte, is a 1st class component city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. It is the largest local government unit within the province of Bulacan and Central Luzon and the 18th most populated city in the Philippines. The City of San Jose del Monte had been proclaimed as a highly urbanized city on 4 December 2020, by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1057, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte and shall take effect after the ratification in a plebiscite.

Located in the south-east of the province, it is bordered by the city of Caloocan in Metro Manila to the south, by the town of Rodriguez in Rizal to the east, the towns of Santa Maria and Marilao to the west and Norzagaray to the north. San Jose del Monte is 65 km (40 mi) from Malolos and 30 km (19 mi) from Manila.

The city is home to some of the biggest resettlement areas in the Philippines like the Sapang Palay resettlement area spread over 36 barangays, Pabahay 2000 in Barangay Muzon and Towerville in Barangay Minuyan Proper. Most of the city's population come from former informal settlers along the creeks, esteros, riverbanks and railway tracks of Metro Manila.

Etymology San Jose Del Monte derived its name from Saint Joseph, whose statue was found in a veritable forest. The hunters called it as such, which literally means “Saint Joseph of the Mountain” in Spanish.

History Early accounts on the founding of the city, as gathered from the old people, contend that it was formerly a part of the town of Meycauayan. This is supported by a decree from the Archbishop of Manila dated March 1750 on the creation of new municipalities. The municipality of San Jose del Monte was then officially founded on 2 March 1752.

The decree included the list of families who volunteered to be relocated. These families, most if not all from Lagulo (now Malhacan) in Meycauayan, brought with them rice, wine, nganga and salt from in exchange for the wild pigs, deer, yantok and almasigan of the Itas and Dumagats, the native inhabitants of the area. Solares, including intended lots for main roads, were peacefully distributed to the new occupants after being measured and surveyed.

In all probability, the hunters reported their find to the parish priest of Meycauayan. It was said that the priest built a stone church at the site where the town proper is now located. The statue was installed in the new church. Extant Catholic Church records reveal that the first parish priest was Father Antonio de Moral. He took charge of the parish in 1845.

During the revolt against Spain, the town became a battleground between the Katipuneros and the Spanish forces. The revolutionaries lost and the vengeful Spanish soldiers burned down the settlement. The town people fled for their lives to nearby towns. At the advent of the American rule, it was made a part of Santa Maria until 1918 when the town was recreated and Ciriaco Gallardo appointed the first municipal president. Public schools were opened at the start of the American regime but due to the scarcity of the population, the highest grade organized was at the fourth grade.

During the Japanese occupation, the town became an ideal hiding place of the local recognised guerrillas because of the town's hilly and wooden terrain. The Japanese Imperial Army took over the local government of San Jose del Monte from 1942 to 1943. In resistance, the municipality formed its own guerrilla unit. San Jose del Monte experienced large casualties when the Americans bombed the town centre on 11 January 1945, and again on 14 January 1945. When the combined Filipino and American troops came, peace reigned but not for long.

At the height of the Hukbalahap Rebellion, the town was raided on 10 October 1950. The Huks burned down the town hall. The town was raided for the second time on 21 March 1951. The Huks did not succeed because of the precautionary measures instituted by the town officials after which the Huks were gradually eliminated.

In the 1980s, thousands of informal settlers from Metro Manila were relocated to San Jose del Monte. Due to the large amount of residents, Bulacan Governor Roberto Pagdanganan recalled in 1996 that the relocation did not ensure new livelihoods for its informal settlers, thus turning many squatters toward criminality; he noted that the town had the highest crime rate in the province according to police reports.

In 1988, Eduardo Roquero was elected mayor of the municipality by a margin of eight (8) votes against his closest opponent, reelectionist Reynaldo Villano.

Cityhood On September 10, 2000, San Jose del Monte was proclaimed as a component city under Republic Act No. 8797. It became the first city in the province of Bulacán and was recorded as the 86th chartered city of the Philippines. On December 18, 2003, the City of San Jose del Monte was granted its own congressional district, the first lone district in Bulacan.

Highly urbanized city On December 4, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte declared San Jose del Monte as a highly urbanized city through Proclamation No. 1057. However, it will have to go through a plebiscite to ratify its city charter. It was supposed to be held four months after the 2022 national and local elections but it is now overdue ever since then. Hence, the proclamation remains pending for its HUC status. The plebiscite will be conducted on October 30, 2023, along with the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Geography The elevation of the city ranges from approximately 40 to 900 meters (130 to 2,950 ft) above sea level; the relief transitions from warm lowland to cool upland as one goes eastward. This is because the city is part of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Plains and river valley flats characterize the western and south-western quadrant. The central portion and much of its eastern section are made up of undulating hills with low relief. High relief areas moderate slopes best describe its extreme eastern and north-western quadrant. Slopes of 3%-8% are extensively found in the city, particularly on the western half. Slopes of 30%-50% comprise the smallest portion of the total land area.

The rivers and creeks that flow in San Jose del Monte are direct tributaries of the Angat River, which flows from the Angat Reservoir. Major natural waterways of San Jose del Monte are the Kipungok, Santo Cristo, and Santa Maria River systems. Kipungok River separates San Jose del Monte from Caloocan and Rodriguez. It is directly connected to the Marilao River, which flows downwards to Manila Bay. Draining to these rivers are creeks and streams, which act as catchment areas for the surface water runoff of the city. Among these are the Bigte, Kantulot, Katinga, and Salamin creeks.

General Land Use Growing commercial, residential, and light industrial areas, are found all over the city at major road intersections and along major thoroughfares. However, the bulk of the San Jose del Monte's built-up areas are mostly west of Quirino Highway at the primary level to gently sloping 8% terrain, dividing the city into a heavily built-up western section and the largely agricultural eastern section. Most of the city's schools, government institutions, commercial developments, industries, and other urban amenities are in this section. The largest contiguous built-up area is at Sapang Palay Resettlement Project area, followed by the conurbation in Tungkong Mangga and Muzon.

The developments east of the Quirino Highway are mostly scattered residential areas and agricultural lands. However, there are a few subdivisions that are some distance away from Ciudad Real and take advantage of its secluded and rural atmosphere. These are the Blessed Sacrament Seminary and an Augustinian convent.

In between the built-up clusters are pockets of agricultural lands, which are continuously converted into built-up uses. Planted in these lands are crops such as rice and corn. The clustering pattern for both built-up and agricultural uses is partly due to the decisions made by settlers with regard to the hilly conditions that dominate the topography. Most of households in the western half of San Jose del Monte opted to convert their lands to residential uses while other maintained the farms. This left upland uses, such as those pertaining to forest use, more common towards the easternmost zones.

Most vegetative outgrowths are in areas that are difficult to build on. But there are instances when these outgrowths are integrated in the built-up areas, usually found in the west: a number of heavily vegetated areas. Supplementing these are mini forest projects of the city government. The City Agriculture Office maintains a 1.65-hectare (4.1-acre) Mini Forest Project in Barangay Muzon along the San Jose del Monte–Marilao Road and a mahogany planting site.

Barangays San Jose del Monte is politically subdivided into 62 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. It was after its separation to Santa Maria de Pandi (now Santa Maria) originally made up of only six barangays: Poblacion, Halang (Muzon), Sapang Palay, Minuyan, Santo Cristo, and Gaya-Gaya. Over time, these six mother barangays were divided to provide better living conditions for the people, particularly in the Sapang Palay Ressetlement Area (Hacienda de Sapang Palay), which stretches all the way to Minuyan.

These barangays are grouped into two districts, the first with a Postal/ZIP Code of 3023, and the second with 3024. Twenty-six (26) barangays comprise the first district while the 36 barangays located in Sapang Palay 36 compose the second district.

The city's administrative centre is located in Poblacion 1, home to the city's major government and non-government services. Dulong Bayan, on the other hand, is set to become the city's new seat of government, with the new government centre being erected there. San Jose del Monte has 4 major urban centres, called nodes: Muzon node (consisting the four barangays of Muzon), Poblacion node (consisting the two barangays of Poblacion), Sapang Palay node (consisting the barangays surrounding Sampol Market), and Tungkong Mangga node.

Agriculture Paddy field in San Jose del Monte

Major agricultural crops are leafy vegetables, root crops (cassava as its OTOP), pineapple, mango and coffee beans.

Livestock and poultry The major income earner is large- and small-scale swine production. There are 60 commercial livestock and poultry farms in the city. The major poultry producers are RFM Corporation, Vitarich and FELDAN.

Trade and commerce The city has three major business district growth areas: Tungkong Mangga, Muzon and Sapang Palay (Sampol). They are in wholesale and retail trade.

The minor business districts include Towerville in Minuyan Proper, Palmera in Kaypian, Northgate in Santo Cristo, Citrus, Poblacion 1, Grotto in Graceville, Francisco Homes, Gumaoc and San Rafael III.

Commercial and thrift banks, pawnshops and cooperatives provide financial services. There are two major malls: Starmall San Jose del Monte in Palmera and SM City San Jose del Monte in Tungkong Mangga.

Economy: Tourist Industry • Mount Balagbag and Kaytitinga Falls (Barangay San Isidro) are the main tourist attractions in the city. A portion of the Angat Watershed Forest Reserve also extends to San Jose del Monte. • VS Orchids Farm (Santo Cristo) is the biggest orchids nursery and ornamental plants farm in Bulacan owned by Rolita Spowart, 3 Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, Quezon City. Hundreds of orchids species are nurtured in this 1.8 hectares flora haven. • The Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Shrine (Graceville) is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site often visited by devotees during Holy Week. • Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church (Poblacion 1) is the main historical pilgrimage site in the heart of the city. • People's Park of San Jose del Monte (Sapang Palay Proper) • River Park Esplanade (Dulong Bayan) • The Rising Heart and Padre Pio Mountain of Healing (Paradise III) • Grotto Vista Resort (Graceville) • Los Arcos de Hermano Resort and Events (Tungkong Mangga).

Transport The city is serviced by bus routes going to and from Parañaque (PITX), Santa Cruz in Manila, Quezon City, and Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Jeepney, e-jeepney, and minibus routes also ply the roads between the city and neighboring cities and towns in Metro Manila and Bulacan.

Road Network San Jose del Monte's road network has a total length of 211.43 km (131.38 mi). The following are the main arteries of San Jose del Monte's road network which link the 59 barangays with Metro Manila and the rest of Bulacan. • Quirino Highway is a national road which stretches from the town of Norzagaray (Bigte Rotonda) to Quezon City (Balintawak). • Bocaue–San Jose Road, also called Gov. Fortunato Halili Avenue, is a provincial road which links the city passing through Tungkong Mangga (Tungko) via Muzon to the town of Santa Maria, Bocaue and to the North Luzon Expressway. • Sapang Palay–Santa Maria Road links the Sapang Palay Resettlement Project to town of Santa Maria passing through Barangay Bulac, Barangay Catmon, and Barangay San Jose Patag in the said town. • San Jose–Marilao Road, also referred to as Miguel Villarica Road, links the city with the municipality of Marilao and to the North Luzon Expressway. This is now a permanent full exit. • Dr. Eduardo V. Roquero Avenue links the Sapang Palay Resettlement Project to Quirino Highway and in the opposite end to Sapang Palay Proper. • Igay Provincial Road connects Quirino Highway to Rodriguez, Rizal, passing through Santo Cristo, Kaybanban, San Roque, Paradise III, and San Isidro barangays. • Kaypian Road connects Barangay Dulong Bayan to Starmall-San Jose del Monte via Barangay Kaypian and links to Quirino Highway.

Railway Network The city is also the site of the under-preparation terminus of Manila Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7. The initial location of the said station, named San Jose del Monte Station, would be located near the area of Colinas Verdes, a subdivision in Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte, passing through Tala, North Caloocan and barangay Ciudad Real.

However, due to the appeals the residents of Pangarap Village in Tala over years of land dispute and right-of-way issues, in 2021, the railway leading to the station was realigned, now passing through Quirino Highway instead of passing through the said disputed residential community, and the new site of San Jose del Monte station would now be located on a vast vacant lot alongside Skyline Hospital and Medical Center.

Water The bulk of the city's water requirement is being served by the San Jose Del Monte City Water District, together via Joint Venture Agreement to Prime Water Corporation.

Power Power distribution is being undertaken by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco). The city hosts the biggest National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) sub-station in the country in Barangay Dulong Bayan.

Telecommunications/communications Landline telephone systems are provided by the PLDT and Globe.

Internet service is available through PLDT Home Fiber and DSL and Globe Fiber and Converge Fiber X.

Mobile telephone services are provided by Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and Dito Telecommunity.

Public Universities • Bulacan State University - Sarmiento Campus

Colleges • Bestlink College of the Philippines • City College of San Jose del Monte • Colegio de San Gabriel Arcangel • College of Saint Anthony • First City Providential College • Golden Valley Colleges • Headwaters College • Jesus the Greatest Name Christian College • La Concepcion College • Sienna College of San Jose del Monte • SJDM Cornerstone College, Inc. • STI Academic Center San Jose Del Monte • Village Montessori School and Colleges

Public high schools • Citrus National High School • City of San Jose del Monte National Science High School • Graceville National High School • Kakawate National High School • Kaypian National High School • Marangal National High School • Minuyan National High School • Muzon Harmony Hills High School • Muzon National High School • Paradise Farms National High School • San Jose Del Monte Heights High School • San Jose del Monte National High School • San Jose del Monte National Trade School • San Manuel National High School • San Martin National High School • San Rafael National High School • Santo Cristo National High School • Sapang Palay National High School • Towerville National High School.