San Ildefonso, Bulacan

San Ildefonso, officially the Municipality of San Ildefonso is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 115,713 people.

With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, the municipality is the northernmost part of Manila's built-up area.

San Ildefonso is 43 km from Malolos and 66 km from Manila.

History
The early inhabitants called this town Bulak because of the abundant 'kapok' trees ('bulak' in vernacular) growing on the hill where the town is now.

Bulak was then a barrio of San Rafael. There were only about 3,000 inhabitants. The early inhabitants were people from neighboring towns and provinces who preferred to settle in this place because of its good agricultural prospects.

When the Spaniards came, the name Bulak was changed to Hacienda San Juan de Dios because 15,500 hectares of grazing and farming grounds were claimed by the friars. The people were told to pay tribute. Proceeds from the rentals were used to finance the operation of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Manila. The Spanish friars, though antagonistic toward the Filipinos, admired the beauty of the natural scenery. They changed the name to Hacienda Buenavista (which means beautiful scenery in Spanish).

As the population grew, a chapel was constructed under the parochial jurisdiction of San Rafael. In 1809, Father Juan dela Rosa was named the first Filipino priest of the town. He held the position until 1811. He was responsible for changing the name Bulak to San Ildefonso in honor of Alfonso XII, then the king of Spain, and San Ildefonso, its patron saint. By the time it was given this name, a tribunal was created finally making it a town in 1877. Between 1903 and 1906, San Ildefonso was merged with San Miguel due to its low income and inability to finance its expenditures in operating the local government.

As years went by, more and more people were induced to live in the town. The growth of population promoted an increase of income. The town became capable of meeting its expenses so it ceased being a barrio of San Miguel and became once again an independent town.

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1942 the mansion Bahay na Pula of the Ilusorio family was confiscated by the Imperial Japanese Army and used as barracks and became a place where local so-called comfort women were forced to work.

Barangays
San Ildefonso is politically subdivided into 36 barangays. Each barangay consist of 7 puroks and some have sitios.

There are 6 urban and 30 rural barangays.

Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of San Ildefonso, Bulacan, was 115,713 people, with a density of undefined PD/km2.

Economy

 * Major industries:
 * Cement
 * Pyrotechnics
 * Feed mills
 * Food/food processing
 * Garments
 * Hat making
 * Wood crafts
 * High-yield crops
 * Marble/marble processing
 * Metalcraft


 * Major products:
 * Bakeries and sweet preserves
 * Chicharon
 * Poultry and livestock
 * Rice
 * High value crops
 * Marbles
 * Vegetables
 * Fruits

Elementary Education
The town has numerous public schools offering elementary and high school education. Some of the elementary public schools are:


 * South District


 * North District

Secondary Education
Some of the public high schools are:

Tertiary and College Education
Some of the tertiary schools are:

Private Schools
Some of the private schools offering education

Notable personalities

 * Yuka Saso – 2021 U.S. Women's Open Golf Champion. Filipino Japanese amateur golfer. Two-time Asian Games gold medalist in individual and team events.
 * Paula Carla Galvez-Tan – former town Mayor (2010-2013, 2016-2022) who grew popularity because of her efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic
 * Cardozo Luna – politician; Undersecretary of Department National Defence.
 * Joyce Ching – Filipino-Chinese actress