Valenzuela City, Metro Manila
- Feb 15
- 3 min read
Valenzuela was named after Pío Valenzuela, a physician and a member of the Katipunan, a secret society founded against the colonial government of Spain. The city, as a town, originally had the name Polo, initially formed in 1621 after separation from Meycauayan, Bulacan.
Special credits: https://philippine-real-estate.com/blog/valenzuela-city/
Church in town: 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡
San Diego de Alcala Parish Church, colloquially known as Polo Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Valenzuela, located about 15.5 kilometers (9.6 mi) north of Manila in the Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malolos. The original church was the oldest in the city of Valenzuela, built by Father Juan Taranco and finished by Father Jose Valencia in 1632. Destroyed during World War II, its surviving belfry is the oldest in the city.
The Church of San Diego de Alcala in Brgy. Polo in Valenzuela was completed in 1632. Residents were forced into labor to complete the church after the town gained its independence in 1623 from Catangalan through the efforts of Father Juan Taranco and Don Juan Monsod, the barangay head of Polo. The main structure was destroyed by bombs during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II. The belfry and entrance are the only parts of the four-century-old edifice that remain today. They have been preserved by the citizens of Polo (now Valenzuela City).
The belfry or bell tower of San Diego de Alcala Church is a cultural and religious relic of the bygone Spanish era. A new church has since been rebuilt and renovated adjacent to the ruins, serving as an aesthetic counterpoint to the largely unchanged tower.
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
During the Spanish era, present-day Valenzuela, Obando, and Novaliches (now in Quezon City) were parts of Bulacan. Areas now covered by Valenzuela included four haciendas (Malinta, Tala, Piedad, and Maysilo), small political settlements, and a Spanish garrison.[17] These areas were known as Polo. The region was bounded by the Tullahan River on the south and the streams of the branching Río Grande de Pampanga in some areas.
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐚:
- San Diego de Alcala Parish
- Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church
- San Isidro Labrador Parish Church
- Santo Cristo Parish Church
- Santo Rosario Chapel
- Valenzuela City People's Park
- One Mall Valenzuela
- Paraiso Ni Baste
- Buenas Diaz Resort
- Museo Valenzuela
- National Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of Fatima
- Arkong Bato
- Polo Public Market
- 999 Shopping Mall
- Museo ni Dr Pio Valenzuela
- Valenzuela City Family Park
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐚:
- Pio Valenzuela y Alejandrino (He was regarded as a member of the Katipunan triumvirate which started the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial authorities in 1896. He also served as the provisional chairman for the Katipunan.)
𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐲 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐳𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐚:
- Cha Cruz-Behag (Filipino professional volleyball player and an educator. She was a two-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines' (UAAP) Finals Most Valuable Player and was part of the De La Salle University Lady Spikers' four UAAP championships.)
- Bobbit Carlos (Filipino politician and physician)
- France Castro ( Filipino educator, trade union activist, and politician who serves as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 19th Congress)
- Let Dimzon ( Filipina football coach and former player)
- Gerry Esplana (Former PBA player, Sta Lucia Realty and Shell Turbochargers)
- Sidney Onwubere (PBA player, Ginebra San Miguel/Northport Batang Pier)
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