Polo, a small but peaceful town was once a part of Meycauayan, Bulacan. In 1623, Polo was made into an independent town through the joint efforts of Don Juan Monsod and Father Juan Taranco. The San Diego de Alcala Chapel which was completed in 1632 became the gathering place of the town people and has stood witness to the battles fought between the brave Filipinos and the colonizers during the Spanish, American and Japanese times. On July 21, 1960, through Executive Order No. 401, President Diosdado Macapagal has conferred the creation of Municipality of Valenzuela in honor of Dr. Pio Valenzueala, an important personality in the history of the Philippines. Dr. Pio Valenzuela was one of the leaders of the Katipunan who instigated the revolution of the Filipino people against Spain. In September 11, 1963, another order was signed by the president uniting the municipalities of Polo and Valenzuela under one government.

Although the late seventies and early eighties was considered to be a period of turmoil for the country, this era was considered to be the golden age of Valenzuela as during this time, the economy has enjoyed tremendous growth. On February 14, 1998, the municipality of Valenzuela was turned into a city. Valenzuela City is the 12th city of Metro Manila and from then on until the present time, Valenzuela’s economy rapidly flourished. Valenzuela City’s textile mills, lumberyards, ceramic factories, auto assembly plants are only some of the industries that have provided the residents with livelihood. The city is also noted for its export quality bamboo furniture.
Did you know that Valenzuela City has the largest barangay hall in the Philippines ? The 3 storey building that is touted to have a 3,000 square meters floor area was inaugurated on May 15, 2008 by President Arroyo and Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian. In spite of the fact that this city is less than an hour drive from the busy metropolis, a visitor can find interesting places with rustic ambience in Valenzuela. The centuries old house where the patriot Dr. Pio Valenzuela was born on July 11, 1869 is still standing in Velilla Street, Barangay Pariancillo Villa. Another point of interest is the belfry and the entrance arch of the San Diego de Alcala Church. Residents of Polo were forced by the Spanish friars to build the church which was finally completed in 1632. The main church was bombed during the Japanese occupation and to this day only the four centuries old belfry and entrance arch exist.
People of Valenzuela City have their share of festivals too. The Mano Po San Roque Festival is celebrated every May 12th with street dancing and a procession of the image of San Roque along the main streets of the city. The feast of San Diego de Alcala is celebrated every 12th of November. Street dancing, procession, boat racing and other merry making activities characterize this occasion. The Putong Polo Festival is in consonance with the feast day of San Diego de Alcala. This food festival has the Putong Polo as its main feature. This native kakanin was originally created by people in Polo, Valenzuela.

Navotas is one of the cities in the CAMANAVA sub region of Metro Manila, other cities being Caloocan, Malabon and Valenzuela. Navotas City is practically an island as it is a stretch of narrow land on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and bounded by Bulacan on the north, by the coast of Manila Bay on the west, by the City of Manila on the south and on the east by the Malabon Channel. The rivers Binuangan, Dampalit and the Daong Kawayan also flow on its eastern side. Two thirds of the 10.77 square kilometer area is under sea level making this city prone to floods during high tides and during the rainy season. The local government has made several measures to address this concern and presently, Mayor Tobias Reynald Tiangco has made an innovative solution by launching the “Kilos Kontra Baha” project that has stopped the floods in this city.

Navotas City is dubbed as the Fishing Trading Capital of the Philippines because of its location and its prime fish trading, considered to be one of the largest fish trading centers in Asia. Fish traders from the surrounding regions flock to the fishing port of Navotas City, The Navotas Fish Port. The proximity to the Manila and Laguna Bay and the Daang Kawayan, Dampalit and the Binuangan rivers that flows on its eastern shore have contributed to the fishing industry of this city. Seventy percent of the population draws their livelihood from fishing and other fishing related industries like fish net making and mending and trading while also famous for its fish sauce (patis) and fish paste (bagoong). Navotas fishing port and the fish market complex managed by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) distributes fish in the major markets in Metro Manila.

Just like any other place in the Philippines, Navotas too has a legend on how the name came about. According to folklore, the narrow stretch of land extends continuously from north to south linking the area to Tondo. Overtime, a gap was created as the land was slowly swallowed by the sea. Water flow on the opening that was made and the gap developed into the Navotas River. People then call the place “nabutas” which means pierced through. Through the years, nabutas was changed to Navotas. Another legend states that the name came from San Jose de Navotas, the patron saint of the town.
Unlike other highly urbanized cities, Navotas City does not have large and modern shopping malls. However, this city does have a most unique open air public market. The Agora Market is divided into the dry and wet section. The wet section houses the meat, fish and poultry stalls and the dry section have stalls for furniture, garments, groceries and similar products.
The Kubo sa Karagatan is a must-see tourist attraction. These nipa huts that are used by fishermen as guardhouses for their baklad (fish trap) are constructed six kilometers from the shoreline. Another tourist attraction is the Linggo ng Mangingisda that is the city’s celebration for being the fishing capital of the country. Various activities connected with the fishing industry are done every 2nd week of March.

Las Pinas City…the bamboo organ is what made this city famous. Construction and installation of the bamboo organ was initiated by Fr. Diego Cera in 1832. Hundreds of bamboo pipes were buried for a year in salt water to be preserved and treated. The organ has mesmerized countless people for years but in 1882, the Saint Joseph Church along with the bamboo organ was destroyed by a strong earthquake. Through the years, natural calamities took their toll and the organ was not restored for so many years only partial restorations were attempted but it was only in 1973 that complete restoration was made in Germany. On March 1975, a completely restored bamboo organ was installed in the newly refurbished Saint Joseph Church to delight not only the people of the Philippines but also foreign visitors who have wanted to hear the unique sound of this organ that is considered to be one of the country’s treasures. A very unique point of interest is the nature church. The Mary Immaculate church is a 4,000 square meter area that consist of a mango orchard, school buildings, counseling centers and a well maintained picturesque gardens and park. As the name suggests, the church is an open pavilion. The roof that is in the form of a big salakot (native hat) is supported by hardwood posts. The altar is made of drift wood and instead of pews visitors and worshippers would be delighted by tree stumps. On the altar, you would see the wooden sculpture of the Madonna and Child and the wooden image of Jesus Christ set amid lush greenery.

The Sarao Jeepney factory that was noted for making the Pope Mobile way back in 1981 and 1985 is located in Las Pinas City. Production of the jeepneys have grown and with more colorful styles and are also available for private uses that were once public utility vehicles. Las Pinas City is known also for its salt beds where salt is produced the old fashioned way. Salt making was once a flourishing business in Las Pinas but the locals way of living were converted into manufacturing sites and commercial establishments. Through the efforts of government officials spearheaded by Congresswoman Villar and Senator Manny Villar, the salt making industry was revived and is now providing the people with a steady source of livelihood. Manny Villar also introduced the affordable housing in the area where he started Camella Homes and grown full blast in the real estate business, hence followed by other investors. The construction of the South Super Highway paved the way for this city’s growth and development. Its proximity to Metro Manila is a major advantage as developers and investors were attracted and the once quiet coastal town was turned into a booming area with the area development enhanced in the 1980’s when the coastal road that links Metro Manila to Cavite was constructed. Las Pinas is now tagged as the gateway to the CALABARZON areas.

The most famous festival in Las Pinas is the week long bamboo organ festival. Series of cultural events would highlight the one of a kind bamboo organ. Another attraction is the street dancing and merry making that characterize the water lily festival. The water lily festival is said to be the residents’ way of thanking Mother Nature for providing them with the water lilies that would augment their income. The local government of Las Pinas has solved the problem of water lilies that clogged the waterways. The over abundance of these water plants have provided residents with livelihood. Stalks of water lilies are made into export quality baskets.
Visit Las Pinas and see for yourself the world famous bamboo organ, the salt beds and join the merry making in the water lily festival.

Located at the northwestern shore of Laguna de Bay and the upper mouth of the majestic Pasig River, this city is bounded on the north by Pasig City and Pateros; on the west by Pasay City and Makati City; on the south by City of Muntinlupa and Laguna Lake; southwest by the City of Paranaque and to the east by Taytay Municipality.
Aside from the hilly and elevated portion on the western and southern side, this city is characterized by the wide expanse of plains that was once devoted to agriculture. During the pre-Spanish time, people in this area subsist on the yields from the nearby bodies of water and the harvest from the fertile lands. Legend has it that the name Taguig actually came from the word “taga-giik” which means rice thresher. Spanish colonizers have a hard time pronouncing the word and what came out was the word “tagi-iig”. Later on the word was shortened to tagig and after so many years the spelling was changed to Taguig.

Through the years, Taguig has experienced a lot of reorganization of territories. This area was once a part of Tondo and under the rule of Raja Soliman. In 1900, Taguig became an independent municipality under Rizal Province. Several reshuffling of territories transpired from the year 1901 to 1908. In 1975 Taguig was removed from the Rizal Province and was added to the cities that comprise the National Capital Region.
Taguig City’s flourishing trade and rapid economic growth can be attributed to the five booming industrial centers that are considered to be major economic contributors. The Napindan- Elizalde compound that is a major steel producer; the RSBS located in Western Bicutan that houses big industrial companies; the Veteran’s Center; the Manalac Estate in Bagumbayan and the Food Terminal, Inc. which is considered to be the food center of the country. The food terminal has more that 300 medium scale industries that manufactures electronics, garments, food among others. The economic growth of Taguig City was further boosted by the development of Fort Bonifacio into a premier shopping and entertainment area. Fort Bonifacio was once a bone of contention between Makati and Taguig. The once Philippine military base that was developed into a modern business and residential area lies in an indefinite location. A 2003 ruling of the Pasig regional Trial Court ceded the whole Fort Bonifacio to Taguig City.

The Bonifacio Global City now houses the Metropolis’ most upscale residential and commercial establishments. The Market! Market! that is located at the corner of 26th street and C5 road boasts a five level structure that accommodates numerous stalls offering all kinds of local and imported goods. Truly a shoppers’ haven! Dining al fresco on must-taste native dishes of broiled blue marlin belly, roasted pig, the out of the ordinary balut and a lot of rice cakes and kakanin would be an unforgettable experience. The Bonifacio Global City is foreseen to be the most excellent residential area of Taguig City due to its proximity to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and to the commercial and business districts of Makati.

The City of Malabon famous for its extra ordinary culinary dish and one of a kind Pancit Malabon.

A bilao ( a flat circular tray made of thin slats of bamboo) of fat rice noodles smothered with thick golden fish and anato seed sauce, decorated with wedges of hard boiled duck eggs in pinwheel fashion and topped with crab meat, shrimps, squid rings, oysters, tinapa flakes (smoked fish) and generously sprinkled with crushed chicharon (fried pork rinds) …Yummy! Pancit Malabon among many other mouth watering native dishes, are most sought after by visitors who frequent this city that is tagged as the Local Venice.
Malabon Kakanin like the puto sulot, sapin-sapin, broas, bibingka and the camachile (a tamarind shaped bisquit) are culinary delights that are offered by unassuming specialty eateries like the Nanay’s Pancit Malabon in 37 Governor Pascual Avenue and Rosy’s Pancit Malabon in Hulong Dagat. The Pescadores Restaurant in Letre Road and Dagat-dagatan Avenue with its specialty of beef adobo with patis sauce and the Balsa sa Niugan, a floating restaurant that that can easily seat 350 people offer its patrons gastronomic delights that include their famous sizzling sisig. Malabon does not have a lot of plush hotels given that of Metro Manila but offers a range for budget accommodations like the Kabayan Hotel located at Caimito Street corner EDSA. The well appointed rooms will provide visitors with comfort and an enjoyable stay. A first time visitor in Malabon would surely find the Bulungan at Tanong Market an extraordinary experience. The bulungan system or whispered bidding is very common in fish trading where the bids are whispered so as not to be heard by other fish buyers. Malabon is also known for the Rufina Patis, a fish sauce that is concocted from fermented fish. The Rufina Patis factory in 290 C Arellano Street has been in existence for over a hundred years and considered to be one of the landmarks that signify the city’s flourishing trade.

Balsa Sa Niugan Restaurant

The Asilo de Huertanos is an ancient structure that was noted to be the place where the newspaper of the revolution La Independencia was first printed. Centuries old structures are not the sole pride of the north, of Vigan particularly as Malabon also has its share of old but well preserved heritage houses. The Teodoro Luna House, the Paez House, the Borja and Nepomuceno Houses are only some of the heritage houses in Malabon that shows it rich history.
During the olden days, Malabon was called Tambobong. Being a coastal town, the people derived its sustenance from the sea. Presently, Malabon is a major fish trading center where fish haul from Palawan and the Calamianes Islands are docked to be supplied to fish traders. Bamboos grow profusely in this area. Legend has it that Malabon came from the word “maraming labong” which means plenty of labong, the edible shoots of bamboo. Other industries are sugar refinery, cigar making and the most noteworthy is the cultivation of Ilang-ilang trees from where the exported distilled perfume is derived.
Pagoda-Caracol is the most famous festival in Malabon. A fluvial procession, street dancing commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion every 8th of December.