Welcome to Malolos City, Bulacan! The Craddle of the Philippine Republic.

This is my entry for @anomadsoul's #my2018 contest: A Tour Around My Town. Here's the link to the contest.

Both of my parents' family are living in Bulacan - a province in the Philippines located in Central Luzon Region - way before I was born. When they got married, they have decided to permanently reside at Malolos, the provincial capital which is now considered as a first class urban component city in the country. This is where I was born and my family is living here up to this day.

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When @anomadsoul introduced this contest, I thought to myself:

What would I be able to showcase in my hometown? It should be something that's exceptional.

I've always thought that there's nothing to boast about Malolos, simple neighborhood, plain everyday scenarios, nothing really grand about it. But boy, I was wrong. I was so used to seeing these surroundings everday for how many years that I didn't realize how beautiful my hometown is.

I've started looking around our neighborhood. From our rooftop, you can see the rice fields where farmers plant their crops. This is their main source of income. I remember when I was a child, we used to play at these rice fields during the afternoon with my playmates. There is even a time when I went home all soaked up in mud because I fell in a creek besides the rice field. 😂Gross, but happy memories indeed.

You can see different kinds of houses from above. I took a photo of them all from every corner.

And then I started walking from our house going out in the main road.

You see, our street is really narrow. It's only a single lane so vehicles that are coming in and out should really give way to each other. There are also a lot of Sari-sari stores here, a sundry store where you could buy varieties of products from noodles, canned goods, bathroom essentials, ice creams, candies and a lot more! (Sari-sari means variety)

Malolos City, Bulacan

Malolos is very rich in history given that a lot of historical events had transpired here. Great heroes and patriots such as General Emilio Aguinaldo, Gat Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Marcelo del Pilar and some more had a lot of proceedings in different places of Malolos, Bulacan.

To better know my own hometown's historical places, I have conducted my own mini fieldtrip with my boyfriend. 😁It's funny how our fieldtrips before when I was still studying didn't include such historical places in Bulacan as a place to visit. Rather, we went to places far from us.

I remember a saying which I have always heard of before:

"Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan"

A lot of schools from different regions are going here in Bulacan, specifically in Malolos to conduct their fieldtrip and to see such historical places while us living here, often take these places forgranted. I found this contest as a great opportunity to go back in these places once again and this time, to learn more about the wonderful history behind it.

Barasoain Church

Barasoain church is the site where the Constitutional Convention of the first Philippine Republic was made real. Due to this, Philippines has become the first Asian government to promulgate a Constitution.

Looking around the vicinity of the church, you'd be able to see a statue of General Emilio Aguinaldo.

Written in the plaque is tagalog words which when translated in English says:

Emilio Aguinaldo Y Famy is the first president of the Philippines. He temporarily relocated the revolutionary government from Bacoor Cavite to Malolos due to the imminent war between Filipinos and Americans.

Also found here is the Barasoain Ecclesiastical Museum which showcases a collection of municipal antiques and priceless array of artifacts.

These are some of the photos that we took inside the vicinity of the church.

Just a few minutes walk from Barasoain going to Malolos market, you'd be able to see these Casas.

Pook Sinilangan ni Jose Cojuangco

This is the ancestral house of Jose Cojuangco and his family, a lawyer and a city councilor of Tarlac.

Dambanang Casa Real

As per researching, this is an ancestral house which served as the office of the Treasury and the office of the town's Gobernadorcillo during the Spanish era. This has been converted to a museum wherein you can see the relics of the brave women which Jose Rizal - our national hero - cited in his poems.

Museum of Philippine Political History

This is formerly located at Rizal Park, Ermita City of Manila before it was relocated here in Malolos in 2016.

Paseo del Congreso - The street where Barasoain church along with the Casas are located.

Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

Also known as Malolos Cathedral, this is also among the historical church in the Philippines. This is where we usually attend church every Sunday. Within the vicinity of the church is the Kalayaan tree, a tagalog word for "Freedom", which is a living witness of the meetings held by the Katipuneros before.

Some of the photos that my boyfriend took at Malolos public market.

The means of transportation here is mostly by jeepneys, karatig (a smaller version of jeepney) and tricycles.

Karatig jeep

These are just some of the places that I was able to visit last week. My hometown is indeed wealthy in terms of historical heritage sites. I'm so proud.

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May I just add that Malolos is also best known as the "Home of the Old-Fashioned Ensaymada Malolos and Original Inipit". People who visits here should never forget to grab some ensaymada and inipit on their way home! 😋

Inipit

I hope I gave justice to this post. This may not be the best, but I gave my all to tour you around my hometown. ❤

Thanks for reading! ☺️Special thanks to @blocktrades for the delegation and for making this contest possible.

Photos are all mine
References: 1 2

Much love,