Angat, Bulacan

Angat [aŋˈɡat], officially the Municipality of Angat (Tagalog: Bayan ng Angat), is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 67,862 people.^[5]

The town got its name from the Tagalog word Angat (A-ngat) [aˈŋat], meaning elevated or a high piece of land.

Angat was originally a part of the old pueblo of Quingua (now the municipality of Plaridel). This was likely due to the Angat River (Rio de Quingua) providing a direct link to Quingua, which was located in the center of an expanse of land covering plains and mountains alike.

Augustinian missionaries built a small visita (chapel) under the Parochial ministry of Paroquia de Santiago Matamoro de Quingua. The visita of Angat was elevated to a parish church in 1683, leading to Angat being established as a new pueblo.

Still standing and legible today is the inscription of the Roman numeral MDCCXII (1712) on the façade of the church, indicating the year the town was established as a regular municipality.^[6]

On September 13, 1977, the barangays of Camachile and Pulong Sampaloc were ceded to the newly established municipality of Doña Remedios Trinidad by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1196.^[7]

San Rafael and Bustos form the northern border of Angat. The Sierra Madre Mountain Range borders Angat to the east, and to its south by the towns of Norzagaray and Santa Maria. Angat is 44 kilometres (27 mi) from Malolos, 51 kilometres (32 mi) from Manila, 21 kilometres (13 mi) from San Jose del Monte, and 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Bustos.

The municipality of Angat has a hilly and mountainous landscape that nestles the Angat River (Bulacan River). The river's main basin of water resource is the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the longest mountain range in the Philippines in Luzon. During inclement climate conditions like continuous rainy days, the water inundates different tributaries in its adjoining municipalities through different rivers. To its southeast are four rivers: the Santa Maria River of Santa Maria, Bulacan, the Bunsuran River of Pandi, Bulacan, the Balagtas River of Balagtas, Bulacan, and the Bocaue River of Bocaue, Bulacan.

Angat's mountainous and hilly areas have an abundance of trees that are a source of timber and wood materials. These areas have also become sites for illegal logging. The mountainous areas and lands close to the river shore, some of which are privately owned, are rich in mineral deposits of silica. The vast area around Angat River is a very high source of rocks and pebbles used for construction and garden landscaping.

Most areas have a very relaxing atmosphere of greenery seen in mountain heights and river shore lines where some fresh water fish also multiply.

Angat is subdivided into 16 barangays, as shown in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of puroks, while some have sitios.

The prevailing climatic conditions in the municipality is categorized into two (2) types: Wet season (Rainy Season or Monsoon Season) and Dry Season (Summer Season).

In the 2020 census, the population of Angat, Bulacan, was 65,617 people,^[14] with a density of 890 inhabitants per square kilometer or 2,300 inhabitants per square mile.

The people of Angat are mostly devout Roman Catholics. Their patron saint is Saint Monica. The Santa Monica de Angat Church displays baroque architecture, with its interior replicating the Sistine Chapel, recently remodeled but preserving its old architecture. In 1983, the Parish of the town celebrated its Tricentennial Foundation.

Today, Angat is divided into three parishes and one quasi-parish under the Vicariate of Baliuag, Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos: the Saint Paul the Apostle Parish in Barangay Niugan, the Santa Rita de Cascia Parish in Barangay Binagbag, Santa Monica de Angat Parish in Poblacion, and Immaculate Conception Quasi-Parish in Barangay Marungko.

Other religious groups include the Members Church of God International popularly known as Ang Dating Daan, Iglesia ni Cristo, and Jehovah's Witness, Methodists, Aglipayans, Adventists, Baptists, Mormons. There also some Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic churches, ministries, fellowships and religious groups. Islam (Muslims) could also be found.

Poverty incidence of Angat

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]}

The Angat Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[23]

The Angateños consider education as very important. It was the dream of many that there would be a Catholic school in Angat. This dream was realized in 1983 through the initiative and leadership of the founding members of the first Board of Trustees of Santa Monica Catholic School, Inc.: Bishop Cirilio R. Almario, Jr., Rev. Fr. Macario R. Manahan, Councilor Manuel C. De Guzman, Mrs. Angelita A. Cruz, Mr. Francisco C. Robles.

Through a memorandum of agreement between the Ministry of Social Services and Development and the Parents' Committee, the Day Care Center became Santa Monica Catholic Learning Center. In 1985, the school was renamed Santa Monica Catholic School and given the permit to open and conduct Grade VI. The first batch of Grade VI graduates received their diplomas in March 1986.

On March 27, 1987, the high school department was formally opened. A year later, the school's name was changed to Colegio de Santa Monica de Angat to reflect the town's Hispanic heritage. In the same year, the St. Joseph Building was inaugurated. The first batch graduated in March 1990. Today, the school's population and physical structure continues to grow.^[25]

As a predominantly Roman Catholic Christian community, every barangay has their own unique way of celebrating fiestas in honor of their respective patron saint. In the town proper where the old beautiful church of Angat is located, the locals celebrate their fiesta every 4 May in honor of its patron St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine.

Angat is celebrating GulayAngat Festival (Gunita ng Lahi at Yamang Angat; lit., "Angat Heritage and Treasure Festival") which features the means of livelihood of the town's people. It is celebrated every 3rd week of the month of October. It was accompanied by the establishment of the town of Angat. There were lot of activities happened in the festival such as:

• Hari at Reyna ng GulayAngat (King and Queen of GulayAngat) – featuring the beautiful young men and women of each barangay in Angat.
• Hapag ng Pamana (Heritage Table) – presenting unique dishes made from vegetables.
• Indakan sa GulayAngat (GulayAngat Dance) – highlighting the talent of everyone in their respective barangays through dancing.
• DepEd Day – featuring the talents of the students in Angat.
• Laro ng Laking GulayAngat (GulayAngat Traditional Games) – presenting the different Filipino games just like; Hilahang Lubid (tug-of-war), Karera ng Sako (sack race), Patintero, Palo Sebo (bamboo pole climbing), Dama, Sungka, Agawang Buko (a contact game which players struggle to get a coconut similar to rugby and American football) and Sepak Takraw.

• Angat River
• Heritage Houses
• Santa Monica Church (Santa Monica de Angat Church)
• Gawad Kalinga (Enchanted Farm)
• Fr. Blanco Museum (collection of flora de filipina)

• Angat Welcome Arch
• Santa Lucia Bridge (crossing the Angat River from the Municipality of Angat to the Municipality of Doña Remedios Trinidad)
• Angat Wet and Dry Public Market
• Villarama Park at Dr. Antonio C. Villarama Memorial School
• San Pablo Apostol Parish Church
• Santa Rita de Cascia Quasi-Parish Church
• St. Joseph Sub-Parish Church
• Veterans Federation of the Philippines marker for the World War II Veterans - Angat Chapter
• Overlooking view of Angat quarry and Sierra Madre
• Angat River from overlooking view

• Ella Cruz - actress
• General Nicolas Capistrano – lawyer, statesman and revolutionary general who fought against Americans in Cagayan de Misamis (now Cagayan de Oro) in Mindanao during Philippine-American War, notably the battles of Cagayan de Misamis, Agusan Hill and Macahambus Hill, all in 1900. He entered politics as a 2nd district congressman of then-undivided Misamis Province (1909-1912) and a senator of newly established 11th district shared with Jose Clarin, making him one of the most prominent men in what is now Cagayan de Oro, where he and his wife migrated to after 1895 to avoid arrest by the Spanish colonial government for his involvement in revolutionary activities and to start a new life there
• Elenita Binay - physician, former local city mayor.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Angat Bulacan
• Angat, Bulacan at WN
• Angat.NET Our town, Our Home
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