I.

II.
B.
III.
A.
B.
IV.
History of Bulacan
The earliest archeological evidence for human habitation in the
Philippines archipelago is the 40,000-year-old Tabon Man of
Palawan and the Angono Petroglyphs in Rizal. By 1000 B.C. the
inhabitants of the Philippine archipelago had developed into four
distinct kinds of peoples: tribal groups who depended on hunter-
gathering and were concentrated in forests; warrior societies who
practiced social ranking and ritualized warfare and roamed the
plains; the petty plutocracy of the Ifugao Cordillera Highlanders,
who occupied the mountain ranges of Luzon; and the harbor
principalities of the estuarine civilizations that grew along rivers
and seashores while participating in trans-island maritime trade.
History of Bulacan
•Around 300–700 C.E. the seafaring peoples of the islands traveling
in balangays began trading with the Indianized kingdoms of
Maritime Southeast Asia and nearby East Asian principalities,
adopting influences from Buddhism and Hinduism.

•During the reign of the Tang emperors in the 10th century, Arab
and Chinese traders began to come to Bulacan, with both Indian
and Chinese influences intensifying in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Bulacan had by this time became an entreport and the Bulakeños
expert seafarers.
History of Bulacan
They built and sailed various types of ships, river canoes and larger
vessels to carry merchandise, with up to hundred rowers and 30
fighting men. They lived in houses made of wood, bamboo and
palm leaf thatch, had a syllabary written on bark and bamboo,
played music, wore silk doublets and loin clothes or flowing skirts
and flimsy blouses and jewellery. They had devised a social scheme
of nobles, freemen and serfs and buried their dead in formal
graveyard (with grave furniture consisting of imported Chinese
pottery) at least one example of which can still be seen in Bulacan
today.
History of Bulacan
•The history began when a settlement of fishermen lived along the
coast of Manila Bay before the coming of the Spaniards. These
settlers moved inland and begun farming as they discovered the
interior was fertile and drained by the network of rivers and
streams. The settlements flourished and grew into what is now
known as the province of Bulacan.
•The Laguna Copperplate Inscription or the LCI was discovered at
the Lumbang River in Laguna in 1991 (and deciphered by Antoon
Postma of Mangyan Heritage Center in Mindoro).Historians such as
Zeus Salazar of the University of the Philippines, consider the date
of the LCI AD 900 as the commencement of recorded Philippine
history rather than 1521.
Etymology of Bulacan
•It is believed that flowers bloomed in the region when the Spaniards
came. Because of these sprawling green orchards, vegetables and
profusely flowering plants, as well as attractive women, this land had
come to be called Bulacan as sort of shortened term for "bulak-lakan"
and/or a derivative of the word "bulak" (kapok or cotton) which
abounded in the province before the Spaniards came.

•Some historians disagree on where the name Bulacan came from:

some say from the word burak, because the place was swampy and
muddy, while others say from the word bulak, since the road to the
capital town was once upon a time lined with rows of cotton trees.
According to Bahay-saliksikan ng Bulacan (Center for Bulacan Studies)
Etymology of Bulacan
•Another point of disagreement is the year it became a province
because of lack of the real cedula: Provincial Government of
Bulacan thru then Governor Josefina dela Cruz commissioned the
Bulacan Center for Study to research the exact date but until now
the research is still on going. But due to grey areas of due to the
lack of ducument, it was officially declared by the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan ng Bulacan in its administrative order in 2008.
Etymology of Bulacan
•It was duly recognized to be that in 1578, upon the foundation of
the Town of Bulakan (former capital) with the research conducted
by the Bahay-saliksikan ng Bulacan in 2005, then its director Prof.
Reynaldo S. Naguit agreed that it was founded in August 15, 1578
the Center for Bulacan Studies researchers found some documents
mentioning Provincia de Bulacan in the years such as 1582
(Relacion delas Islas of Miguel de Loarca) 1591 (in documents on
Report on Encomendas by Governor-General Luis Perez de
Dasmarinas. In some Cedularios mentioning "Provincia de
Bulacan" found by the research center. It was the used grounds for
declaring the year 1578 as Foundation of the Province.
Etymology of Barasoain
The term "Barasoain" was derived from Barásoain in Navarre,
Spain to which the missionaries found the place in Malolos in
striking similarity. When the Filipino revolution broke out, the
Spanish authorities coined the term "baras ng suwail," which
means "dungeon of the defiant" because the church was a meeting
place for anti-Spanish and anti-colonial illustrados.
 Architecture and Specifications
Architect(s) Miguel Magpayo
Architectural type Parish Church
Style Baroque
Number of Towers 1
Materials Adobe and Concrete
Bells 8
Dedication Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Relics Held John Paul II
Slight History
•In 1885, Fr. Juan Giron lead the construction of the new Barasoain
that is made of concrete stone and adobe with the help of his
chosen constructor Miguel Magpayo, this church is the Barasoain
church we know till this day.
•In 1889, Fr. Martin Arconada started the construction of the tower
and the restoration of the convent.
•Three bells were installed in 1897. One of them is dedicated to St.
Martin, Bishop, and was donated by Fr. Martin Arconada.
In 1894, Fr. Miguel de Vera undertook another restoration of the
convent
•Although there’s a big renovation somewhere during 1898, the
walls, the façade and the sill are still the same as before.
Architecture of the Whole Church
•The walls of the church were made of adobe, and
strengthen with egg white.
•A typical Church-Convento-Patio mission churches
built by the Spanish friars
•Baroque revival and other European historical styles
was adopted
RELATED CHRCHES

San Agustin Church (Manila) (1720) Sta Maria Church. (Ilocos) (18th Century)

•Early Renaissance technique was also

employed giving the church a Baroque
oval-based design
•Romanesque and Neo-classical design
were also copied for the façade outline of
the church
Miagao Church (Ilo-Ilo) (1731)
•To its left when facing the church is a
hexagonal three-tiered medieval bell
tower, which was also made of stone
blocks, with an arched window on each
face.
On the top of the bell tower, just below
the pointed roof, was a battlement,
with crenels added as decoration.
The doors are made of hard wood,
intricately carved with images of
biblical scenes
 •To its left when facing the church is a hexagonal
three-tiered medieval bell tower, which was also
made of stone blocks, with an arched window on
each face.
•On the top of the bell tower, just below the pointed
roof, was a battlement, with crenels added as
decoration.

•The doors are made of hard wood,

intricately carved with images of biblical
scenes
The rose window was done in Romanesque style but with a
local touch. Instead of stained glass, capiz shells were used to
let the light in.
Just behind the bell tower is a
courtyard, which contains a chapel and
several sculptures, including a Pieta.
The statue of Emilio Aguinaldo on the plaza of Barasoain Church.

The convent now houses two museums, the Barasoain Church

Ecclesiastical Museum and the Historical Landmarks History Museum.
V.
Fr. Dario V. Cabral Fr. Ronald Rey H. Mangon
Rector Parochial Vicar