Bulacan Bulacan Philippines

Marcelo H. Del Pilar Shrine

Bulacan is a 2nd class urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 62,903 people in 13,577 households.

Bulacan is the birthplace of Marcelo H. del Pilar, a Filipino nationalist who published the Filipino propaganda paper La Solidaridad. The town is also the birthplace of his cousin, Gregorio del Pilar, a Filipino revolutionary general, and Soc Rodrigo, a former Philippine senator.

Bulacan is politically subdivided into 14 barangays.

Bagumbayan
Balubad
Bambang
Matungao
Maysantol
Perez
Pitpitan
San Francisco
San Jose (Pob.)
San Nicolas
Santa Ana
Santa Ines
Taliptip
Tibig

Gregorio del Pilar

One of the most romantic figures in Philippine history and the youngest general in the Revolutionary Army, Gregorio del Pilar was born in San Jose, Bulacan on November 14, 1875.

Gregorio del Pilar is remembered as the "Hero of Tirad Pass." In that historic place, the young general fought and held back the strong invading Americans with only a few back up men in order to give Aguinaldo ample time to escape from the Spanish military. It was a one-sided battle, but Gregorio del Pilar fought bravely. And he paid for this heroism with his life. He was shot and killed on December 2, 1899 after commanding Aguinaldo's rear guard.

Before he died, he wrote, "I am surrounded by fearful odds that will overcome me and my gallant men, but I am pleased to die fighting for my beloved country".

The American victors looted the corpse of the fallen general. They got his pistol, diary and personal papers, boots and silver spurs, coat and pants, a lady's handkerchief with the name "Dolores Jose," his sweetheart, diamond rings, gold watch, shoulder straps, and a gold locket containing a woman's hair.

But a chivalric American officer redeemed his countrymen's vandalism by giving the late hero an honorable burial and engraved the phrase "An Officer and a Gentleman" on his tombstone.