San Rafael Bulacan Philippines

Brief History of San Rafael Bulacan

San Rafael was created as a "Pueblo" in 1750. Raymundo Viola was the first known Capitan Municipal and Hermogenes de Boria was the last of the Capitanes. The people of San Rafael felt the tremors of the Philippine revolution of 1896. The San Rafael church still stands as the silent witness of the bloody battles that the Filipino freedom fighters fought for. The church was used as a military barracks for several days. Their short sojourn in the church allowed them to destroy all papers and documents they found in the "Convento". When the Spanish casadores learned of their rebellious activities, they entered the church and fought the insurgents. The Filipino rebels fought heavily inside the church that blood spilled all over the floor. The patio in front of the church was littered with dead bodies of Filipino soldiers. This prompted the gobernadorcillo to order the people to dig a common grave near the church for the eternal repose of the fallen combatants.

The Americans succeeded the Spaniards with their policy of benevolent assimilation. Schools were established as a potent factor for pacification. In 1903, schools were opened in San Rafael. The Municipal Building was used as a schoolhouse. Since then, with the supervision of American administrators, San Rafael has enjoyed the blessing of education and the progress which was denied to them during the three-century rule of the Spaniards.

In 1899, the Americans incorporated the town of Baliuag when Baliuag was intended to be the provincial capital of Bulacan. However, due to the number of petitions of the people of San Rafael and the plan to make Baliuag the Capital of Bulacan, the Americans were convinced to separate San Rafael as an independent town from Baliuag. Mr. Julian V. Valte was appointed first President Municipal of San Rafael and Mr. Emilio Reyes was the last.

In the years 1924 and 1927, with the help of some influential men, the Spaniards were able to get the signature of the landowners of San Rafael and San Ildefonso to an agreement purporting their willingness to donate their lands to the Hospital of San Juan de Dios.

Thus, the towns of San Rafael and San Ildefonso became the properties of the hospital and started to he called Hacienda de Buenavista until 1944 when it got back its original name.