Republic of the Philippines

Municipality of Santa Maria Bulacan

Depiction of the Agta (Les Philippines: Histoire, Geographie, Moeurs, Agriculture, Industrie et Commerce des Colonies Espagnoles dans l’Oceanie by Jean Mallat. A. Bertrand, 1846)

Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Santa Maria was just a vast wilderness, inhabited by wild animals and covered by thick and lush rainforests. Aetas and Dumagats are also known to inhabit the place a long time ago.

Source: Jose de Herrera, Plano de la Provincia de Bulacan Año 1818 (National Library of the Philippines, Tekno Aklatan)

Santa Maria's existence can be traced as early as the year 1647 when it is still a barrio (village) of Bocaue. The barrio was believed to be established on the same period when the Dominicans founded the vast Hacienda de Lolomboy that extends up to the Angat River on the north, Bocaue River on the west, Marilao River on the south and the Pulo River (Pulong Buhangin) on the east.

Source: Wikimedia Commons: Judgefloro, CC BY-SA 4.0 

Santa Maria was founded as an independent town by the Franciscan Fray Francisco Dominguez Javier on November 26, 1793. He began constructing the church which was completed in the early 1800s by Fray Tomas Marti. The construction of the church was viewed as the foundation of the spiritual crusade in the said locality. Natives were converted into Christianity and more people began to inhabit the place. Civil affairs started to take shape and the appointment of the first Capitan del Barrio, Andres dela Cruz, paved the way for the permanent establishment of Poblacion, which was the seat of Spanish colonial government.

People in those days were just renting their pieces of land. They paid their rents to the friars who were stationed in what is now known as Sta. Clara, a barangay where at present one can see the ruins of a big convento of friars. People from other nearby places such as Balagtas, Pandi, Santa Maria, and San Jose del Monte, paid their rents in this convento. Santa Maria at that time was then called "Santa Maria de Pandi". The people acquired their lands after paying certain sum to the friars and the land became "Lupang Tagalog". There were 82 capitanes who served the Spanish colonial administration from 1793 to 1899.

Under the Americans, the title "captain" was changed to "presidente". The first to hold the position was Maximo Evidente, who served from 1899 to 1900. Of the 12 others who succeeded him, the most popular were Agustin Morales (1928–1934) and Fortunato F. Halili (1934–1937). Morales was responsible for the construction of the first main water system in the town. Halili, who never drew his salary as executive, later on became the Governor of Bulacan. It was during Halili's term as provincial governor when the Capitol building at Malolos was heavily damaged due to the aftermath of World War II. He decided to take over and resurge Casa Real de Malolos as a temporary Gubernatorial Office during the period when the Capitol building was severely damaged. It was his effort to rebuild and to reconstruct the Capitol building into its original structure.

During the Japanese Occupation, Dr. Teofilo Santiago, dubbed as “Dr. Kamoteng Kahoy” for his widespread campaign among the town's citizenry to plant cassava, became mayor of Santa Maria. Santiago was also responsible for the launching of the poultry industry - a livelihood project which earned for the town the distinction of being "The Egg Basket of the Philippines". He was also the "Father of Santa Maria Dairy Plant". After the Liberation, Capitan Ireneo Hermogenes was appointed Municipal Mayor from March 20, 1945 to October 1945. He was succeeded by Marciano Bautista.

From the American colonial rule until the restoration period after World War II, Santa Maria was administered by 12 Presidentes from 1899 to 1937 and 4 Alcaldes from 1938 to 1947.