Bulalacao

Bulalacao San Pedro
Municipality
Municipality of Bulalacao
Bulalacao Town Hall
Flag Seal
Etymology: meteorite, shooting star
Map of Oriental Mindoro with Bulalacao highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Bulalacao Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°19′30″N121°20′35″E / 12.325°N 121.343°E / 12.325; 121.343
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Oriental Mindoro
District	2nd district
Barangays	15 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Lumel LG Cabagay
•  Vice Mayor	German Acosta
•  Representative	Alfonso V. Umali Jr.
•  Electorate	27,509 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	321.86 km2 (124.27 sq mi)
Elevation	42 m (138 ft)
Highest elevation	283 m (928 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census) [3]
• Total	46,439
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
•  Households	9,865
Economy
•  Income class	3rd municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	31.75 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 265.7 million (2022)
•  Assets	₱ 918 million (2022)
•  Expenditure	₱ 245.6 million (2022)
•  Liabilities	₱ 157.2 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5214
PSGC	1705204000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)43
Native languages	Ratagnon Romblomanon Tagalog
Website	www.bulalacaomindoro.com

Bulalacao, officially the Municipality of Bulalacao (Tagalog : Bayan ng Bulalacao, Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Bulalacao), is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,366 people. ^[5]

It is formerly known as San Pedro. ^[6]

History

Precolonial period

See also: Ma-i

Ma-i was a medieval state first recorded in Chinese documents, such as the History of Song and the Zhu Fan Zhi (1225) by Zhao Rukuo. Ma-i was described to be located north of Borneo, and were highly competitive in the trade with China. While the location of Ma-i remains disputed, most historians agree that it was located in Mindoro, specifically at the Mauhaw River around Bulalacao according to William Henry Scott. ^[7] This is corroborated by Spanish records, such as the account of Juan Francisco de San Antonio, called the "Chronicas de N.S.P. Francisco en las Islas Filipinas, China y Japon 1738", where Chapter 36 of the book is called "De la Provincia y Isla de Mait o Mindoro" (The Province of the Island of Mait or Mindoro), showing that the term 'Mait' and 'Mindoro' were once interchangeably used. ^[8]

Historical records from the National Archive of the Philippines has shown Bulalacao engaging in Barangay network trade alliance with neighboring polities. Colonial documents point to this fact. Evidence shows that Nicolas Contreras, the Panginoon Basal of Bulalacao, along with his vassal maginoo, entered into alliances with the Panginoon of Mansalay and their maginoo, in trade agreements with the Spanish colonial government in Manila.

Since at least the 1700s, Bulalacao has been ruled by the Contreras clan as the Panginoon Basal. The clan is one of a few Filipino families with clear descent from ancient maginoo lineage. ^{[9] [10]}

Spanish to early American period

In the early 19th century, Datu Calido of Panay was in control of Bulalacao. Following the expansion of the settlement, it was ruled by the capitanes. They were Gabriel Contreras as Gobernadorcillo, with vassal datus: Paigao, Jacinto Pajado and Narciso Pandino. They ruled the area until the arrival of Lieutenant Morris in 1903. In 1906, the settlement became a township, which included Paclasan, Mansalay, Mangaring, and the islands of Caluya, Sibay and Semirara. ^[11]

Modern period

On May 7, 1995, re-electionist Mayor Guillermo Salas was assassinated a day before the 1995 election by Rodel Gonzales of the Mangyan tribe; Gonzales eventually surrendered to authorities five days later, confessing to the crime. ^[12]

Geography

Bulalacao is located at the southernmost tip of the province and is 176 kilometres (109 mi) from the provincial capital Calapan and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Roxas.

Climate

Climate data for Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	45 (1.8)	34 (1.3)	62 (2.4)	64 (2.5)	127 (5.0)	159 (6.3)	172 (6.8)	147 (5.8)	167 (6.6)	182 (7.2)	172 (6.8)	88 (3.5)	1,419 (56)
Average rainy days	12.1	9.4	13.0	14.3	22.7	26.9	28.0	26.4	27.0	27.0	22.7	17.8	247.3
Source: Meteoblue [13]

Barangays

Bulalacao is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bagong Sikat
• Balatasan
• Benli (Mangyan Settlement)
• Cabugao
• Cambunang (Poblacion)
• Campaasan (Poblacion)
• Maasin
• Maujao
• Milagrosa (Guiob)
• Nasukob (Poblacion)
• Poblacion
• San Francisco (Alimawan)
• San Isidro
• San Juan
• San Roque (Buyayao)

Demographics

Population census of Bulalacao

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	3,754	—
1918	6,224	+3.43%
1939	3,497	−2.71%
1948	3,597	+0.31%
1960	5,414	+3.47%
1970	10,857	+7.20%
1975	14,038	+5.29%
1980	16,926	+3.81%
1990	21,316	+2.33%
1995	24,047	+2.28%
2000	27,698	+3.08%
2007	30,188	+1.19%
2010	33,754	+4.15%
2015	39,107	+2.84%
2020	44,366	+2.69%
2024	46,439	+1.10%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Bulalacao

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2000 78.10 2003 74.70 2006 71.30 2009 51.48 2012 39.97 2015 40.97 2018 23.93 2021 31.75 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]

Transportation

Bulalacao has a port that serves as a gateway from Mindoro to Caticlan in Malay, Aklan. FastCat operates in the port.

See also

• List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines
• List of political families in the Philippines

References

1.   Municipality of Bulalacao | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
6. Republic Act No. 5646 Archived 2012-06-01 at the Wayback Machine , PhilippineLaw.info, retrieved 2012
7. Scott, William Henry (1984). Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History. New Day Publishers. ISBN   978-971-10-0226-8.
8. Lopez, V.B. (April 1, 1974). "Culture Contact and Ethnogenesis in Mindoro up to the End of the Spanish Rule". The Asian Center. 12 (1): 3 – via Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia.
9. https://principaliabulalacao.org/contreras-ng-bulalacao-1 ^{[ bare URL ]}
10. https://www.wheninmanila.com/recently-discovered-datu-heritage/ ^{[ bare URL ]}
11. SERVICES, ITDC SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT. "History Of Bulalacao | Travel Oriental Mindoro". www.travelorientalmindoro.ph. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
12. Evangelista, Romie (May 14, 1995). "Mindoro town mayor's slay solved". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corp. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
13. "Bulalacao: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
14. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
15. Census of Population (2015). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
16. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
17. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
18. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
19. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
20. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
21. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
22. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
23. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
24. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
25. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
26. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

External links

• Bulalacao Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Bulalacao, Oriental Mindoro official website Archived 2022-01-27 at the Wayback Machine
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System