San Ildefonso, officially the Municipality of San Ildefonso (Tagalog: Bayan ng San Ildefonso) is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 115,713 people.[3]
Bahay na Pula, also known as the "Red House" (2014)
The early inhabitants called this town Bulak because of the abundant 'kapok' trees ('bulak' in vernacular) growing on the hill where the town is now.
Bulak was then a barrio of San Rafael. There were only about 3,000 inhabitants. The early inhabitants were people from neighboring towns and provinces who preferred to settle in this place because of its good agricultural prospects.
When the Spaniards came, the name Bulak was changed to Hacienda San Juan de Dios because 15,500 hectares of grazing and farming grounds were claimed by the friars. The people were told to pay tribute. Proceeds from the rentals were used to finance the operation of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Manila. The Spanish friars, though antagonistic toward the Filipinos, admired the beauty of the natural scenery. They changed the name to Hacienda Buenavista (which means beautiful scenery in Spanish).
As the population grew, a chapel was constructed under the parochial jurisdiction of San Rafael. In 1809, Father Juan dela Rosa was named the first Filipino priest of the town. He held the position until 1811. He was responsible for changing the name Bulak to San Ildefonso in honor of Alfonso XII, then the king of Spain, and San Ildefonso, its patron saint. By the time it was given this name, a tribunal was created finally making it a town in 1877. Between 1903 and 1906, San Ildefonso was merged with San Miguel due to its low income and inability to finance its expenditures in operating the local government.[5]
As years went by, more and more people were induced to live in the town. The growth of population promoted an increase of income. The town became capable of meeting its expenses, so it ceased being a barrio of San Miguel and became once again an independent town.[6]
In the 2020 census, the population of San Ildefonso, Bulacan, was 115,713 people,[3] with a density of 900 inhabitants per square kilometer or 2,300 inhabitants per square mile.
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