Valenzuela’s long and colorful history dates back to the pre-colonial era, and traces the city’s evolution from a rural provincial town to a vibrant city, as well as its important role in the development of northern Metro Manila. Prior to Spanish rule, and for centuries before Valenzuela’s urbanization, the city was located in a flourishing agricultural and fishing town, and part of a large land a
rea that included parts of present-day Quezon City, Novaliches, and Obando, Bulacan. Several bodies of water bound the area—the Tullahan River, which connects to the Pasig River on the south, and a number of connecting rivers, including the Rio Grande de Pampanga on the north. Because of the unique geography of the area, early inhabitants considered it as a separate island or "pulo", which became the area’s namesake until it was changed to the more Hispanic "Polo" during colonial rule. The Dawn of a Vibrant City
The social and political upheavals of the seventies and early eighties did not dampen the pulsating economy of the Municipality—it was, in fact, a golden age in the History and Culture of Valenzuela when businesses and industries in the Municipality grew rapidly. The four days of the EDSA People Power Revolution were marked by an outpouring of love, anger, hysteria and courage by a people fighting for change and renewal. The restoration of democracy in the country also brought about a paradigm shift in national and local government relations. The passage of the Local Government Code in 1991 unlocked the repressed energies of local communities, as the Code provided genuine and meaningful autonomy to enable local governments to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities. It was during this time that Valenzuela began charting its own destiny and moved the local economy into the direction it chose. On February 14, 1998, then President Fidel V. Ramos signed the Republic Act No. 8526, converting the Municipality of Valenzuela into a highly-urbanized city, making the once rural fishing town the 12th City in Metro Manila and the 83rd in the Philippines. The Municipality of Valenzuela, the gateway to the north, is now Valenzuela City—one of the country's premiere business and industrial centers. Araw ng Valenzuela
On September 27, 2010, an Ordinance was signed declaring November 7 as the new Valenzuela Foundation Day, or "Araw ng Valenzuela." This date holds great significance to the city and its people. While Valenzuela's cityhood was declared on February 14, 1998, and July 2, 1960 marked the date when the town became Dr. Pio's namesake, it was on November 7, 1975 that Valenzuela first rose on its own feet as a municipality separate from Bulacan. But more importantly, November 7 marks the historical birthday of Valenzuela, as a rural town given the name Polo during the Spanish Era. It was on November 7, 1621, 377 years before Valenzuela became a city, that the very first parochial signature was recorded recognizing Polo's township. This date marks the birth of Polo, the once sleepy town we now know as the vibrant city of Valenzuela, a fact confirmed and established by Ordinance No. 03 Series of 2010. Thus, November 7 is now declared as "Araw ng Valenzuela," a special day to celebrate the city's rich history and culture, its people, and its rise to urban progress.
