Editing Meycauayan (section)

== History ==
During the Spanish colonization of the country, the town of Meycauayan was established as a settlement by a group of Spanish priests belonging to the Franciscan Order. In 1578, its early inhabitants came into contact with Christianity. In that same year, Father Juan de Placencia and Diego Oropesa built the first church structure, which was believed to be made of nipa and bamboo. Common to all Spanish settlements in that period was the adoption of a patron saint for the newly opened town. Meycauayan has [[St. Francis of Assisi]] as the Patron Saint. It was only in 1668, however, that a concrete church structure was erected.

Meycauayan was then one of the largest towns in the province of Bulacan. The towns, which fell under its political jurisdiction, were [[San Jose del Monte]], [[Bocaue]], [[Valenzuela, Metro Manila|Valenzuela]] (formerly Polo), Obando, [[Marilao]], [[Santa Maria, Bulacan|Santa Maria]] and [[Pandi, Bulacan|Pandi]]. It was also regarded as the unofficial capital of the province, being the hub of activities brought about by the establishment of the market center and the presence of the Spanish military detachment. During the [[Philippine Revolution|revolution]], which was set off by the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal in 1896, Meycauayan contributed its share in the fight against the Spanish conquistadores. Among her sons who figured prominently in the revolution were: Andres Pacheco, Ciriaco Contreras, Guillermo Contreras, Guillermo Bonque, Tiburcio Zuela, and Liberato Exaltacion. There were many others who had joined the revolution and had displayed their exceptional heroism until 1898, when the country gained its independence from [[Spain]].

Between 1901 and 1913, [[Marilao]] became part of Meycauayan.<ref>{{cite PH act|chamber=Act|number=932|date=October 8, 1903|url=https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/legislative%2Bissuances/Act%20No.%20932|title=An Act Reducing the Twenty-five Municipalities of the Province of Bulacan to Thirteen|accessdate=July 3, 2023|website=Senate of the Philippines Legislative Digital Resources}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bulacan.gov.ph/cities-and-municipalities/marilao|title=Marilao|website=Provincial Government of Bulacan|accessdate=July 3, 2023}}</ref>

In 1949, a big fire razed the market center and several business establishments in the town, causing setbacks to the development of the municipality. It took several years to recover from the destruction and property losses. However, in the 1960s and early part of 1970s, new hope for the development was ushered in. Reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities were made possible through the assistance of the provincial and national governments. A more sound economic base was established and crop production more than doubled.

=== Cityhood ===
{{Main|Cities of the Philippines}}
Meycauayan twice attempted for cityhood.<ref name="2c1212tPS" /> The first was filed by [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|district representative]] [[Angelito Sarmiento]],<ref name="2c1210tPS" /> seeking the conversion of the then-municipality of Meycauayan into a component city, which was signed by [[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] on March 5, 2001 as ''[[Republic Act]] No. 9021''.<ref>{{cite PH act |title=Charter of the City of Meycauayan |chamber=RA |number=9021 |date=March 5, 2001 |url=https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/2/5852 |access-date=November 2, 2023}}</ref>

The plebiscite for the ratification, along with that of [[Cauayan, Isabela|Cauayan]], [[Isabela (province)|Isabela]] (by virtue of ''RA No. 9017'' dated February 28), was scheduled by the [[Commission on Elections (Philippines)|Commission on Elections]] on March 30.<ref>{{cite PH act |title=Declaring Friday, March 30, 2001, as a special day in the municipality of Cauayan, Isabela, and in the municipality of Meycauayan, Bulacan |chamber=PP |number=22, s. 2001 |date=March 28, 2001 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/03/28/proclamation-no-22-s-2001/ |access-date=November 2, 2023}}</ref> The bid however failed, and Meycauayan remained a municipality.<ref name="2c1210tPS" /> (Meanwhile, affirmative votes won in the separate plebiscite in Cauayan.)

For the second time, in another attempt for conversion, district representative [[Reylina Nicolas]] authored ''House Bill 4397'' (dated July 24, 2006), which was later signed into law by President Arroyo as ''RA No. 9356'' on  October 2, 2006.<ref name="2c1210tPS">{{cite news |last=Balabo |first=Dino |date=December 10, 2006 |title=Meycauayan bids for cityhood |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2006/12/10/374311/meycauayan-bids-cityhood |newspaper=[[The Philippine Star]] |access-date=December 10, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite PH act |title=Charter of the City of Meycauayan |chamber=RA |number=9356 |date=October 2, 2006
|url=https://republicact.com/docs/statute/5677/ra-9356-charter-city-meycauayan |access-date=November 2, 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; line-height:1.25em; font-size:100%;"
|+Meycauayan cityhood plebiscites
|-
! rowspan="2" | Choice !! colspan="2" | 2001<br />{{small|1st attempt}} !! colspan="2" | 2006<br />{{small|2nd attempt}}
|-
! Votes !! % !! Votes !! %
|-
| '''''Yes''''' || 8,109 || {{percentage |8,109|22,897|2}} || '''8,247''' || '''{{percentage |8,247|13,975|2}}'''
|-
| '''''No''''' || '''14,788''' || '''{{percentage |14,788|22,897|2}}'''  || 5,728 || {{percentage |5,728|13,975|2}}
|-
| Total (valid) votes || 22,897 || 100% || 13,975 || 100%
|-
| Registered voters/turnout || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}} || 118,339 || {{percentage | 13,975|118,339|2}}
|-
| Result
| colspan="2" {{No}}
| colspan="2" {{Yes}}
|-
| align="left" | {{small|Sources}} || colspan="2" align="left" | {{small|<ref name="2c1210tPS" />}} || colspan="2" align="left" | {{small|<ref name="2c1212tPS" />}}
|}

A plebiscite was held on December 10, where the cityhood was eventually ratified and the proclamation was made in the evening. It was noted that compared to the first plebiscite, the second showed that only more than a hundred voters were added to those in favor of the conversion, as well as a sharp decline in the number of those who were against.<ref name="2c1212tPS" />

With the ratification, Meycauayan became Bulacan's third component city, following [[San Jose del Monte]] in 2000, and [[Malolos]], whose loss in its cityhood bid in 1999 was reversed following a recount.<ref name="2c1212tPS">{{cite news |last=Balabo |first=Dino |date=December 12, 2006 |title=Bulacan now has 3 cities |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2006/12/12/374596/bulacan-now-has-3-cities/ |newspaper=[[The Philippine Star]] |access-date=November 2, 2023}}</ref>

=== Contemporary ===
Today, the city of Meycauayan has transformed into a major economic and industrial hub in the Province of Bulacan and the rest of Region III.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofmeycauayanbulacan.gov.ph/?page=cityInfo|title= Everything about City of Meycauayan (History)|publisher= City of Meycauayan Official Website|location= City of Meycauayan, Bulacan|access-date= July 29, 2018}}</ref>