Spanish colonial era

Originally, Caloocan was the area where the old town of Tondo and Tambobong met, located along the shores of Dagat-Dagatan, a crescent-shaped inland lagoon to the west. The settlement along the shore was called "Aromahan", or "Espina" to the Spaniards, and was separated from Manila Bay by a narrow ridge from Tondo towards an opening in Kinabutasan leading to the sea.^[10]

By the late 1700s, the fishermen of Aromahan has expanded towards a hill east of Dagat-Dagatan. This naturally stony hill was called "Kaloogan", meaning "interior territory", which evolved from the old Tagalog word "loog" (synonymous with "loob" or "inside"). The "g" sound could have shifted to the "k" sound in Tagalog phonetics (e.g. baksak > bagsak) leading to the present name of the city. With Aromahan relegated to the periphery, this hilltop area was also settled by oppressed people from Tondo, becoming the new center of the community by 1802. To the east was a vast stretch of cogon-covered land. Eventually called "Kalaanan", meaning flat grassland in old Tagalog, this area is now generally known as Grace Park.^[10]

Caloocan became a municipality when it was separated from Tondo in 1815. Its original territory extended to the foothills of Marikina, San Mateo and Montalban to the east; Tinajeros, Tanza, and Tala rivers to the north; Pasig, San Juan del Monte, San Francisco del Monte, Sampalok, Santa Cruz and Tondo in the south; and Dagat-dagatan and Aromahan to the west.^[11][12] The local government building was set up on the relatively well-settled portion just above Libis Espina. The old Aromahan chapel was finally abandoned and a new church was built facing the municipal hall. To escape the Spanish authorities, many from the area abandoned the town proper and sought refuge in the grasslands of Balintawak and Pugad-Lawin, in which the people fought the landlords of Hacienda de Maysilo for terrestrial rights, which went on for almost a hundred years.^[10][11]

American invasion era

Aerial view of Caloocan, circa 1930s

In 1899, the people of Caloocan showed resistance to coming to terms with the Americans, who were bent on extending their supremacy over the country. The men of Caloocan fought the new invaders on February 23, 1899, however victory eluded the local troops on the pretext of Antonio Luna's rift with Emilio Aguinaldo's loyalists.^[11] The city then saw heavy fighting in the Philippine–American War, at the Battle of Caloocan and the Second Battle of Caloocan.

In 1901, under the American regime, Caloocan, previously a part of the province of Manila, became one of the municipalities of the newly established province of Rizal.^[13] Due to the consolidation of several municipalities in 1903, Novaliches, then an independent municipality, became part of Caloocan pursuant to Act No. 942,^[14] as amended by Act Nos. 984 and 1008 of the Philippine Commission.

Japanese occupation era

In 1942, Caloocan was one of the municipalities of Rizal merged alongside Manila and Quezon City to form the City of Greater Manila as an emergency measure by President Manuel L. Quezon.^[15][16] It regained its pre-war status as a municipality of Rizal when the City of Greater Manila was dissolved effective August 1, 1945.^[17]

Cityhood

The old Caloocan City Hall in Poblacion district was the seat of local government for Caloocan from 1952 to 2017.

In 1961, after Republic Act No. 3278 was approved by the Philippine Congress, a plebiscite was conducted.^[6] Caloocan was officially inducted into cityhood on February 16, 1962.^[11]

Caloocan remained a city of the province of Rizal until November 7, 1975, when it became a part of the National Capital Region or Metro Manila, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824.^[18]

Territorial changes

Territorial changes of Caloocan.
  Existing territorial boundaries
  Detached by Commonwealth Act No. 502 (1939)
  Detached by Republic Act No. 392 (1949)

Caloocan once encompassed a much larger, contiguous area. The districts of Balintawak, La Loma and Novaliches were once part of Caloocan. Balintawak is a historic district because it was the original site of the "Cry of Pugad Lawin" (Unang Sigaw sa Balintawak) at a location called "Kang-kong" near Tandang Sora's house. Novaliches was an expansive sector with some hillsides that served as meeting places and hideouts for Andrés Bonifacio and the Katipunan.

By the 1920s, there was a consolidation of several municipalities. Caloocan annexed the neighboring town of Novaliches, as stated in the Act No. 942, as amended by Act Nos. 984 and 1008 of the Philippine Commission, bringing its total area to about 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres).^[11] When Commonwealth Act No. 502 created Quezon City in 1939, Caloocan ceded 1,500 hectares of land from the barrios or sitios of Bagubantay (Bago Bantay), Balintauac (Balintawák), Balingasa, Kaingin, Kangkong (present-day Apolonio Samson), La Loma, Malamig, Matalahib (present-day Santo Domingo), Masambong, Galas, San Isidro, San José, Santol and Tatalon.^[19] Instead of opposing the transfer, Caloocan residents willingly gave the land in the belief it will benefit the country's new capital city.^[20]

However, in 1949, Congress passed Republic Act No. 392, which redefined the Caloocan–Quezon City boundary.^[21] The barrios of Baesa, Sangandaan, Talipapâ, San Bartolomé, Pasong Tamó, Novaliches Proper (poblacion), Banlat (present-day Tandang Sora), Kabuyao, Pugad Lawin, Bagbag, Pasong Putik, which once belonged to Novaliches and had an area of about 8,100 hectares (20,000 acres), were excised from Caloocan. The remaining portion of the Novaliches is now called North Caloocan. This split Caloocan into two parts: a southern section that is more urbanized, and a northern section that became suburban-rural.^[22]

Topography

Elevation map of south Caloocan

South Caloocan, where most commercial and industrial establishments are found, lies on generally flat and highly accessible land, with slopes ranging from 0–3%. The topography gradually changes from gently to moderately sloping to rolling along the North Luzon Expressway, with slopes ranging from 3–18%. The highest point at 35.00 meters (114.83 ft) above sea level can be found in this area, while the lowest point is in the southern part of Dagat-Dagatan at about 0.993 meters (3 ft 3.1 in) above mean sea level.^[23]

North Caloocan is characterized by gently to steeply undulating to rolling topography with slopes ranging from 3–18%, mostly seen in the northern and central portion, gradually transforming into a southward trend of flat lands down to the southwestern tip of the boundary. Being accessible to major roads, many industrial and residential subdivisions have been developed on this near-level land.^[23]

Geology

The geologic formation of the two portions of Caloocan varies in type and characteristics. and are specifically classified as quaternary alluvium, tuff and tuffaceous sediment, pyroclastic flow deposit, and conglomerates. The formation on the eastern half of Metropolitan Manila extending to the coastline of Manila Bay and including a greater part of South Caloocan is the quaternary alluvium, which consists of unconsolidated stream‐deposited sediments that include sand, silt, clay and gravel.^[23]

Eastward of South Caloocan, large areas consisting of tuff and tuffaceous sediment can be traced, spreading towards the whole eastern side of Metro Manila. Pyroclastic flow deposit or igneous rocks formed by the lithification of ash flow are likewise present in some northern fringes of South Caloocan and in most parts of North Caloocan. On the northeast borders of North Caloocan, conglomerate rocks were traced, crossing Tala Estate and extending to the province of Bulacan and the La Mesa Watershed.^[23]

Soil found in both areas of Caloocan predominantly falls under the Novaliches Series, covering 96% of the total land area of the city. The Novaliches Series is composed of reddish brown soil, friable in consistency and granular in structure. Spherical concretions are present in the subsoil and underneath is tuffaceous material of varying degrees of disintegration and weathering. This tuffaceous material is exposed by extensive erosion in some places.^[23]

Surface drainages

Caloocan has surface waters that either have natural courses (creeks and rivers) or were constructed to serve as drainages to remove excess water from soil surfaces. South Caloocan has about 5.0-kilometer-long (3.1 mi) open drainage canals that serve mainly the reclamation area comprising Kaunlaran Village (Dagat-Dagatan Development Project) and nearly 11.3-kilometer-long (7.0 mi) natural surface water coursing through the different natural river systems. These include the Tinajeros-Tullahan River along the Caloocan–Valenzuela boundary; Maligaya Creek within La Loma Cemetery and crossing Rizal Avenue Extension; Casili Creek which terminates in Estero de Maypajo, and Cantarilla/Panaca Creek along the Caloocan–Malabon boundary. In North Caloocan, all surface waters consist of natural streams, the longest being the Meycauayan-Marilao River dividing Caloocan and Bulacan. Others include the Bagong Silang River, Tala, Camarin, Pasong Malapad, and Bagumbong Creeks crossing multiple subdivisions, for 52.7 kilometers (32.7 mi) long within the city's territorial boundaries.^[23]

Climate

Barangays

Barangays of South Caloocan with corresponding area names

Barangays of North Caloocan with corresponding area names

Currently, Caloocan has 188 barangays divided into 3 legislative districts.^[25] The 1st District is composed of 59 barangays, which include Barangays 1 to 4, 77 to 85, 132 to 164 in South Caloocan and Barangays 165 to 177 in North Caloocan. The 2nd District is composed of 118 barangays, which include Barangays 5 to 76 and 86 to 131, all in South Caloocan. 3rd District, which was created in 2021, includes 11 barangays in North Caloocan that were formerly part of the 1st District, which include Barangays 178 to 188.^[26]

The city uses a hybrid system for its barangays, further dividing the cities into 16 zones. Among the cities in Metro Manila, only Manila, Pasay and Caloocan implement the so-called "Zone Systems". A zone is a group of barangays in a district. Although a zone is considered a subdivision in the local government units, the people do not elect a leader for the zone in a popular election similar to the normal barangay or local elections as the system is merely for statistical purposes. Furthermore, all barangays have corresponding numbers but only a few—mostly in Caloocan's northern part—have corresponding names. However, the names of barrios and districts do not necessarily coincide with the perimeters of barangays. The barangays in southern Caloocan are generally smaller compared to their northern counterparts.

In 1989, Republic Act No. 6714 called for reducing the 70 barangays constituting the first congressional district of Caloocan to only thirty (30) barangays, while the 118 barangays composing the second congressional district of Caloocan were to be reduced to thirty (30) barangays. It was presumably defeated in the plebiscite that followed.^[27]

Barangay 176 or Bagong Silang is the most populous barangay in the country with a population of 246,515 people or 16% of the total population of Caloocan.^[28] This was due to the continuous influx of informal settler families through relocation programs since the 1970s. As a result, there have been calls by residents to subdivide the Bagong Silang into seven distinct barangays.^[29]

Barangay 76, meanwhile, is the least populous barangay in Metro Manila with a population of 2. It used to be an informal settlement and its entire 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) area is now predominated by retail buildings like Puregold Monumento and Araneta Square Mall.^[30]

In 1957, the sitio of Bagbaguin was separated from the barrio of Caybiga (Kaybiga) and converted into a distinct barrio known as Barrio Bagbaguin.^[31]

Local government

Caloocan, like other cities of the Philippines, is a local government unit whose powers and functions are specified by the Local Government Code of the Philippines. In general, as a city, Caloocan is headed by a mayor who heads the city's executive function and the vice mayor who heads the city's legislative function, which is composed of eighteen councilors, six from each of the city's three city council districts. For representation, the city has three districts, and therefore three representatives, in the country's House of Representatives.^[26]

Elected officials

List of mayors and vice mayors

Transportation

The Balintawak Toll Barrier of the North Luzon Expressway.

The north end of EDSA in Caloocan

The LRT Line 1 has two stations in the southern part of the city, namely: Monumento and 5th Avenue. Philippine National Railways also has a line, with its terminal at Samson Road, and passes through Caloocan railway station (the first railway station built in the city), 10th Avenue railway station, and 5th Avenue railway station. The currently under construction MRT Line 7 has also two under-construction stations located at the northern part of Caloocan, namely: Sacred Heart and Tala.

The city has an extensive network of roads, the most prominent being Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, which begins in the Monumento area. Quirino Highway, which connects Quezon City and eastern Bulacan, also traverses the northern part of Caloocan. The North Luzon Expressway's Operations and Maintenance Center and the motorway's Balintawak toll barrier are in the southern part of Caloocan. NLEX Harbor Link, its extension that connects it towards Navotas and Port of Manila, and the NLEX Connector project that connects Harbor Link with the City of Manila and Skyway also traverse Caloocan. The northern end of Skyway, which connects the North and South Luzon Expressways, is also found near NLEX's Balintawak toll plaza, with a possible connection to a future toll road leading to the New Manila International Airport.

Bus line Victory Liner Incorporated has its headquarters and terminal along Rizal Avenue Extension near the Monumento station.

Landmarks

Thai To Taoist Temple

The city's most celebrated landmark is the monument to the revolutionary Andrés Bonifacio, which stands on a roundabout where EDSA, MacArthur Highway, Samson Road, and Rizal Avenue Extension intersect. The memorial was erected in 1933 and consists of an obelisk with sculptures by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. The monument marks the very first battle of the Philippine Revolution on August 3, 1896. Recent renovations have been made on the environs of the monument, including the Bonifacio Circle, its former site, and the Caloocan stretch of EDSA, which is 100 meters (330 ft) away from the landmark. The whole area is known as 'Monumento'.

The new Caloocan City Hall stands in a rectangular lot bordered by 8th and 9th Streets and 8th and 9th Avenues in Grace Park East in the southern part of the city. It replaced the old Caloocan City Hall, built in 1952, that stood at A. Mabini Street in the southern part across from San Roque Cathedral-Parish.^[46][47][48] There is also the Caloocan City Hall North serving the northern part of the city, located along Zapote Street in Camarin. The city's District Office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue is along EDSA.

Other sites of historical importance identified by the city government include a lot in P. Zamora Street where the wife of Katipunan leader Andrés Bonifacio once resided; the heritage house of Gertrudes Sevilla, the owner of which is the nephew of Gregoria de Jesús;^[49][46] Santa Quiteria Church in Baesa; and Our Lady of Grace Parish in 11th Avenue; La Loma Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Manila; and Thai To Taoist Temple along 6th Avenue.

Local

• Calamba, Laguna
• Malabon, Metro Manila
• San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

International

• Incheon, South Korea^[51]