Marilao (), officially the Municipality of Marilao (), is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
Marilao is derived from the Tagalog word "marilaw", which translates to yellowish, with its root word "rilaw" is linked to "dilaw," the Tagalog term for yellow. This is in reference to a yellow plant that grew abundantly in the area.
Long before the establishment as an independent town, Marilao traces its origin to a barrio of its neighboring town Meycauayan. Franciscan missionaries from Meycauayan built a visita (chapel) dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel therein.
Marilao, just like Pangil, a town in Laguna, Philippines, was under the stewardship of the Franciscan order.
On April 21, 1796, the Barrio of Marilao was established as a pueblo as approved by the Alcalde Mayor of Bulacan and the Franciscan friars of Meycauayan, with the approval of Archbishop of Manila, the visita of San Miguel Arcangel became a town church where Padre Vicente de Talavera served as its parish priest. Between 1901 and 1903, it was consolidated with Meycauayan. The 1818 Spanish census recorded the area having 881 native families and 28 Spanish-Filipino families.
In 1913, Marilao completely became an independent town.
Marilao is from Manila and from the provincial capital Malolos City.
With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, Marilao is part of Manila's built-up area which reaches San Ildefonso on its northernmost part.
Marilao is politically subdivided into 16 barangays - as shown in the matrix below - all classified as urban. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Barangay Loma de Gato is now holds the most populous village both in the province of Bulacan and in Central Luzon region upon the division of barangay Muzon in the neighboring city of San Jose del Monte after the successful plebiscite approving the proposal in March 2023.
In 2007, Marilao, along with neighboring Meycauayan, share a slot in the list of the world's 30 most polluted places in the developing world drawn up by a private New York-based institute. In its report, âÂÂThe WorldâÂÂs Worst Polluted Placesâ for 2007, the Blacksmith Institute said: âÂÂIndustrial waste is haphazardly dumped into the Meycauayan, Marilao and Obando River system, a source of drinking and agricultural water supplies for the 250,000 people living in and aroundâ the Meycauayan-Marilao area.
Marilao is also notorious for frequent flooding during the monsoon season. A section of MacArthur Highway near SM City Marilao is in particular, prone to floods.
In the 2020 census, the population of Marilao, Bulacan, was 254,453 people, with a density of .
The Marilao Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.
It was elevated to the status of National Shrine by Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. The first mass was held at the site on February 2, 1992, the Feast of the Presentation. Located in Barangay Santa Rosa I.
On the occasion of the World Apostolic Congress on Mercy in 2017, a 38-meter Statue of Merciful Jesus was built here.
The Parish celebrates its patronal feasts on May 8 and September 29. Its 28th Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Alberto D.J. Santiago succeeded Fr. Avelino G. Santos. Under Parochial Vicar, Fr. Francis Protacio S. Cortez III, OSA. It is hundred years old spiritual edifice in Poblacion I considered as âÂÂplace markerâ and serve as âÂÂpoint of orientationâ to the local residents and visitors. Located in Barangay Poblacion I.
Located in Barangay Loma de Gato.
Located in Barangay Loma de Gato.
There are also a presence of other religions in Marilao such as the Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelical Christians, Members Church of God International, etc.