Meycauayan

On March 5, 2001, Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Republic Act 9021 converting the municipality of Meycauayan into a component city. The plebiscite was held on March 30, 2001, along with the then-municipality of Cauayan in Isabela. However, the cityhood bid was rejected by voters and Meycauayan remains a municipality. Only the "Yes" votes won in the separate plebiscite for cityhood in Cauayan.

Five years later, on October 2, 2006, Arroyo signed Republic Act 9356, filed by Congresswoman Reylina Nicolas on July 24 of this year as House Bill 4397, converting Meycauayan into a city once again for the second time. Its second cityhood bid was endorsed by Mayor of this then-municipality, Eduardo Alarilla, who also endorsed the first cityhood bid in 2001. Meycauayan was successfully became a city (third city in Bulacan) on December 10, 2006, after their voters ratified the law in the plebiscite.[6] Alarilla who have seven months left on his third and final term, became the city's first mayor. His wife, Joan succeeded him in the 2007 elections. The incumbent mayor is Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica, wife of her predecessor and current congressman, Henry R. Villarica.

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.[7]

The City of Meycauayan is administratively subdivided into 26 urban barangays.

The flag of Meycauayan is colored green, and is superimposed by its seal.

The former seal of Meycauayan during the New Society regime

Former seal of Meycauayan, during its time as a municipality. It resembles its current version after its cityhood in 2006.

The seal of Meycauayan is in circular form and it has four major products placed against the Philippine flag on it. There are four major products here in Meycauayan.

RING-for jewellery making

HIDE-for tanning

WOODEN SHOE-for shoe manufacturing and

BOLO-for blacksmith

The year inside the hide is "1578", signifying the establishment of Meycauayan as a municipality (now a city), and between the words "Meycauayan" and "Bulacan" is 2006, the year of cityhood of Meycauayan.

The city hymn, titled "Awit ng Meycauayan" was composed by Araceli M. Samson. It was adopted in 1978, under the mayorship of Celso Legaspi. The hymn has slight modifications in 2006, after Meycauayan became a city. The hymn is played after the Philippine national anthem, Lupang Hinirang.

The City of Meycauayan is also home to many industrial parks and compounds.

• Meycauayan Industrial Subd. I, II, III & IV
• Meridian Industrial Compound
• Muralla Industrial Park
• First Valenzuela Industrial Compound
• Sterling Industrial Park Phase I, II, III & IV

Liputan Festival

This festival takes place every 2nd Sunday of May in Barangay Liputan. After a nine-day novena, the fiesta culminates with a colorful fluvial procession in honor of the "Mahal na Señor ng Isla Liputan", an image of the Crucified Christ venerated on the island of Liputan. The image, along with those of the Virgin and St. Joseph, are placed on a kasko, a makeshift bamboo bier constructed on boats and decorated with buntings. The images are then taken to the old church in the center of Meycauayan for a mass.

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

It is a celebration held in the oldest church in Meycauayan, the St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church in Barangay Poblacion, which commemorates the foundation of the city in 1578 by the Franciscans. Before, it has come to be known as the "Kawayanan Festival", and includes an animal parade, street dancing and other related cultural activities. It is held every fourth of October.[14]

The succession of the city's administration was put into question by a series of legal cases between two then-Mayors.[15] Florentino Blanco, town mayor from 1987 to 1992, ran in 1995 but was disqualified by the Supreme Court for vote buying on July 21, 1997. Blanco was replaced by Vice Mayor Eduardo Nolasco in an acting capacity, serving out the remainder of his term.

Blanco ran again in 1998 but lost to Eduardo Alarilla; Blanco attempted to file an election protest against Alarilla but the COMELEC dismissed the case. He attempted to run again in 2004 but later withdrew his candidacy. In 2007, he ran once more but lost to Eduardo Alarilla's wife, Joan Alarilla (Mr. Alarilla has then reached the three-term limit imposed by law). The then Mayor Alarilla then attempted to disqualify Blanco; the COMELEC ruled in favor of Alarilla, but the Supreme Court reversed this decision, stating that Blanco is still eligible to run for public office.

On December 13, 2007, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ordered Meycauayan, Bulacan to surrender peaceful possession to the Heirs of Anacleto Nieto, and vacate the 3,882 square meters lot, at Poblacion, Meycauayan, TCT No. T-24.055 (M) which it used and even constructed an extension of the public market therein. Meycauayan was also ordered to pay the reasonable value of the property and P 1,716,000.00 as reasonable compensation for the use of the property from 1966 until the filing of the complaint on December 28, 1994.[16]

In 2007, The Meycauayan and the neighboring town of Marilao in Bulacan province shared a slot in the list of the world’s 30 most polluted places in the developing world drawn up by the private New York-based institute Pure Earth. In its report, “The World’s Worst Polluted Places” for 2007, Pure Earth said: “Industrial 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 around”[17][18] the Meycauayan-Marilao area. Meycauayan also shares border with Caloocan.