MORE FUN IN PHILIPPINES CITIES

Reason No. 14 - Valenzuela City
LCP Secretariat



How to Get To Valenzuela City

Valenzuela City is about 10 to 15 minutes from EDSA-Monumento via MacArthur Highway by jeepney or by bus. It is 10 to 15 minutes from Balintawak Clover Leaf via NLEX and Mindanao Avenue-NLEX by any mode of transportation.

Best time of the year to go and why:

1. April - to win prizes and enjoy the beauty of nature during the Mayor WIN Fun Fishing Tournament.
2. May - to ask for a “lover” during the Mano Po, San Roque, Sayawan sa Calle.
3. November - to share with the blessings of San Diego De Alcala during his feast or the Pistang Polo.

1. Arkong Bato (Barangay Arkong Bato). This stone arch found along M.H. Del Pilar Street was built by the Americans in 1910. It served as the boundary marker between Rizal and Bulacan provinces. Today, the Arkong Bato marks the boundary between Barangay Santulan in the City of Malabon and the arch’s namesake, Barangay Arkong Bato in Valenzuela. The arch is a landmark that witnessed the gradual transformation of the city.
2. Bell Tower of San Diego De Alcala Church (Barangay Poblacion). The San Diego de Alcala Church at Barangay Poblacion, the center of the old town of Polo, was the first parish of the city. The belfry, or bell tower, is a cultural and religious relic of the bygone Spanish era, a reminder of the 390-year history of the town, now a bustling City.
3. Residence of Dr. Pio Valenzuela (Barangay Pariancillo Villa). Dr. Pio Valenzuela was born in this house on July 11, 1869. Found along Velilla Street in Barangay Pariancillo Villa, this house serves as a silent witness to the life and times of the most prominent son of the city.
4. Museo Valenzuela (Fatima Avenue, Barangay Marulas). Museo Valenzuela is one of the city’s main historical and cultural landmarks. It houses a vast collection of artifacts and memorabilia that traces Valenzuela’s rich culture and history.
5. National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (Fatima Avenue, Barangay Marulas). Declared as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, it was also declared a tourist site in 1982 by the Department of Tourism. The Shrine houses the blessed pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima. During the People Power Revolution in 1986, it was one of the iconic figures held by revolutionaries to oust then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is fabulously celebrated every May 13.
6. Grand Marian Exhibit and Procession (Opens Every First Sunday of May). The Grand Marian Exhibit has been running for more than a decade and is being participated by icon camareros or owners, not only from Valenzuela City, but from the neighboring cities and provinces all over the country. On May 13, on the actual Feast of Our Lady of Fatima,a grand Marian procession is held after a high mass in honor of the Virgin.
7. Fun Fishing Tournament (Saturday nearest to April 22 (Earth Day). The first district of Valenzuela City still boasts of the rustic beauty of nature just about an hour or less drive away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. As an aquaculture center, several pockets of fish pens and fishing resorts thrive in the area. In time for the Mother Earth Day, the city organizes the Mayor WIN Fun Fishing Tournament. Several hundred anglers and fishing enthusiasts from all over the Philippines and other countries gather at the fishing havens of Barangay Tagalag and Coloong to participate in the event.
8. Mano Po, San Roque Festival (May 12). San Roque is the Patron Saint of the Sick and Invalid, but in Valenzuela City, he is also known as the Patron Saint of the Unmarried. Through the years, the feast has drawn single men and women from inside and outside the City to ask for help in finding their true love through the traditional Sayawan Sa Calle: Sayaw Pasasalamat Kay San Roque, which is hailed as the oldest and the only celebration of its kind in the whole of Metro Manila.
9. Pistang Polo (San Diego De Alcala Feast, November 12). Pistang Polo is the oldest and the grandest celebration. Valenzuelanos celebrate with exuberant festivities which usually ran from November 2 to 12. The Parish of San Diego De Alcala and the marvelous celebration of his feast in the former town of Polo were even remarkably described by Dr. Jose Rizal in his celebrated classic novel Noli Me Tangere, as his fictitious town of San Diego is believed to be, if not inspired by, the town of Polo. During the feast, thousands of pandesal are being distributed to church goers to commemorate the San Diego’s saintly deeds

1. Win exciting prizes when you catch the biggest tilapia, and bangus and spend time with family and friends in enjoying Valenzuela City’s fishing havens during the Mayor WIN Fun Fishing Tournament in April.
2. Pray for a “lover” during the Mano Po, San Roque: Sayawan sa Calle in May.
3. Be solemnized by The Virgin’s grace while visiting the Grand Marian Exhibit in May.
4. Attend the mass at the National Shrine of our Lady of Fatima and see the image of The Virgin which blessed the People Power Revolution in 1986.
5. Satisfy your palate with the sweet and succulent, the uniquely Valenzuela-owned rice cake, Putong Polo.

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