Santa Maria, Bulacan

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Santa Maria Santa Maria de Pandi
Municipality
Municipality of Santa Maria
(From top, left to right): Población skyline • Paso Bridge • Immaculate Conception Church • Philippine Arena • Municipal Hall at night
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Chicharon Capital of the Philippines
Motto(s):  ONE Santa Maria, Lahat Kasama (English: ONE Santa Maria, All Together)
Anthem: Bayan Kong Mahal (English: My Beloved Town)
Map of Bulacan with Santa Maria highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Santa Maria Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°49′N 120°58′E / 14.82°N 120.96°E / 14.82; 120.96
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Bulacan
District	6th district
Founded	13th century CE (part of the Kingdom of Tondo)
Incorporated	.
• Barrio	circa 1647 (1647)
• Hacienda	July 4, 1699 (1699-07-04)
• Pueblo	November 26, 1793 (1793-11-26)
Founded by	Fray Francisco Javier OFM
Barangays	24 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Bartolome R. Ramos
• Vice Mayor	Pablo L. Juan
• Representative	Salvador A. Pleyto Sr.
• Municipal Council	Members Marisa T. Tuazon Froilan C. Caguiat Neil B. Mateo Carl G. Castillo Nelson Carmelo V. Luciano Esperanza G. Ramos Jesus B. de Guzman Jr. Mark Angelo R. Clemente
• Electorate	142,380 voters (2022)
Area [1]
• Total	90.92 km2 (35.10 sq mi)
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Highest elevation	62 m (203 ft)
Lowest elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[2]
• Total	289,820
• Rank	5 out of 1,489 Municipalities
• Density	3,200/km2 (8,300/sq mi)
• Households	70,619
Demonym	Santa Maríans
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	4.58 % (2018)[3]
• Revenue	₱ 889.1 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 1,757 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 668.9 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 157.3 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Manila Electric Company (Meralco)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3022
PSGC	031423000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)44
Native languages	Tagalog
Catholic diocese	Diocese of Malolos
Patron saint	Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception

Santa Maria (/ˌsæntə məˈriːə/ SAN-tə mə-REE-ə, Tagalog: [ˈsantɐ mɐˈɾija]), officially the Municipality of Santa Maria (Tagalog: Bayan ng Santa Maria), is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 289,820 people.^[2] representing 7.8% of the population of the province.

Located on the banks of the Santa Maria River, 32 kilometres (19.9 mi) north of Manila, Santa Maria has been a thriving settlement for almost four centuries. It was founded as a barrio of Bocaue in the early 17th century until it was established as an independent municipality on November 26, 1793, by the Spanish friar Francisco Dominguez Javier OFM. Known before as Santa Maria de Pandi (Tagalog pronunciation: [pɐnˈde]), it is named under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception (also known as La Purisima Concepcion). Its administrative center, the Poblacion, forms the historic core of the municipality. It is surrounded by four rivers and it still largely retains its 2.88 square-kilometer boundaries since the Spanish Colonial Era.

Santa Maria, with a population of 289,820, remains by a significant margin the most populous municipality in Central Luzon, as well as the 7th most populous municipality in the Philippines. It is also the 2nd most populous local government unit in Bulacan next to San Jose del Monte City. The projected population for 2025 was 305,668.^[4] There are 142,380 registered voters in the municipality. In the last 2022 election, voter turnout rate is at 88.91%.^[5] The said voter turnout rate in the 2022 national elections is the fourth highest among the municipalities in the province of Bulacan.^[5]

Its downtown area consists of three highly urbanized barangays: Poblacion, Bagbaguin, and Sta. Clara. It is one of the biggest and busiest commercial centers in the province as it accounts for more than half of all economic activities in the municipality. It is also one of Bulacan's leading financial centers.^{[citation needed]} According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), Santa Maria's total bank deposits reached PHP 31.27 billion as of December 2021, this accounts for almost 75% of Eastern Bulacan's total bank deposits.^[6] Likewise, Santa Maria is the richest municipality in Bulacan with an assets totaling to PHP 1.87 billion and revenues reaching an all-time high of PHP 1.206 billion as of the 2022 report from the Commission on Audit (COA).^[7] It has a relatively high standard of living, with only 4% of the population living in poverty which is one of the lowest in the country (19 out of 1,489 municipalities).^[8]

Santa Maria was the home town of José Corazón de Jesús, a Filipino poet popularly known as "Huseng Batute", who started composing his verse as a child. Another native of Santa Maria is Francisco Santiago, a composer who wrote "Nasaan Ka Irog" and other kundiman songs. In the political arena, Santa Maria has produced three Bulacan governors: Jose Serapio (1900–1901), Trinidad Icasiano (1912–1916), Fortunato Halili (1943–1944 and 1946–1951); and two representatives of the second and fourth district: Rogaciano Mercado (1953–1972, 1987-1989) and Reylina Nicolas (2001–2010).