Like Big Ben (formally known as Elizabeth Tower) in London, Clock Towers remain some of the most iconic structures in the world. A clock tower, by definition, is a tall, narrow building or part of a building that has a clock at the top of it. Many clock towers are freestanding structures, while others are located on top of another building.
In a world where almost everyone owns a mobile phone or wears a trendy digital or analog watch, who needs clock towers nowadays? It may not be practical but definitely a nostalgic structure that can serve as a landmark for locals and many visitors.
Bulacan is known for many things like national heroes, beautiful women, colorful festivals, artists, historical sites, pasalubong treats, tourist destinations, and now clock towers. We have listed clock towers in the province so that next time you are in town, please stop by and take a selfie with these glorious landmarks.
Clock Towers of Bulacan
Baliuag Clock Tower
One of Baliuag’s most iconic landmarks is the clock tower. It is located in front of the centuries-old St. Augustine Parish Church in the town proper or Poblacion. According to local historian Batang Baliwag, the clock tower stood 65 feet tall and was erected on March 22, 2000. It is said to be the first self-supporting clock tower in the province.
Bustos Clock Tower
The El Reloj del Centenario de Bustos or Bustos Centennial Clock Tower is now known as the Bantayog ng Sentenaryo. The town of Bustos celebrated its 100th founding anniversary in January 2017 by inaugurating the said Clock Tower. This is located near the Bustos Public Wet and Dry Market.
Bustos was a part of the town of Baliuag as its barrio during the Spanish Period until April 29, 1867. During the American occupation, Bustos became part of Baliuag again until 1916. Bustos became a distinct municipality on January 1, 1916, during the Philippine Assembly through 4th Philippine Legislature Assemblyman Ricardo Lloret Gonzalez. A year after, the town inaugurated its municipal hall on January 1, 1917.
San Miguel Clock Tower
The San Miguel Clock Tower can be found along the Barangay Salangan junction, in front of Saint Paul University Campus in San Miguel. It is a beautiful clock tower made of bricks with embossed sculptures of famous people from the historic town of San Miguel de mayumo.
This town is home to national heroes, artists, and great political leaders of our country. Among them are Maximo Viola, Virgilio Almario, Ceferino De Leon, Trinidad Tecson, Nicanor Abelardo, Simon Tecson, and Pablo Tecson to name a few.
San Miguel is a first-class municipality located in the third district of Bulacan. It is the 3rd largest municipality, in terms of land area, in the province. The town proper is dubbed as the “Vigan of Bulacan” because of the beautiful ancestral houses built during the Spanish era that are still intact.
Balagtas (Bigaa) Clock Tower
The Balagtas (Bigaa) Clock Tower is the most controversial and the newest addition among the clock towers in the province. This is an ongoing construction project as of writing this article. The said Clock Tower is located at Barangay Wawa junction, in front of Chowking restaurant. The said project costs P4,312,840.24 (4.3 Million Pesos) and was funded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Balagtas Local Government Unit (LGU).
Read A Short History of Balagtas or Big Double-A (Bigaa) — from Late 1500’s to Present
Netizens are saying that the fund should have been allocated to help Balagtas residents during the pandemic or directly fund flood control projects that are more needed. We cannot blame them for their reaction. With the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, every centavo counts, especially for government projects.
The Facebook page of San Juan Manguna Ka explained that the money used for the Clock Tower Project came from the cash incentive after winning the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award of the Department of the Interior and Local and Government (DILG) back in 2019. In return, DILG, Balagtas LGU, and the Tourism Center have agreed to allocate the prize money to this project.
Speaking of flood control, there are a handful of ongoing and projected flood control projects in flood-prone areas of Balagtas, according to online documents from DPWH. Among these projects are building flood control structures, improving drainage systems, and paving roads in different barangays like Wawa, Longos, Dalig, Panginay, and San Juan.
In fairness to Balagtas LGU, they have been consistent in distributing food packs and cash aid to residents since the start of the pandemic. It may be far from perfect, but at least they are trying their best to provide for their constituents.