Ethymology

ETHYMOLOGY

Valenzuela is a diminutive form of Valencia, Spain, which means "little Valencia. "It is also the surname of Po Valenzuela, a Filipino physician and patriot who was one of the Katipunan's leaders. He was a member of the Katipunan's triumvirate that initiated the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial authority and served as the Katipunan's provisional chairman.

Polo was the original name for Valenzuela. Though the location was not totally an island for itself, the name Polo was taken from the Tagalog phrase pulô, which means island. The rivers from the north and the Tullahan River from the south blessed the original town of Polo. As a result, the confined territory was supposed to be an island, and early town residents referred to it as Pulo, which eventually became Polo as a result of hispanicization of the word.

Today, the term Polo exclusively refers to the barangay of Polo, which is located in the city's first congressional district and is the birthplace of Dr. Pio Valenzuela