Polo, Bulacan to Valenzuela City

On July 21, 1960, President Diosdado Macapagal signed Executive Order No. 401, which led to the creation of the separate municipalities of Valenzuela and Polo, in honor of Dr. Pío Valenzuela, a significant personality in Philippine history who was born here. The new town of Polo comprised the barangays on the northern part namely Poblacion, Palasan, Arkong Bato, Pariancillo Villa, Balangkas, Mabolo, Coloong, Malanday, Bisig, Tagalag, Rincon, Pasolo, Punturin, Bignay and Dalandanan. The new town of Valenzuela comprised the southern barangays: Karuhatan, Marulas, Malinta, Ugong, Mapulang Lupa, Canumay, Maysan, Paso de Blas, Bagbaguin and Torres Bugallon (now Gen. T. de Leon).After three years of administrating the two towns, however, the local government and their respective constituents realized that a division of Polo and Valenzuela was ill advised and only resulted in underdevelopment instead of progress. Thus, on September 11, 1963, another law, Executive Order No. 46 was signed by then President Diosdado Macapagal; this declared the re-unification of the towns of Polo and Valenzuela, which led to the adoption of the name "Valenzuela" in respect to and to perpetuate the legacy of the great patriot, Dr. Pío Valenzuela.

Because of the rapid growth of the National Capital Region in terms of population, as well as social and economic requirements in the early seventies, and the municipality's proximity to the area, During the Marcos administration, Valenzuela was taken from the province of Bulacan and was included in the created MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) and the NCR (National Capital Region). Presidential Decree Number 824 was issued on November 7, 1975, creating the Metropolitan Manila Commission and separating the Municipality of Valenzuela from the Province of Bulacan. During the Martial Law era, Valenzuela was known as the "Strike Capital of the Philippines" due to the presence of strikes coming from factories around the town.

As part of the National Capital Region, the social and political upheavals of the seventies and early eighties did not dampen the pulsating economy of the municipality. It was, in fact, a golden age in the history and culture of Valenzuela when businesses and industries in the municipality grew rapidly.

The passage of the Local Government Code in 1991 unlocked and marshaled the repressed energies of local communities. The Local Government Code provides genuine and meaningful autonomy to enable local governments to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities. It was during this time that Valenzuela began charting its own destiny and moved the local economy in the direction it chose.

From then on, Valenzuela had to cope with rapid urbanization as part of the National Capital Region. It is considered as a vital link between the National Capital Region and Northern Luzon.

And 23 years after its separation from Bulacan and 375 years after its founding, On February 14, 1998, then President Fidel Ramos signed Republic Act No. 8526, converting the Municipality of Valenzuela under the administration of Mayor Bobbit Carlos into a highly urbanized city, making Valenzuela the 12th city in Metro Manila and the 83rd in the Philippines.