Bulalacao
CountryPhilippines
Etymologymeteorite, shooting star
Other nameSan Pedro
Parts stylepara
P 1(see Barangays)
MayorLumel LG Cabagay
Vice MayorGerman Acosta
RepresentativeAlfonso V. Umali Jr.
Electoratevoters (Philippine general election)
Elevation max283 m
Elevation min0 m
Time zonePST (UTC+8)
Poverty incidence% ()

Bulalacao, officially the Municipality of Bulalacao (Tagalog: Bayan ng Bulalacao), is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

It is formerly known as San Pedro.[1]

History

Precolonial period

See also: Ma-i

Ma-i was a medieval state first recorded in Chinese documents, such as the History of Song and the Zhu Fan Zhi (1225) by Zhao Rukuo. Ma-i was described to be located north of Borneo, and were highly competitive in the trade with China. While the exact location of Ma-i remains disputed, most historians agree that it was located in Mindoro, specifically at the Mauhaw River around Bulalacao according to William Henry Scott.[2] This is corroborated by Spanish records, such as the account of Juan Francisco de San Antonio, called the Chronicas de N.S.P. Francisco en las Islas Filipinas, China y Japón 1738, where Chapter 36 of the book is called De la Provincia y Isla de Mait o Mindoro ("The Province of the Island of Mait or Mindoro"), showing that the term Mait and Mindoro were once interchangeable.[3]

Historical records in the National Archives of the Philippines have shown Bulalacao engaging in barangay network trade alliance with neighboring polities. Colonial documents point to this fact. Evidence shows that Nicolás Contreras, the ruler of Bulalacao, along with his vassal maginoó, entered into alliances with the ruler of Mansalay and their subject maginoó, in trade agreements with the Spanish colonial government in Manila.

Since at least the 1700s, Bulalacao has been ruled by the Contreras clan as the Panginoón Basal. The clan is one of a few Filipino families with clear descent from ancient maginoó lineage.[4][5]

Spanish to early American period

In the early 19th century, Datu Calido of Panay was in control of Bulalacao. Following the expansion of the settlement, it was ruled by the capitanes. They were Gabriel Contreras as Gobernadorcillo, with vassal datu: Paigao, Jacinto Pajado and Narciso Pandino. They ruled the area until the arrival of Lieutenant Morris in 1903. In 1906, the settlement became a township which included Paclasan, Mansalay, Mangaring, and the islands of Caluya, Sibay and Semirara.[6]

Modern period

On May 7, 1995, re-electionist Mayor Guillermo Salas was assassinated a day before the midterm elections by Rodel Gonzáles of the Mangyan tribe; Gonzáles eventually surrendered to authorities five days later and confessed to the crime.[7]

Geography

Bulalacao is located at the southernmost tip of the province and is 176 kilometres (109 mi) from the provincial capital Calapan and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Roxas.

Barangays

Bulalacao is politically subdivided into 16 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Bagong Sikat
  • Balatasan
  • Benli (Mangyan Settlement)
  • Cabugao
  • Cambunang (Poblacion)
  • Campaasan (Poblacion)
  • Liwagao
  • Maasin
  • Maujao
  • Milagrosa (Guiob)
  • Nasukob (Poblacion)
  • Poblacion
  • San Francisco (Alimawan)
  • San Isidro
  • San Juan
  • San Roque (Buyayao)

Transportation

Bulalacao has a port that serves as a gateway from Mindoro to Caticlan in Malay, Aklan. FastCat operates in the port.

Education

The Bulalacao Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.[8]

Primary and elementary schools

  • Abintang Elementary School
  • Agong Elementary School
  • Alimawan Elementary School
  • Bagong Sikat Elementary School
  • Bailan Elementary School
  • Balang Elementary School
  • Balatasan Elementary School
  • Balditan Primary School
  • Bangkal Elementary School
  • Bating Elementary School
  • Benli Elementary School
  • Bulalacao Central School
  • Cabugao Elementary School
  • Cambunang Elementary School
  • Campaasan Elementary School
  • Dangkalan Elementary School
  • Lambok Elementary School
  • Libtong Elementary School
  • Lower Yunot Elementary School
  • Maasin Elementary School
  • Maujao Elementary School
  • Milagrosa Elementary School
  • Nasucob Elementary School
  • Pawikan Elementary School
  • San Isidro Elementary School
  • San Juan Elementary School
  • San Miguel Elementary School
  • San Roque Elementary School
  • San Vicente Elementary School
  • SCLC Adventist School
  • Tambangan Elementary School
  • Ugyong Katutubong Mangyan Elementary School
  • Umabang Elementary School
  • Upper Yunot Elementary School
  • Waring Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Balatasan National High School
  • Benli National High School
  • Bulalacao National High School
  • Cabugao National High School
  • Gatol Mangyan High School
  • Maasin High School
  • Maujao National High School
  • Milagrosa National High School
  • San Roque National High School
  • San Roque National High School (Bangkal Ext)

See also

References

  1. ^ Republic Act No. 5646 Archived 2012-06-01 at the Wayback Machine, PhilippineLaw.info, retrieved 2012
  2. ^ Scott, William Henry (1984). Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History. New Day Publishers. ISBN 978-971-10-0226-8.
  3. ^ Lopez, V.B. (April 1, 1974). "Culture Contact and Ethnogenesis in Mindoro up to the End of the Spanish Rule". The Asian Center. 12 (1): 3. – via Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia.
  4. ^ Bulalacao, Principalia ng. "Principalia Sa Bulalacao". Principalia ng Bulalacao. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  5. ^ "I Recently Discovered My Datu Heritage - When In Manila". www.wheninmanila.com. 2019-04-17. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  6. ^ SERVICES, ITDC SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT. "History Of Bulalacao | Travel Oriental Mindoro". www.travelorientalmindoro.ph. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  7. ^ Evangelista, Romie (May 14, 1995). "Mindoro town mayor's slay solved". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corp. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  8. ^ "Masterlist of Schools". Department of Education. January 15, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2025.