History
The town's name comes from the old Tagalog word "Bokawe" which refers to a type of long bamboo. The town was established in 1606 by Spanish friars and was carved out from the nearby town of Marilao. Bocaue is the mother town of Balagtas which gained its independence as a town in 1911.
During the river festival of July 2, 1993, tragedy struck when around 500 people rode the floating pagoda of the miraculous Holy Cross of Wawa way beyond its capacity, causing it to sink, killing more than two hundred people. Despite the lives lost, no one has been made accountable for the tragedy. This incident became known as the Bocaue Pagoda Tragedy.
On the morning of 31 December 2007, ten fireworks stores burned in Barangay Turo, Bocaue, causing a series explosions within the area, injuring 7 persons.
Read more about this topic: Bocaue, Bulacan
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