French
DeutschNorzagaray, commonly shortened into Garay, is a municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre, it is a town that features natural attractions and civic monuments.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Norzagaray used to be a barrio of Angat known as Casay. It became a separate municipality in 1860 and was named after the ruling Spanish governor-general at the time, Fernando Norzagaray. Much of the town burned down in a fire in 1959.
Its upland location in contrast to the rest of Bulacan made it an ideal refuge for military forces beginning with Emilio Aguinaldo during the Philippine Revolution in 1897, anti-American separatists in the 1900s, anti-Japanese guerrillas in World War II, Japanese stragglers in the closing months of the same war, and communist New People's Army rebels in the 1970s to 2000s.
The hinterlands of Norzagaray form the Angat River watershed, the primary source of potable water in Metro Manila. Since the 1930s, several dams have been built along the course of the river, most notably the Angat and Ipo Dams that supply much of Central Luzon and Metro Manila's water and electricity needs. Since the 1990s, Norzagaray has gradually undergone urbanization into a commuter town of Metro Manila, with some of its villages having started as resettlement areas for slum dwellers in the capital. Its hinterlands are also partially blighted by massive cement factories quarrying the town’s soil.
It is home to about 141,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
Get in
[edit | edit source]The main routes to Norzagaray are the Norzagaray-Santa Maria Road, accessible from the Bocaue exit of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), and Quirino Highway, which runs north from Novaliches in Quezon City via San Jose del Monte. Both roads converge with Norzagaray-Angat Road (General Alejo Santos Highway) at Norzagaray Crossing in the downtown area.
Commuter buses originating from Angat connect Norzagaray with Metro Manila, with the main bus stop at Norzagaray Crossing. The two main bus companies are Precious Grace and Santa Monica, which have terminals in Divisoria and Monumento in Metro Manila. Jeepneys also connect the town with Angat, San Jose del Monte, Santa Maria, Bocaue and Meycauayan, all in Bulacan, as well as SM Fairview in Quezon City. Separate jeepneys connect the barangay of Bigte, at the boundary with San Jose del Monte, with SJDM and SM Fairview. A point-to-point bus service connects Trinoma and SM North EDSA in Quezon City with neighboring Santa Maria, from where jeepneys can be taken to Norzagaray.
Get around
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Tricycles are the main form of transportation between barangays.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish Church (Norzagaray Church), Norzagaray Plaza, Poblacion, sanandresapostoldenorzagaray@gmail.com. Norzagaray's main Roman Catholic church, which burned down multiple times since the Spanish era but has continuously been rebuilt in its original style.
- 2 Angat Dam, San Lorenzo. Built in the 1960s, it is the largest of the three dams along the Angat River system and is the highlight of the Angat Forest Watershed. While access to the dam itself is restricted, the complex provides wide views of the Sierra Madre mountains.
- 3 Ipo Dam, San Lorenzo. The oldest of the three Angat River dams, built in 1935, and the scene of a battle between Allied forces and Japanese stragglers during the closing stages of World War II in 1945. While access to the dam itself its restricted, a viewdeck provides vistas of the surrounding watershed.
- 4 Pinagrealan Cave, Bigte. A cave that served as a refuge for revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo during the war of independence against the Spanish in 1897.
- 5 Bitbit Bridge, San Lorenzo. A road bridge offering stunning views of the upper reaches of the Angat River valley.
- 6 Angat Watershed Forest Reserve. A popular birdwatching site and a biodiversity hotspot containing most of the remaining closed-canopy forests in Central Luzon.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Bitbit Ecopark, San Lorenzo. A popular recreational and swimming spot in the Angat Watershed.
- Casay Festival. August 13. The annual festival celebrating the establishment of Norzagaray as a municipality.
- 2 Bakas, Matictic. A popular swimming spot along the Norzagaray River with rock formations smoothly polished by the currents.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Norzagaray Public Market, Norzagaray-Santa Maria Road, Partida.
- 2 Puregold Norzagaray, Quirino Highway, Poblacion.
Eat
[edit | edit source]A specialty of Norzagaray is pork knuckle (crispy pata)
- 1 JL Jamie's Crispy Pata and Restaurant, A. Payumo Street, Poblacion (at the back of Mang Inasal), ☏ +63 906 882 3657, toll-free: +63 44 815 8108. 7AM-8PM. ₱400–1,600.
- 2 Apple's Kitchen, Norzagaray Crossing. A restaurant also serving square pizza.
- 3 The Farmhouse Cafe, 555 J&J Subdivision, Partida, ☏ +63 995 826 4572, thefarmhousebulacan@gmail.com.
Drink
[edit | edit source]Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 Adventure Resort, Sitio Gulod, Norzagaray-San Jose Road, Tigbe, ☏ +63 947 615 2231, bert.guballa@gmail.com. A resort with swimming pools and a large replica of the Eiffel Tower.
- 2 Tito Renz Norzagaray Resort and Restaurant, Quirino Highway, Sitio Bulalo, Bitungol, ☏ +63 977 246 8920, titorenznorzagaray@gmail.com.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Norzagaray |
| Baliwag ← Angat ← | N  S | → San Jose del Monte → Balintawak |