Obando

Obando is a town in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. Physically separated from the province by an arm of Manila Bay and an extensive river delta system, it is often treated as a suburb of Metro Manila.

Originally part of Meycauayan, Obando was established on a spit jutting out into Manila Bay and the estuaries of the Marilao, Meycauayan and Obando Rivers. Obando was frequently embroiled in boundary disputes with its neighboring towns and cities such as Meycauayan, Malabon, Navotas and Polo (now Valenzuela), resulting in its thin yet elongated appearance. In 1975, Valenzuela became part of Metro Manila, physically cutting Obando off from the rest of Bulacan. As a result of this, Obando has largely been consumed by the capital's urban sprawl, although vestiges of its rural beginnings can be seen in its fishport and the fishponds that line its shores.

Obando is best known in the Filipino psyche as the site of the Obando Fertility Rites, a series of rituals featuring dances with syncretic origins centered around the town's Roman Catholic church that is dedicated to three patron saints. Childless couples from across the country flock to the church to perform the dance in the hope of finally getting their offspring.

According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 59,978 people.

Having been physically separated from Bulacan, the main access to Obando is from Metro Manila, particularly from Malabon and Valenzuela. A jeepney connects Obando with Monumento, a major transportation hub in Caloocan. The terminal is at the back of Victory Mall. The jeepneys have Paco, at the end of the Obando spit, as their terminus. Fares from Monumento to Obando Church cost P24.

There are also passenger vans to Obando from SM North EDSA in Quezon City. Obando is also accessible by taxi and Grab from Metro Manila, although some drivers may be reluctant to take you there due to the town's narrow streets and periodic flooding.

JP Rizal Street, a narrow two-lane causeway over Manila Bay, connects Obando with Bulakan, but involves crossing over the estuaries of the Bocaue, Marilao and Meycauayan Rivers into Manila Bay with no rest stops or fuel stations or even guardrails in some parts. Parts of the causeway also become submerged during high tide, even during summer, or typhoons. Upon entering mainland Obando, the causeway becomes Paliwas Road, which becomes Obando's main thoroughfare and runs through the town as JP Rizal Street and later Flamengco Street before entering Metro Manila as Panghulo Road in Malabon. The causeway is traversed by jeepneys connecting Obando with Bulakan, with a fare to Obando Church, where there is a makeshift terminal in front, costing P35.

Map of Obando

Tricycles are the main form of transportation between barangays.

• 14.710556120.9370281 Obando Church (San Pascual Baylón Parish and National Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Immaculada Concepción de Salambáo), J.P. Rizal St., Pag-Asa. 7AM-12NN Su for museum. Obando's main Roman Catholic church, rebuilt in its original Spanish-era design following World War II destruction. Unlike most churches, it is dedicated to three patron saints, namely St. Pascual Baylon, St. Claire of Assisi and the indigenous Our Lady of Salambao. The Obando Fertility Rites is performed on Sundays following the 8AM Mass and the feast day of Our Lady of Salambao on May 19. There is also an ecclesiastical museum.  (updated May 2026)

• Obando Fertility Rites (Sayaw sa Obando). May 17-19. Literally meaning "Dance in Obando", the practice is believed to have been a hispanicized version of a precolonial fertility ritual whose subject of veneration was transferred from animist deities to the patron saints of Obando Church. The practice was discouraged and even banned by clergy on multiple occasions due to its syncretic origins, but has since been accepted by the church as an integral aspect of Catholic faith in town. The ritual is commonly celebrated on Sundays, but its biggest edition is on the feast days of Obando's three patron saints in May, during which pilgrims seeking to bear children flock to the church while massive processions are held in the streets to the tune of a theme song dedicated to Saint Clare, which is also a popular children's song in the Philippines. (updated Apr 2026)

• 14.70571120.9412861 Puregold Obando, Plaridel corner Kapitan Vililla Streets, Catanghalan.  (updated Apr 2026)
• 14.712018120.9350732 NOVO Obando, J.P. Rizal Street, Paliwas.  (updated Apr 2026)
• 14.712274120.9340523 Massway Supermarket, ONHS Street, Paliwas.  (updated Apr 2026)

Unlike the rest of Bulacan, Obando shares the industrial and urban blight of neighboring cities in Metro Manila such as Valenzuela and is not one's idea of a picturesque tourist spot. Precautions should be taken for petty theft and muggings, especially at night.

A low-lying town, Obando frequently gets flooded during the rainy season, which can be exacerbated during typhoons and high tide from Manila Bay. The town is vulnerable to large fires made worse by the densely crowded cityscape.

Due to chronic flooding, medication against leptospirosis (a disease carried by rat urine) is necessary after wading into floodwaters. Owing to its proximity to Metro Manila and the accompanying suburban industrialization, Obando also suffers from air pollution.

• Bulakan
• Meycauayan
• Marilao
• Valenzuela
• Malabon
• Navotas
• Caloocan