Pio valenzuela biography of martin

During its long, colorful history, the area where the present-day Valenzuela City is located was considered a flourishing agricultural and fishing town. It is part of a huge land area that also include parts of present-day Quezon City, Novaliches and Obando, Bulacan, which was named Polo during the Spanish era.

Polo is derived from the Tagalog word "pulo," which means "island." Several bodies of water bound the area - the Tullahan River, which connects to the Pasig River, on the south, and a number of connecting rivers, including the Rio Grande de Pampanga, on the north. Because of the fact that these rivers surrounded the area, early inhabitants considered it as a separate island or "pulo" that was later changed to the more Hispanic "polo" during the Spanish rule.

These first settlers have long resisted Spanish rule. Polo natives joined a series of epic battles against the Spanish forces led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who were dead set on conquering Rajah Sulayman's Maynila kingdom, which also covered Polo, Tambobong (now Malabon City), and the mountains of San Mateo. Sulayman, who enlisted local warriors and seafarers from his kingdom and neighboring Bulacan province, engaged the Spaniards, led by Legazpi's nephew Martin de Goiti, in the infamous Battle of Bangkusay on June 3, Sulayman's forces were vanquished, with the Maynila king killed in battle. After destroying Sulayman's army and forging friendly ties with Rajah Lakandula, the Spaniards captured Maynila and the neighboring towns, including Polo. The vast sitio was then incorporated into the township of Catangalan (now Meycauayan) in the Bulacan alcaldia (local government).

Seventeen years later, local leaders plotted what was considered as the first revolution against Spain. In , the Catangalan cabeza de barangay, Tassi Bassi, and Polo chief Felipe Salonga, joined the revolutionary forces led by Magat Salamat in what was considered as the "Tondo Conspiracy of the Mahar

The mayor of Valenzuela (Filipino: Punong Lungsod ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela), a highly urbanized city in northern Metro Manila, Philippines, is the official head and chief executive of Valenzuela. He leads on enforcing city ordinances and improving public services. The mayor has a term of office of three years, but has a maximum electoral tenure of three consecutive terms. Inaugural holder of the office was Pío Valenzuela (–), served from to , for whom the city was named.

During the Spanish colonial period, the town that composed of what is now Valenzuela, called before as Polo, was ruled by a gobernadorcillo appointed through an exclusive nomination provided by the Spanish law. Later in the American period, first mayor Pío Valenzuela was appointed as its first municipal president until his resignation in Since then, municipal presidents are elected by a popular vote.

The current Constitution of the Philippines and the City Charter of defined the position, powers and responsibilities of the mayor.

List of mayors

Town of Polo, Bulacan (–)

Municipality of Polo, Bulacan (–)