Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 1,712,945 people, making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloocan is divided into two geographical locations with a total combined area of , a result of the 1949 expansion of Quezon City, which absorbed much of its territory. It was formerly part of the Province of Rizal in southern Luzon. It comprises what is known as the CAMANAVA area along with the cities of Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela.
South Caloocan is bordered by Manila, Quezon City, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela. The presence of commercial and industrial activities combined with residential areas make it a highly urbanized central business district and a major urban center in the Northern District of Metropolitan Manila. North Caloocan shares its border with Quezon City and Valenzuela, Marilao, Meycauayan and San Jose del Monte in the province of Bulacan, and Rodriguez in the province of Rizal. It is composed of mostly residential subdivisions and extensive resettlement areas with scattered distribution of industrial estates mostly within road transit points and intersections. and sulok meaning "corner" as suggested by its location between the ends of the present-day Malabon and Tondo, Manila, and kaloók-lookan (or kaloób-looban) meaning "innermost area". Although confusion persists, the general inclination in the city is towards "Caloocan," as evidenced by the official logo and favored by many barangays, schools, and newspapers. However, some entities, like the Directories of the Philippines Corporation, prefer the spelling "Kalookan."
History
left|thumb|The ammunition train and reserves of the 20th Kansas Volunteers, Col. Frederick R. Funston, marching through Caloocan at night after the battle of February 10.
Spanish colonial era
Originally, Caloocan was the area where the old town of Tondo and Tambobong met, located along the shores of Dagát-Dagatan, a crescent-shaped inland lagoon to the west. The settlement along the shore was known as "Aromahan", or "Espina" to the Spaniards, and separated from Manila Bay by a narrow ridge from Tondo towards an opening in Kinabutasan leading to the sea.
By the late 1700s, the fishermen of Aromahan have expanded towards a hill east of Dagat-Dagatan. This naturally stony hill was called "Kaloogan", meaning "interior territory." With Aromahan relegated to the periphery, this hilltop area was also settled by oppressed people from Tondo, becoming the new center of the community by 1802. To the east was a vast stretch of cogon-covered land. Eventually called "Kalaanan", meaning "flat grassland" in old Tagalog, this area is now generally known as Grace Park. The local government building was set up on the relatively well-settled portion just above Libis Espina. The old Aromahan chapel was finally abandoned and a new church was built facing the municipal hall. To escape the Spanish authorities, many from the area abandoned the town proper and sought refuge in the grasslands of Balintawak and Pugad-Lawin, in which the people fought the landlords of Hacienda de Maysilo for terrestrial rights, which went on for almost a hundred years.
The Philippine revolution
Caloocan is historically significant because it was the center of activities for the Katipunan, the secret militant society that launched the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire. In a house in Caloocan, secret meetings were held by Andrés Bonifacio and his men, and it was in the city's perimeters where the first armed encounter took place between the Katipunan and the Spaniards. The revolution erupted after the "Cry of Balintawak" led by Bonifacio against Spain on August 30, 1896.
American invasion era
thumb|left|Aerial view of Caloocan, 1938
In 1899, the people of Caloocan showed resistance to coming to terms with the Americans, who were bent on extending their supremacy over the country. The men of Caloocan fought the new invaders on February 23, 1899, however victory eluded the local troops on the pretext of Antonio Luna's rift with Emilio Aguinaldo's loyalists. Due to the consolidation of several municipalities in 1903, Novaliches, then an independent municipality, became part of Caloocan pursuant to Act No. 942, as amended by Act Nos. 984 and 1008 of the Philippine Commission.
Japanese occupation era
In 1942, Caloocan was one of the municipalities of Rizal merged alongside Manila and Quezon City to form the City of Greater Manila as an emergency measure by President Manuel L. Quezon. It regained its pre-war status as a municipality of Rizal when the City of Greater Manila was dissolved effective August 1, 1945.
Cityhood
thumb|left|The old Caloocan City Hall in Poblacion district was the seat of local government for Caloocan from 1952 to 2017.
In 1961, after Republic Act No. 3278 was approved by the Philippine Congress, a plebiscite was conducted.
Territorial changes
upright=1.35|thumb|Territorial changes of Caloocan.<br/> Existing territorial boundaries<br/> Detached by Commonwealth Act No. 502 (1939)<br/> Detached by Republic Act No. 392 (1949)
Caloocan once encompassed a much larger, contiguous area. The districts of Balintawak, La Loma and Novaliches were once part of Caloocan. Balintawak is a historic district because it was the original site of the "Cry of Pugad Lawin" (Unang Sigaw sa Balintawak) at a location called "Kang-kong" near Tandang Sora's house. Novaliches was an expansive sector with some hillsides that served as meeting places and hideouts for Andrés Bonifacio and the Katipunan.
During the American occupation, there was a consolidation of several municipalities. Caloocan annexed the neighboring town of Novaliches on October 12, 1903, as stated in the Act No. 942 of the Philippine Commission, bringing its total area to about . When Commonwealth Act No. 502 created Quezon City in 1939, Caloocan ceded 1,500 hectares of land from the barrios or sitios of Bagubantay (Bago Bantay), Balintauac (Balintawák), Balingasa, Kaingin, Kangkong (present-day Apolonio Samson), La Loma, Malamig, Matalahib (present-day Santo Domingo), Masambong, Galas, San Isidro, San José, Santol and Tatalon. Instead of opposing the transfer, Caloocan residents willingly gave the land in the belief it will benefit the country's new capital city.
However, in 1949, Congress passed Republic Act No. 392, which redefined the Caloocan–Quezon City boundary. The barrios of Baesa, Sangandaan, Talipapâ, San Bartolomé, Pasong Tamó, Novaliches Proper (poblacion), Banlat (present-day Tandang Sora), Kabuyao, Pugad Lawin, Bagbag, Pasong Putik, which once belonged to Novaliches and had an area of about , were excised from Caloocan. The remaining portion of the Novaliches is now called North Caloocan. This split Caloocan into two parts: a more urbanized southern section and a suburban-rural northern section, which is part of Novaliches.
In 1957, the sitio of Bagbaguin was separated from the barrio of Caybiga (Kaybiga) and converted into a distinct barrio known as Barrio Bagbaguin.
Reorganization attempts
Issues concerning budget and handling village governments led to attempts to restructure the city's barangays since late 1980s. A plebiscite was held on March 10; with a turnout of only 10% majority of the participated voters reportedly opposed the proposal.
On the other hand, residents of Bagong Silang (Barangay 176), then the country's most populous barangay and was used as a relocation site for informal settlers, appealed the partition of the barangay since 2013. On April 3, 2024, President Bongbong Marcos signed RA No. 11993 which would divide the village into six. This was ratified by the majority of voters in a plebiscite held on August 31.
Philippine drug war
{| class="floatright" style="padding: 1em; border-spacing: 1px; border: 1px solid darkgray; background-color: #F8F9FA; width:25em; font-size: 90%"
|-
! style="text-align: left;" | Police chief
! style="text-align: left;" | Date of assignment <!-- or "Character" -->
|-
| Bartolome R. Bustamante
| November 4, 2014
|-
| Johnson C. Almazan
| July 2016
|-
| Chito G. Bersaluna
| February 2017
|-
| Jemar D. Modequillo
| September 4, 2017
|-
| Restituto B. Arcangel
| March 27, 2018
|-
| Noel R. Flores
| May 30, 2019
|-
| Dario M. Menor
| February 7, 2020
|-
| Samuel V. Mina Jr.
| October 23, 2020
|}
Throughout Oscar Malapitan's mayorship from 2013 to 2022, he regularly boasted of a decreased crime rate in Caloocan. However, the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) noted in 2020 that Malapitan's mayorship was characterized with a passivity towards President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs during its first year (2016–2017), with Malapitan asking the local branch of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to take charge of crime control and work vigorously against illegal drugs, which PRIF claimed to have "resulted in a huge spike of deadly police violence" and "excessive levels of vigilantism" during this period. Many of the high-profile incidents in Duterte's national drug war occurred in Caloocan, including the murders of Luis Bonifacio and his son Gabriel in 2016, the murder of jeepney driver Michael Lee in March 2017, and the murders of Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman in August 2017. Barangay 188, known to be a long-time hotspot for illegal drugs, saw its barangay captain Edres Domato, alleged to be connected to the drug trade, assassinated by motorcycle-riding gunmen on June 25, 2016, one of the earliest casualties in the drug war; all but one councilor of the barangay were eventually assassinated. City councilors were also discouraged from attending the wakes of drug war victims and providing burial assistance to their families. it has since been deemed the country's first organized resistance effort by residents affected by the national drug war. Caloocan also passed Ordinance No. 702, sponsored by councilors Mercado, Onet Henson and Alou Nubla, in early September that implemented a new curfew for minors (from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and placed the liability on their parents in response to the police murders of delos Santos, Arnaiz and de Guzman. By mid-September, Caloocan's entire police force was relieved from duty by PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, despite it receiving the award for Metro Manila's Best City Police Station from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) a month earlier; only newly assigned police chief Jemar Modequillo and his administration deputy were retained. Although Modequillo attempted to instill discipline in the city's police force and reduce the number of deaths in police operations in the months after his assignment, he was characterized by his support for Duterte's drug war and observance of his mandate.
In March 2018, a spate of drive-by shootings perpetrated by pairs of motorcyclists, locally known as "riding-in-tandem", occurred in the city. By next month, councilors Mercado, Nubla and PJ Malonzo proposed an ordinance that would ban motorcycle-riding male tandems, but upon the protest of motorcycle clubs, however, mayor Malapitan stated that changes will first be made to the proposed ordinance before he signs it into law.
On May 1, 2024, a columbarium named Dambana ng Paghilom () was inaugurated in La Loma Cemetery to serve as a memorial for the victims of the Philippine drug war.
Geography
Caloocan is divided into two non-contiguous areas with a total combined area of . South Caloocan, with an area of , is bordered on the south by Manila, on the east by Quezon City, on the west by Navotas, on the north-northwest by Malabon, and on the north by Valenzuela. North Caloocan, with an area of , shares its border on the south-southeast by Quezon City, on the southwest by Valenzuela, on the north by Marilao, Meycauayan and San Jose del Monte in the province of Bulacan, and on the northeast by Rodriguez in the province of Rizal.
North Caloocan is characterized by gently to steeply undulating to rolling topography with slopes ranging from 3–18%, mostly seen in the northern and central portion, gradually transforming into a southward trend of flat lands down to the southwestern tip of the boundary. Being accessible to major roads, many industrial and residential subdivisions have been developed on this near-level land.
| date = May 13, 2020
Barangays
Currently, Caloocan has 193 barangays divided into 3 legislative districts. The 1st District is composed of 64 barangays, which include Barangays 1 to 4, 77 to 85, 132 to 164 in South Caloocan and Barangays 165 to 177 in North Caloocan. The 2nd District is composed of 118 barangays, which include Barangays 5 to 76 and 86 to 131, all in South Caloocan. 3rd District, which was created in 2021, includes 11 barangays in North Caloocan that were formerly part of the 1st District, which include Barangays 178 to 188. Finally, a plebiscite held on August 31, 2024, resulted in the division of Bagong Silang into six distinct barangays: 176-A, 176-B, 176-C, 176-D, 176-E, and 176-F.
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" width=80%
!style="background: orange" colspan=3 align="center" |Caloocan (South)
|-
!scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Barangay
!scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| District
!scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Area/Name
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 1
|-
| Barangay 1 ||rowspan="4"| 1st ||rowspan="7"| Sangandaan
|-
| Barangay 2
|-
| Barangay 3
|-
| Barangay 4
|-
| Barangay 5 ||rowspan="8"| 2nd
|-
| Barangay 6
|-
| Barangay 7
|-
| Barangay 8 || Dagat-Dagatan
|-
| Barangay 9 ||rowspan="3"| Poblacion
|-
| Barangay 10
|-
| Barangay 11
|-
| Barangay 12 || Dagat-Dagatan
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 2
|-
| Barangay 13 ||rowspan="12"| 2nd || Poblacion
|-
| Barangay 14 || Dagat-Dagatan
|-
| Barangay 15 ||rowspan="5"| Poblacion
|-
| Barangay 16
|-
| Barangay 17
|-
| Barangay 18
|-
| Barangay 19
|-
| Barangay 20 ||rowspan="5"| Kaunlaran Village (C-3 Road)
|-
| Barangay 21
|-
| Barangay 22
|-
| Barangay 23
|-
| Barangay 24
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 3
|-
| Barangay 25 ||rowspan="11"| 2nd ||rowspan="3"| Maypajo
|-
| Barangay 26
|-
| Barangay 27
|-
| Barangay 28 || Dagat-Dagatan
|-
| Barangay 29 ||rowspan="7"| Maypajo
|-
| Barangay 30
|-
| Barangay 31
|-
| Barangay 32
|-
| Barangay 33
|-
| Barangay 34
|-
| Barangay 35
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 4
|-
| Barangay 36 ||rowspan="13"| 2nd ||rowspan="2"| Marulas
|-
| Barangay 37
|-
| Barangay 38 ||rowspan="5"| Grace Park West
|-
| Barangay 39
|-
| Barangay 40
|-
| Barangay 41
|-
| Barangay 42
|-
| Barangay 43 ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park West (3rd Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 44
|-
| Barangay 45
|-
| Barangay 46 ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park West (4th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 47
|-
| Barangay 48
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 5
|-
| Barangay 49 ||rowspan="10"| 2nd ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park West (5th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 50
|-
| Barangay 51
|-
| Barangay 52 ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park West (7th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 53
|-
| Barangay 54
|-
| Barangay 55 || Grace Park West (6th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 56 ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park West (8th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 57
|-
| Barangay 58
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 6
|-
| Barangay 59 ||rowspan="12"| 2nd ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park West (8th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 60
|-
| Barangay 61
|-
| Barangay 62 ||rowspan="7"| Grace Park West (10th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 63
|-
| Barangay 64
|-
| Barangay 65
|-
| Barangay 66
|-
| Barangay 67
|-
| Barangay 68
|-
| Barangay 69 ||rowspan="2"| Grace Park West
|-
| Barangay 70
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 7
|-
| Barangay 71 ||rowspan="6"| 2nd || Grace Park West
|-
| Barangay 72 || Grace Park West (Victory Compound)
|-
| Barangay 73 || Grace Park West (PNR Compound)
|-
| Barangay 74 ||rowspan="2"| Grace Park West (Heroes Del 96)
|-
| Barangay 75
|-
| Barangay 76 || Grace Park West (Monumento)
|-
| Barangay 77 ||rowspan="4"| 1st || University Hills (Samson Road)
|-
| Barangay 78 || University Hills (Monumento)
|-
| Barangay 79 || University Hills (Caimito Road)
|-
| Barangay 80 || University Hills (UE Caloocan)
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 8
|-
| Barangay 81 ||rowspan="5"| 1st ||rowspan="3"| Morning Breeze Subdivision
|-
| Barangay 82
|-
| Barangay 83
|-
| Barangay 84 || Morning Breeze Subdivision (MCU)
|-
| Barangay 85 || Morning Breeze Subdivision
|-
| Barangay 86 ||rowspan="8"| 2nd ||rowspan="2"| Grace Park East (EDSA)
|-
| Barangay 87
|-
| Barangay 88 ||rowspan="4"| Grace Park East (11th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 89
|-
| Barangay 90
|-
| Barangay 91
|-
| Barangay 92 || Grace Park East, Madre Ignacia
|-
| Barangay 93 || Grace Park East
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 9
|-
| Barangay 94 ||rowspan="12"| 2nd || Grace Park East (Biglang-Awa)
|-
| Barangay 95 || Balintawak
|-
| Barangay 96 || Grace Park East (EDSA)
|-
| Barangay 97 ||rowspan="2"| Grace Park East (11th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 98
|-
| Barangay 99 || Balintawak (Dorotea Compound)
|-
| Barangay 100 || Grace Park East (11th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 101 || Grace Park East (Barrio Galino)
|-
| Barangay 102 || Grace Park East (9th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 103 || rowspan = 3| Grace Park East (8th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 104
|-
| Barangay 105
|-
!colspan="3" align="center"| Zone 10
|-
| Barangay 106 ||rowspan="15"| 2nd ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park East (10th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 107
|-
| Barangay 108
|-
| Barangay 109 || Grace Park East (8th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 110 ||rowspan="3"| Grace Park East (7th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 111
|-
| Barangay 112
|-
| Barangay 113 ||rowspan="4"| Grace Park East (6th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 114
|-
| Barangay 115
|-
| Barangay 116
|-
| Barangay 117 || Grace Park East (5th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 118 || Grace Park East (La Loma Cemetery)
|-
| Barangay 119 || Grace Park East (4th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 120 || Grace Park East (2nd Avenue)
|-
! colspan=3 align="center" |Zone 11
|-
| Barangay 121 || rowspan = 11|2nd || rowspan = 2| Grace Park East (7th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 122
|-
| Barangay 123 || rowspan = 3| Grace Park East (5th Avenue)
|-
| Barangay 124
|-
| Barangay 125
|-
| Barangay 126 || rowspan = 6| Barrio San Jose
|-
| Barangay 127
|-
| Barangay 128
|-
| Barangay 129
|-
| Barangay 130
|-
| Barangay 131
|-
! colspan=3 align="center" |Zone 12
|-
| Barangay 132 || rowspan = 10|1st || rowspan = 10| Bagong Barrio West
|-
| Barangay 133
|-
| Barangay 134
|-
| Barangay 135
|-
| Barangay 136
|-
| Barangay 137
|-
| Barangay 138
|-
| Barangay 139
|-
| Barangay 140
|-
| Barangay 141
|-
! colspan=3 align="center" |Zone 13
|-
| Barangay 142 || rowspan = 14|1st || rowspan = 14| Bagong Barrio West
|-
| Barangay 143
|-
| Barangay 144
|-
| Barangay 145
|-
| Barangay 146
|-
| Barangay 147
|-
| Barangay 148
|-
| Barangay 149
|-
| Barangay 150
|-
| Barangay 151
|-
| Barangay 152
|-
| Barangay 153
|-
| Barangay 154
|-
| Barangay 155
|-
! colspan=3 align="center" |Zone 14
|-
| Barangay 156 || rowspan = 9|1st || rowspan = 2| Bagong Barrio East
|-
| Barangay 157
|-
| Barangay 158 || Libis Baesa (Eternal Gardens Memorial Park)
|-
| Barangay 159 || rowspan = 2 | Libis Baesa
|-
| Barangay 160
|-
| Barangay 161 || Libis Reparo
|-
| Barangay 162 || rowspan = 2| Santa Quiteria
|-
| Barangay 163
|-
| Barangay 164 || Talipapa
|}
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" width=80%
!style="background: green" colspan=3 align="center" |Caloocan (North)
|-
!scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Barangay
!scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| District
!scope="col" style="width: 50px;"| Area/Name
Its dispute with Quezon City revolves around the latter's Barangay Baesa. There are also boundary discrepancies along Andres Bonifacio Avenue near Manila North Cemetery and Caloocan's Barrio San Jose.
Its dispute with Malabon involves Caloocan’s Barangays 160 and 161 in Libis Baesa, which both cities claim as within their jurisdiction. In 2025, the Supreme Court of the Philippines dismissed Caloocan’s petition questioning the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 9019 (Malabon City Charter), citing it as premature. Caloocan had argued that both barangays were included in its territory as part of Republic Act No. 3278 (Caloocan City Charter) and claimed that both barangays' residents had consistently voted in Caloocan's elections since 1961. The Court instead directed both cities to resolve the issue through procedures under the Local Government Code, starting with their respective city councils. Prior to this, in 2014, the city governments of Caloocan and Malabon signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop of disputed land located within Caloocan's Libis Baesa area and Malabon's Barangay Potrero. The MOU preempted any court decisions on the dispute that began in 2001, when Malabon, upon its conversion to a highly urbanized city, took control over lands formerly under Caloocan's jurisdiction.
Demographics
thumb|View of the residential area in Grace Park East
As of 2024, the city has a population of 1,712,945 people, which makes it the fourth largest city in the Philippines in terms of population. Under the same census year, Caloocan South (Barangays 1 to 164) was recorded as having a population of 602,818, and Caloocan North (Barangays 165 to 188) was recorded with a population of 1,110,127. If the two districts were treated as separate cities, they still would have been among the largest in the country as of the 2024 census year, ranking 5th and 17th respectively in terms of population.
The population density of Caloocan () surpasses that of the National Capital Region as a whole.
The 1st district of Caloocan was once the country's most populous legislative district, with 1.19 million persons as of 2015, prior to the creation of the 3rd district that was excised from it.
Language
Most residents speak Filipino (Tagalog) and English, with considerable numbers speaking other languages and dialects of the Philippines.
Religion
Like many other places in the country, Caloocan is predominantly Roman Catholic. It is home to the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan in its southern part, while its northern part is under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Novaliches. There is also a significant presence of Iglesia ni Cristo and other Protestant churches in the city.
<!-- Do not list all the churches or places of worship since Wikipedia is not a directory WP:DIRECTORY. -->
Economy
thumb|Malansing Market in Sangandaan
According to the Department of Trade and Industry's Cities & Municipalities Competitive Index, Caloocan has an economic dynamism of 20% as of 2024, ranking 15th among local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines.
Caloocan's 10th Avenue area is well known for its clusters of motorcycle dealers and motorcycle spare parts dealers. Among the major and famous streets are P. Zamora Street and A. Mabini Street.
thumb|999 Shopping Mall Caloocan
thumb|SM City Caloocan
The city also has a number of shopping malls and stand-alone supermarkets and hypermarkets. In the southern part are SM City Grand Central (on the former site of Ever Gotesco Grand Central), Puregold Monumento, Puregold Maypajo, Victory Central Mall, Araneta Square, Uniwide Warehouse Club Monumento, LRT Caloocan Mall, SM Hypermarket Monumento, SM Center Sangandaan, 999 Shopping Mall Caloocan, and Walter Mart Caloocan. On the other hand, in the northern part are Zabarte Town Center, Holiday Island Mall, Metroplaza Mall, Primark Town Center Deparo, Primark Town Center Brixton, and SM City Caloocan.
Factories and industrial areas have also been built in various parts of Caloocan. Manufacturers are concentrated in the northern part, particularly in Bagumbong, Kaybiga, Llano, and Tala, while plastic and steel industries are concentrated in the southern part. Tala hosts the Victoria Wave Special Economic Zone, a registered zone under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
NLEX Corporation, the concession holder of the North Luzon Expressway, is headquartered in Caloocan. The expressway's main section, NLEX Harbor Link, and NLEX Connector traverse through South Caloocan. Planned expressways such as the North Luzon East Expressway and North Access Link Expressway are slated to traverse Caloocan.
Government
Local government
Caloocan, like other cities of the Philippines, is a local government unit whose powers and functions are specified by the Local Government Code of the Philippines. In general, as a city, Caloocan is headed by a mayor who heads the city's executive function and the vice mayor who heads the city's legislative function, which is composed of eighteen councilors, six from each of the city's three city council districts. For representation, the city has three districts, and therefore three representatives, in the country's House of Representatives.
The current Caloocan City Hall, situated in Grace Park East, serves as the city's seat of government. Located in a rectangular lot between 8th and 9th Streets and 8th and 9th Avenues, it replaced the old city hall built in 1952 on A. Mabini Street, across from San Roque Cathedral-Parish, now occupied by 999 Shopping Mall Caloocan. The Caloocan City Hall North, situated in Camarin along Zapote Street, serves the northern part of the city. It is currently undergoing reconstruction since 2023.
Elected officials
{| class="wikitable"
|+ City officials of Caloocan (2025–2028)
!scope="col" style="text-align:center;"| Designation
!scope="col" style="text-align:center;"| First district
!scope="col" style="text-align:center;"| Second district
!scope="col" style="text-align:center;"| Third District
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| Representatives ||style="text-align:center;"| Oscar G. Malapitan<br />(Nacionalista)|| style="text-align:center;"| Edgar R. Erice<br />(Liberal) ||style="text-align:center;"| Dean Asistio<br />(Lakas)
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| Mayor ||colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Dale Gonzalo R. Malapitan<br />(Nacionalista)
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| Vice Mayor ||colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Anna Karina R. Teh-Limsico<br />(Nacionalista)
|-
|style="text-align:left;" rowspan="6"| Councilors ||style="text-align:center;"| Ray Christopher C. Adalem<br />(Nacionalista) ||style="text-align:center;"| Jose Lorenzo T. Almeda<br />(NUP)||style="text-align:center;"| Merwyn Lennon D.C. Abel<br />(Nacionalista)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Leah M. Bacolod<br />(Nacionalista) || James Kenneth A. Aruelo<br />(PDP) || Theresita M. Ceralde<br />(Nacionalista)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Alexander M. Caralde<br />(Nacionalista)|| Constalene Carmen N. Asistio<br />(Lakas) || Carliza May A. Del Rosario<br />(Nacionalista)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Orvince Howard A. Hernandez<br />(Nacionalista) || Carolyn C. Cunanan<br />(Nacionalista) || Kingjohn Ericson M. Echiverri<br />(Nacionalista)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Vincent Ryan R. Malapitan<br />(Nacionalista) || Alexander V. Mangasar<br />(Liberal) || Aurora A. Henson Jr.<br />(Nacionalista)
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Jacqueline Z. Nubla<br />(Aksyon) || Naomi Charmaine D. Quimpo<br />(Liberal) || Patrick L. Prado<br />(Nacionalista)
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| ABC President ||colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Vergel J. De Vera (Barangay 67, Grace Park West)
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| SK President ||colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| Bea C. Hedreyda (Barangay 35, Maypajo)
|}
List of mayors and vice mayors
Infrastructure
Transportation
thumb|The Balintawak Toll Barrier of the [[North Luzon Expressway|alt=A toll plaza]]
thumb|right|The northern terminus of [[Epifanio de los Santos Avenue|EDSA in Caloocan]]
thumb|A train of the LRT Line 1 serving the Monumento area
The LRT Line 1 has two stations in the southern part of the city, namely: Monumento and 5th Avenue. Philippine National Railways (PNR) also has a line, with its terminal at Samson Road, and passes through Caloocan railway station (the first railway station built in the city), 10th Avenue railway station, and 5th Avenue railway station. The currently under construction MRT Line 7 has also two under-construction stations located at the northern part of Caloocan, namely: Sacred Heart and Tala. The North–South Commuter Railway, another currently under construction rail transit system, will replace the existing PNR Metro Commuter Line and will have one station at Caloocan.
The city has an extensive network of roads, the most prominent being Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, which begins in the Monumento area. Quirino Highway, which connects Quezon City and eastern Bulacan, also traverses the northern part of Caloocan. The North Luzon Expressway's Operations and Maintenance Center and the motorway's Balintawak toll barrier are in the southern part of Caloocan. NLEX Harbor Link, its extension that connects it towards Navotas and Port of Manila, and the NLEX Connector project that connects Harbor Link with the City of Manila and Skyway also traverse Caloocan. The northern end of Skyway, which connects the North and South Luzon Expressways, is also found near NLEX's Balintawak toll plaza, with a possible connection to Northern Access Link Expressway, a future toll road to New Manila International Airport.
Bus line Victory Liner Incorporated has its headquarters and terminal along Rizal Avenue Extension near the Monumento station.
Landmarks
<!-- upright=1.15|thumb|Chapel of [[Pancras of Rome|St. Pancratius in La Loma Cemetery]] -->
thumb|Thai To Taoist Temple
The city's most celebrated landmark is the monument to the revolutionary Andrés Bonifacio, which stands on a roundabout where EDSA, MacArthur Highway, Samson Road, and Rizal Avenue Extension intersect. The memorial was erected in 1933 and consists of an obelisk with sculptures by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. The monument marks the very first battle of the Philippine Revolution on August 3, 1896. Recent renovations have been made on the environs of the monument, including the Bonifacio Circle, its former site, and the Caloocan stretch of EDSA, which is away from the landmark. The whole area is known as 'Monumento'.
Other sites of historical importance identified by the city government include a lot in P. Zamora Street where the wife of Katipunan leader Andrés Bonifacio once resided; the heritage house of Gertrudes Sevilla, the owner of which is the nephew of Gregoria de Jesús;
In addition, the Northern Police District is headquartered in Caloocan since 1993.
Education
thumb|Caloocan High School
The city's lone public university is the University of Caloocan City (formerly Caloocan City Community College in 1971 and Caloocan City Polytechnic College in 1975). Other educational institutions offering tertiary education include University of the East Caloocan, Manila Central University, La Consolacion College-Caloocan, and La Consolacion College – Novaliches, Access Computer College Caloocan, AMA Computer College-Caloocan, STI Academic Center Caloocan, among others.
The Schools Division Office (SDO) - Caloocan City oversees 89 public schools and a number of private schools within the city, up to secondary level. Notable public schools are Caloocan National Science and Technology High School (North Caloocan's first-ever science and technology high school), Caloocan City Science High School, Caloocan City Business High School, and Caloocan High School. Private institutions such as the Philippine Cultural College (Annex), Saint Benedict School of Novaliches, the Diocese of Kalookan's St. Gabriel Academy, St. Mary's Academy of Caloocan City, Notre Dame of Manila, and Santa Elena School of Novaliches are also located in the city.
Twin towns – sister cities
Local
- Calamba, Laguna
- Malabon, Metro Manila
- San Jose del Monte, Bulacan
International
- Incheon, South Korea
Gallery
<gallery widths="200" heights="150">
File:BonifacioMonumentjf9889 04.JPG|Bonifacio Monument
File:Shrine of Our Lady of Grace, Caloocan, June 2023.jpg|Shrine of Our Lady of Grace
File:Sto. Niño de Bagong Silang Church, Caloocan City, February 2022.jpg|Sto. Niño de Bagong Silang Church
9526Complex Caloocan City Hall Landmarks 21.jpg|View of Grace Park from the new city hall
File:Cccaloocanjf.JPG|View of Barangays 15 and 16 from the old city hall
File:Caloocan Judicial Complex, Dec 2023.jpg|Caloocan Judicial Complex
File:Ung Siu Si Buddhist Temple, Caloocan City, Mar 2024.jpg|Ung Siu Si Buddhist Temple
File:Streets Buildings of Caloocan 19.jpg|Schools Division Office of Caloocan
File:2Tala Caloocan City Buildings Church 16.jpg|Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Tala
File:9538Caloocan City Barangays Landmarks 17.jpg|Kalookan Cockpit Arena in Kaybiga
File:9848Caloocan City Barangays Landmarks 44.jpg|Glorieta Park
File:102Churches landmarks Buildings Camarin Area, Caloocan City 15.jpg|Caloocan City North Medical Center in Camarin
</gallery>
Notable people
- Bo Sanchez, roman catholic preacher
- Benjie Paras, actor and former basketball player
- Lani Cayetano, politician
- Antonio Trillanes, former Philippine naval officer and politician
- Gregoria de Jesús, acted as secretary of the women's section and also the custodian of the documents and seal of the Katipunan; she married Andrés Bonifacio
- Thomas Torres, basketball player
- Melchora Aquino, revolutionary; known as Tandang Sora
References
External links
- [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
- History of Caloocan, Philippines