Caloocan (pop. 1,661,584) is a city on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is situated just north of the city of Manila. Caloocan is part of the Manila metropolitan area, which in turn is part of the National Capital Region (NCR).
Caloocan is an important commercial, industrial, and educational center. The city has a number of small factories, textile mills, business establishments, schools, and government offices. The boundary between Caloocan and Manila is not very well defined. This is because the main street, Rizal Avenue and its extension, crosses the two cities. At one end of the avenue stands Caloocan’s outstanding landmark, a towering monument to the Philippine patriot Andrés Bonifacio.
In 1896, Bonifacio and about 1,000 followers assembled in Caloocan and declared war on Spain. Bonifacio was defeated, but the Filipinos eventually captured Caloocan from the Spaniards. In 1898, the Americans annexed and occupied the city. During World War II (1939-1945), the Japanese shelled and destroyed Caloocan. It was rebuilt after the war. It was chartered in 1961.
