Arterial Road Bypass Project (ARBP) (DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS)
Considered as one of the fast-growing municipalities in Bulacan, Plaridel offers a strategic location for those who want to take advantage of Central Luzon’s thriving economy.
Categorized as a first class municipality, Plaridel experienced and benefitted from the rapid urban population growth of Bulacan as more people moved and settled in developing towns outside Metro Manila. This was manifested by the swelling of settlements in terms of large scale subdivisions and housing developments in Plaridel over the last several years.
Aside from Metro Manila, Plaridel is also accessible to other key centers of Central Luzon like Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, and Aurora.
Within Bulacan, nearby towns are Pulilan and Baliuag in the north; the municipalities of Bustos and Pandi in the east, Balagtas, Guiguinto, and Malolos in the south, and Calumpit in the west.
As the population in the municipality grew, the economic activities and social services like tertiary educational institutions and hospitals had to keep up as well.
At present, Plaridel is considered among the large towns of Bulacan, in terms of population and business activities, that operate as centers for commercial and industrial establishments.
Over the years, Plaridel consistently earned merits for its thriving economy and growth. (JUDGEFLORO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Plaridel is an agricultural, commercial, and industrial town. A great part of the municipality is allotted as agricultural land. Aside from rice, which is the main crop of Plaridel, it also has plantations for mango, eggplants, and tomatoes. The municipality also utilizes its land for livestock, particularly cattle farms, and poultry raising.
Other major industries in Plaridel also include garments manufacturing and food processing. The municipality also houses different logistics businesses like transportation and warehousing.
Thriving economy
Over the years, Plaridel consistently earned merits for its thriving economy and growth.
In October 2019, the municipality of Plaridel was among the top cities and towns in Central Luzon recognized for being among the country’s most competitive local government units (LGUs) during the 7th Regional Competitiveness Summit.
Plaridel ranked first in the Pillar of Economic Dynamism and was also first in the Most Improved LGUs award for those among the first and second class municipalities category.
Plaridel has an abundant historical past that traces back to Spanish colonization. The municipality itself was named in honor of one of the great heroes of Bulacan, Marcelo H. del Pilar.
Cultural tourism
The municipality is home to some historically important sites for locals and tourists to visit. The local products of Plaridel like bags, furniture, and food also contribute to its cultural tourism.
Aside from cultural tourism, the municipality also offers health and wellness tourism as evident in the proliferation of different kinds of resorts and vacation facilities in Plaridel.
The municipality is home to some historic sites for locals and
tourists to visit. (JOELALDOR VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Together with competitive governance and innovation of the people in Plaridel, infrastructure building by the national government also contributed greatly to the municipality’s growth.
Infrastructure
The completion and opening to motorists of the initial phase of the Plaridel Bypass Road project in 2012 saw the mushrooming of businesses along the road that passes through the different towns of Bulacan, primarily in Plaridel.
Accessibility brought by this major thoroughfare prompted investors to procure lands along the road and build business establishments. This translated to job opportunities for residents in the areas and economic activities for even the sleepy villages of the municipality.
In 2018, the next phase of the bypass road was completed and made traversing from one municipality to another in Bulacan easier and faster. It also made travel to and from Metro Manila faster. The additional phase also covered a wider range of areas, earning more business activities and adding potential markets for economic development in the province of Bulacan.
On Oct. 9, 2023, the Department of Public Works and Highways opened to motorists two westbound lanes of the P5.26-billion Arterial Road Bypass Project (ARBP). The entire ARBP covers a total of 24.61 km running through five Bulacan towns—Balagtas, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Bustos, and San Rafael—and involves expanding the existing two-lane road of the Plaridel Bypass into four lanes to ease traffic congestion.
Investor-friendly
The investor-friendly environment, accessibility, and growing potential of the municipality have made it an attractive location for many businesses.
In December 2022, property giant Ayala Land Inc. unveiled its 49th estate venture, the sprawling Crossroads project in Plaridel, Bulacan, which will be backed by an initial P5.2-billion investment.
Crossroads is an 83-ha integrated mixed-use masterplanned estate development in the fast-growing municipality that is considered a gateway to provinces north of Metro Manila.
Crossroads is Ayala Land’s 83-ha masterplanned estate in Plaridel.
The project will rise at the junction of the Plaridel bypass and access road, near the North Luzon Expressway’s Balagtas exit. It is a 20-minute drive to Malolos City and the Philippine National Railways’ Balagtas station, and a 40-minute drive to the proposed New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan.
Sources: Inquirer Archives, PNA, bulacan.gov.ph, coa.gov.ph, plaridelbulacanlgu.ph, region3.dilg.gov.ph