Development Context of the City of Malolos
The City of Malolos, a coastal component city in the province of Bulacan, serves as the provincial capital. It has a total land area of 67.25 square kilometers (km2), which constitutes 2.42% of Bulacan’s total land area. Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) statistics, the city’s population is 261,189 individuals or 7.04% of the province’s total population in 2020. In addition, the terrain of Malolos is relatively flat, with a range of elevations from 0.81% to 2.17%. The highest elevation of land measures approximately six (6) meters above sea level, while the lowest point is only half a meter below sea level. The area has a complex network of natural waterways and rivers of varying sizes and significance, which flow through the landscape and discharge towards the south into Manila Bay.
In 2020, Republic Act No. 11506 (An Act Granting San Miguel Aerocity Inc. A Franchise to Construct, Develop, Establish, Operate, and Maintain a Domestic and International Airport in the Municipality of Bulakan, Province of Bulacan, and to Construct, Develop, Establish, Operate, and Maintain an Adjacent Airport City) provides for the approval to undertake an aviation project for a period of 50 years. The said policy has allowed the dredging and filling of land among others, which affected the surrounding communities including the City of Malolos.