The name ""Bulakan"" is derived from the Tagalog word ""bulak"", which means ""cotton"". The Spaniards named the town Bulacan due to the abundance of cotton plants growing in the region. The town is one of the oldest in the country. The Augustinians founded the town in 1572 and dedicated it under the patronage of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in 1578. According to local, records Father Agustin del Alburqueque, OSA is the first priest and founder of the town of Bulakan.