page_title: Valenzuela, Metro Manila
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Valenzuela, Metro Manila / Geography
caption_attribution_description: The raw satellite imagery shown in these images was obtain from NASA and/or the US Geological Survey. Post-processing and production by http://www.terraprints.com
context_page_description: Valenzuela, officially the City of Valenzuela, is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 620,422 people.
  It is the 13th most populous city in the country and is located about 14 kilometres north of Manila, the nation's capital. Valenzuela is categorized under Republic Act Nos. 7160 and 8526 as a highly urbanized, first-class city based on income classification and number of population. A landlocked chartered city located on the island of Luzon, it is bordered by the province of Bulacan, and cities of Caloocan, Malabon and Quezon City. Valenzuela shares border and access to Tenejeros-Tullahan River with Malabon. It has a total land area of 45.75 square kilometers, where its residents are composed of about 72% Tagalog people followed by 5% Bicolanos with a small percentage of foreign nationals.
  Valenzuela was named after Pío Valenzuela, a physician and a member of the Katipunan, a secret society founded against the colonial government of Spain. The city, as a town, was originally called as Polo, initially formed in 1621 after separation from Meycauayan, Bulacan.
context_section_description: Valenzuela is located at 14°40′58″N 120°58′1″E and is about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of country's capital, Manila. Manila Bay, the country's top port for trade and industry is located about 16.3 kilometres (10.1 mi) west of the city. Valenzuela is bordered in the north by the town of Obando and the city of Meycauayan in Bulacan, the city of Navotas in the west, Malabon in the south, and Quezon City and northern portion of Caloocan in the east.
  The highest elevation point is 38 metres (125 ft) above sea level. Having a surface gradient of 0.55% and a gentle slope, hilly landscape is located in the industrial section of the city in Canumay. The average elevation point is 2 metres (6.6 ft) above sea level.
  Apart from the political borders set by the law, Valenzuela and Malabon is also separated by the 15-kilometer Tenejeros-Tullahan River or simply Tullahan River.  The river obtained its name from tulya or clam due to the abundance of such shellfish in the area. Tullahan is a part of the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando river system of central Luzon. It is now considered biologically dead and one of the dirtiest river system in the world.  Tullahan riverbanks used to be lined with mangrove trees and rich with freshwater fish and crabs. Children used to play in the river before it was polluted by developing industries near it.
  In an effort to save the river, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the local governments of Valenzuela and Malabon signed partnerships with private and non-government organizations to dredge the area.
  Increased climate variability, that is associated with global warming, has brought with it periods of heavy rainfall and high tides which in turn results in stagnant water which can stay in the area for up to 4 weeks due to insufficient drainage and improper solid waste disposal. People are often stranded inside their homes and are exposed to water-borne diseases such as dengue and leptospirosis. Better early warning systems are needed to manage the risk associated with increased rainfall.
caption: Satellite image of Valenzuela.
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