Many people died, further decimating the town, which has suffered from a cholera epidemic and nearly wiped out the population 20 years before.

The MacArthur Highway bisects the municipality of Balagtas as this national road cuts northward to the Cagayan Valley.

The river, navigable by banca and motor boats, empties into Manila bay after snaking through the town of Bulacan to the West which provides Balagtas' townsfolk with fish, shrimp, and other fresh water food.

In front of the town hall is a park where the monument of its hero, Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar is located.

Two hundred meters from the municipal hall is the barrio of Panginay, the birthplace of Francisco Balagtas, for whom also "Balagtasan", a form of debate in versified Tagalog, was named.

In reverence to the hero's deeds, the official name of Bigaa was changed to Balagtas through the legislative act sponsored by then Congressman, Teodulo Natividad.

Poverty incidence of Balagtas Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] 2022-2025 Municipal Officials: Tertiary: Secondary: Elementary (Public):