No other place can beat the former town of Novaliches in terms of rapid population growth due to in-migration, or the movement of people from one place to another within the country.
Now, Novaliches is divided between two giant mother cities in Metro Manila – Quezon City and Caloocan City.
The Diocese of Novaliches, headed by Bishop Antonio G. Tobias, has reported in its website that the number of people in this former agricultural town has increased to over 2.5 million as of 2012 from just 110,000 in 1968.
This showed a dizzying population increase of more than 24 times in less than 50 years due to in-migration of people to Novaliches from the different parts of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Such increase has been attributed to the development of nearly all its rice fields and other idle lands into subdivisions and housing projects. Another factor is the proliferation of factories and other manufacturing establishments in the area, which naturally attracts thousands of workers from other regions.
It is estimated that at present, less than one-fifth of the total Novaliches population comprises the so-called native-born residents, or those who are descendants of the original dwellers of the place.
