▁the ▁public ▁market ▁has ▁significantly ▁changed ▁the ▁mode ▁of ▁economy ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁ ▁B ali u ag ▁is ▁the ▁major ▁commerce , ▁transport ation , ▁entertain ment ▁and ▁educational ▁center ▁of ▁Northern ▁Bul ac an . ▁With ▁the ▁continuous ▁expansion ▁of ▁Metro ▁Man ila , ▁the ▁municipality ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁Man ila ' s ▁built ▁up ▁area ▁which ▁reaches ▁San ▁Il def onso ▁in ▁its ▁northern most ▁part . ▁ ▁History ▁Fr . ▁Jo aqu ín ▁Martínez ▁de ▁Z ú ñ iga , ▁OS A , ▁a ▁fri ar , ▁in ▁his ▁" 1 8 0 3 ▁Historia ▁de ▁las ▁Is las ▁Filip inas " ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁Con vent ▁or ▁Par och ial ▁house ▁of ▁San ▁Ag ust in , ▁in ▁B ali u ag , ▁is ▁the ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁whole ▁Arch ip el ago ▁and ▁that ▁no ▁ed ifice ▁in ▁Man ila ▁can ▁be ▁compared ▁to ▁it ▁in ▁symmetry ▁and ▁beauty ▁amid ▁its ▁tower ing ▁b elf ry , ▁having ▁been ▁a ▁view ing ▁point ▁of ▁the ▁town ' s ▁pan or ama . ▁The ▁f ray le ▁further ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Con vent ▁was ▁a ▁repository ▁of ▁pr ic eless ▁parish ▁records ▁which ▁dated ▁to ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁B ali u ag ▁as ▁a ▁pueblo ▁or ▁par ro chia ▁by ▁the ▁OS A ▁or ▁August ini ans ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 3 . ▁ ▁But ▁the ▁first ▁convent ▁was ▁ere cted ▁at ▁Bar ang ay ▁Santa ▁Barbara , ▁B ali u ag ▁before ▁the