The town of Bula is historically considered as one of the first four towns of Camarines Sur founded by the Spanish conquistadores when they set foot on the Bicol soil coming from the Visayas, 1576. The other premier towns were Naga, Quipayo and Nabua. The Spaniards who first came to this place asked the men who were splitting bamboos about the name of the place, and since they did not understand the language, they thought that they were being asked about the name of the bamboo, and so they got the answer "Bu-la". And so Bula became the name of the town.