About Cavite

Towns of Cavite

• Bacoor
• Imus
• Dasmariñas
• Trece Martires City - The seat of government of Cavite Province
• General Trias - Silicon Valley of Cavite Province
• Kawit - The Philippine Independent Church was located,The parish of Saint Michael the Archangel in Bisita,Binakayan built in 1902 and the Feast day of the patron saint is September 28-29. The town of the first Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo
• Cavite City
• Silang
• Noveleta
• Alfonso
• Mendez
• Carmona
• GMA
• Indang
• Naic
• Maragondon
• Rosario
• Ternate
• Tanza

Geography

Cavite is located at the intermediate zone of the metropolitan Manila area. The urban influence of the metropolis together with easy accessibility, adequate infrastructure and fresh natural setting makes the picturesque province an ideal refuge.

People and culture

Population

Cavite has a total population of 2,856,765 within an area of 1,512.4 km² making it the most populous (if independent cities are excluded from Cebu andNegros Occidental), and the second most densely-populated province in the country. The tremendous increase can be observed in the year 1990 when industrialization was introduced in the province. Investors established their businesses in different industrial estates that magnetized people to migrate to Cavite due to job opportunities the province offers. Another factor attributed to the increase of population is the mushrooming of housing subdivisions. Since Cavite is proximate to Metro Manila, people working in the metropolitan area choose to live in the province together with their families. Natural increase also contributes to the increase in population.

Among the cities and municipalities in Cavite, the city of Dasmariñas has the biggest population with 556,330 people while the municipality of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo has registered the smallest population with 17,818 people.

Cavite is a highly urbanized growth center of the country. It is classified as predominantly urban having 90.69 percent of the population are concentrated in the urban areas, while 9.21 percent of the population reside in rural areas.

Since year 2000, urban population increased which can be attributed to in-migration due to expansion of residential areas as well as influx of commercial establishments, services and facilities.

 Languages

The main languages spoken are Tagalog, Chabacano and English. Chabacano, sometimes spelled as Chavacano, is a creole originally spoken by majority of the Caviteños that lived in Cavite City and Ternate after the arrival of the Spaniards three centuries ago. Today very few Caviteños speak Chabacano and is considered moribund.

Due to Cavite's proximity to Manila a large number of people have moved from farther provinces, resulting in a significant usage of Bikol, Cebuano and Ilokano.

Religion

In line with national statistics, the majority (80%) of the population are Roman Catholic while adherents of the Aglipayan Church account for 11% and the Iglesia ni Cristo account for 4% of the population. Other Christian sects and Muslims comprise the remainder. However, the strong presence of the Christian Churches such as the mainline Evangelical Churches (UNIDA, IEMELIF, Methodist, UCCP, Baptist and Assemblies Of God), Christian Fellowships (Jesus Is Lord, Bread of Life), and other Christian Churches have increased the population of the other Christian Churches. This may now account for about 5% of the total Cavite population.

History

Cavite is named as the Historical Capital of the Philippines. It is the cradle of Philippine Revolution, and the birthplace of Philippine Independence.

Cavite got its name from a Tagalog word kawit (which means hook) owing to the hook-shaped land on the Old Spanish map. The land was formerly known as "Tangway" where Spanish authorities constructed a fort from which the city of Cavite rose. Archeological evidence in coastal areas show prehistorical settlements. According to local folklore, the earliest settlers of Cavite came from Borneo. In the 1600s, encomiendas or Spanish Royal land grants were given in Cavite and Maragondon. Jesuit priests brought in settlers from Mollucas. These settlers, known as "Mardicas," settled in Ternate and Maragondon.

Other settlements grew and by the turn of the century, Cavite towns were already trading with one another. Traditional industries began to thrive as Manila's commerce grew. In 1872, Filipinos launched their revolt against Spain. Three Filipino priests—Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez,and Jacinto Zamora—were implicated in the Cavite mutiny when 200 Filipinos staged a rebellion within Spanish garrisons. In 28 August 1896, when the revolution against Spain broke out, Cavite became a bloody theater of war. Led by Emilio Aguinaldo, Caviteños made lightning raids on Spanish headquarters, and soon liberated the entire province. Aguinaldo commanded the Revolution to its successful end: the proclamation of the Republic of the Philippines, on 12 June1898 in Kawit, the first constitutional republic in Asia, and third established overall, after the Lanfang Republic in 1777, and the Republic of Formosa in 1895.

Cavite proudly stands as a place with a glorious past. Its warm and friendly people, whose ancestors came down with a noble cause, manifest industry and patience in various skills and professions, openly receptive to the entry and exchange of culture and technology that are of value to the province.

In 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces entered Cavite.

Economy

The Cavite brand was launched in February 2009 to distinguish food and other products made from the province of Cavite.

Cavite is one of the fastest growing provinces in the country due to its close proximity to Metro Manila. Many companies, such as Intel, have established manufacturing plants in numerous industrial parks in the province.

As of 2003, there are thirty-one (31) industrial estates in the province. A total of 973 investors have poured their investments in the 718 existing industrial establishments. Most of the investors have established partnership with their Filipino counterparts in varying levels of equity participation.

Since the 1990s when the provincial government launched the Second Revolution with industrialization as one of its priority thrusts, Cavite has become a preferred destination of both local and foreign investors. Rapid urbanization has transformed Cavite into an industrial and commercial in CALABARZON.

Four SM Supermalls and three Robinsons malls are located in Cavite. These are the SM City Bacoor, SM City Dasmariñas, SM Supercenter Molino, SM City Rosario, Robinsons Place Imus, Robinsons Place Dasmariñas, and Robinsons Summit Ridge Tagaytay.

Tourism

Aguinaldo Shrine, the birthplace of Philippine Independence.

Cavite is a historic, picturesque and scenic province providing a place conducive to both business and leisure. Tagaytay City serves as the main tourist center. Historical attraction and sites are Fort San Felipe and Sangley Point, both in Cavite City; Corregidor Island; General Trias; Calero Bridge, Noveleta; Battle of Alapan Marker and Flag in Imus; Zapote Bridge in Bacoor; Battle of Binakayan Monument in Kawit; Tejeros Convention Site in Rosario; and Aguinaldo Shrine, the site of the declaration of Philippine Independence in Kawit. Several old churches stand as glorious reminders of how the Catholic faith has blossomed in the Province of Cavite. Existing museums include Geronimo de los Reyes Museum, General Trias; Museo De La Salle, Dasmariñas; Philippine Navy Museum, Cavite City; Baldomero Aguinaldo Museum, Kawit; and Cavite City Library Museum, Cavite City. There are eight (8) world-class golf courses in the province. Natural wonders are mostly found in the upland areas such as Tagaytay Ridge, Macabag Cave in Maragondon, Balite Falls in Amadeo, Malibiclibic Falls in General Aguinaldo-Magallanes border, Mts. Palay-Palay and Mataas na Gulod National Park in Ternate andMaragondon, Sitio Buhay Unclassified Forest in Magallanes and flowers, vegetables and coffee farms.

The Aguinaldo Shrine and Museum in Kawit is where the independence of the Philippines was proclaimed on June 12, 1898 by General Aguinaldo, the Philippines’ first president.

The Andres Bonifacio House in General Trias is the former home of the country's revolutionary leader The site of his court martial in Maragondon is also preserved. Other historical sites include the Battle of Alapan and Battle of Julian Bridge Markers, the House of Tirona, and Fort San Felipe.

The main churches of the province are the Imus Cathedral, Silang, General Trias and Maragondon Catholic Churches. The Shrines of Our Lady of La Salette in Silang, and St. Anne, Tagaytay, also attract pilgrims.                                      

Corregidor - the famous last bastion of Philippine-American defense forces, is part of Cavite City.

Corregidor is an island fortress where Filipino-American forces fought against the Japanese invaders in 1942. It has become a tourist attraction with tunnels, cannons and other war structures still well-preserved. The famous line of General Douglas McArthur said is associated with Corregidor: “I shall return!”

There are first class hotels, inns and lodging houses to accommodate both foreign and local tourists. Conference facilities can be found in several convention centers, hotels and resorts in the province. Restaurants and specialty dining places offer mushroom dishes, native delicacies and exotic cuisines. Seafoods, fruits, coffee, organic vegetables, tinapa, handicrafts, ornamental plants also abound in the province.

There are twenty-two (22) accredited tourism establishments and three (3) accredited tour guides. There are also tour packages being arranged with the Department of Tourism. Centuries old traditions and the very rich culture of Cavite have been the source of great pride to Caviteños.

In 1945, Filipino & American troops along with the Caviteño guerrilla fighters liberated in Cavite from the Japanese forces.

Transportation

Cavite's total road network comprises roughly 1,973 kilometers. 407.7 kilometers national roads are mostly paved with concrete or asphalt and are relatively in good condition with some portions in need of rehabilitation. Provincial roads made stretch to an approximate total length of 335.1 kilometers. Most of these roads are concrete, some are paved with asphalt and the rest remain gravel roads. Majority of the municipal/city roads are paved with concrete, while barangay roads consist of 46.7% concrete and asphalt roads and 53.3% earth and gravel roads.

The existing road length computed in terms of road density with respect to population at the standard of 2.4 kilometers per 1,000 population has a deficit of 3,532.71 kilometers.

Cavite's transport infrastructure has not kept in pace with the mushrooming of industrial and commercial activities resulting to quilts of urban sprawl, traffic congestion and increased road accidents. The section of Aguinaldo Highway (at Bacoor, Imus and Dasmariñas) serving as a major link between the province and the national capital Manila is currently experiencing traffic volume 20% in excess of its designed capacity. Without any drastic improvements in the road network of Cavite, this same section will be saddled with traffic volumes 5 times more than its capacity in 2005 and 11 times more in 2015.

Current entrance and exit routes to and from Cavite are no longer sufficient to decongest traffic along major thoroughfares. The lack of transportation facilities, traffic control systems and insufficient road signages, and substandard road structures in some areas further aggravate to the worsening transportation situation. Likewise, observed mixed traffic (pedestrian, public transport modes – jeepneys, tricycles, cars) along streets/roads, especially in the business districts add up to the traffic problem.

Source: WikiPilipinas