Cavite

Cavite is a coastal province situated approximately 9 miles (30 kilometers) south of Manila. It is composed of 20 municipalities and 3 key cities – Trece Martires City (provincial capital), Tagaytay City and Cavite City. The geography of the province varies differently, from flat and coastal in the north and west, to mountainous and hilly in the south and east. Its close proximity to the capital makes it highly urbanized especially in the low-lying municipalities of Bacoor, Imus, Dasmarinas, Kawit, Cavite City, and General Trias where various industries thrive. But in the towns south of the province, agriculture is still the main livelihood and boasts a great amount of preserved forests and wildlife. Corregidor, the former island fortress during World War II, situated at the mouth of Manila Bay is also under the jurisdiction of the province (see page on Corregidor Island).

Sangley Point Naval Base: This is located at the northern part of Cavite City Peninsula, about 8 miles southwest of Manila.
Photo by storm-crypt

Cavite’s main tourism magnet is its rich history being the Cradle of the 1896 Philippine Revolution and the birthplace of Philippine Independence in 1898. The name of the province came from the Latinized Tagalog word kawit meaning “hook” which is the shape of the small peninsula situated in Cavite City. During the Spanish Era, it was settled in by Spanish friars who built their estates out of the local’s lands and by Spanish dignitaries who were given royal land grants (encomiendas) by the Spanish king. A naval fort, Fort San Felipe, was erected at what is now Cavite City, in the vicinity of Sangley Point, which served as the main headquarters of the Spanish Navy in the country. During 1600s, Spanish Catholics in the small Spanish enclave of Ternate in Moluccas were evacuated and permanently resettled at what is now Ternate and Maragondon towns.
One of the main catalysts for the Philippine Revolution occurred in Cavite when in February 1872 a revolt by workers at Fort San Felipe implicated three Filipino priests, namely Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora (GomBurZa). The execution of the three priests inspired Philippine national hero and novelist Dr. Jose P. Rizal to dedicate his second novel to them, the El Filibusterismo. During the start of the Philippine Revolution, many Cavitenos rallied to the Katipunan cause led by Andres Bonifacio. Caviteno leaders like Mariano Trias and Emilio Aguinaldo led the victory of the revolution in the province. Eventually, due to its successes, the Cavitenos of the Katipunan took charge of the revolution from Andres Bonifacio and created a revolutionary government that would lead to the first republic in Asia.

The Aguinaldo Shrine
Photo by bethelabs

The Aguinaldo Shrine: The Philippine flag is raised here by top national officials every June 12 to commemorate Araw ng Kalayaan or Independence Day. The shrine is the ancestral home of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the First Republic of the Philippines, and it was here that Philippine independence from Spain was proclaimed from a window of the home on June 12, 1898.
Photo by bethelabs

On June 12, 1898, after 333 years of Spanish rule, Philippine independence was declared at Kawit, Cavite by the first Filipino president Emilio Aguinaldo. This year, the 111th Independence of the Philippines is being celebrated in the entire nation. Today, you can visit the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit to relive that fateful day in Philippine history. Other historical sites in the province that are worth visiting are: (1) The Bonifacio Trial House and Execution Shrine at Maragondon (2) The Tejeros Convention site at Rosario (3) The Battle of Zapote Bridge in Bacoor (4) The Battle of Alapan Monument at Imus (5) and the Battle of Binakayan Monument in Kawit.
But aside from the history, the other main tourism magnet of Cavite is Tagaytay City. With its cool climate comparable to that of Baguio City and a spectacular view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in neighboring Batangas province, it is the perfect alternative for those wanting peace and tranquility near Metro Manila.
If you are looking for adventure and nature in the highly urbanized province, then explore Cavite’s southeast section. For avid mountain climbers, Mt. Pico de Loro, a 664-metre mountain between the province and Batangas is the perfect challenge. On its summit lies a vertical rock formation called the Parrot’s Beak which rock climbers can ascend. Below the mountain are the coasts of Ternate town famous for its Puerto Azul Beach Resort with its white sand beaches and solitary havens which provides an oasis of comfort not far from Manila. Many beach resorts also scattered in Cavite’s coastal towns from Ternate to Kawit. Near Mt. Pico de Loro are the towns of Gen. Aguinaldo and Magallanes where in between lies the majestic Malibiclibic Falls. The falls lie below a steep ridge accessed only by a 20-minute trek through lush rainforest. Its waters gush down to a wide natural pool where tourists can swim or go rafting.

Pico de Loro’s two peaks: Perhaps the most captivating features of the mountain are the two peaks forming the ‘beak of a parrot.’ “Pico de Loro,” which is part of the Mt. Palay Palay, got its name from early Spanish explorers who noticed the beak-like feature while sailing towards the South China Sea.
Photo by Miko.Alino

One Philippines festival which headlined Cavite in recent years is the Kalayaan Festival. The Kalayaan Festival which commemorates the first raising of the Philippine flag in victory is held in Imus town from May 28 to June 12. Since 2008, the provincial government coordinated with the towns of Bacoor, Imus and Dasmarinas to set the Guinness record for the longest chain of flags in the world. This year, it successfully broke its own record. The Kalayaan festival also showcases reenactments of the Battle of Alapan at the monument where which marks the event.

Photo by infiniteshutter

Aside from being a highly urbanized and industrialized province, much of Cavite is still agricultural land. Silang town and Tagaytay City boasts excellent fruit produce such as pineapples and watermelons as well as vegetables such as cabbages, xicamas, basil, oregano, and other spices. Amadeo town near Silang boasts the best coffee brew in the country and earned itself the title of Coffee Capital of the Philippines. Café Alamid, which is coffee made from coffee beans eaten and digested by wild civet cats are sold here and are touted as the most expensive coffee in the world.

Munting Mapino Naic Cavite
Photo by infiniteshutter