Cavite, Philippines

Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south. To the west lies the South China Sea. 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. 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 its 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 June 1898 in Kawit, the third republic in Asia 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.