Cavite City Travel Guide, Philippines

Revolutionary Cavite City

Of the many cities in the Philippine archipelago, Cavite City is one of the most well-remembered in history. It played an important role during the Philippine Revolution, being one of the first provinces to stand up against the Spaniards in 1896. It is home to several heroes of the Katipunan, and was the stage for many of the country’s historic milestones. Let’s take an all-around look into this southern city.

History

The name Cavite comes from the word “Kawit” or “Cauit,” meaning hook. It evolved during the time of the colonization, when Spaniards mispronounced the word as “Kawite” or “Cavite”, changing the letter w to v, in order to match the Spanish accent.

Quite a number of names are attributed to what is now the present-day Cavite City. Its early Tagalog settlers called it “tangway,” which meant peninsula. The Chinese traders, in a corruption of the original word “Kawit”, called it “Keit.” Though many settlers came to the city, it was the Tagalogs who were its early inhabitants and used a system of government that was quite tribal.

Cavite City was also the port of entry and departure during the Manila-Acapulco Trade. It became a venue for revolutionary activity during the fight against the Spaniards. A substantial part of Philippine history was set in Cavite, one of which was the country’s proclamation of independence by Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898.

Geography

The City of Cavite used to be the capital of the province. It lies 35 kilometers southwest of Manila, occupying a hook-shaped peninsula, which juts out to Manila bay and borders the municipality of Noveleta. There are five districts in the city, which are further subdivided into 84 barangays. It has a population of 104,580 spread over a land area of 20.80 kilometers. Adjacent to it are the islands of Corregidor, Caballo, Carabao, El Fraile, and La Monja, which are all a part of the city’s territorial jurisdiction.

Religion and Language

Like most of the country, residents of the city are generally Roman Catholic. The rest of the population comes from other religions such as the Aglipayan Church and Iglesio ni Kristo, other Christian sects, and Muslim. The Patroness of Cavite City is Nuestra Señora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga.

Chavacano or Chabacano is the native dialect of the city and the province. In history, Chavacano was the most widely spoken dialect and has its origins during the time when the Spaniards first came to the Philippines. Today, very few Caviteños speak the Chavacano dialect.

Main Sights and Attractions

One of the interesting stops in Cavite City is the Belfry Ruins of the Old Santa Monica Church. It is also in Cavite City where one can find Sangley Point, which is located in the northernmost portion of the peninsula. It is set to be developed into an international logistics hub.

Quite a number of educational institutions can be found in the city. There is San Sebastian College, Saint Joseph’s College, and the Cavite State University, just to name a few.