CAVITE, the birthplace of many Filipino heroes

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 the provinces of Laguna to the east and Batangas to the south. To the west lies the South China Sea. Cavite is steeped in history and blessed with natural beauty.  One of the most progressive provinces in the country, it is host to some of the country's highly urdustrialized export processing zones.

The region abounds with historic sites, museums and landmarks.  It is the birthplace of many Filipino heroes.  Visitors can follow an interesting trail of sites associated with the Philippine Revolution.  The residence of the first president of the Philippine Republic, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, is in Cavite.  It was here that Philippine Independence from Spain was proclaimed on June 12, 1898.

Cavite teems with natural resources, breathtaking landscapes, world-class courses and leisure facilities.  Its most popular destination is Tagaytay City - a summer and holiday getaway situated 2,500 feet above sea level.  The highway to Tagaytay offers panoramic views of the world-famous Taal Volcano and Lake - a crater within an island within a lake.  Along the ridge are flower and vegetable farms, fruit orhards, as well as several establishments that offer a wide range of accomodations, dining places and recreational areas.

LANGUAGES

The main languages spoken are Tagalog, Chabacano and English. Chabacano, sometimes spelled as Chavacano, is the dialect mostly spoken by majority of the Caviteños that lived in Cavite City and Ternate, whose origin has begun during the arrival of the first Spaniards three centuries ago. Today very few Caviteños speak the Chabacano dialect and perhaps it will come to cease of its existence or completely disappear in the near future.

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 has increased the population of the other Christian Churches. This may now account to about 5% of the total Cavite population.