Remembering History at the Cradle of Philippine Independence: Kawit, Cavite

June 12, 1898. A date when a remarkable event in Philippine history was happened - the Declaration of Independence from Spain. It was held at the house of the first Philippine president, General Emilio Aguinaldo. It is also the first time where the official Philippine flag was hoisted in the balcony of Aguinaldo's house as well with the fact that that people witnessed the playing of the national anthem for the first time. It was held in Kawit, Cavite, the historical town located in the province of the brave and prominent heroes.

The town got its name from Tagalog word "kawit" meaning "hook" because of its geographical shape which covers the town up to Cavite City within Manila Bay. According to a folk story, there was a Spaniard who asked a question to a blacksmith, who is accomplishing a metal work which looked like a hook during that time, about the name of the town. The blacksmith answered "kawite" and later on, the town was called Cavite. The town was called "Cavite del Viejo" which is different from "Cavite del Puerto" known as the present location of Cavite City. Kawit is also the founding place of Aglipayan Church in 1902 which was located in Binakayan.

Fish pond and rivers are very common in Kawit.

I had a chance to travel this town last year. It is already urbanized and populated but there are plenty of fish ponds and rivers in the town. It is also one of the coastal towns in Cavite which is located beside the Manila Bay.

Battle of Binakayan Shrine

The first site that I visited is the Battle of Binakayan Shrine located near the Island Cove Resort where Filipinos won the battle against Spaniards. Binakayan was defended by Magdalo leader Emilio Aguinaldo aided by other generals which was held in November 9-11, 1896 along with Battle of Dalahican which is a barrio in Noveleta.

Kawit Church

It is also the place where Emilio Aguinaldo was born and he was baptized in Saint Mary Magdalene Church or Kawit Church in 1869. The church was first built by Jesuit missionaries in 1624 which was made of wood and the present structure was built in 1737.

The balcony of Aguinaldo Shrine.

The interior of the house.

The Philippine Map in the ceiling of Aguinaldo's house.

Aguinaldo's portrait.

Then, I went to Aguinaldo Shrine in order to commemorate the history in this town. The house was built in 1849 where Aguinaldo spent his childhood days until he grew up. In the balcony of this historical house held the Proclamation of Independence in 1898. He passed away in 1964 and he was buried at the backyard of his house.

Today, the Aguinaldo Shrine is one of the most visited tourist spots in Cavite because it is rich in history as well with the fact that we can commemorate the glorious past of the Filipino people in achieving their sovereignty from the colonizers. It is proven that Kawit is an urban town but strengthen by history.

How to get there:

From Manila, you may take a bus going to Cavite City, passing through CAVITEX and then Kawit is one of the exits in the expressway where the bus will pass in the town proper.

You may also ride a mini-bus from SM Bacoor and then the driver will take you to the town proper of Kawit.

Date of Travel: May 31, 2012