Mendez, officially the Municipality of Mendez-Nuñez ( tgl, Bayan ng Mendez), is a 4th class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest o ...

, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,879 people.

Etymology

The municipality of Mendez-Nuñez was originally known as ''"Gahitan"'', one of the many barrios of

Indang Indang, officially the Municipality of Indang ( tgl, Bayan ng Indang), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,699 people. The municipality is situated in the c ...

. The name was derived from the word ''"gahit"'' meaning "to cut", because the people then had to cut down tall and thick

cogon grass ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and southern Europe. It has also been introduce ...

that abounded in the place in order to clear areas for agricultural and residential purpose.

History

1875-1903

As time went on, the number of houses in Gahitan increased so that the sitio eventually became a barrio and finally a full-fledged town on 1 December 1875, thanks to

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Jose Malcampo y Monje (1874-1877). Malcampo incorporated the three barrios of Gahitan, Palocpoc and Anuling into one independent municipality called Méndez Núñez, after a Spanish naval officer and close friend, Commodore Casto Méndez Núñez. In 1856, when they were still Spanish naval officers, Malcampo and Mendez-Nuñez, established the first

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

Kawit Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit ( tgl, Bayan ng Kawit), is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of the notable places that had ...

under a charter from the Grand Lodge of Portugal. The friendship of these two officers had been tested in many a battle against

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

pirates in

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

. Pedro Aure was the

gobernadorcillo The ''gobernadorcillo'' (, literally "little governor") was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined charges or responsibilities of leadership, economic, and judic ...

of Mendez during its first year as a municipality in 1876. Cayetano Aure, perhaps a relative of Pedro, was the first and only capitan municipal of Mendez during the

First Philippine Republic The Philippine Republic ( es, República Filipina), now officially known as the First Philippine Republic, also referred to by historians as the Malolos Republic, was established in Malolos, Bulacan during the Philippine Revolution against ...

(1899-1901). Pedro's son, Marcelino Aure, became a famous general during the Philippine Revolution. His

nom de guerre A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

was ''Alapaap'' (Cloud). Mendez continued to be a municipality from 1875 to 15 October 1903 when, under ''Public Act No. 947'' of the

Philippine Commission The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines. The first Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Preside ...

reduced the 22 municipalities of Cavite to nine. Mendez and Bailen (now General Aguinaldo) were incorporated into the municipality of Alfonso.

1915-Present

But 12 years later, on 1 January 1915, Mendez regained its independent status as a municipality of Cavite Province.

Geography

The municipality of Mendez is located from

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

and is accessible via

Aguinaldo Highway A thirteenth salary, or end-of-year bonus, is an extra payment given to employees at the end of December. Although the amount of the payment depends on a number of factors, it usually matches an employee's monthly salary and can be paid in o ...

. It is one of the smallest and upland towns of Cavite province. It is bounded to the north and east by

, to the south by

Tagaytay Tagaytay, officially the City of Tagaytay ( fil, Lungsod ng Tagaytay), is a 2nd class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,330 people. It is one of the country's most pop ...

, and to the west by Alfonso.

Barangays

Mendez is politically subdivided into 24

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

Climate

While it shares a general climate as the rest of the province Mendez' climate, due to its proximity to Tagaytay, is tropical highland, with low temperatures most especially during the early dry season.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Mendez, Cavite, was 34,879 people, with a density of .

Economy

Government

Elected officials

The following are the elected officials of the municipality elected last May 09, 2022 which serves until 2025:https://2022electionresults.comelec.gov.ph/#/coc/0/4A/2100/2114

References

External links

Profile: Mendez, Cavite - Official Website of the Province of CaviteProfile: Mendez, Cavite - DILG Calabarzon Region
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control Municipalities of Cavite