Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit (), is an urban
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of the notable places that had a major role in the country's history during the 1800s and 1900s.
Formerly known as Cavite el Viejo, and the name Kawit is from the word'' kalawit'' (referring to either a
fish hook
A fish hook or fishhook, formerly also called an angle (from Old English ''angol'' and Proto-Germanic ''*angulaz''), is a hook used to catch fish either by piercing and embedding onto the inside of the fish mouth (angling) or, more rarely, by i ...
or a larger fishing contraption, referring to the area's traditional
pescetarian
Pescetarianism ( ; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is a dietary practice in which seafood is the only source of meat in an otherwise vegetarian diet. The inclusion of other animal products, such as eggs and dairy, is optional. According to res ...
lifestyle and cuisine). It is also the birthplace of
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
, the first
president of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
, who from 1895 to 1897, served as the municipality's chief executive. The Aguinaldo home, where
independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
from
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
was declared on June 12, 1898, is now formally called the
Aguinaldo Shrine
The Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine (or the Cavite El Viejo Shrine) is a national shrine located in Kawit, Cavite in the Philippines, where the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain was declared on June 12, 1898, or Independence Day (Philip ...
.
Kawit is from
Imus
Imus (), officially the City of Imus (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
and from
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
.
Etymology
The name Kawit is derived from the
Tagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
word ''kawit'' or ''kalawit'' (hook), which is suggestive of its location at the base of a hook-shaped shoreline along
Manila Bay
Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...
extending to the tip of
Cavite City
Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite ( and ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people.
The city was the capital of Cavite, ...
.
Legend, however, gives another version on how the town got its name. One day, a Spanish visitor asked a native blacksmith about the name of the village. The latter was busy at the time pounding on the anvil a piece of hot metal that looked like a hook. He hesitated to speak, not understanding what the stranger was asking, but when pressed for an answer, and thinking that he wanted to know what he was doing, he merely said ''kawit''. The Spanish left muttering the word ''kawit''. In the course of the time, the word evolved into ''cauite'', and finally ''cavite''.
History
Kawit was the most thriving settlement prior to the coming of the Spanish. In fact, the town provided the first anchorage of the Spanish in the province, whence colonization and
proselytization
Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Carrying out attempts to instill beliefs can be called proselytization.
Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between Chris ...
of the Christian religion began, spreading to all corners of the province. It was established as a town in 1587 or, as recognized by laws, on August 1, 1600.
For a long time, the place was called by the Spanish "Cavite el Viejo" or Old Cavite to distinguish it from "Cavite la Punta" or "Cavite el Puerto", the commercial port and naval base (now
Cavite City
Cavite City, officially the City of Cavite ( and ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 100,674 people.
The city was the capital of Cavite, ...
) whence came many Spanish marines on shore leave who made frequent visits to Cavite el Viejo, eventually turning it into a
red-light district
A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...
. This seedy reputation of the town was erased when
Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...
was made
patroness
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...
, under the spiritual supervision of the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
as ordered by
Miguel García Serrano
Miguel García Serrano, O.S.A. (1569 – June 14, 1629) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (1618–1629) and the Bishop of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia (1616–1618). ''(in L ...
,
O.S.A. (1618–1629), the fifth
Archbishop of Manila
The Archdiocese of Manila (; ; ) is the archdiocese of the Latin Church, Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Catholic Church in the Philippines, Philippines, encompassing the cities of Manila, ...
.
With the establishment in the wake of the
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...
, the
Philippine Independent Church
The Philippine Independent Church (; ), officially referred to by its Philippine Spanish name (IFI) and colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, is an independent catholic Christian denomination, in the form of a nationalist church, in the ...
built a shrine to
Saint Michael, the Archangel in the
''barrio'' of Binakayan in 1902.
Cavite el Viejo was then a big town, comprising the municipality of Kawit today, Cavite la Punta (now Cavite City),
Noveleta
Noveleta, officially the Municipality of Noveleta (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,452 people.
History
Noveleta was originally a barrio of the municipality of ...
(called Tierra Alta by the Spanish), and
Imus
Imus (), officially the City of Imus (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
. Eventually, these three'' barrios populations grew and they eventually seceded to become independent municipalities.
Aside from its role as the birthplace of independence, Kawit was also the site of the
Battle of Binakayan-Dalahican
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...
, one of several Filipino victories during the Revolution.
In 1907, the town was renamed to Kawit, its present name, by virtue of Act No. 1718 by 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 Pre ...
.
Geography
Barangays
Kawit is politically subdivided into 23
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of
purok
A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios
A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.
* Balsahan-Bisita
* Batong Dalig
* Binakayan-Aplaya
* Binakayan-Kanluran
* Congbalay-Legaspi
* Gahak
* Kaingen
* Magdalo (Putol)
* Manggahan-Lawin
* Marulas
* Panamitan
*
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
* Pulvorista/Polvorista
* Samala-Marquez
* San Sebastian
* Santa Isabel
* Tabon I
* Tabon II
* Tabon III
* Toclong
* Tramo-Bantayan
* Wakas I
* Wakas II
Climate
Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Kawit was 107,535 people, with a density of .
Economy
Culture
Maytinis Festival
An original Kawit tradition that takes place every
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
, a dramatic retelling of the Virgin Mary and Joseph's search in Bethlehem for a place to stay called "Panunuluyan". This reenactment happens on the streets of Kawit with different floats depicting different biblical scenes from Adam and Eve up to Mary and Joseph. The "Panunuluyan" takes place in several houses and is done in singing until it reaches the 400-year-old
St. Mary Magdalene Church, where the Virgin Mary and Joseph are welcomed by angels in a giant ''belen'' (Nativity Scene), which covers the whole main ''
Retablo
A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...
'' or altarpiece of the church. The songs performed by the angels acted by little girls are mostly in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
and
Tagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
.
Government
Local government
Like any other Philippine municipality, Kawit is headed by a municipal mayor, vice mayor, and 10 councilors, eight of them elected at large by the voting populace and two of them being sectoral representatives (one for the ''barangays'' and one for the youth, elected respectively through their federations).
The mayor is assisted by the vice mayor, who presides over a
legislative council
A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...
. The current mayor of the historical town is Angelo Emilio G. Aguinaldo, a descendant of the first officially recognized
President of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
, General
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
. The current vice mayor is Edward R. Samala Jr.
Sister city
*
Sakegawa, Yamagata
270px, Rice paddies in Sakegawa
is a village located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 3843 in 1329 households, and a population density of 31 persons per km2. The total area of the village is .
Geograph ...
, Japan
Images
File:Kawitjf1553 06.JPG, Procession (Karakol, dancing)
File:AguinaldoShrinejf0957 07.JPG, Emilio Aguinaldo tomb
File:Kawit,Cavitejf1448 04.JPG , Old Town Hall facade
File:Kawitjf0772 09.JPG, Junction
File:Kawit beach1.jpg, Beach
File:CAVITEX (D. Mojica pic 15) - Flickr.jpg, Kawit Toll Plaza of Manila–Cavite Expressway
The Manila–Cavite Expressway (more popularly known as CAVITEX), signed as E3 of the Philippine expressway network and R-1 of Metro Manila's arterial road network, is a controlled-access highway linking Manila to the southern province of ...
(CAVITEX)
See also
*
Aguinaldo Shrine
The Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine (or the Cavite El Viejo Shrine) is a national shrine located in Kawit, Cavite in the Philippines, where the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain was declared on June 12, 1898, or Independence Day (Philip ...
*
St. Michael the Archangel Parish of Binakayan
The Iglesia Catolica Apostolica Filipina Independiente – also known as ''Iglesia Filipina Independiente de Binakayan'', is a Christian Church organized in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines, in 1902, under the Diocese of Cavite of the Philippine Indepe ...
(Aglipayan Church)
*
St. Mary Magdalene Church (Kawit)
*
Baldomero Aguinaldo Shrine
The Baldomero Aguinaldo Shrine is a single-detached house built by Baldomero Aguinaldo, cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo during the American colonial period in 1906 at Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite. Baldomero held several positions at the revolutionary g ...
*
Battle of Binakayan-Dalahican
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...
*
Kawit revolt, 1896
*
Kawit shooting, 2013
References
External links
Official Website of the Provincial Government of Cavite*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...
br>
Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Cavite
Populated places on Manila Bay