"Kawit, Cavite My Hometown" Kawit by roel121479

Kawit, Cavite is just a 45 minutes drive out of manila, a peaceful place, a place full of history as this is the birth place of the Philippine Independence and also the First President of The Philippines. Kawit Cavite is also my hometown.

Kawit (formerly Cavite El Viejo) is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 62,751 people in 13,510 households. It has a land area of 16.7 square kilometers.

Languages.
The main languages spoken are Tagalog, Chabacano and English. Due to Cavite's proximity to Manila a large number of people have moved from farther provinces, resulting in a not insignificant usage of Bikol, Cebuano, and Ilokano.

Religion.
In line with national statistics, the majority (87%) of the population are Roman Catholic while adherents of Iglesia ni Cristo account for 4% of the population. Other Christian sects and Muslims comprise the remainder.

HOW TO GET THERE:
From the heart of Manila, Buses (SAULOG and St. Anthony Bus) that go from Lawton(Manila) straight to Cavite City or Ternate pass the shrine. Fare is around less than PHP40.00. Trip is around 45mins to 1 hour.

St. Mary Magdalene'es Church

1) Aguinaldo Shrine
The shrine is the ancestral home of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Republic of the Philippines. Philippine independence from Spain was proclaimed from a window of the home on June 12, 1898. The proclamation of Philippine Independence (subsequently replaced by another declaration written and signed in Malolos, Bulacan) was read, and the Philippine flag formally unfurled, although it had been displayed in battle in late May, 1898. The Philippine national anthem was also played (its lyrics still to be written in 1899) by a band on that date. President Aguinaldo, particularly while in retirement after his capture and release by American forces, greatly enlarged his home, building an elaborate Independence balcony which many visitors assume was the actual site of the independence proclamation. President Aguinaldo is buried in the garden of his home, which he donated to the Philippine government in 1962.

The best thing about the shrine is that the tour guide will give you information regarding secret passage such as a tunnel to the church and emergency exit. Before when I went there, the tour guide even let me go to the fourth level and giving me a great view of Kawit and the coastal area of cavite.

2) St. Mary Magdalene's Church
This was built in 1624 and is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. St. Mary Magdelene is the patroness saint of Kawit. The religiosity of the Kawite?os is deeply manifested through their fiestas, caracol, processions, and most especially, the Maytinis Festival, a Christmas Eve event that has become a tourist attraction.
( 5minutes walk from the Aguinaldo Shrine)

3.)An island resort destination is accessible from anywhere in the metropolis. Take a drive through the three-lined Roxas Boulevard and pass the scenic Coastal Road. In less than half an hour, you will arrive at binakayan town in historic Kawit, Cavite and onto the Island Cove Resort and Leisure park, a spectacular island sanctuary that separates you from the rest of the world. The Island Resort offers alot of things to do like bowling, minigolf, beach volleyball, fishing, a great ambience for jogging in the morning. Also offers a petting zoo.

Islan Cove Resort

Place to eat:
1. Josephine's Restaurant - Offers a unique and Traditional Filipino food. A must to order is the "Mutya ng Cavite" soup which is a white cream base soup with different seafoods such as shrimp, crabs, squid, clams, muscles and more.

2. Hidden Tapsihan- Located near the St. Mary Magdalene Church which offers a very tasty Tapa and their famous vinegar sweet sauce with onions. It is called hidden because it is located in one of the hidden street in Kawit, although a famous because of their food.
Budget:Less than PHP100.00 complete course of meal with drinks and dessert.

Place to eat, stay and pamper yourself:
Island Cove Resort offers a wide variety of food such as fresh seafood, buffet dinner and more. Also offers the Island Spa. This is a good place to stay because it offers a 5 star hotel service.

• In a nutshell:The Birthplace of Philippine Independence