CHAPTER 1

Basic Information about Dasmarias

Home of the Paru-Paro Festival
Let us begin our story about Dasmarias with the
Paru-Paro Festival. The Paru-Paro Festival is a
celebration of colors and symbol held every
November 26 in Dasmarias City in the Province of
Cavite. Now in its fourth year, it features a parade of
contingents which included students from different
educational institutions in the city, the City
government employees, members of different civic
organizations, and Dasmarias residents wearing
multicolored butterfly costumes.
Each group, representing a colony of butterflies
danced spiritedly in unison through the citys main
thoroughfares to the lively beat of the drums or of
mobile sound-systems. At the head of these
contingents were the most energetic members
holding their groups emblem likewise gaily decked
for the occasion. As if saving the best for last, the
groups prettiest and handsomest were on display on
gaily decked floats.
Last years Paru-Paro Festival celebration was
cancelled in deference to the plight of Filipinos hit by
the super typhoon Yolanda. The city government
decided to forgo with the revelry and donate instead
the budget earmarked for the towns celebration.
This year, 2014, the festival was back with a
vengeance. It was bigger, livelier, and noisier. No less
than the renowned morning show Umagang Kay
Ganda of the ABS-CBN TV network covered the
festivities. It featured the biggest parade ever
pg. 1

assembled since its inception

breathtaking fireworks display.

and a finale of

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dasmarias

formalized the celebration of the Paru-Paro Festival
on November 1, 2011 when it passed Special Order
No. 02-s-2011. During the Sanggunian special
session that day, city legislators deliberated and
decided that the best way to tell the story, and
celebrate the success of the Citys transformation
and commit these to memory for posterity, was
through a festival that reflects its colorful past and at
the same time symbolizes the richness of its natural
resources and its people. Thus, in partnership with
the Citys executive department, headed by City
Mayor, Jennifer Austria-Barzaga, Paru-Paro Festival
was declared as the official festival of the City of
Dasmarias. Launched that very same year, it
coincided with the celebration of the second year
anniversary of the ratification of the City Charter. The
festival provided for Dasmarineos, each year and
every year thereafter, a happy, colorful, and
symbolic occasion to celebrate that momentous
event.1
While most Philippines festivals, such as the AtiAtihan of Kalibo, Sinulog Festival of Cebu City,
Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City, Pahiyas Festival of
Quezon Province, and the Parada ng Lechon of
Balayan in Batangas, are observed for religious
reasons, Dasmarineos chose to celebrate with the
colors and symbols of the butterfly. These symbols
represent change, transformation, and celebration.
Like a butterfly whose life cycle is completed in
stages before it finally transforms into an adult
exploding with colors, the City of Dasmarias also
had to change, transform, and eventually celebrate
its exciting and remarkable achievements in stages.
Like a butterfly which starts as a very small, round,

pg. 2

oval or cylindrical egg, Dasmarias also humbly

began as a mere barrio of the Municipality of Imus.
The coolest thing about butterfly eggs, especially
monarch butterfly eggs, is that if you look close
enough you can actually see the tiny caterpillar
growing inside of it and so was Dasmarias. Even
in its embryonic stage, the towns founding fathers
can already see its immense potentials. They looked
closely and saw countless possibilities awaiting the
still nascent municipality because of its strategic
location,
rich
natural
resources,
and
most
importantly, its proud and hardworking people. Over
a century and four decades later, these potentials
were realized and recognized from far and beyond
earning it the right to celebrate its marvelous
metamorphosis as showcased in the celebration of
the Paru-Paro Festival.2
Spanish Colonial Period
Before Dasmarias there was Tampus which in
the native language meant edge of the forest. The
formal history of what would later become the center
of the Dasmarias began in 1795 when it was
established as one of the visitas of the parish of Imus
in 1795.3 Tampus and most of the areas of what
would later become the town of Dasmarias were
part of the vast landholdings called the Hacienda de
Imus which the Recollect friars bought on October 3,
1690.
Because of its location, Tampus was converted by
the Recollect friars into a reduccion in 1866. In order
to facilitate for the friars the evangelization of their
residents, it was grouped with adjoining barrios
haciendas; Malinta, Nancaan, Salacay, Paliparan,
Malagasang and Salitran. This effectively brought
them under the Spanish rule because in the

pg. 3

reduccion, the people built their houses within the

hearing distance of the church bells.4
The reduccion of Tampus was done to prepare the
place for its conversion into an independent
municipality. The process of conversion actually
began earlier on April 9, 1864 when a council
composed of the Archbishop of Manila, the politico
military governor of Cavite, the Prior Provincial of the
Augustinian Recollect Order and the parish priest of
Imus, met to discuss the creation of the new town
and a parish that is independent of Imus. It ended
with the council recommending the creation of the
new town. This recommendation was approved a
little over a month later by the Gobierno Civil
Superior of the Islands on May 12, 1864. Tampus was
thereafter renamed Perez-Dasmarias in honor of
Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, Gomez
Perez de Dasmarias. The new towns namesake held
that office from 1590 to 1593.5
Ordinarily, during the Spanish occupation, a town
was created in accordance with the legal procedures
and customs during those times. It was initiated upon
petition from the barrio residents and its local
officials. But the conversion of Perez-Dasmarias was
unique as it was the high ranking church officials and
the politico-military governor of Cavite who initiated
and became the prime supporters of the process.6
The Philippine Revolution
Perez-Dasmarias
was
one
of
the
first
municipalities
that
heeded
General
Emilio
Aguinaldos call to arms in Cavite on August 30, 1896
and joined in the revolution against Spain. The
townspeople rose up in arms and fought the Spanish
colonizers. They were led by their gobernadorcillo,
Don Placido Campos and the secretario municipal,
Don Francisco Barzaga. The townspeople liberated
pg. 4

Perez-Dasmarias from Spanish control by capturing

the casa tribunal and Casa Hacienda de Salitran. The
Recollect friars who lived there were killed in the
process.7
Determined to recapture the town that they lost in
the initial phase of the revolution, the Spanish
authorities launched an aggressive campaign headed
by General Jose Lachambre. The campaign resulted
in the loss of many revolucionario lives. In one such
battle, which took place February 25, 1897, the
Spanish troops moved in against determined
resistance put up by the revolucionarios. A bloody
encounter ensued which started at 7:00 in the
morning with no let-up in the fighting until 2:00 in
the afternoon. General Lachambre himself reported
that enemy casualties must be enormous, it had
been necessary to take the town house by house.8
The revolucionarios took refuge at the casa
tribunal and refused to surrender. To flush them out,
Spaniards soldiers burned the casa tribunal and
caused the death of all 150 men who were burned
alive. Some revolutionaries hid in the convent but
they eventually surrendered to the advancing
Spanish forces as this too was set on fire. As the
surrendering men emerged from the building,
Spanish riflemen opened fire killing all of them. That
day, hundreds of town inhabitants died in the
fighting.
More battles took place and the bloodiest of them
occurred in Pasong Santol just a short distance from
the barrio of Salitran. Historians consider this battle
as the bloodiest fought in Cavite. In this fighting,
Generals Flaviano Yengko, Crispulo Aguinaldo, Lucas
Camerino, Arturo Reyes, together with many more
unknown revolucionarios died for the motherland.

pg. 5

The revolution highlighted the importance and

strategic location of Perez-Dasmarias. When the
Spaniards recaptured the town, they have reached
the heart of the province. After the fall of the town,
most resistance in Cavite succumbed to the Spanish
forces. General Aguinaldos Magdalo forces fought
the enemies in Imus for almost a month, but
together with Binakayan and Noveleta, it fell on
March 1897.
The last major action of the Spanish campaign
against Cavite was fought in San Francisco de
Malabon (now General Trias). The Magdiwang fought
tenaciously but lost in April that same year.9
American Occupation
After the Spaniards came the Americans. Their
occupation of the Philippines became official when
the United States Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris
on February 6, 1898. The treaty marked the end of
Spanish
occupation
and
justified
American
colonization of the Philippines.
Just like in other parts of the archipelago, when
the Americans came to Perez-Dasmarias, they
instituted several fundamental changes in the
system of government, in language, and in the
educational system. One of these changes was the
enactment on January 31, 1901 by the Second
Philippine Commission of Act No. 82. The Act which
was then known as the new Municipal Code
directed the reorganization of local governments
units. It would have profound effect on PerezDasmarias because in January 5, 1905, in
accordance its provisions, the town was downgraded
and reverted its pre-1866 status as a barrio under
the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Imus. The
former town had to contend with its lowered status
for the next twelve years.
pg. 6

In 1917 when Richard Burton Harrison was

Governor General of the colony, he decreed that
Perez-Dasmarias be reverted back to its former
status as an independent municipality. In a
subsequent meeting of local leaders led by Placido
Campos, Francisco Barzaga, and Felipe Tirona and
Governor Antero Soriano, the governor of the
province of Cavite at that time, the decision was
made to change the towns name. The municipal
officials decided in that meeting to drop Perez from
the towns name and to retain Dasmarias.10
The Japanese Occupation
The town was yet again severely challenged when
the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1941. Many
of its residents and youth shed blood and gave up
their lives during the zonification, tortures, and raids
conducted routinely by the Japanese Imperial forces.
Because of its location, the Japanese authorities
suspected that the municipality was used as a haven
for fleeing guerillas. One such zonification occurred
on December 17, 1944 in the town proper itself. On
that day, using the church as their garrison the
Japanese rounded up all male residents who were
suspected to be involved in the guerrilla activities.
The Japanese tortured these men and forced them to
betray guerilla fighters.11
Some town residents died during Japanese raids
or were shot for being mistaken for guerillas.
However, most of young Dasmarineos died fighting
during encounters in Burol, Malinta, Paliparan,
Langkaan, and in other towns. Dasmarineos also
fought the Japanese in Bataan and Corregidor. Some
either survived or died during the infamous Death
March.
The early months of 1945 saw Filipino troops of
the 4th and 42nd Infantry Divisions of the Philippine
pg. 7

Commonwealth Army and Caviteos resistance

fighters liberating the town of Dasmarias from the
clutches of the Japanese Imperial Army. The
liberation of Manila that followed marked the end of
the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. With that,
normalcy once again returned to Dasmarias.12
Pre-Cityhood Era
The economic boom that defined todays
Dasmarias took place after the Dasmarias Bagong
Bayan (DBB) was established in 1975. The roots of
the DBB could be traced back in 1961 through the
acquisition for P2.4 million of a 234-hectare land in
the municipality by the Philippine Home Site and
Housing Corporation (PHHC). The property was
developed in 1971 by the Office of the Presidential
Assistant on Housing and Resettlement Agency and
later gave birth to the Dasmarias Resettlement
Area.
On September 19, 1973, former President
Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Executive Order No. 419
that formed the Task Force on Human Settlement. It
designated the Dasmarias Resettlement Area as the
ideal location for the countrys pilot model for viable
human resettlement. To realize the plan, President
Marcos signed the implementing Letter of Instruction
No. 19 in 1975. In compliance with that letter of
instruction, squatters that lived along the creeks,
riverbanks, and railway tracks of Paco, Pandacan,
Sta. Ana, and the fringes of Fort Bonifacio in Makati
were relocated to Dasmarias. Some of these settlers
were also squatters in private and government land
in Tondo, Paraaque, and Quezon City.13
The choice of Dasmarias to house the
resettlement of squatters was due to its accessibility
to Metro Manila and other important destinations in
the provinces of Cavite and Laguna. The original site
pg. 8

was later on expanded in order to accommodate

more settlers. By December of 2000, the National
Housing Authority (NHA) reported that the total land
area of Dasmarias Bagong Bayan had expanded to
523.24 hectares with a total project cost of P281
million.
Each family of settlers was given a lot with an
area of 90-200 square meters upon their
resettlement which they loaned from the National
Housing Authority (NHA). In no time, the population
of the resettlement area grew necessitating a formal
partition of the area. To accomplish this, the
Sangguniang Bayan of Dasmarias on September 12,
1990 passed Order 108-90, a municipal ordinance
which directed the division of the Dasmarias
Bagong Bayan into forty seven barangays. It was
then carried out with the approval of the National
Housing Authority (NHA). In 2000, ten years after the
ordinance was put into action, the National Housing
Authority reported that they have documented a
total of 22,428 households living in the resettlement
area with a population of 148,137.14
Today, the Dasmarias Bagong Bayan is the
biggest and the most successful resettlement area
that was established by the government. Its original
settlers have successfully integrated themselves into
the community and partook of the opportunities
Dasmarias has to offer. The burgeoning population
in the area had caused the lining of the
Congressional South Avenue, its main thoroughfare
with several schools and scores of business
establishments. No less than the giant SM Prime
Holdings had invested in the area by building the SM
Marketmall, a wet-and-dry market. The SM
Marketmall now stands in the place of the old Kadiwa
Market. It serves as an alternative market for the
municipality by offering goods at cheaper prices.15

pg. 9

Geography
Dasmarias is a success story because of its
number one asset, its geography. Strategically
located at 25 kilometers south of Manila, it is at the
center of a 30-km radius that includes the provincial
capital Trece Martirez on the west, Mall of Asia in the
northwest, Tagaytay City in the south, the bustling
Alabang in the east, and Lagunas industrial
communities on the southeast.
During the Spanish occupation Perez-Dasmarias
may be reached from the neighboring towns of
Silang and Imus through a dirt road which was
passable to all kinds of vehicles only during dry
season. During wet seasons it could only be
managed by foot or by horseback. By 1870, mails
from Manila were also delivered to Perez-Dasmarias.
These were first received at a central station in
Cavite Puerto were they were sorted and distributed
via Kawit, Imus, before they could finally reach PerezDasmarias.
Today the City may be accessed through two main
highways and a network of secondary roads from all
directions. The Emilio Aguinaldo Highway is one of
the major links of Dasmarias with the northern City
of Manila and the cities of Pasay, Paraaque, Bacoor,
and Imus; and the southern resort City of Tagaytay
and the Municipality of Silang. Also known as Radial
Road 1, this four-lane, 41 kilometer also connects the
city to the Manila-Cavite Expressway and the
Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway.
The 49 kilometer Governors Drive, on the other
hand allows access to Dasmarias from the capital
city of Trece Martirez and through the municipality of
General Trial from the west; and though the
municipalities of General Mariano Alvarez and
Carmona. The Governors Drive is also known as the

pg. 10

Dasmarias-Carmona Road. It is a major two to six

lane that east-west highway that passes through the
city from the Dasmarias Techno Park to the FCIE in
Langkaan. It connects Dasmarias to the Bacao
Highway, C.M. Delos Reyes Avenue and the A.
Soriano Highway.
Although the city is landlocked, it is not too far
from
the
coastal
towns
of Rosario, Kawit, Bacoor, Noveleta, and Cavite City.
The average distance separating Dasmarias from
these municipalities is less than 30 kilometers about the same distance from Laguna de Bay and
from the resort city of Tagaytay with its famous Taal
Lake.
The place is partly low lying and hilly. The city
center itself is elevated rising from an elevation of 80
meters to 250 meters towards the municipality of
Silang. It lies outside the typhoon belt and has no
fault line constraints. The city has yet to experience
floods because it is traversed by several rivers and
water tributaries which served as natural drainage
system that drains.16
People
The old town of Perez-Dasmarias had originally
only about 643 inhabitants. By 1888, the population
grew to 4,576 town residents. Today, the City of
Dasmarias is the largest city in the province of
Cavite in terms of area and population. As of 2010,
the citys population of 575,817 people is the 12 th
largest in the country.
Population of the City of Dasmarias (19902010):17
1990
1995

136,556
262,406

pg. 11

2000
2007
2010

379,520
556,330
575,817

Aside from native Dasmarineos, most City

residents belong to the middle class and affluent
families who came from Metro Manila and nearby
towns and provinces. They have chosen to make the
City their homes due to its proximity to Metro Manila
and other important locations. The mass exodus of
these people that came from all over the country
vastly enriched its culture earning for the city the
moniker the melting pot of Cavite.
The presence of reputable universities and
colleges, and the establishment of multinational
corporations of three huge industrial complexes also
attracted many foreign nationals, mostly; Koreans,
Chinese, Japanese, Americans, Hindus, Britons, and
Germans to take up residence in the city.
While Dasmarineos were predominantly Roman
Catholics during the Spanish period, todays city
residents belong to a smattering of other prominent
religious groups that include Iglesia Ni Cristo, United
Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Jesus Is
Lord Church (JIL), Victory Christian Fellowship, World
Mission Church, The United Methodist Church,
Salitran Covenant Bible Church, Presbyterian
Churches, Baptist and Bible Fundamental churches,
Seventh Day Adventist Churches, Ang Dating Daan,
The
Lords
Hand
Apostolic
Ministries,
The
Pentecostals, the Jesus Miracle Crusade, Lighthouse
Apostolic Ministry of Pentecost, Family Tabernacle of
Jesus Christ, and other lesser known religious
denominations. Gaining influence in the community
is a growing number of Muslims-Filipinos residents

pg. 12

who came to the City for the educational,

employment, and business opportunities available.
Majority of the city residents are can speak two or
more languages. Most are able to communicate with
their fellows in their mother tongue, such as; Ilokano,
Kapampangan, Panggalatok, Ilonggo, Cebuano,
Waray, or Chabacano; and are able to converse with
native Dasmarineos in Tagalog. The prospect of
relating with a significant number of expatriates, due
to the presence of numerous multinational
corporations, some Dasmarineos have learned to
speak foreign languages, such as, English, Spanish,
Korean, or Chinese.
Political Administration
The town head of Perez-Dasmarias was originally
the gobernadorcillo. Don Juan Ramirez owns the
distinction as the first holder of that position when
the town was first established. When Don Placido
Campos took over the reins of the municipal
administration in 1895, the title was changed to
Capitan Municipal. With the coming of the Americans
the name for position of capitan municipal was
changed to Municipal President. Don Francisco
Barzaga (1900) and Don Placido Campos (1901), held
this position until the effectivity of the law that
combined the municipalities of Imus, Dasmarias and
Bacoor with its seat of government in Imus. In 1917,
when Perez-Dasmarias was reverted to its status as
an independent municipality, the first to hold that
office was again, Don Placido Campos.18
The title of the Municipal President was a
changed with the establishment of the Philippine
Commonwealth in 1935. From that time onwards, the
holder of that position was called, Municipal Mayor.
The first official to hold that post was Teodorico
Sarosario who served in that capacity until 1940. The
pg. 13

last time the position was occupied was immediately

before Dasmarias became a city in 2009, by
Municipal Mayor Jennifer Austria-Barzaga.
The City government today is headed a City
Mayor and the first occupant of that position is the
incumbent City Mayor Jennifer Austria-Barzaga.
Elected to the position in 2007, Mayor Barzaga is in
her third term as the citys chief executive. As the
chief executive officer of the city, Mayor Jenny, as
she is fondly referred to by her constituents,
determines the guidelines on local policies and
directs the formulation of development plans for the
city. She is assisted by the executive branch, the
different department offices in the City, in carrying
out this job. Other members of the city
administration are the City Vice-Mayor and the
Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Officials of the City of Dasmarias
2013-2016
1. Jennifer Austria-Barzaga
City Mayor
2. Valeriano Encabo
City Vice-Mayor
3. Robin Cantimbuhan
Councilor
4. Reynaldo Canaynay
Councilor
5. Restituto Encabo
Councilor
6. Jacinto Frani, Jr.
Councilor
7. Roderick Atienza, Sr.
Councilor
8. Peter-Tom Antonio
Councilor
9. Nicanor Austria
Councilor
10.
Tagumpay Tapawan
Councilor
11.
Fulgencio de la Cuesta Councilor
12.
Teofilo Campao
Councilor
13.
Napoleon Gonzales
Councilor
14.
Angelo Hugo
Councilor
15.
Mamerto Noora, Jr.
Pres.,
Barangay League
16.
Jerome Menguito
SK President

pg. 14

The City Vice-Mayor is the presiding officer of the

Sangguniang Panlungsod. He appoints all employees
assigned to the city legislature except the regular
members who are also elected every local election
alongside the Municipal Mayor and Vice Mayor. In the
event where the mayor permanently or temporarily
vacates his position, the City Vice-Mayor assumes his
duties and functions.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dasmarias is the
lawmaking body of the City. It is composed of the
City Vice-Mayor as presiding officer, the twelve (12)
regular Sanggunian members, the president of the
city chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay, the
president of the Panlungsod na Pederasyon ng mga
Sangguniang
Kabataan,
and
the
sectoral
representatives from the women, from the
agricultural or industrial workers group, and a
representative from other sectors that includes the
urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, or
disabled persons.
The mandated duties and responsibilities of the
Sanggunian are to enact ordinances, approve
resolutions and appropriate funds for the general
welfare of the city. To accomplish these, city
councilors are assigned into 20 committees where
they deliberate and approve for recommendation
proposed ordinances and other resolutions.
Before 2009, Dasmarias was not entitled its own
representation in the Philippine Congress. Since
1907, when the Philippine Assemble was established
until 1972, the municipality was represented in the
countrys legislature as part of the lone district of
Cavite. During the martial law years, it was
represented as part of Region IV-A in the Interim
Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1984, and as part

pg. 15

of the at-large district of Cavite in the now defunct

Batasang Pambansa. It became part of the second
legislative district of Cavite in the restored House of
Representatives from 1987. On October 22, 2009,
shortly before the ratification of the City Charter of
Dasmarias the 4th Legislative District of Cavite was
established by Republic Act No. 9727. During the
2010 regular election, Atty. Elpidio Pidi Barzaga
was elected as the first representative of the City in
the House of Representatives. Today Congressman
Pidi is in his third term in that position.19
Dasmarias is also represented in the lawmaking
body of the provincial government of Cavite by city
residents who were elected as members of the
provincial board or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng
Cavite. Despite its city status, Dasmarias is still a
part of the Province of Cavite because its City
Charter converted the town into a component city
and not as an independent or highly urbanized one.
Today the city has two representatives to
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Cavite. They are
Board Members, Rex Mangubat and Rudy Lara. Their
term of office is for three year with a maximum of
two reelections.
Economy
Due to the richness of its agricultural resources
and sheer hard work of its residents, Dasmarias
became an important source of cash crops that
stimulated economic growth during the Spanish
colonial period. These conditions improved the
economic lives of the towns residents who were
mostly inquilinos of the Hacienda de Imus. These
Dasmarineos were the recipients of the effects of
the economic boom caused by the rising demand for
cash crops. They rose to prominence and became the
towns middle class residents.

pg. 16

In the recent years, the town has evolved from an

agriculture-based economy into a highly urbanized
commercial and industrial city. It boasts of three
industrial estates: the First Cavite Industrial Estate
(FCIE) in Barangay Langkaan, the Dasmarias Techno
Park located in Barangay Paliparan I, and the NHA
Industrial Park in Bagong Bayan that continues to
attract investors and job seekers to the city. In
addition to these major industrial estates, scattered
all over the barangays in the city are 240 different
factories and business establishments.
The effects of this industrialization on Dasmarias
are enormous. Because of this it became the fastest
growing local government unit in the province of
Cavite. The city became home to hundreds of
thousands of new residents who occupy the more
than 70 residential subdivisions. The rapid population
growth near the universities, industrial estates, and
factories provides a ready market for real estate
ventures and other support services.20
Commercial
developments
along Aguinaldo
highway, from Silang to Pala-Pala junction, show the
nature and extent of commercial activities in
Dasmarias. The construction binge began with the
establishment of local commercial and shopping
centers such as the Highway Plaza and CM Plaza. It
was followed by the opening of Waltermart, a Manilabased shopping center brand. Then came the giants;
The SM City-Dasmarias which set up shop along
Governors Drive in Pala-Pala, the SM Hypermarket
opened along Congressional Avenue, the Robinsons
Place-Dasmarias in Pala-Pala but sits along General
Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, and the Central MallDasmarias which opened also along the General
Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in Salitran. The presence
of these malls and shopping center not only helped
the citys economy by way of taxes, but also provide

pg. 17

travelers and tourists with stopovers on their way to

Tagaytay, Batangas, Laguna, Trece Martirez, and
Metro Manila, or vice versa.
The Importance of Dasmarias
Dasmarias City is located in Cavite, the countrys
most historic province, the birthplace of the
Philippine Republic, and home of heroes. Its rise from
a quaint agricultural town into a bustling
industrialized urban center is considered one of the
most remarkable success stories among local
government units south of Manila.
The successful transformation of Dasmarias can
be explained by a number of reasons, one of which is
its strategic geographical location. It is conveniently
within the 30-kilometer radius from Metro Manila in
the north, the provincial capital city of Trece Martirez
in the west, Tagaytay City and the incomparable Taal
Lake in the south, and the bustling Alabang and the
province
Laguna
with
their
rising
modern
communities in the east.
Another reason for Dasmarias success is its vast
size of more than 8,234 hectares which is eight times
the size o Makati City. The extent of the citys
territorial boundary is such that it can accommodate
a population that has more than double from 1995 to
2014, a span of only nineteen (19) years. In 1995
when the idea of cityhood was first conceived, its
population was merely 262, 406. The official census
data had the City population increased to 575,817.
Unofficial survey disclosed that the Citys residents
now number more than 700,000.21
Dasmarias is known as the industrial hub of
southern Luzon. The City is home to three major
industrial estates which together with other business
facilities and establishments immensely contribute to

pg. 18

the annual income of P1.1 billion. In addition to

taxation, these industrial estates house factories like
the Universal Robina and Ho-Cheng that employ
thousands of city residents. But biggest employer is
the SM Group of companies which has two mall; the
SM City-Dasmarias in Paliparan and the SM
Hypermart in the Dasmarias Bagong Bayan.
The local government continues to update and
upgrade infrastructures and facilities. To date the
administration of City Mayor Jenny Barzaga has
computerized property valuation and tax collection.
In order to reduce truancy and cheating by
employees, biometrics was installed to monitor
attendance instead of the old Bundy clock. All these
technological advance were put in place so that
human interventions are minimized when doing
business transaction with the government, thereby,
minimizing if not totally eliminating corruption.
In order to ensure the safety of hundreds of
residents and visitors transacting business on the
daily basis, the city government has initiated the
installation of closed circuit TV (CCTV) all over the
City Hall. To ensure their safety in major
thoroughfares and highways and also to monitor
vehicle flow and manage traffic, CCTVs were likewise
installed. All these are in conjunction with the local
governments efforts to create a business-friendly
environment to further attract prospective investors
to come and put up shop in Dasmarias.
The presence of reputable educational institutions
that have put up branches in the City also accounted
to its successful transformation. Most notable among
these schools is the University of De La SalleDasmarias which is run by the De La Salle brothers
of the DLSU-Manila fame. Other well-known school in
the City are; the Technological University in the
Philippines, the Philippine Christian University, and
pg. 19

the Emilio Aguinaldo College, all have joined the

process of mass dispersal to relieve the choking overpopulation in Metro Manila.
Dasmarias is also the acknowledged Mall
Capital of Cavite. While other cities and
municipalities in the province have only either the
SM mall or Robinsons centers, the City prides itself
as the only one with both. Other smaller mall
operators and local ones have put up their branches
in the city as well.
No less than 250 subdivisions have mushroomed
due to the burgeoning population of student and
professional who have flocked to Dasmarias. The six
major road networks conveniently connect the City to
other towns and cities. Health care services may be
had without delay with the presence of five major
hospitals; the Asia Medic Family Hospital and Medical
Center in the Palapala area, the DBB Municipal
Hospital in San Esteban, the De La Salle University
Medical Center along Congressional Avenue, the
Emilio Aguinaldo College Medical Center Cavite in
Salitran, and the St. Paul Hospital Cavite in Burol II,
Bagong Bayan.
The Citys temperate climate, high elevation and
gently rolling hills make it a natural subdivision hub.
But Dasmarias most important quality in addition to
its rich natural resources is its people. The native
Dasmarineo is a rebellious kind but is intelligent,
hardworking, and most of all welcoming. These fine
qualities as a people were essential in the success
story that is about to unfold in this book.

pg. 20

NOTES

pg. 21

Fulgencio C. De La Cuesta, Jr., Special Ordinance No. 02-s-2011 declaring the Paru-Paro
Festival as the official festival of the City of Dasmarias TMS resume (photocopy)
2

Learn about Nature, Butterfly Life Cycle/Butterfly Metamorphosis,

http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml#sthash.Kh9OdAhf.dpuf/accessed 26 September
2014.
3

A visita was a small outlying settlement equipped with a chapel to receive a visiting friar. This
is where most reluctant native converts were brought. See, Patricio N. Abinales and Donna J.
Amoroso, State and Society in the Philippines, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 53.
4

Dominador A. Del Rosario, Dasmarias Chronology: 1864-1917 n.d. TMS (photocopy), in

Recto M. Cantimbuhan, Cityhood of Dasmarias n.d.
5

The establishment of the parish of Perez-Dasmarias was approved by the Queen Isabella II of
Spain on October 21, 1866: Gomez Perez Dasmarias y Ribadeneira was the 7th Governor-General
of the Philippines. He initiated the fortification of Intramuros and Fort Santiago. See, Ibid.
6

Dasmarias City Official Website, the History of Dasmarias: Spanish Colonization,

Dasmarias City Official Website. http://dasmarinas.gov.ph/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=13/accessed 01 October 2014.
7

Ibid.

Ibid.

Corpuz, O. D., the Roots of the Filipino Nation vol. II. (Diliman, Quezon City: The University of
the Philippines Press. 2006), 285-286.
10

Del Rosario, Dasmarias Chronology, n.p.

11

Dasmarias City Official Website, the History of Dasmarias: Japanese Occupation,

Dasmarias City Official Website. http://dasmarinas.gov.ph/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=13/accessed 01 October 2014.
12

Ibid.

13

Nilo D. Cabides, The Integration of the Relocatees into the Community of Dasmarias: An
Overview (Ph. D. diss., De La Salle University- Dasmarias, 2007), cited in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasmari%C3%B1as_Resettlement_Area/accessed October 14, 2014.
14

Cabides, Integration of the Relocatees, Ibid.

15

Ibid.

16

Jumpstarting Electronic Governance in Local Government Units- Dasmarias: Geography &

Climate Municipality of Dasmarias, cited in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasmari
%C3%B1as_Resettlement_Area/accessed October 14, 2014.
17

National Statistics Office, 2010 Census of Population and Housing, Total Population by
Province, City, Municipality and Barangay, 01 May 2010.
18

Dasmarias City Official Website, the History of Dasmarias: American Period, Dasmarias
City Official Website. http://dasmarinas.gov.ph/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=13/accessed 01 October 2014.

19

Republic Act No. 9727, sec. 1, 2 (2009).

20

The Official Website of the City of Dasmarias, Demographics

http://www.dasmarinas.gov.ph/home/demographics.php/accessed October 14, 2014.
21

Data from the National Census and Statistics Office report of September 1, 1995 and used to
support House Bill No. 8993 in 1997. See, Explanatory Note, House Bill No. 8993, (1997),
photocopy.