Place:Dasmariñas, Cavite, CALABARZON, Philippines

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Dasmariñas, officially known as the City of Dasmariñas, often shortened to Dasma, is a 1st class component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines.

With a land area of and a population of 703,141 people according to the 2020 census, it is the largest city both in terms of area and population in Cavite.

Being located just from Imus and south of Manila, the growing congestion and outward urban expansion of the Manila Metropolitan area has led to its rapid development in the late 1900s. This growth is manifested by the influx of shopping malls, universities, hospitals, industrial parks, and the growing number of residential subdivisions accommodating its growing population.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Foundation and Spanish rule

In the 19th century during Spanish rule, Dasmariñas was originally called Tampus meaning "end of the forest" in the local Tagalog language. It was formerly a barrio of Imus. It was once a part of a vast Recollect Hacienda that supported the various missionary activities of the Recollects in the Philippines and in Spain.

On April 9, 1864, 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 parish to separate from Imus. At that time, there were only 643 inhabitants in Tampus. After thorough discussions, Rafaél de Echagüe, the Governor-General of the Philippines approved the creation of the new town on May 12, 1864, with Don Juan Ramirez elected as the first town head or gobernadorcillo. The creation of the town was different from most other towns of Cavite. For the first time, a town was created not by a petition of the local populace and its local officials, as required by legal procedures and custom at that time. Instead, high ranking church officials and the Cavite politico-military governor were the prime initiators of its foundation.^[1]

An ensemble of nipa houses in the other barrios of the hacienda like Malinta, Nancaan, Salacay, Paliparan, Malagasang and Salitran were grouped and migrated into a reduccion (reduction) in Tampus in 1866. Reduccion originally meant the religious and civic aspects of missionary activities. Later, it came to mean the process of resettling and unifying a community, thereby creating a newly organized town. For the Spanish missionaries and friars, this process was advantageous not only for evangelization but also for bringing people under the Spanish rule. The new town could be reached through a good network of roads and bridges built by the best architects and engineers of the Recollect Order.^[1]

In the same year, it was renamed to Perez-Dasmariñas in honor of the seventh Governor General of the Philippines, Don Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas (1590–1593). Governor Dasmariñas, a Knight of Santiago, was a native of Galicia, Spain and a former magistrate of Murcia and Cartagena, Spain who brought a lot of economic improvements during the early days of colonization.^[1]

Towards the end of 1866, Perez-Dasmariñas had complied with the requirements of a typical Philippine town. A spacious town plaza at the center of the town with the church and the convent made of stone and bricks, a courthouse made of wood and nipa, a primary school for children, and various houses made of nipa were built in designated areas. A cemetery was located around 200 yards away from the church and surrounded with wooden fence.^[1]

Due to the growing population, the Recollects sent a petition to Madrid for the creation of a new parish in Dasmariñas, independent from Imus. Queen Isabella II signed the Royal Order creating the new parish of Perez-Dasmariñas on October 21, 1866. The following year, the construction of the stone parish church of Dasmariñas dedicated to the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Immaculate Conception was started.^[1]

Barrios

Dasmariñas was made up of several barrios. Salitran was considered the most important and famous during the Spanish regime because it was the site of the Recollect estate house. Salitran came from the Tagalog word sal-it meaning "people from another town". Since it was a part of the Recollect Hacienda of Imus, there were many people from different provinces who lived there working as farmhands. Layong Iloko, a place in Salitran, was named as such because there were Ilocanos who settled there. Pasong Santol in Salitran got its name because of the abundance of santol trees.^[1]

Tampus, the center of the newly formed town was located at the end of the deep forest. This is in contrast to one of the sitios in Paliparan which was called Pintong Gubat or "gate of the forest". Sometimes, the name of a barrio is taken from its location, as in the case of Barrio Burol which suggests the high location of the barrio. Sabang on the other hand means "crossroads". Barrio Salawag is believed to be the old barrio Salacay. The word salawag refers to long bamboo poles to which nipa roofing is tied up.^[1]

Nancaan, now called Langkaan, was derived from the Tagalog word langka which means "jackfruit". It is the biggest fruit tree in the Philippines which was reportedly brought from India to Malaysia and found its way to our country. The presence of lot of jackfruit trees may be the reason it was called Nancaan.^[1]

Malinta or Malintaan, on the other hand was derived from the Tagalog word linta which means "leech" because abundance of leeches in the place.^[1]

On July 18, 1899, three more sitios of Perez-Dasmariñas were raised to the rank of barrios. Barrio Sampaloc owing to the abundance of tamarind trees in the place; barrio Tamban was renamed San Jose and Barrio Lucsuhin became San Agustin.^[1]

The Philippine Revolution

By June 1896, the Spanish authorities in Cavite province had become suspicious of the local elite's activities. There were alleged top hierarchy meetings of the Recollects in the hacienda houses of Salitran and San Nicolas. Included in the meeting were General Bernardo Echaluce and other top military officials. The purpose of the meeting was to determine whether it was just to apprehend the notable elites who were Freemasons. Fortunately for the elites, no decision was made during the meeting. Thus, the local leaders freely but quietly continued their subversive activities.^[1]

As soon as the revolution of 1896 broke out, leaders of Perez-Dasmariñas took up arms against the Spanish rule. Don Placido Campos, the town head at the time and Don Francisco Barzaga, the municipal secretary, gathered the people to liberate their town from Spanish control at the beginning of September 1896. They captured the courthouse and the hacienda house in Salitran, killing the religious clergy who lived there.^[1]

As towns in Cavite fell to Filipino revolutionaries, the Spanish government in Madrid felt that Governor-General Ramon Blanco's offensive against the natives was ineffective. Thus, Camilo de Polavieja took over the command of the islands, with General José de Lachambre as the head of the campaign. Gradually, the Spaniards regained the control of the province. After the fall of Silang, the Spaniards focused on Perez-Dasmariñas. Knowing the strength of resistance he might encounter, General Lechambre decided to surround the whole town. He sent to advance units headed by Brigadier General José Molina who went to take the left. The troop under Colonel Arutos who had taken Paliparan, moved westward to cut the escape of the Filipinos to Imus and Carmona. General Lechambre sent the main force towards the south.^[1]

The locals suffered terrible defeat because of lack of arms and ammunition. As the Spaniards approached the Poblacion, the revolutionaries retreated the stone building of the town. On February 25, 1897, the Spaniards decided to encircle the Poblacion rather than go directly to the interior. They started burning all buildings except the church. Seeing they were surrounded by fire, some of the rebels went out of hiding but were immediately met by open fire. Those who took refuge at the courthouse refused to come out and were all burned alive. Even those who took refuge in the church did eventually yield to the advancing Spanish forces. By March, Perez-Dasmariñas had fallen back to the Spanish.^[1]

Then, General Lachambre returned to Salitran. He expected heavy resistance from the revolutionaries who occupied the hacienda house but to his great surprise, they were able to take the place without any resistance. They hoisted the flag of Spain and converted it to their headquarters.^[1]

There were large Filipino casualties according to Lachambre. There were 150 men inside the courthouse when Spaniards set fire to the building and all 150 inside were killed. Others took refuge in the convent, but was also set on fire and the men were shot as they emerged. Others had shut themselves up in the church. With the church surrounded, the mountain artillery was brought up into position and from a distance of 35 meters, the strong doors of the church were bombarded and the troops went in through the breach. At the height of the Battle of Perez Dasmariñas, General Flaviano Yengko, General Crispulo Aguinaldo, Lucas Camerino, Arturo Reyes and many more revolutionaries lost their lives in the battle.^[1]

American rule

With the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, the Philippines was ceded to America by Spain. The American regime brought to Dasmariñas, as it did to other parts of the country, several fundamental changes in the system of government, in language, and in educational system.

In the month of February 1899, the Philippine–American War began. General Henry Ware Lawton's brigade operated south of Manila including the province of Cavite in the middle of June 1899. The Americans could not land directly at Bacoor because Zapote river was defended by the Filipino revolutionists who built trenches as tactical defenses forming three sides of an angle which made the Filipinos hardly visible. The American's 14th Infantry Battalion swam across the during the Battle of Zapote River and under the cover of military artillery, charged against the Filipinos who then retreated to the woods.^[2]

Moving southward, the Americans encountered more Filipino revolutionaries in the towns of Bacoor, Imus, and Perez-Dasmariñas, and an infantry battalion narrowly escaped annihilation. News had been brought to the American camp that the Filipino soldiers had evacuated the town and that the native mayor was disposed to surrender it formally to the Americans. The battalion thus went there to take possession, but before reaching the place, the Filipino revolutionists closed in on all sides, and a heavy firefight went on for hours. The Americans were saved from destruction by a desperate bayonet charge when they were rescued by General Weaton's brigade.^[2]

Placido Campos, who sided with General Emilio Aguinaldo since the beginning of the Philippine-American War in 1899, was captured together with his nephew Guillermo Campos. They were imprisoned at the Provost Political Prison in Intramuros, Manila where they were kept for six months.^[2]

The Americans established military rule in 1900. By order of the colonel of the American troops stationed in Perez-Dasmariñas, the residents of the town nominated a president and a vice-president. Elected through the raising of hands were Francisco Barzaga as president and Conrado Malihan as vice-president. They served their office until the civil government was established by the Americans in 1901.^[2]

On January 31, 1901, in accordance with President William McKinley's instructions that the Filipinos be allowed to manage their own municipal governments, the Second Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 82, the new Municipal Code, placing each municipal government under the following officials: the municipal president, the vice-president, and the municipal council, who were elected by qualified voters every two years. In line with this, Placido Campos was again elected as the head of the municipality of Perez-Dasmariñas in October 1901. Francisco Barzaga then became the municipal treasurer. The two were re-elected in 1903.^[2]

In 1903, the Americans conducted the first census in the Philippines. Francisco Barzaga and the secretary, Esteban Quique, were made census enumerators for Perez-Dasmariñas under the leadership of Placido Campos. When the census was finished, the total population of the town was only 3,500. Before the revolution of 1898, the population was estimated to be 12,000. Comparing the population prior to the revolution with that of 1948, there has been a decrease in the population of Perez-Dasmariñas.^[2]

On January 5, 1905, the municipalities of Bacoor, Imus, and Perez-Dasmariñas were merged, with the seat of government located in Imus.^[2]

In 1917, under Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison, Perez-Dasmariñas was again declared a separate municipality. The provincial governor of Cavite, Antero S. Soriano, convened the local leaders, including Placido Campos, Francisco Barzaga, and Felipe Tirona. Together, they agreed to remove the word "Perez" and retain only "Dasmariñas" as the new name of the town. For the second time, Placido Campos headed the town.^[2]

World War II

During the Japanese occupation in World War II, the Japanese conducted zonifications in the town. The barrios of Paliparan and Salawag suffered the most number of deaths. Being remote places and thinking that guerrillas were hiding there, these two barrios were zonified two times giving up several lives. The Japanese Imperial Army made the schools as their garrison.

Meanwhile, after surviving in the Bataan Death March and released from the concentration camp in Capas, Tarlac, General Mariano Castañeda returned to Cavite and helped organized the resistance movement in Dasmariñas headed by Colonel Estanislao Mangubat-Carungcong of the 4th Infantry Regiment of Camp Neneng Dasmariñas and Colonel Emiliano de la Cruz of the 14th Infantry Regiment of Camp Paliparan. This unit provided guerilla warfare and was prepared to attack, sabotage missions, cut off enemy communications and logistics, perform recoinnaissance missions, provide protection to civilians against aggression by the Imperial Japanese Army, provide evacuation plans for them, and intensify intelligence reports to the 11th Airborne Division, 187th Glider Infantry Regiment headed by Colonel Harry B. Hildebrand.^[3]

In May 1943, The Imperial Japanese Army have received intelligence reports of the guerilla camp of the 4th Infantry Regiment in the west side of the town. They then positioned two long range cannons and fired 30 rounds, damaging rice plantations and crops, killing a large amount of cattle, and terrorized the Poblacion. Nevertheless, vigilant about the situation, the guerillas have narrowly escaped complete annihilation. After the assault, the town became too hot to the Japanese because of the active guerilla activities and the existence of the headquarters of the guerillas in Neneng Dasmariñas, and because of the Sakdalistas and Makapili (Japanese collaborators) denouncing and reporting all guerilla activities of Colonel Estanislao M. Carungcong to the Kempeitai, the Japanese military police, in exchange for payments and privileges. Because of it the Kempeitai made another zonification on July 25, 1943, in the town proper until guerilla regimental staff Lieutenant Colonel Jose M. Carungcong, Major Dominador I. Mangubat, Captain Elpidio Mangubat-Barzaga, Sr., and Captain Jovito Evangelista were captured and imprisoned for two months in a prison camp in Muntinlupa until they were released, except for Lieutenant Colonel Jose M. Carungcong, who was sentenced to six years in prison.^[3]

On June 24, 1944, the Hunters ROTC guerillas headed by Colonel Emmanuel de Ocampo, Lieutenant Colonal Vic Estacio, and Colonel Eleuterio Terry Adevoso raided the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and rescued many prisoners of war and a good haul of firearms and ammunition. Among the prisoners rescued was Lieutenant Colonel Jose Carungcong, who managed a jailbreak during the raids of the prison camp. Thereafter, the Japanese Military authorities immediately issued a 50,000 peso reward in exchange for his capture.^[3]

On August 25, 1944, with the help of the guerilla soldiers of the 4th Infantry Regiment, 114 Filipino military prisoners, 4 American senior officers, Volckmann's guerilla, and 70 more prisoners of war made a jailbreak at the prison camp in Muntinlupa. They were in poor health condition, deprived of proper meals, and were too skinny. They were kept in Camp Neneng Dasmariñas and given aid and sustenance and were treated by Major Dominador I. Mangubat, who was also a medical doctor, for two months until they recovered from malnutrition.^[3]

On December 17, 1944, from about 0100 hours until about 1800 hours, around 1,000 Kempeitai from Fort Santiago conducted another zonification in the poblacion and adjacent barrios. The Immaculate Conception Parish Church was used as their garrison and all suspected male residents involved or coordinating with the guerrilla movement of Colonel Estanislao M. Carungcong, with the advice of the Makapili collaborators, and 15 active guerillas of the Cobra unit of the 4th Infantry Regiment were tortured inside the church and some others that were brought to the back of the Dasmariñas Elementary School were tortured and bayonetted to death. Some were hanged at the old mango tree near the school canteen, whipped, beaten, tortured to forcefully expose and divulge the guerillas. Women were abducted and raped by the Japanese soldier. There were those who experienced the so-called "tinutubig" wherein the head is immersed in a drum of water.^[3]

On January 15, 1945, the day before the FACGF General Castañeda - US 11th Airborne Major Jay Vanderpool conference in Camp Neneng Dasmariñas, local guerrillas ambushed nine Japanese soldiers inside a jitney in Anabu Road in Salitran. The next day, on January 16, Japanese soldiers retaliated by firing indiscriminately on the civilian population.^[3]

Aside from these, raid after raid were made and male residents were shot to death. Some were killed because they were mistaken as guerrilla members. Some fought face to face, during encounters in Burol, Malinta, Paliparan, and Langkaan, while others were killed in other towns. Most male residents were among those who fought against the Japanese in Bataan and Corregidor Island.^[3]

On January 30, 1945, as Allied forces began to land in Nasugbu, Batangas, the guerilla force of the 4th Infantry Regiment under Colonel Estanislao M. Carungcong, a battalion under Major Zacarias Santiaguel of the 1st Infantry Regiment protected the National Highway 17 and attacked enemy positions at the national highway from Palapala Road extending 3000 yards east and west of the National Highway 17 up to Salitran Road. The 14th Infantry Regiment headed by Colonel Emiliano de la Cruz protected the highway between Dasmariñas and Carmona to prevent the enemy to rally a counterattack and to clear the path of the US 11th Airborne Division under General Swing which were being dropped via parachute in Tagaytay. Japanese military vehicles approaching from the north, west, and south sides of the town were ambushed.^[3]

FACGF Division Commander General Mariano Castañeda issued the command to liberate Dasmariñas to Colonel Estanislao Mangubat-Carungcong. The combined contingent of the FACGF's 4th Regiment, together with Colonel Lorenzo Saulog's 1st Infantry Regiment and Colonel Maximo Reyes' 11th Infantry Regiment killed 56 Japanese soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army garrisoned in the town leading to the total liberation of Dasmariñas.^[3]

Post-war era

After the war, the Philippines became independent and Dasmariñas started to develop. The population increased because of the mass exodus of families from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan (DBB), also known as Dasmariñas Resettlement Area, was established in 1975 by Letter of Instruction No. 19 issued by the then President Ferdinand Marcos.

From 1983 onwards Dasmariñas had an economic boom. Different factories and establishments sprouted in the town which gave way for the growth in population. From a sixth-class municipality, the town became a first-class municipality.^[4]

Cityhood

There have been several attempts to convert Dasmariñas into a city. The first attempt was in 1997, when HB08931 was filed by Congressman Renato P. Dragon with other cityhood bills of Imus (HB 08960) and Bacoor (HB 08959). It was filed last February 11, 1997, and read last February 13, 1997. Committee Report N0. 01361 was submitted on December 17, 1997. It was approved on the third reading by the House last January 10, 1998. It did not push through as a Republic Act and no plebiscite happened.

The second attempt was in 2000, when HB099883 was filed by Congressman Erineo Maliksi last March 13, 2000. It was first read last March 13, 2000. It was approved on the Second and Third reading of House last March 15, 2000, and March 27, 2000. It was transmitted to the senate on March 28, 2000, and received on March 31, 2009. It did not push through as a Republic Act and no plebiscite happened.

The idea of converting Dasmariñas into a component city was again proposed for the third time after failure in 1997 and 2000. House Bill no. 5258 converting the municipality of Dasmariñas into a component city was filed by Congressman Elpidio F. Barzaga, Jr. last October 3, 2008. It was read last October 6, 2008. It was approved by the House on Second and Third Reading on October 7 and November 17, 2008. It was transmitted and received by the Senate last November 17 and 20, 2008. It was passed by the senate on Second and Third Reading last September 28 and October 5, 2009. It is received by the President of the Philippines last October 14, 2009, and signed as Republic Act 9723 last October 15, 2009.

COMELEC Resolution No. 8682 in connection with the November 25, 2009, plebiscite to ratify the conversion of the municipality of Dasmariñas province of Cavite into a component city pursuant to Republic Act 9723 dated October 15, 2009.

Republic Act No. 9723 was ratified by the registered voters of Dasmariñas through a plebiscite conducted last November 25, 2009, converted the municipality of Dasmariñas in the Province of Cavite into a component city to be known as the City of Dasmariñas. There were about 44,000 voters who cast the plebiscite ballot in the town's 1,508 polling precincts. The yes votes won overwhelmingly. The yes votes got 36,559 while the no votes got 8,141.

Mayor Jennifer Austria-Barzaga, elected in 2007, is both the first female mayor and first city mayor of Dasmariñas since its achieving city status. Since 1892, when Don Placido N. Campos became the first mayor, there have been 23 mayors of the city.

On 2011, the Paro-Paro Festival was first celebrated. It is celebrated every November 26 to commemorate the incorporation of the city of Dasmariñas with people dancing and parading in the streets in butterfly costumes.

In November 2013, the Paru-Paro Festival was cancelled, instead the allocated funds will be donated to the Typhoon Yolanda victims.

As of the 2020 census, the city recorded a population of more than 700,000. The city serves as a catalyst for major economic development and sustained growth for the Greater Manila Area since the 1990s. The influx of industries, educational and health institutions, shopping malls, and real estate developments is significant.

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