Rosario, officially the Municipality of Rosario (), is a municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

Etymology

There are three religious versions for naming the town "Rosario." These are:

The first version says, the image of the Madonna and the Child was found one day floating on the water by a group of kids playing along the seashore. They played with the image, using it as a toy and afterwards hid it in the bushes near the sea. Every time they came back, however, they would see the image already floating leisurely on the water, as if waiting for them. They thought it strange, but could not explain how the image got back to the water.

Not long after their elders learned about the image and took it to an empty nipa shack. Thus began a public veneration of the Madonna and Child. The hut was transformed into a place of worship. News of miraculous happenings attributed to the image spread around. The religious fervor was so great and the people were moved by the image that they decided to adopt it as the patroness of the town and changed the name Salinas Marcella to Rosario.

The different names given to the town are remembered. Marcella exists as one of the national roads of the town. Salinas is associated with the finest and famous smoked fish (Tinapang Salinas) produced by the townspeople.

Rosario was formerly called Tejero, which may have originated from the word tejer (Spanish to weave) because weaving fish nets was then the main occupation of the women. Rosario was also called Salinas derived from the word sal (Spanish salt) during the Philippine Revolution because salt-making was a prime industry of the town. The place was likewise called Marcella or Marcelles due to its proximity to the sea (“mar” in Spanish). Rosario was, finally, named in honor of their patroness Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol or (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary).

On November 3, 1845, presbyter Don Mamerto Mariano Ner, who was at that time one of the priests of the Curia of Manila, was appointed as the first parish priest and served until December 1866. It became an independent municipality in 1846, one year after the founding of the Santissimo Rosario Parish. In 1911, Rosario regained its independent status as a municipality of Cavite by virtue of Executive Order No. 92. <!-- http://youseemore.com/san_carlos/uploads/OFFICIAL%20GAZETTE%20INDEX%20%201902%20-1912.pdf ; exact date of the effectivity of independent status is not available online, so keep it undated in 1911 -->

Geography

Rosario is south of Manila and from Imus. It occupies part of the north to north-western section of the province along the western coast of Luzon. It is flanked by Noveleta on the east, Manila Bay on the north, General Trias on the southeast and Tanza on the south-west.

Land area

Rosario has a land area of . A total of 20 barangays make up this lowland coastal town.

Climate

Barangays

Rosario is politically subdivided into 20 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Bagbag I
  • Bagbag II
  • Kanluran
  • Ligtong I
  • Ligtong II
  • Ligtong III
  • Ligtong IV
  • Muzon I
  • Muzon II
  • Poblacion
  • Sapa I
  • Sapa II
  • Sapa III
  • Sapa IV
  • Silangan I
  • Silangan II
  • Tejeros Convention
  • Wawa I
  • Wawa II
  • Wawa III

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Rosario was 112,572 people, with a density of .

Rosario's potential labor force comprises 59.25% of the figure given above, with the majority engaged in fishing and trade activities. The growth rate is 3.63%.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the prominent religion of Rosario. There are two Catholic churches. One is in Poblacion, The Most Holy Rosary Parish, and another one in Ligtong, San Isidro Labrador Parish. Recently, Islam was introduced by the Maranao business people from Mindanao. The other religions in Rosario includes Iglesia ni Cristo and Born Again Christians.

Economy

thumb|left|Tinapa being dried up under the Sun in Barangay Wawa Dos

thumb|200px|right|SM City Rosario, the 4th SM mall in Cavite.

Fishing is a major economic activity due to the abundant fishing grounds particularly in Barangays Wawa I, II, Sapa II, III, Muzon I, II, Ligtong I and IV. The Rosario Fish Port in Barangay Sapa II is a major fishing port. Predominant cottage industries related to fishing include smoked fish (tinapa) processing, fish drying (daing), fish paste (bagoong) making, fish sauce (patis) making and canning. Marine species caught within municipal fishing grounds include squid, mackerel, slipmouth, herring, goatfish, tuna, mullet, porgy, shrimp, barracuda, cavalla, snapper, catfish and roundscad.

Salinas is also the birthplace of the well-known Marina’s bibingka and the local Cavite version of pansit luglog, also known as pansit palabok, which was introduced by Aling Ely’s carinderia. Both uses the local ingredients of tinapa flakes and kesong puti otherwise known as casillo.

Since the early 2000s, the Fil-Oil Development and Management Corporation (FMDC) has been developing of its parent company Philippine National Oil Corporation property into a special economic zone, the Cavite Economic Zone, that will include an industrial estate, low-cost housing, and a new port facility. A proposed reclamation will increase the land area of Barangay Sapa II and III by .

On November 20, 2009, SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall-operator in the country, opened SM City Rosario, its 36th mall. The Taiwanese steel fastener manufacturing company Lu Chu Shin Yee owns a factory in Rosario called Rosario Fasteners Corp. (formerly Lu Chu Shin Yee Works Philippines Corp.), established in 1988.

Government

Elected officials

The following are the elected officials of the town elected last May 12, 2025 which serves until May 8, 2028:

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Position !! Official

|-

| Mayor || Jose Voltaire V. Ricafrente (PDPLBN)

|-

| Vice Mayor || Joanne Michelle "BAMM" B. Gonzales (PDPLBN)

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Sangguniang Bayan Members

! Party

|-

| Raul J. Hernandez

| PDPLBN

|-

| Vivian R. Andico

| PDPLBN

|-

| Christopher P. Go

| PDPLBN

|-

| Arrel C. Convento

| PDPLBN

|-

| Crisanto A. Nazareno

| PDPLBN

|-

| Michael E. Del Rosario

| PDPLBN

|-

| Manuel C. Pueblo

| PDPLBN

|-

| Michael H. Giongco

| PDPLBN

|-

! ABC President

| John Paul L. Nazareno

|-

! SK Federation President

| Reina Maric Solis

|}

List of former municipal heads

Gobernadorcillos

  • 1845 - Jacinto Jimenez
  • 1846 - Pablo Buendia
  • 1847 - Ventura Caldeira
  • 1848 - Jacinto Jimenez
  • 1849 - Adriano Zacarias
  • 1850 - Reducindo Cruz
  • 1851 - Pablo Buendia
  • 1852 - Jacinto Jimenez
  • 1853 - Reducindo Buenviaje
  • 1854 - Roberto Jimenez
  • 1855 - Lino Ner
  • 1856 - Lino Ner
  • 1857 - Benito Atangan
  • 1858 - Isidoro Gonzales
  • 1859 - Natalio Buenaflor
  • 1860 - Tomas Panganiban
  • 1861-1862 - Isidoro Gonzales
  • 1863-1864 - Lino Ner
  • 1865-1866 - Bernabe Raqueno
  • 1867-1868 - Lino Ner
  • 1869-1870 - Juan Buendia
  • 1871-1872 - Benito Atangan
  • 1873-1874 - Basilio Copon
  • 1875-1877 - Lino Ner
  • 1878-1879 - Bernabe Raqueño
  • 1880-1881 - Mariano Odvina
  • 1882-1883 - Francisco Prudente
  • 1884-1885 - Ciriaco Abutin
  • 1886-1887 - Pantaleon Raqueño
  • 1888- - Francisco Sales
  • 1889-1890 - Mariano Punzalan
  • 1891-1892 - Pablo Raqueño

Capitan Presidents

  • 1893 - Roman Bulda
  • 1894 Marcelo Rodriguez
  • 1895-1898 - Catalino Abueg

Presidente Municipal

  • 1899-1900 - Catalino Abueg
  • 1901-1905 - Andres Ner
  • 1906-1907 - Benigno Santi
  • 1908-1909 - Andres Villanueva
  • 1910-1912 - Andres J. Giongco
  • 1913-1915 - Pascual Jimenez
  • 1915-1922 - Julio K. Mata
  • 1922-1925 - Andres J. Giongco
  • 1925-1930 - Julio K. Mata
  • 1930-1934 - Narciso Jimenez Ner

Municipal Mayors

  • 1934-1937 - Julio K. Mata
  • 1938-1941 - Jose Castro
  • 1942-1943 - Agustin Abadilla

Japanese sponsored Mayor

  • 1944-1945 - Julio K. Mata

Liberation Military Mayor

  • 1945 - Narciso Jimenez Ner

Appointed by Pres. Osmena

  • 1946 - David P. Jimenez

Appointed by Pres. Roxas

  • 1947 - Julio K. Mata

Municipal Mayor

  • 1948-1951 - David P. Jimenez
  • 1952-1959 - Antonio E. Guhit
  • 1960-1963 - Pedro R. Giongco
  • 1964–1978, 1980-1986 - Calixto D. Enriquez
  • 1978-1980 - Agripina Y. Abueg
  • 1986-1988 - Oscar F. Reyes
  • 1988-1992 - Ernesto S. Andico
  • 1992–1998, 2007–2016, 2019–2020 - Jose M. Ricafrente, Jr.
  • 1998-2007 - Renato M. Abutan
  • 2016–2019, 2020–present - Jose Voltaire V. Ricafrente

Education

The Rosario Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Agustin Abadilla Elementary School
  • Bagbag Elementary School
  • Bible Christian Academy
  • David P. Jimenez Elementary School
  • Galilee Academy
  • King Arthur Academy
  • Ligtong Elementary School
  • Rosario Elementary School
  • Rosario Institute
  • Santo Rosario Catholic School
  • Silangan Elementary School
  • Tejeros Convention Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Bagbag National High School
  • Bible Christian Academy
  • Cafuir Learning Center (defunct)
  • Cavite State University - CCAT Campus Labaratory Science High School
  • Escuela Secondaria Señor de Salinas
  • Galilee Academy
  • Rosario Institute
  • Rosario National High School
  • Santo Rosario Catholic School
  • STI - Rosario (High School Department)

Higher educational institutions

  • Cavite State University - CCAT Campus
  • Datacom Institute of Computer and Technology
  • Imus Computer College - Rosario Branch
  • STI College - Rosario Branch

Notable people

  • Nemesio Prudente - Educator/Activist
  • Roxanne Guinoo - Actress
  • Tomboy Bibo - Comedian/Influencer

<gallery widths="200" heights="150">

File:Cavitejf3150_01.JPG|Welcome arch

File:Rosario Parish Church, Cavite.jpg|Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church

File:LigtongChurchRosariojf3207 01.JPG|San Isidro Labrador Parish Church

File:CEZ_Gate_1_2023.jpg|Cavite Economic Zone

File:Cavitejf3325.JPG|Former Town hall

File:Rosario,Cavitejf3296_02.JPG|Former Rosario commercial center

</gallery>

See also

  • List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines

References

  • Rosario, Cavite - cavite.gov.ph
  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
  • Philippine Census Information