Rosario, Cavite

      Began as barrios of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) with names like Salinas (salt-making) and Tejero (weaving fishnets), later called Marsella (from mar, sea). Established as an independent town in 1845, it was renamed Rosario to honor its patroness, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Virgen del Santissimo Rosario). It's famous for its Tinapang Salinas (smoked fish) and the historic Tejeros Convention in 1897, a pivotal meeting during the Philippine Revolution, eventually becoming an industrial hub with the Cavite Economic Zone.

      Rosario is a town especially consecrated to the Virgin Mary. The devotion to the Virgin Mary runs deep in the blood of every Rosarian. Time and again, Rosarians who have wandered in far distant places of the world would see to it that they make a sentimental journey back home for occasions like these which provide the chance for family reunions and for renewing ties with old time friends. They are chances for communal expressions of filial love and devotion to the 'Virgen del Rosario' and their hometown. As a way of expressing gratitude for the blessings received, homes are thrown open to visitors for a taste of typical Rosarian hospitality.

The Humble Beginnings of a Hometown

      Rosario is a town along the coastal area of Cavite Province, Manila Bay. Before its establishment as an independent town, it was a small barrio of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) called Salinas Marsella. The word Salinas came from the Spanish word sal which means salt. Salt making was a source of livelihood. Marsella came from the Spanish word mar which means sea. In 1845, Salinas, Ligtong and Noveleta, was created as an independent town named Rosario to honor the patroness of the new town. Rosario has several barrios. One of the oldest known barrios was Ligtong. The word Ligtong came from an old Tagalog word libtong, which means the deep holes found at the mouth of the river. A document dated 1659 mentions un sitio que se llaman Leyton with some cattle ranches owned by the Hermanos Hospitalarious de San Juan de Dios who in 1641 came to Cavite Puerto (Cavite City) to establish the convent and Hospital de San Jose de Granada. San Isidro, the patron of farmers, was chosen as patron of the barrio.

      Muzon got its name from a Spanish word mojon which was a permanent landmark placed to fix boundaries. The barrio was then the mojon of Rancheria of the Hermanos de San Juan de Dios and the private hacienda of Don Jose Basa y Enriquez. Muzon was a busy fishing center. During the Spanish Regime, many boats used to drop anchor near the beach of Muzon. A battle was fought in this place between the Spaniards and the Filipino revolutionaries under Sergeant Cordillera and Valentin Vivo.

      Bagbag was a thickly forested area teeming with woodcutters gathering firewood and charcoal. People would say binakbakan ang mga punong-kahoy. Soon the place was called Binakbakan or Bagbagan. At present it is called Bagbag.

      Barrios Silangan and Kanluran imply the location on the eastern and western parts of the town.

      Sapa is a Tagalog word which means small creek.

      Wawa is a Tagalog word which means mouth of the river. The barrio is located at the mouth of Cañas River. This river separates Rosario from the neighboring town of Tanza. Another barrio called Paso de Tabla was named after a wooden bridge over a small river which connected the towns of Rosario and San Francisco de Malabon.

      Tejeros got its name from one of the major industries of Rosario --- abaca and cotton weaving--- tejer is a Spanish word which means to weave, from which the name Tejeros, which means weavers, came from. On March 22, 1897, a convention of Filipino revolutionaries was held at the Casa Hacienda of the Augustinians Friars in Tejeros establishing the Philippine Revolutionary government with Gen. Emillio Aguinaldo as the first elected president. The Tejeros Convention was the start of the deep-seated enmity between Aguinaldo and Andress Bonifacio. [Excerpt from: A Mother to love, a History to remember by Rev. Virgilio Saenz Mendoza https://tinyurl.com/4rk84tzr.]