Aguinaldo Shrine Kawit, Cavite

photo © A John Gale

My grandfather (John Gale) enjoyed his half-day trip to the Aguinaldo Shrine, birthplace and home of General Emilio Aguinaldo.

General Aguinaldo resisted the Spanish colonizers until exiled to Hong Kong, and then supported American entry because they had led him to believe they would give the Philippines its independence. When it became clear he had been tricked, Aguinaldo rebelled and fought the new overlords as President of the First Philippine Republic until he was caught at Biak-na-Bato, San Miguel, Bulacan.

His house and its remarkable furnishings have been made into the Aguinaldo Shrine. The ceiling of the dining room has a bas relief map of the Philippines, with Cavite painted red to symbolize the province's resistance. The balcony was where independence from Spain was declared June 12, 1898; at the same time the Philippine flag was raised and the national anthem was played, both for the first time.

Aguinaldo rests in a marble tomb in the garden behind the house.

The Aguinaldo Shrine, open 8 am - 5 pm daily, is well worth a visit. There is no entrance fee but you may make a donation. Available for sale is the attractive and informative book Home of Independence: Emilio Aguinaldo House, by Ino Manalo, published by the National Historical Institute.

GETTING THERE:

The shrine is located in Kawit (which literally means hook--after the "hook" of land it is located on). Buses that go from Baclaran to Cavite City, Tanza, and Naic pass the shrine. By car, take Quirino Avenue (slower but more interesting as you pass woodcarving shops, churches, etc); or the Coastal Road (then Quirino Avenue); or the Southern Luzon Highway, exit at Sucat to pass Las Piñas (for the Church and Bamboo Organ), and Zapote (home of Sarao jeepney factory).

Visit Rogelio Santos' great site www.dock.net/rogers/cavite.html for more detailed info on Cavite.