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).
History On October 22, 1845, Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria promulgated a Decree for the establishment of a new town comprising Salinas-Leiton and Tierra Alta of San Francisco de Malabon, what is now the city of General Trias. On October 27, Don Juan Arlegui, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Manila informed the Politico-Military Governor of Cavite Don Miguel Roca, that he was designated by the Governor-General to look for a person of unquestionable integrity who will be entrusted with the money for the construction of the church building.
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.
The municipality of Rosario was originally a part of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) which itself was part of Silang. It became an independent municipality in 1846, one year after the founding of the Santissimo Rosario Parish.
On October 15, 1903, Rosario and Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit) were merged with Noveleta by virtue of Act No. 947 enacted by the Philippine Commission. In 1911, Rosario regained its independent status as a municipality of Cavite by virtue of Executive Order No. 92.
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.
With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, the municipality is now included in Manila conurbation which reaches Lipa, Batangas in its southernmost part. It is accessible by land and water transportation.Province of Cavite Website - Rosario
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
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: Position Official Mayor Jose Voltaire V. Ricafrente (PDPLBN) Vice Mayor Joanne Michelle "BAMM" B. Gonzales (PDPLBN) 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 Laboratory 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
See also List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines
References
External links
[ Philippine Standard Geographic Code] Philippine Census Information