Silang (Tagalog:[ˈsi.lɐŋ]), officially the Municipality of Silang (Tagalog: Bayan ng Silang), formerly known as Silan during the Spanish colonial era, is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 295,644 people.[3]
With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, the municipality is now part of the Manila's conurbation which spans southward toward Lipa City.
Etymology
The name of Silang (originally called Silan) originates from Tagalogsilang, meaning "mountain pass".[5]
History
Pre-Hispanic period
The traditional origins of the town are attributed to ten Borneandatus who sailed northward on board balangays and ended in Silang through Taal Lake. Its first settlers were Gat Hingiw, his wife Gat Kaliwanag, and their seven children, who later moved to different parts of the town and established their respective barangays. Gat Pandan stayed in the original community and developed the area.[6]
Spanish colonial era
During the start of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, tracts of land were given by the King of Spain to the conquistadores and their descendants, who collected tributes from the people residing in their acquired lands. Silang originally belonged to the encomienda (land grant) of Diego Jorge de Villalobos; his claim extended to what is today the towns of Carmona, Amadeo, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, and Tanza.[6] For many years, Silang was one of the biggest towns, by the 20th century its land area was reduced to its current size, as some of its former villages later became independent towns. Indang was the first to be granted town status in 1655. By the 19th century, the town lost land to the towns of Carmona and Amadeo, and by 1938, the town's southern lands were ceded to become part of the city of Tagaytay.
The Silang encomienda was later purchased from King Ferdinand VI of Spain for 2,000 pesetas on March 9, 1746, to prevent it from becoming a "friar land" like the other towns of Cavite, executed through the representation of Bernabe Javier Manahan and Gervacio dela Cruz.[6]
Contemporary history
On January 22, 2023, the municipality was certified by Guinness World Records as volunteers from the municipal government and the Catholicparish church successfully lit 621 candles in a world record attempt for longest line of candles lit in relay, surpassing 366 set in India in 2016. The attempt was held to commemorate the feast of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.[7][8]
In the 2020 census, the population of Silang, Cavite, was 295,644 people,[3] with a density of 1,400 inhabitants per square kilometre or 3,600 inhabitants per square mile.
Silang, like most of the towns in the province of Cavite, depends on a mainly agricultural economy. The primary crops grown in the area are coconut, coffee, corn, banana, pineapple, and tree crops like mango, lansones, caimito, santol, jackfruit, guava, and avocado. Fertile soils and abundant water sources make Silang suitable not only for common commercial crops but also for high value and exotic crops production. Most of the local farmers practice intercropping to increase land productivity and lessen soil erosion. Fruit production exceeds the demand of the municipality's population, thus, supply excesses are marketed to Metro Manila and neighboring urban centers. A number of poultry and swine farms are also located in some rural barangays.
Manufacturing and trade are Silang's other major sources of income. Trade and investments grew tremendously with the influx of both Manila-based and foreign investors. Total investments were estimated at ₱2.5 billion between 1996 and 2004, which helped bring about the employment of 3,000 people. Despite the slow down of progress in 2004, Land Value still soared, allowing investors to infiltrate and start business. The investment trend resulted in the increase in the price of prime realty from ₱3,000 to ₱15,000 per square meter and from ₱150 to ₱500 per square meter for raw lots in interior barangays. Trade establishments in Silang include gasoline stations, convenience stores, restaurants, lumber/hardware traders, shopping malls, groceries, resorts, and hotels.
The dry goods section of the Silang Public Market can now accommodate 228 stalls.
Silang houses the Maguyam Industrial Complex and the Daichi Industrial Complex in addition to a total of ten factories operating outside the export processing zone.
Silang can be reached by bus or by jeepney. Coming from Manila, it would take around 2 hours to reach the town proper. Silang is accessible by land transportation. Major road networks to and from Laguna and Batangas traverse it making the town a potential trading center for agricultural products while enjoying an environment that is free of traffic and pollution problems. Commuters are assured of smooth travel within the borders of the municipality with of its good road networks of approximately 187.83 km (116.71 mi). Major roads include Aguinaldo Highway, Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road, Governor's Drive (along the municipal boundary with General Mariano Alvarez), and Cavite–Laguna Expressway. Six major road projects were completed in 1996, being the Bulihan Resettlement Area Road, the 8 km (5.0 mi) Kaong-Maguyam Road, the Caramanzana Drive connecting the Silang Public Market with Aguinaldo Highway, the 2 km (1.2 mi) Sabutan-Iba Road, the DPWH funded Santa Rosa-Silang-Tagaytay Road, and the Malabag Road. The proposed Cavite–Tagaytay–Batangas Expressway will have its eastern end built in Silang.
SKF President: Buhat, Robinson Jr. Ambita (Brgy. Lucsuhin)
List of chief executives
Gobernadorcillo (Leader of 'pueblo' or bayan during Spanish Era):
Don Teodoro de Leon 1850–1852
Anastacio Medina 1852–1858
Codrato Mercado 1858–1872
Severino Belarmino 1872
Ancelmo Belardo 1875
Julio Medina 1877–1878
Lazaro Kiamzon 1879–1880
Ignacio Ambalada 1881
Angel Belardo 1881–1882
Ignacio Ambalada (new term) 1883–1884
Benito Gonzales 1884
Vito Belarmino 1885–1886
Lazaro Kiamzon (new term) 1887
Benito Gonzales 1887–1888
Gaspar Medina 1889–1890
Marcelo Madlansacay 1891–1892
As the effect of the Maura Law in 1893, the tribunal del pueblo was changed to tribunal municipal and leaders of municipalities were called Capitan Municipal:
Victor Belardo 1893–1894
Nicolas Montoya 1895–1896
Martin Medina 1896
Isidoro Montoya 1896–1897
Marcelo Madlansacay (former gobernadorcillo) 1897
Vicente Poblete 1897–1898
Jose Kiamzon 1898–1901
During the American Period, the 2nd commission passed the Municipal Code (Act No. 82) that created Municipalities. The leaders were called Presidente Municipal:
First Elections were held 1903. (Silang Historical Society)
Isaias Benjamin (appointed) 1901–1903
Nicolas Madlansacay (elected) 1903–1904
Primo Villanueva 1905–1906
Pedro Laviña 1907–1908
Isaias Benjamin (new term) 1909–1912
Jose Kiamzon (former Capitan Municipal) 1912–1916
Victor Kiamzon 1916–1919
Epifanio Montoya 1919–1922
Victor Kiamzon 1922–1925
Venancio Toledo 1926–1931
Victor Kiamzon 1931–1934
Martin Torres – Feb–Aug 1934
Municipal Mayor(s):
Jose Kiamzon 1934–1937
Martin Torres 1937–1940
Miguel Kiamzon 1940–1943
Dominador Kiamzon 1943–1945
Martin Torres 1946–1948
Mariano Belen 1949–1953
Zacarias Batingal – January–October 1954
Martin Torres 1954–1955
Zacarias Batingal March 1955
Martin Torres April–October 1955
Pedro Caragao November–December 1955
Enrique Asuncion 1956–1971
Edgardo Mercado 1972–1986
Clarito Ambalada Poblete 1986–1995, June 30, 2004–June 30, 2013
Ruben Montoya Madlansacay June 30, 1995–June 30, 2004
Emilia Lourdes "Omil" Fule Poblete June 30, 2013–June 30, 2019
Socorro Rosario "Corie" Fule Poblete June 30, 2019–June 30, 2022
^Lesho, Marivic; Sippola, Eeva (2018). "Toponyms in Manila and Cavite, Philippines". Vergleichende Kolonialtoponomastik Strukturen und Funktionen kolonialer Ortsbenennung. De Gruyter. pp. 317–332. ISBN9783110608618.
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