Chapter 1Basic Information about DasmariasHome of the Paru-Paro Festival

Let us begin our story about Dasmarias with the Paru-Paro Festival. The Paru-Paro Festival is a celebration of colors and symbol held every November 26 in Dasmarias City in the Province of Cavite. Now in its fourth year, it features a parade of contingents which included students from different educational institutions in the city, the City government employees, members of different civic organizations, and Dasmarias residents wearing multicolored butterfly costumes.

Each group, representing a colony of butterflies danced spiritedly in unison through the citys main thoroughfares to the lively beat of the drums or of mobile sound-systems. At the head of these contingents were the most energetic members holding their groups emblem likewise gaily decked for the occasion. As if saving the best for last, the groups prettiest and handsomest were on display on gaily decked floats.

Last years Paru-Paro Festival celebration was cancelled in deference to the plight of Filipinos hit by the super typhoon Yolanda. The city government decided to forgo with the revelry and donate instead the budget earmarked for the towns celebration. This year, 2014, the festival was back with a vengeance. It was bigger, livelier, and noisier. No less than the renowned morning show Umagang Kay Ganda of the ABS-CBN TV network covered the festivities. It featured the biggest parade ever assembled since its inception and a finale of breathtaking fireworks display.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dasmarias formalized the celebration of the Paru-Paro Festival on November 1, 2011 when it passed Special Order No. 02-s-2011. During the Sanggunian special session that day, city legislators deliberated and decided that the best way to tell the story, and celebrate the success of the Citys transformation and commit these to memory for posterity, was through a festival that reflects its colorful past and at the same time symbolizes the richness of its natural resources and its people. Thus, in partnership with the Citys executive department, headed by City Mayor, Jennifer Austria-Barzaga, Paru-Paro Festival was declared as the official festival of the City of Dasmarias. Launched that very same year, it coincided with the celebration of the second year anniversary of the ratification of the City Charter. The festival provided for Dasmarineos, each year and every year thereafter, a happy, colorful, and symbolic occasion to celebrate that momentous event.

While most Philippines festivals, such as the Ati-Atihan of Kalibo, Sinulog Festival of Cebu City, Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City, Pahiyas Festival of Quezon Province, and the Parada ng Lechon of Balayan in Batangas, are observed for religious reasons, Dasmarineos chose to celebrate with the colors and symbols of the butterfly. These symbols represent change, transformation, and celebration. Like a butterfly whose life cycle is completed in stages before it finally transforms into an adult exploding with colors, the City of Dasmarias also had to change, transform, and eventually celebrate its exciting and remarkable achievements in stages. Like a butterfly which starts as a very small, round, oval or cylindrical egg, Dasmarias also humbly began as a mere barrio of the Municipality of Imus.

The coolest thing about butterfly eggs, especially monarch butterfly eggs, is that if you look close enough you can actually see the tiny caterpillar growing inside of it and so was Dasmarias. Even in its embryonic stage, the towns founding fathers can already see its immense potentials. They looked closely and saw countless possibilities awaiting the still nascent municipality because of its strategic location, rich natural resources, and most importantly, its proud and hardworking people. Over a century and four decades later, these potentials were realized and recognized from far and beyond earning it the right to celebrate its marvelous metamorphosis as showcased in the celebration of the Paru-Paro Festival.

Spanish Colonial Period

Before Dasmarias there was Tampus which in the native language meant edge of the forest. The formal history of what would later become the center of the Dasmarias began in 1795 when it was established as one of the visitas of the parish of Imus in 1795. Tampus and most of the areas of what would later become the town of Dasmarias were part of the vast landholdings called the Hacienda de Imus which the Recollect friars bought on October 3, 1690.Because of its location, Tampus was converted by the Recollect friars into a reduccion in 1866. In order to facilitate for the friars the evangelization of their residents, it was grouped with adjoining barrios haciendas; Malinta, Nancaan, Salacay, Paliparan, Malagasang and Salitran. This effectively brought them under the Spanish rule because in the reduccion, the people built their houses within the hearing distance of the church bells.

The reduccion of Tampus was done to prepare the place for its conversion into an independent municipality. The process of conversion actually began earlier on April 9, 1864 when a council composed of theArchbishop of Manila, the politico military governor ofCavite, the Prior Provincial of the Augustinian Recollect Order and the parish priest of Imus, met to discuss the creation of the new town and a parish that is independent of Imus. It ended with the council recommending the creation of the new town. This recommendation was approved a little over a month later by the Gobierno Civil Superiorof the Islands on May 12, 1864. Tampus was thereafter renamed Perez-Dasmarias in honor of Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, Gomez Perez de Dasmarias. The new towns namesake held that office from 1590 to 1593.

Ordinarily, during the Spanish occupation, a town was created in accordance with the legal procedures and customs during those times. It was initiated upon petition from the barrio residents and its local officials. But the conversion of Perez-Dasmarias was unique as it was the high ranking church officials and the politico-military governor of Cavite who initiated and became the prime supporters of the process.

The Philippine Revolution

Perez-Dasmarias was one of the first municipalities that heeded General Emilio Aguinaldos call to arms in Cavite on August 30, 1896 and joined in the revolution against Spain. The townspeople rose up in arms and fought the Spanish colonizers. They were led by their gobernadorcillo, Don Placido Campos and the secretario municipal, Don Francisco Barzaga. The townspeople liberated Perez-Dasmarias from Spanish control by capturing the casa tribunal and Casa Hacienda de Salitran. The Recollect friars who lived there were killed in the process.

Determined to recapture the town that they lost in the initial phase of the revolution, the Spanish authorities launched an aggressive campaign headed by General Jose Lachambre. The campaign resulted in the loss of many revolucionario lives. In one such battle, which took place February 25, 1897, the Spanish troops moved in against determined resistance put up by the revolucionarios. A bloody encounter ensued which started at 7:00 in the morning with no let-up in the fighting until 2:00 in the afternoon. General Lachambre himself reported that enemy casualties must be enormous, it had been necessary to take the town house by house.

The revolucionarios took refuge at the casa tribunal and refused to surrender. To flush them out, Spaniards soldiers burned the casa tribunal and caused the death of all 150 men who were burned alive. Some revolutionaries hid in the convent but they eventually surrendered to the advancing Spanish forces as this too was set on fire. As the surrendering men emerged from the building, Spanish riflemen opened fire killing all of them. That day, hundreds of town inhabitants died in the fighting.More battles took place and the bloodiest of them occurred in Pasong Santol just a short distance from the barrio of Salitran. Historians consider this battle as the bloodiest fought in Cavite. In this fighting, Generals Flaviano Yengko, Crispulo Aguinaldo, Lucas Camerino, Arturo Reyes, together with many more unknown revolucionarios died for the motherland.The revolution highlighted the importance and strategic location of Perez-Dasmarias. When the Spaniards recaptured the town, they have reached the heart of the province. After the fall of the town, most resistance in Cavite succumbed to the Spanish forces. General Aguinaldos Magdalo forces fought the enemies in Imus for almost a month, but together with Binakayan and Noveleta, it fell on March 1897.The last major action of the Spanish campaign against Cavite was fought in San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias). The Magdiwang fought tenaciously but lost in April that same year.

American OccupationAfter the Spaniards came the Americans. Their occupation of the Philippines became official when the United States Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris on February 6, 1898. The treaty marked the end of Spanish occupation and justified American colonization of the Philippines.

Just like in other parts of the archipelago, when the Americans came to Perez-Dasmarias, they instituted several fundamental changes in the system of government, in language, and in the educational system. One of these changes was the enactment on January 31, 1901 by the Second Philippine Commission of Act No. 82. The Act which was then known as the new Municipal Code directed the reorganization of local governments units. It would have profound effect on Perez-Dasmarias because in January 5, 1905, in accordance its provisions, the town was downgraded and reverted its pre-1866 status as a barrio under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Imus. The former town had to contend with its lowered status for the next twelve years.In 1917 when Richard Burton Harrison was Governor General of the colony, he decreed that Perez-Dasmarias be reverted back to its former status as an independent municipality. In a subsequent meeting of local leaders led by Placido Campos, Francisco Barzaga, and Felipe Tirona and Governor Antero Soriano, the governor of the province of Cavite at that time, the decision was made to change the towns name. The municipal officials decided in that meeting to drop Perez from the towns name and to retain Dasmarias.

The Japanese Occupation

The town was yet again severely challenged when the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1941. Many of its residents and youth shed blood and gave up their lives during the zonification, tortures, and raids conducted routinely by the Japanese Imperial forces. Because of its location, the Japanese authorities suspected that the municipality was used as a haven for fleeing guerillas. One such zonification occurred on December 17, 1944 in the town proper itself. On that day, using the church as their garrison the Japanese rounded up all male residents who were suspected to be involved in the guerrilla activities. The Japanese tortured these men and forced them to betray guerilla fighters.

Some town residents died during Japanese raids or were shot for being mistaken for guerillas. However, most of young Dasmarineos died fighting during encounters in Burol, Malinta, Paliparan, Langkaan, and in other towns. Dasmarineos also fought the Japanese in Bataan and Corregidor. Some either survived or died during the infamous Death March.The early months of 1945 saw Filipino troops of the 4th and 42nd Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Caviteos resistance fighters liberating the town of Dasmarias from the clutches of the Japanese Imperial Army. The liberation of Manila that followed marked the end of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. With that, normalcy once again returned to Dasmarias.

Pre-Cityhood Era

The economic boom that defined todays Dasmarias took place after the Dasmarias Bagong Bayan (DBB) was established in 1975. The roots of the DBB could be traced back in 1961 through the acquisition for P2.4 million of a 234-hectare land in the municipality by the Philippine Home Site and Housing Corporation (PHHC). The property was developed in 1971 by the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Housing and Resettlement Agency and later gave birth to the Dasmarias Resettlement Area.

On September 19, 1973, former President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Executive Order No. 419 that formed the Task Force on Human Settlement. It designated the Dasmarias Resettlement Area as the ideal location for the countrys pilot model for viable human resettlement. To realize the plan, President Marcos signed the implementing Letter of Instruction No. 19 in 1975. In compliance with that letter of instruction, squatters that lived along the creeks, riverbanks, and railway tracks of Paco, Pandacan, Sta. Ana, and the fringes of Fort Bonifacio in Makati were relocated to Dasmarias. Some of these settlers were also squatters in private and government land in Tondo, Paraaque, and Quezon City.

The choice of Dasmarias to house the resettlement of squatters was due to its accessibility to Metro Manila and other important destinations in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna. The original site was later on expanded in order to accommodate more settlers. By December of 2000, the National Housing Authority (NHA) reported that the total land area of Dasmarias Bagong Bayan had expanded to 523.24 hectares with a total project cost of P281 million.Each family of settlers was given a lot with an area of 90-200 square meters upon their resettlement which they loaned from the National Housing Authority (NHA). In no time, the population of the resettlement area grew necessitating a formal partition of the area. To accomplish this, the Sangguniang Bayan of Dasmarias on September 12, 1990 passed Order 108-90, a municipal ordinance which directed the division of the Dasmarias Bagong Bayan into forty seven barangays. It was then carried out with the approval of the National Housing Authority (NHA). In 2000, ten years after the ordinance was put into action, the National Housing Authority reported that they have documented a total of 22,428 households living in the resettlement area with a population of 148,137.

Today, the Dasmarias Bagong Bayan is the biggest and the most successful resettlement area that was established by the government. Its original settlers have successfully integrated themselves into the community and partook of the opportunities Dasmarias has to offer. The burgeoning population in the area had caused the lining of the Congressional South Avenue, its main thoroughfare with several schools and scores of business establishments. No less than the giant SM Prime Holdings had invested in the area by building the SM Marketmall, a wet-and-dry market. The SM Marketmall now stands in the place of the old Kadiwa Market. It serves as an alternative market for the municipality by offering goods at cheaper prices.

Geography

Dasmarias is a success story because of its number one asset, its geography. Strategically located at 25 kilometers south of Manila, it is at the center of a 30-km radius that includes the provincial capital Trece Martirez on the west, Mall of Asia in the northwest, Tagaytay City in the south, the bustling Alabang in the east, and Lagunas industrial communities on the southeast.During the Spanish occupation Perez-Dasmarias may be reached from the neighboring towns of Silang and Imus through a dirt road which was passable to all kinds of vehicles only during dry season. During wet seasons it could only be managed by foot or by horseback. By 1870, mails from Manila were also delivered to Perez-Dasmarias. These were first received at a central station in Cavite Puerto were they were sorted and distributed via Kawit, Imus, before they could finally reach Perez-Dasmarias.Today the City may be accessed through two main highways and a network of secondary roads from all directions. The Emilio Aguinaldo Highway is one of the major links of Dasmarias with the northern City of Manila and the cities of Pasay, Paraaque, Bacoor, and Imus; and the southern resort City of Tagaytay and the Municipality of Silang. Also known asRadial Road 1, this four-lane, 41 kilometer also connects the city to the Manila-Cavite Expresswayand the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway.The 49 kilometer Governors Drive, on the other hand allows access to Dasmarias from the capital city of Trece Martirez and through the municipality of General Trial from the west; and though the municipalities of General Mariano Alvarez and Carmona. The Governors Drive is also known as the Dasmarias-Carmona Road. It is a major two to six lane that east-west highway that passes through the city from the Dasmarias Techno Park to the FCIE in Langkaan. It connects Dasmarias to the Bacao Highway,C.M. Delos Reyes Avenueand theA. Soriano Highway.Although the city is landlocked, it is not too far from the coastal towns ofRosario,Kawit,Bacoor,Noveleta,andCavite City. The average distance separating Dasmarias from these municipalities is less than 30 kilometers - about the same distance from Laguna de Bay and from the resort city ofTagaytaywith its famousTaal Lake.The place is partly low lying and hilly. The city center itself is elevated rising from an elevation of 80 meters to 250 meters towards the municipality of Silang. It lies outside the typhoon belt and has no fault line constraints. The city has yet to experience floods because it is traversed by several rivers and water tributaries which served as natural drainage system that drains.

PeopleThe old town of Perez-Dasmarias had originally only about 643 inhabitants. By 1888, the population grew to 4,576 town residents. Today, the City of Dasmarias is the largest city in the province of Cavite in terms of area andpopulation. As of 2010, the citys population of 575,817 people is the 12th largest in the country.Population of the City of Dasmarias (1990-2010):

1990

136,556

1995

262,4062000

379,520

2007

556,330

2010

575,817

Aside from native Dasmarineos, most City residents belong to the middle class and affluent families who came from Metro Manila and nearby towns and provinces. They have chosen to make the City their homes due to its proximity to Metro Manila and other important locations. The mass exodus of these people that came from all over the country vastly enriched its culture earning for the city the moniker the melting pot of Cavite.

The presence of reputable universities and colleges, and the establishment of multinational corporations of three huge industrial complexes also attracted many foreign nationals, mostly; Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Americans, Hindus, Britons, and Germans to take up residence in the city.While Dasmarineos were predominantly Roman Catholics during the Spanish period, todays city residents belong to a smattering of other prominent religious groups that includeIglesia Ni Cristo, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Jesus Is Lord Church (JIL), Victory Christian Fellowship, World Mission Church, The United Methodist Church, Salitran Covenant Bible Church, Presbyterian Churches, Baptist and Bible Fundamental churches, Seventh Day Adventist Churches, Ang Dating Daan, The Lords Hand Apostolic Ministries, The Pentecostals, the Jesus Miracle Crusade, Lighthouse Apostolic Ministry of Pentecost, Family Tabernacle of Jesus Christ, and other lesser known religious denominations. Gaining influence in the community is a growing number of Muslims-Filipinos residents who came to the City for the educational, employment, and business opportunities available.Majority ofthe city residents are can speak two or more languages. Most are able to communicate with their fellows in their mother tongue, such as; Ilokano, Kapampangan, Panggalatok, Ilonggo, Cebuano, Waray, or Chabacano; and are able to converse with native Dasmarineos in Tagalog. The prospect of relating with a significant number of expatriates, due to the presence of numerous multinational corporations, some Dasmarineos have learned to speak foreign languages, such as, English, Spanish, Korean, or Chinese. Political Administration The town head of Perez-Dasmarias was originally the gobernadorcillo. Don Juan Ramirez owns the distinction as the first holder of that position when the town was first established. When Don Placido Campos took over the reins of the municipal administration in 1895, the title was changed to Capitan Municipal. With the coming of the Americans the name for position of capitan municipal was changed to Municipal President. Don Francisco Barzaga (1900) and Don Placido Campos (1901), held this position until the effectivity of the law that combined the municipalities of Imus, Dasmarias and Bacoor with its seat of government in Imus. In 1917, when Perez-Dasmarias was reverted to its status as an independent municipality, the first to hold that office was again, Don Placido Campos.

The title of the Municipal President was a changed with the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935. From that time onwards, the holder of that position was called, Municipal Mayor. The first official to hold that post was Teodorico Sarosario who served in that capacity until 1940. The last time the position was occupied was immediately before Dasmarias became a city in 2009, by Municipal Mayor Jennifer Austria-Barzaga.The City government today is headed a City Mayor and the first occupant of that position is the incumbent City Mayor Jennifer Austria-Barzaga. Elected to the position in 2007, Mayor Barzaga is in her third term as the citys chief executive. As the chief executive officer of the city, Mayor Jenny, as she is fondly referred to by her constituents, determines the guidelines on local policies and directs the formulation of development plans for the city. She is assisted by the executive branch, the different department offices in the City, in carrying out this job. Other members of the city administration are the City Vice-Mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod.Officials of the City of Dasmarias

2013-2016

1. Jennifer Austria-BarzagaCity Mayor

2. Valeriano Encabo

City Vice-Mayor3. Robin CantimbuhanCouncilor4. Reynaldo Canaynay

Councilor5. Restituto Encabo

Councilor6. Jacinto Frani, Jr.

Councilor7. Roderick Atienza, Sr.Councilor8. Peter-Tom Antonio

Councilor9. Nicanor Austria

Councilor10. Tagumpay TapawanCouncilor11. Fulgencio de la CuestaCouncilor12. Teofilo Campao

Councilor13. Napoleon Gonzales

Councilor14. Angelo Hugo

Councilor15. Mamerto Noora, Jr.

Pres., Barangay League16. Jerome Menguito

SK PresidentThe City Vice-Mayor is the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. He appoints all employees assigned to the city legislature except the regular members who are also elected every local election alongside the Municipal Mayor and Vice Mayor. In the event where the mayor permanently or temporarily vacates his position, the City Vice-Mayor assumes his duties and functions.The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dasmarias is the lawmaking body of the City. It is composed of the City Vice-Mayor as presiding officer, the twelve (12) regular Sanggunian members, the president of the city chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay, the president of the Panlungsod na Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan, and the sectoral representatives from the women, from the agricultural or industrial workers group, and a representative from other sectors that includes the urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, or disabled persons.

The mandated duties and responsibilities of the Sanggunian are to enact ordinances, approve resolutions and appropriate funds for the general welfare of the city. To accomplish these, city councilors are assigned into 20 committees where they deliberate and approve for recommendation proposed ordinances and other resolutions.Before 2009, Dasmarias was not entitled its own representation in the Philippine Congress. Since 1907, when the Philippine Assemble was established until 1972, themunicipalitywas represented in the countrys legislature as part of thelone district of Cavite. During the martial law years, it was represented as part ofRegion IV-Ain theInterim Batasang Pambansafrom 1978 to 1984, and as part of theat-large districtof Cavite in the now defunct Batasang Pambansa. It became part of the second legislative district of Cavitein the restored House of Representatives from 1987. On October 22, 2009, shortly before the ratification of the City Charter of Dasmarias the 4th Legislative District of Cavite was established by Republic Act No. 9727. During the 2010 regular election, Atty. Elpidio Pidi Barzaga was elected as the first representative of the City in the House of Representatives. Today Congressman Pidi is in his third term in that position.

Dasmarias is also represented in the lawmaking body of the provincial government of Cavite by city residents who were elected as members of the provincial board or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Cavite. Despite its city status, Dasmarias is still a part of the Province of Cavite because its City Charter converted the town into a component city and not as an independent or highly urbanized one. Today the city has two representatives to theSangguniang Panlalawigan ng Cavite. They are Board Members, Rex Mangubat and Rudy Lara. Their term of office is for three year with a maximum of two reelections.Economy

Due to the richness of its agricultural resources and sheer hard work of its residents, Dasmarias became an important source of cash crops that stimulated economic growth during the Spanish colonial period. These conditions improved the economic lives of the towns residents who were mostly inquilinos of the Hacienda de Imus. These Dasmarineos were the recipients of the effects of the economic boom caused by the rising demand for cash crops. They rose to prominence and became the towns middle class residents.In the recent years, the town has evolved from an agriculture-based economy into a highly urbanized commercial and industrial city. It boasts of three industrial estates: the First Cavite Industrial Estate (FCIE) in Barangay Langkaan, the Dasmarias Techno Park located in Barangay Paliparan I, and the NHA Industrial Park in Bagong Bayan that continues to attract investors and job seekers to the city. In addition to these major industrial estates, scattered all over the barangays in the city are 240 different factories and business establishments.The effects of this industrialization on Dasmarias are enormous. Because of this it became the fastest growing local government unit in the province of Cavite. The city became home to hundreds of thousands of new residents who occupy the more than 70 residential subdivisions. The rapid population growth near the universities, industrial estates, and factories provides a ready market for real estate ventures and other support services.

Commercial developments alongAguinaldo highway,fromSilangto Pala-Pala junction, show the nature and extent of commercial activities in Dasmarias. The construction binge began with the establishment of local commercial and shopping centers such as the Highway Plaza and CM Plaza. It was followed by the opening of Waltermart, a Manila-based shopping center brand. Then came the giants; The SM City-Dasmarias which set up shop along Governors Drive in Pala-Pala, the SM Hypermarket opened along Congressional Avenue, the Robinsons Place-Dasmarias in Pala-Pala but sits along General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, and the Central Mall-Dasmarias which opened also along the General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway in Salitran. The presence of these malls and shopping center not only helped the citys economy by way of taxes, but also provide travelers and tourists with stopovers on their way to Tagaytay,Batangas, Laguna, Trece Martirez, and Metro Manila, or vice versa.The Importance of DasmariasDasmarias City is located in Cavite, the countrys most historic province, the birthplace of the Philippine Republic, and home of heroes. Its rise from a quaint agricultural town into a bustling industrialized urban center is considered one of the most remarkable success stories among local government units south of Manila.The successful transformation of Dasmarias can be explained by a number of reasons, one of which is its strategic geographical location. It is conveniently within the 30-kilometer radius from Metro Manila in the north, the provincial capital city of Trece Martirez in the west, Tagaytay City and the incomparable Taal Lake in the south, and the bustling Alabang and the province Laguna with their rising modern communities in the east.Another reason for Dasmarias success is its vast size of more than 8,234 hectares which is eight times the size o Makati City. The extent of the citys territorial boundary is such that it can accommodate a population that has more than double from 1995 to 2014, a span of only nineteen (19) years. In 1995 when the idea of cityhood was first conceived, its population was merely 262, 406. The official census data had the City population increased to 575,817. Unofficial survey disclosed that the Citys residents now number more than 700,000.

Dasmarias is known as the industrial hub of southern Luzon. The City is home to three major industrial estates which together with other business facilities and establishments immensely contribute to the annual income of P1.1 billion. In addition to taxation, these industrial estates house factories like the Universal Robina and Ho-Cheng that employ thousands of city residents. But biggest employer is the SM Group of companies which has two mall; the SM City-Dasmarias in Paliparan and the SM Hypermart in the Dasmarias Bagong Bayan.The local government continues to update and upgrade infrastructures and facilities. To date the administration of City Mayor Jenny Barzaga has computerized property valuation and tax collection. In order to reduce truancy and cheating by employees, biometrics was installed to monitor attendance instead of the old Bundy clock. All these technological advance were put in place so that human interventions are minimized when doing business transaction with the government, thereby, minimizing if not totally eliminating corruption.

In order to ensure the safety of hundreds of residents and visitors transacting business on the daily basis, the city government has initiated the installation of closed circuit TV (CCTV) all over the City Hall. To ensure their safety in major thoroughfares and highways and also to monitor vehicle flow and manage traffic, CCTVs were likewise installed. All these are in conjunction with the local governments efforts to create a business-friendly environment to further attract prospective investors to come and put up shop in Dasmarias. The presence of reputable educational institutions that have put up branches in the City also accounted to its successful transformation. Most notable among these schools is the University of De La Salle-Dasmarias which is run by the De La Salle brothers of the DLSU-Manila fame. Other well-known school in the City are; the Technological University in the Philippines, the Philippine Christian University, and the Emilio Aguinaldo College, all have joined the process of mass dispersal to relieve the choking over-population in Metro Manila.Dasmarias is also the acknowledged Mall Capital of Cavite. While other cities and municipalities in the province have only either the SM mall or Robinsons centers, the City prides itself as the only one with both. Other smaller mall operators and local ones have put up their branches in the city as well. No less than 250 subdivisions have mushroomed due to the burgeoning population of student and professional who have flocked to Dasmarias. The six major road networks conveniently connect the City to other towns and cities. Health care services may be had without delay with the presence of five major hospitals; the Asia Medic Family Hospital and Medical Center in the Palapala area, the DBB Municipal Hospital in San Esteban, the De La Salle University Medical Center along Congressional Avenue, the Emilio Aguinaldo College Medical Center Cavite in Salitran, and the St. Paul Hospital Cavite in Burol II, Bagong Bayan.The Citys temperate climate, high elevation and gently rolling hills make it a natural subdivision hub. But Dasmarias most important quality in addition to its rich natural resources is its people. The native Dasmarineo is a rebellious kind but is intelligent, hardworking, and most of all welcoming. These fine qualities as a people were essential in the success story that is about to unfold in this book.Notes

Fulgencio C. De La Cuesta, Jr., Special Ordinance No. 02-s-2011 declaring the Paru-Paro Festival as the official festival of the City of Dasmarias TMS resume (photocopy)

Learn about Nature, Butterfly Life Cycle/Butterfly Metamorphosis, http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml#sthash.Kh9OdAhf.dpuf/accessed 26 September 2014.

A visita was a small outlying settlement equipped with a chapel to receive a visiting friar. This is where most reluctant native converts were brought. See, Patricio N. Abinales and Donna J. Amoroso, State and Society in the Philippines, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 53.

Dominador A. Del Rosario, Dasmarias Chronology: 1864-1917 n.d. TMS (photocopy), in Recto M. Cantimbuhan, Cityhood of Dasmarias n.d.

The establishment of the parish of Perez-Dasmarias was approved by the Queen Isabella II of Spain on October 21, 1866: Gomez Perez Dasmarias y Ribadeneira was the 7th Governor-General of the Philippines. He initiated the fortification of Intramuros and Fort Santiago. See, Ibid.

Dasmarias City Official Website, the History of Dasmarias: Spanish Colonization, Dasmarias City Official Website. http://dasmarinas.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13/accessed 01 October 2014.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Corpuz, O. D., the Roots of the Filipino Nation vol. II. (Diliman, Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press. 2006), 285-286.

Del Rosario, Dasmarias Chronology, n.p.

Dasmarias City Official Website, the History of Dasmarias: Japanese Occupation, Dasmarias City Official Website. http://dasmarinas.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13/accessed 01 October 2014.

Ibid.

Nilo D. Cabides, The Integration of the Relocatees into the Community of Dasmarias: An Overview (Ph. D. diss., De La Salle University- Dasmarias, 2007), cited in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasmari%C3%B1as_Resettlement_Area/accessed October 14, 2014.

Cabides, Integration of the Relocatees, Ibid.

Ibid.

Jumpstarting Electronic Governance in Local Government Units- Dasmarias: Geography & Climate Municipality of Dasmarias, cited in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasmari%C3%B1as_Resettlement_Area/accessed October 14, 2014.

National Statistics Office, 2010 Census of Population and Housing, Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay, 01 May 2010.

Dasmarias City Official Website, the History of Dasmarias: American Period, Dasmarias City Official Website. http://dasmarinas.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13/accessed 01 October 2014.

Republic Act No. 9727, sec. 1, 2 (2009).

The Official Website of the City of Dasmarias, Demographics http://www.dasmarinas.gov.ph/home/demographics.php/accessed October 14, 2014.

Data from the National Census and Statistics Office report of September 1, 1995 and used to support House Bill No. 8993 in 1997. See, Explanatory Note, House Bill No. 8993, (1997), photocopy.

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