The Highlights of Bacoor, Cavite: History, Culture, Entertainment and Food

Called the gateway to the province of Cavite, Bacoor is just around 15 kilometers southwest of Manila. With lots of sights and sounds for everybody, there’s no question that Bacoor serves as a great weekend excursion for those looking to explore beyond Manila.

Together with Imus and Dasmariñas, Bacoor is one of the key developing and fastest growing areas of Cavite. It has slowly emerged as a commercial hub thanks to the proliferation of a variety of wholesale and retail establishments, as well as restaurants and other service-related industries.

Bacoor is mostly a dormitory town as most of its residents travel to Metro Manila for work. Major thoroughfares connect Bacoor to Metro Manila, including CAVITEX, Quirino Avenue, Daang Hari and Marcos Alvarez Avenue.

HISTORY

Accounts state that Bacoor got its name from Bakood or Bakoor, which is a species of bamboo. The town is said to have been founded in 1671 when Spanish troops arrived and saw locals building a fence around their house. When asked what the name of the place is, the locals replied “Bakood” because they thought they were being asked what they were doing.

Bacoor has a place in Philippine history too. This is the location of the Battle of Zapote Bridge which happened in 1899. It was fought between the Philippine and American troops and is the battle where General Edilberto Evangelista was killed.

After the Philippine Revolution, General Emilio Aguinaldo declared Bacoor to be the first capital of the Philippine Revolutionary Government which was subsequently transferred to Malolos, Bulacan.

HIGHLIGHTS

While not offering much in terms of outdoor activities and other forms of active amusements, those who come to Bacoor mainly come for the history, culture and the local cuisine.

Points of Interest

• Bahay Tisa (Cuenca Ancestral House)

• Battle of Zapote Bridge Site

• Bacoor Cathedral

• Bacoor Ecopark

• St Ezekiel Moreno Park

• Bacoor Public Market

Resorts

• Paradiso Terrestre

• Circle Island Resort

• SunWind Resort

Restaurants

• Kainan sa Balsahan – enjoy a seafood-oriented meal in a floating restaurant. You won’t actually be moving like the one in Loboc, Bohol but the restaurant is nonetheless afloat. Plus, mussels and oysters are two of the main products of Bacoor, so get to enjoy them here.

• Digman’s Original Halo-Halo – halo-halo is a favorite snack time item in the Philippines and it’s a great treat to have to beat the scorching heat. While you can find lots of halo-halo vendors lined up in Bacoor, nothing beats the original makers.

• Ka Freddie’s

Shopping Malls and Supermarkets

• SM City Bacoor – this was the first SM Supermall in the Luzon region that’s located outside of Metro Manila. It also happens to be the first in Cavite.

• SM Center Molino – located in Molino, a mostly residential area.

EVENTS

• Bakood Festival – also known as Araw ng Bacoor and is held every September 29^th.

• Marching Band Festival – this serves as the town fiesta and is held every second Sunday of May.

• Battle of Zapote Bridge Commemoration – held every February 17^th.

When you’re in Manila, why not go on a trip to Bacoor? It’s only some distance away and since it’s the gateway to the province of Cavite, you can use the town as a starting point for exploring its neighboring communities such as Las Piñas, Dasmariñas, Kawit and Imus.