Rosario, Cavite

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).^[6]

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.^[7]

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.^[7]

The municipality of Rosario was originally a part of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias) which itself was part of Silang.^[8] It became an independent municipality in 1846, one year after the founding of the Santissimo Rosario Parish.^[7]

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.^[9] In 1911, Rosario regained its independent status as a municipality of Cavite by virtue of Executive Order No. 92.^[10]

Rosario is 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Manila and 20 kilometres (12 mi) 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.^[6]

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.^[6]

In the 2024 census, the population of Rosario was 112,572 people,^[17] with a density of 3,000 inhabitants per square kilometer or 7,800 inhabitants per square mile.

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%.

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 134 hectares (330 acres) of its parent company Philippine National Oil Corporation property into a special economic zone,^[18] 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 200 hectares (490 acres).

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.^[19][20][21]

Poverty incidence of Rosario

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]}

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.^[30]

• Nemesio Prudente - Educator/Activist
• Roxanne Guinoo - Actress
• Tomboy Bibo - Comedian/Influencer

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  Welcome arch
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  Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church
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  San Isidro Labrador Parish Church
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  Cavite Economic Zone
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  Former Town hall
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  Former Rosario commercial center

Fish port

• List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines