Silang (), officially the Municipality of Silang (), is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 295,644 people. The name of Silang (originally called ''Silan'') originates from Tagalog '' silang'', meaning "mountain pass".

History

Precolonial period

The traditional origins of the town are attributed to ten Bornean

datu ''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous Indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, though no ...

s who sailed northward on board

balangay A balangay, or barangay, is a type of lashed-lug boat built by joining planks edge-to-edge using pins, dowels, and fiber lashings. They are found throughout the Philippines and were used largely as trading ships up until the colonial era. The ...

s and ended in Silang through

Taal Lake Taal Lake (, ), formerly known as Bombón Lake, is a fresh water Volcanic crater lake, caldera lake in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Batangas, on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The lake fills Taal Volcano, a large volc ...

. 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."History of Silang"
Museo de Silan. Retrieved on June 18, 2013.

Spanish colonial era

During the start of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, tracts of land were given by the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

to the

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

es and their descendants, who collected

tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of lands which the state con ...

s from the people residing in their acquired lands. Silang originally belonged to the ''encomienda'' (

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

) of Diego Jorge de Villalobos; his claim extended to what is today the towns of Carmona, Amadeo, Indang, Alfonso, General Trias, and Tanza. On February 3, 1595, the parish of Silang was established, formally creating the town. 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 Ferdinand VI (; 23 September 1713 – 10 August 1759), called the Learned (''el Prudente'') and the Just (''el Justo''), was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death in 1759. He was the third ruler of the Spanish Bourbon dynasty. He was the ...

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.

Contemporary history

On January 22, 2023, the municipality was certified by

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

as volunteers from the municipal government and the

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

successfully lit 621 candles in a world record attempt for longest line of candles lit in relay, surpassing 366 set in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in 2016. The attempt was held to commemorate the feast of '' Nuestra Señora de Candelaria''.

Geography

The municipality of Silang is from

Imus Imus (), officially the City of Imus (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...

and south of

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

. It is bounded by

General Trias General Trias (), officially the City of General Trias (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...

, Dasmariñas,

General Mariano Alvarez General Mariano Alvarez, officially the Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez () and often shortened as GMA, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2 ...

, and Carmona to the north,

Biñan Biñan (), officially the City of Biñan (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 407,437, making it the third largest in population in the province of Laguna, after ...

, Santa Rosa,

Cabuyao Cabuyao (), officially the City of Cabuyao (), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people. It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philipp ...

, and Calamba to the east, Tagaytay to the south, and Amadeo to the west. Silang is located in the eastern section of Cavite. It is home to the Philippine National Police Academy, PDEA Academy, and International Institute of Rural Reconstruction head office. With the continuous expansion of

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...

, the municipality is now part of the Manila's conurbation which spans southward toward

Lipa, Batangas Lipa (), officially the City of Lipa (), is a component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 372,931 people. It is the first city with a charter in the province and one of five ...

Barangays

Silang is politically subdivided into 64

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s, as indicated below.Philippine Standard Geographic Code listing for Silang
– National Statistical Coordination Board

Climate

Silang has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(''Aw'' in the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

) with a pronounced dry season from November to April. Its nearness to Tagaytay is the reason for its near-winter like cold temperatures during the early dry season, especially in the villages straddling the Tagaytay border and the town proper.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Silang, Cavite, was 295,644 people, with a density of .

Religion

The majority of the people in Silang are adherents of the Christian Faith, composed of

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Members Church of God International The Members Church of God International (), abbreviated as MCGI, is an international Christian religious organization with headquarters in the Philippines. It is popularly known in the Philippines as ''Ang Dating Daan'' (; abbreviated as AD ...

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

s, and members of independent Christian groups. Majority of the Christian population is composed of

s under the jurisdiction of the

Diocese of Imus The Diocese of Imus (; Tagalog: ''Diyosesis ng Imus''; Spanish and Chavacano: ''Diócesis de Imus'') is a Catholic diocese in the Philippines that comprises the entire province of Cavite. By the virtue of the apostolic constitution ''Christi F ...

. Adherents of the

Philippine Independent Church The Philippine Independent Church (; ), officially referred to by its Philippine Spanish name (IFI) and colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, is an independent catholic Christian denomination, in the form of a nationalist church, in the ...

, also known as the Aglipayan Church, under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Cavite. Other Christian groups in the town include mainstream

s, congregations of

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

s, and other churches are also present in the town. With the influx of migrants from other provinces, other non-Christian faiths, particularly

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, is practiced in the town.

Economy

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, lanzones, 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 between 1996 and 2004, which helped bring about the employment of 3,000 people. Despite the slowdown 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 to per square meter and from to 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.

Transportation

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 Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...

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 . Major roads include Aguinaldo Highway, Santa Rosa–Tagaytay Road, Governor's Drive (along the municipal boundary with

), and Cavite–Laguna Expressway. Six major road projects were completed in 1996, being the Bulihan Resettlement Area Road, the Kaong-Maguyam Road, the Caramanzana Drive connecting the Silang Public Market with Aguinaldo Highway, the 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.

Landmarks

* Lucsuhin Natural Bridge or Cabag Caves * Our Lady of Candelaria Parish Church * Perlas ng Silang * Shambala Silang * Cafe Agapita * Acienda Designer Outlet * Gratchi's Getaway

Government

Incumbent municipal officials

*Mayor: Gen. Edward 'Ted' Carranza (Ret.) *Vice Mayor: Mark Anthony Toledo *Sangguniang Bayan Members: **Ivee Jayne Reyes **Ivan Chester Amutan **Aristides Jose Virgilio Velazco **Perpetuo Desingaño **Luis Junjang Batingal **Juan Carlo Madlansacay **Eric Cokiat Garcia **Godofredo "Freddie" Magnaye *

Liga ng mga Barangay The Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas (League of Barangays in the Philippines) and the Asosasyon ng mga Kapitan ng Barangay (Association of Barangay Captains, ABC) are formal organizations of all the barangays in the Philippines. Presently, alm ...

President: Cris Kidlat Reyes (Brgy. Biluso) *

Sangguniang Kabataan A Sangguniang Kabataan (abbreviated as SK; ) is a community council that represents the youth in a barangay in the Philippines. Established to provide young people with a platform for civic engagement and participation in Local government in ...

Federation President: Jasper Marcus Anarna (Brgy. Maguyam)

List of chief executives

Gobernadorcillo The (, literally "little governor") was a municipal judge or governor in the Captaincy General of the Philippines, Philippines during the History of the Philippines (1565–1898), Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined ...

(leader of 'pueblo' or bayan during Spanish era): 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'': The first elections were held in 1903. (Silang Historical Society) Municipal mayor(s):

Health care

* Estrella Hospital * Velazco Hospital * Silang Specialists Medical Center * Mazenod Hospital

Education

;Public high schools: * Kaong National High School * Lumil National High School * Gen. Vito Belarmino Integrated National High School * Malabag National High School * Munting Ilog Integrated National High School – main * Bulihan National High School * Emilia Ambalada Poblete National High School (formerly: Munting Ilog National High School - Silang West Annex) ;Private schools: * New Life Christian School of Cavite * Scuola di Scienza del Mija * Cavite Institute * La Belle Montessori School * AIIAS Academy * Lora Carnig School of All Nations * Little Heirs Academy * Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Academe of Cavite * Westridge Academy * St.Scholastica's College-Westgrove * Our Lady Of Peace Academy of Cavite * Mission and Vision Reformed Christian Academy * Biga Achievers' Learning Institute * Infant Jesus Academy of Silang * Living Lamp Academy * Silang Adventist Elementary School * Hilltop Adventist Elementary School, Inc. * Imperial Learning Center * Father Michael Donoher Memorial School * Trustworthy Learning Center * Learning Links Academy ;Catholic schools: * The Sisters of Mary School – Boystown (Adlas Campus) * The Sisters of Mary School – Girlstown (Biga Campus) * Father Michael Donoher Memorial School * Rogationist College * Sacred Heart Villa School * St. Scholastica's College – Westgrove * Infant Jesus Academy of Silang * Risen Christ Catholic School * Paraclete Foundation Community School ;Colleges, state colleges and universities: * Sisters of Mary Technical Education Institute Cavite Inc. * Adventist University of the Philippines * Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies * Imus Computer College (ICC) – Silang Branch *

Cavite State University Cavite State University (CvSU; ), also more known locally as Kabsu, is a public university in the province of Cavite in the Philippines. Its main campus, known as the Don Severino delas Alas Campus, is located in the Municipality of Indang, Cavi ...

(Silang satellite campus) *

Far Eastern University Far Eastern University (), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private research non-sectarian university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and ...

(Silang satellite campus) * Philippine Missionary Institute * Unida Biblical Seminary * Rogationist College * PNPA (Public Safety College) * St. Benilde Montessori College * Saint Paul Seminary * Our Lady of La Salette Seminary

Gallery

File:SilangCavitejf0114 02.JPG, Downtown File:Silang,Cavitejf0101_02.JPG, Municipal police station File:7381Silang, Cavite Landmarks Barangays 04.jpg, Jose Rizal Monument File:7009Silang, Cavite Landmarks Barangays 25.jpg, Coconut trees File:6718Silang, Cavite Landmarks Barangays 02.jpg, Barangay Bulihan