Categories
Cavite

Bakood Festival

Bakood Festival is a cultural festival, founding anniversary, and religious fiesta in Bacoor City, Cavite, Philippines every September.

It is held in honor of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the city on the 28th and the founding anniversary the day after.

The date may be a special non working holiday (such as Proclamation No. 465, s. 2012).

The city also celebrates Bacoor Cityhood Anniversary every June 23.

Etymology

Bakood was the old name of the city. Its meaning was “high ground” (tiera alta).

Alternatively, Bakod was likewise mentioned as its other name, which means “fence”.

Other variants of its name exist such as Bacor and Vacol.

History of Bakood Festival

Bakood Festival was launched by Mayor Strike B. Revilla in 2007.

It is an annual event in the city that celebrates the religious fervor of its people, promotes tourism and trade, enhances the spirit of community, and “instills a sense of pride and appreciation for their rich cultural heritage.”

History of Bacoor City

Bacoor City is one of the cities in Calabarzon region that consists of the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal. The city has been the “gateway” to the province of Cavite.

Its church was part of Parañaque until the late 16th century before it was annexed to Cavite. Its growth was attributed to the steady trickle of people moving from nearby towns beginning in 1669, and they found livelihood in fishing and farming.

The elite petitioned the colonial government for the formation of a separate town. By 1671, it separated from Kawit (called Cavite El Viejo). Its independent status as a town was achieved within the term of Governor General Manuel de Leon and by virtue of a royal decree Ereccion del Pueblo de Bacoor issued by Spain’s King Charles II.

The year 1671 is the basis of the founding anniversary of the city.

During the Philippine Revolution, Bacoor saw bloody encounters between the Filipino revolutionaries and Spanish colonizers. It was also during this time that the town was christened Gargano, after a holy place in Italy dedicated to the apparition of St. Michael.

The local members of the Katipunan, with reinforcements supplied by Emilio Aguinaldo, was defeated by the Spaniards on September 1896. Later, the revolutionaries were successful in freeing the town from foreign rule when the Spaniards surrendered on May 31, 1898.

The town attained prominence in the short-lived Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Don Juan Cuenca’s house was established as the seat of Aguinaldo’s rule.

However, the status of Bacoor was relegated as a territory of Imus upon the occupation of the Americans pursuant to Act No. 947 (known as “An Act Reducing the Twenty-Three Municipalities of the Province of Cavite to Eleven”) of the Philippine Commission on October 14, 1903.

It regained municipality status by virtue of Act No. 1551 (known as “An Act Increasing the Number of Municipalities in the Province of Cavite from Eleven to Twelve, by Separating from Imus the former Municipality of Bacoor and Giving the Latter the Territory which it Comprised Prior to the Passage of Act Numbered Nine Hundred and Forty Seven”) that was passed on October 24, 1906.

It became a city by virtue of Republic Act No. 10160, otherwise known as “An Act Converting the Municipality of Bacoor in the Province of Cavite into a Component City to be Known as the City of Bacoor”, approved by Benigno Aquino III on April 10, 2012.

A plebiscite ratified the law on June 23, 2012.

Devotion to St. Michael the Archangel

A church was built in Bacoor as a visita (chapel-at-ease) of Parañaque in the 16th century and it later was a visita of the parish of Cavite Puerto.

It became a parish under the advocation of St. Michael the Archangel on January 18, 1752 during the administration of Governor General Francisco Jose de Ovando and gobernadorcillo Francisco Adriano. Its first parish priest was Fr. Jose Ximenez.

The declaration was pursuant to an edict issued by King Ferdinand VI promulgating a royal cedula for the townsfolk of Bacoor.

The image of St. Michael installed in the church is believed to be from the 17th century. Historically, it was brought in a galleon that also contained the Nuestra Señora del Pilar on May 28, 1694. The bells that toll in the belfry were cast at various times in the colonial period.

The church was destroyed during the British invasion in 1762. Donations poured towards its reconstruction made of wood and stone in 1774. More improvements were carried out in succeeding decades such as the retablo and baptistry during the time of Fr. Domingo Sevilla Pilapil between 1788 and 1820.

A new convent was built by Fr. Mariano Gomez in 1843, and the church was expanded between 1863 and 1870. The Augustinian Recollects took over the church in 1872.

Filipino revolutionaries flew the Philippine flag for the first after the town was captured and its Spanish colonizers surrendered on May 31, 1898. Yet it was destroyed amidst the Filipino-American War on June 13, 1899.

The Aglipayans seized the church in 1902, and religious services were held in the ancestral house of Juan Cuenca. Through an order issued by the Supreme Court, its ownership was given back to the Roman Catholic Church in 1906.

St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church was declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines on December 28, 2020. A public marker was installed in March 2022.

Bakood Festival Activities

Activities for Bakood Festival is a mix of the religious and the secular. Religious services such as novena prayers and mass are held at the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church.

The city government organizes the following events: service-oriented programs, jobs fair, competitions, civic parade, tournaments, culinary contests, caravan, food expo, and entertainment.

How to reach Bacoor City, Cavite

Public transport is available from Metro Manila.

References

Bakood Festival Summary

NameBakood Festival
CelebrationCulture, Founding Anniversary, Religion
ChurchSt. Michael the Archangel Parish Church
Contact(046) 481-4120
CountryPhilippines
DateSeptember 29
Emailbacoorcitygovernment@gmail.com
Established2007
Facebookwww.facebook.com
FounderStrike Revilla
Historical eventFounding of Bacoor in 1671
LocationBacoor City, Cavite
OrganizerCity Government of Bacoor
PatronSt. Michael the Archangel
ReligionRoman Catholic
Simultaneous eventReligious fiesta of St. Michael the Archangel
Twittertwitter.com
Websitebacoor.gov.ph