Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite
Encyclopedia


The Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez (Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...

: Bayan ng Heneral Mariano Alvarez) or simply GMA, is an urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 136,613 people in an area of just 11.40 square kilometers, making it the most densely populated city/municipality in Cavite. The municipality is projected to have a population of 188,125 in 2010.

The municipality was named after General Mariano Álvarez
Mariano Álvarez
Mariano Álvarez was a Filipino revolutionary and politician.-Pre-war life:Álvarez was born in Noveleta, Cavite. He received formal schooling at the San José College in Manila, and obtained a teacher's diploma. He returned to Cavite and worked as a schoolteacher in Naic and Maragondon. He was...

, a native of the town of Noveleta, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...

.

History

General Mariano Alvarez, the newest town of the Province of Cavite is formerly a part of the Municipality of Carmona. This new municipality was named after General Mariano Alvarez, one of the foremost sons of the province. He was a native of the town of Noveleta and he played a vital role during the Spanish Revolution. It was previously called Carmona Resettlement Project and was under the direct management of the People’s Homesite and Housing Corporation (PHHC). This project started in March 1968 because of the need to clear the Quezon Memorial Park, Diliman, Quezon City of different shanties and other illegal constructions build on it. The PHHC prepared the basic development concepts with the National Planning Commission and the Department of Health comprising the Planning Group. The said group prescribed a minimum size of 12 x 12 or a total of 144 square meters for every family to be relocated in the area.

On July 3, 1968, the fist seven families were admitted in the project. The Department of Social Welfare provided them with free 3-day food rations for one month. During the same month, the Department of Health set up medical clinics with the Department of Education started holding classes on the Elementary and Second levels.

From 1970 to 1972, more families arrived in the area, including the flood victims and fire victims from the different parts of Quezon City, Makati and Manila. By the week of January 1973, the 7,840 allocated lots were already filled up.

Since San Jose and San Gabriel were converted into resettlement areas, the said localities have been provided by the government with different infrastructure projects such as school buildings, health centers, road and bridges. The government, through the PHHC, allotted paces for commercial and industrial centers as well as civic and government centers.

In 1974, through the initiative of all Barangay Chairpersons of then San Gabriel, Carmona, Caite, as Association of Barangay Leaders was formally organized with Hon. Ricardo Agravio and Hon. Alfredo Diaz, as chairpersons alternately. The unity was tested by the outbreak of shortage of all essential commodities such as rice, sugar, edible oil and others. An agreement was reached and thru Barangay Secretary of Area J, Walter D. Echevarria Jr., official assignee to source funds to expedite the request for the supply of commodities and barangay stores with allocation of 150 cavans of rice.

The First Cavite Electric Cooperative (FCEC) provided electricity while Waterworks System was installed through the funding which came from the USAID.

Due to the popular clamor of the residents of the aforementioned resettlement areas towards the conversion of their locality into an independent municipality, the ten (10) Barangay Council of the communities of the then San Gabriel and San Jose, submitted resolution expressing their desire to the Sangguniang Bayan of Carmona which in turn favorably endorses the idea through Resolutions No. 56-S-1978.

The town of General Mariano Alvarez is the brainchild of Assemblywoman Helena T. Benitez of the then First District of Cavite and Jose A. Roño, Minister of Local Government and concurrent Majority Floor Leader of Batasang Pambansa. These two distinguished lawmakers co-authored the Batasan bill seeking to create the new town. Miss Benitez was also aided by another Assemblyman from the second District of Cavite in the person of Jorge A. Nuñez in alternately sponsoring the Bill and ably handling its passage through the different committee hearing and assembly sessions.

The Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez came into existence upon the ratification by the majority votes cast in a plebiscite at Carmona and its duly constituted barangays within a period of 180 days after the approval of Batas Pambansa 76 and Parliamentary Bill No. 631 after which the President of the Philippines appointed the first set of Local Officials for the said town.

Upon the effectivity of the specified legal acts converting Barangays San Jose and San Gabriel into the Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez, its proportional share in the obligation of funds, assets and other properties of Carmona was transferred to the newly created municipality upon the recommendation of the Commission of Audit, which was approved on June 30, 1980.

The inauguration and oath-taking ceremonies of the newly appointed officials of the Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez took place on March 14, 1981 at the Carmona Relocation Center High School, a signal that which it was also granted political autonomy. Several elected members of the Sangguniang Bayan of Carmona who are residents of the area were appointed to head the newly created municipality.

The new town was composed of the Resettlement areas of Barangays San Jose, San Gabriel and a portion of Cabilang Baybay. Barangay San Jose consist of areas A and B while Barangay San Gabriel consist of Areas C, D, E, F, H, I, J, and K.

On June 22, 1985, the Local Officials through legislative and administrative authorities created 27 duly constituted Barangays out of the former 10 Barangays comprising the resettlement areas.

Today, the Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez, has its seat of Government located at Poblacion I, allocated and identified by the National Housing Authority.

As envisioned by the National Government, General Mariano Alvarez, a former relocation area for the squatters of the Metropolitan Manila, will provide its residents with a more blissful life geared towards the full development and upliftment of the relocation area itself.

Today, as a developed community through the untiring effort of the Municipal Officials, General Mariano Alvarez is classified as a first class municipality. Its new Municipal Logo was created by Dr. Elias A. Alicaya, Jr, a resident of GMA, in 2006.

Geographical Location

The Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) is geographically located at coordinates approximately 120 degree 59’15’ longtitude and 14 degree 18’30’ latitude. It is at the northeastern boundaries of Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...

 Province with Laguna Province. It is bounded on the north by the Municipality of San Pedro, Laguna
San Pedro, Laguna
The City of San Pedro is a first class Municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is named after its patron saint, Saint Peter. San Pedro is Laguna's gateway to Metro Manila since it lies on the boundary with Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila's southernmost city...

 on the east by the Municipality of Carmona
Carmona, Cavite
The Municipality of Carmona is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 68,135 people in a land area of 30.92 square kilometres....

, on the west by the Municipality of Dasmarinas and on the south by the Municipality of Silang
Silang, Cavite
The Municipality of Silang is a first class landlocked municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2009 census, it has a population of 234,285 people in an area of . Silang is located in the eastern section of Cavite...

. General Mariano Alvarez is approximately forty two (42) kilometers south of the City of Manila, the premier city of the country and seventeen (17) kilometers east of Trece Martirez City, the capital of the province. It is also approximate to the National Capital Region (NCR) of Metro Manila, the primate region of the country. The Municipality converges with Metro Manila, through its southern gateway of Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Muntinlupa City
The City of Muntinlupa is the southernmost city in Philippine National Capital Region. It is bordered on the north by Taguig City; to the northwest by Parañaque City; by Las Piñas City to the west; to the southwest by the city of Bacoor, Cavite; by the city of San Pedro, Laguna; and by Laguna de...

. It is about 40 to 50 kilometers away from said convergence points. The Aguinaldo Highway, on the west and Governor’s Drive on the south, which connects the two major roads. It can also accessed through the Molino-Paliparan road, which cut across the inner eastern portion of Cavite on a north-south direction running parallel to the south Expressway and Aguinaldo Highway and joins Governor’s Drive on the south end. Modes of transportation are land vehicles.

Land Area

General Mariano Alvarez has a total land area of 938.0137 hectares more or less as per “Batasang Pambansa Bilang 76” dated June 13, 1980, which created the municipality. These areas are currently occupied by twenty-seven (27) barangays of which five (5) are considered Poblacion barangays and twenty-two (22) others are regular barangays.

Topography

The municipality has elongated shape with a north, northeastern orientation. It has a total length of about 7,040 meters and a width of about 780 meters at its smallest and 1,720 meters at its widest. The terrain is relatively flat plain from the south starting at the Governor’s Drive running north covering about one third (1/3) of the municipality’s length at Poblacion 5. From this point the terrain gradually begin to gently slope in one direction in the middle portion of the municipality, undulating and rolling to more than one direction towards the northeastern barangay of Epifanio Malia, portion of Francisco de Castro, Francisco Reyes and San Jose.

Inland water bodies serve as natural boundaries with neighboring municipalities and drain its surface waters towards Manila Bay and Laguna Bay. These are Embarcadero River on the western boundaries with Dasmarinas and San Gabriel River on the eastern boundaries with Carmona. A major tributary, of San Gabriel River traverse the inner areas of the municipality from Francisco de Castro and Southwoods to Jacinto Lumbreras. The same tributary branches out at Inocencio Salud to serve as boundaries between the barangay of Col. J.P Elises andAldiano Olaes, on the eastern side. Small streams crisscross the landscape forming natural drainage where waste drains from Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. These water bodies run and form deep gullies which gave the land a mass ridge-like formation. Considering the height and mass of the water bodies, the ridge-like formation are highly elevated. Thus, the terrain as described above.

Man-made physical changes, includes the presence of the Congressional Road which stretcher on full length of the municipality from the Governor’s Drive or the national highway in the south to Francisco de Castro on the north. It runs parallel to the water bodies mentioned above on the eastern side of the municipality. Structures such as houses, schools, commercial establishments, institutional buildings and industrial firms are located among this road, on gully sides of water bodies and the top flat plain areas of the ridge. Open grasslands and agricultural areas can be found on the western near central portion of the municipality.

Slope

The slope of the municipality ranges from 0-3% to 3-8% broad to level nearly level are classified under 0-3% slope. These are generally the flat plain level lands on the southern portion from the Governor’s Drive extending inwards covering all Poblacion barangays, Gavino Maderan, Jacinto Lumbreras, Ramon Cruz, San Gabriel and Severino delas Alas, 3-5% slope are gently sloping areas with land sloping in one general direction. This areas compress the central portion of the municipality from Barangay Kapitan Kua, Pantaleon Granados and Marcelino Mimeje to Aldiano Olaes, Col. Jose P. Elises and portion of Foerillo Calimag, Macario Dacon and Benjamin Tirona. These also include Inocencio Salud and Bernardo Pulido.

Areas on the north and northeastern side have slope of 5-8%. These are gently undulating and rolling lands sloping in more than one general direction. Portion of Baranay Feorillo Calimag, Macario Dacon and Benjamin Tirona and barangay of Francisco de Castro, Francisco Reyes, Epifanio Malia, Tiniente Tiago, Nicolasa Virata, Gregoria de Jesus and San Jose.

Barangays

Gen. Mariano Alvarez was originally divided into 10 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s (more appropriately, area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...

s) that were parts of the Carmona
Carmona, Cavite
The Municipality of Carmona is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 68,135 people in a land area of 30.92 square kilometres....

 Resettlement Project. It comprised the resettlement areas in Barangays San Jose, and San Gabriel, and a portion of Cabilang Baybay, a barangay of the municipality of Carmona. San Jose consists of Areas A and B, while San Gabriel is composed of Areas C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K.

On March 25, 1985, by virtue of legislative and administrative acts, a referendum was made to redivide the municipality into the current 27 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s. They were named after the revolutionary leaders of the province of Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...

 - including those related to the great general to whom the municipality was named after - and the barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

 captains and other prominent personalities who led the former 10 barangays. The first appointed officials of the barangays were sworn into office en masse on June 27, 1985.

Five of the current barangays are classified as poblacion barangays, or those that are within the municipality's central area. The 22 others are ordinary barangays.

The 27 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s, are as follows:


  • Aldiano Olaes
  • Barangay 1 Poblacion (Area I)
  • Barangay 2 Poblacion
  • Barangay 3 Poblacion
  • Barangay 4 Poblacion
  • Barangay 5 Poblacion
  • Benjamin Tirona (Area D)
  • Bernardo Pulido (Area H)
  • Epifanio Malia
  • Francisco De Castro
  • Francisco Reyes
  • Fiorello Calimag (Area C)
  • Gavino Maderan (Area J)
  • Gregoria De Jesus

  • Inocencio Salud (Area F)
  • Jacinto Lumbreras (Area J)
  • Kapitan Kua (Area F)
  • Koronel Jose P. Elises (Area E)
  • Macario Dacon (Area D)
  • Marcelino Memije (Area H)
  • Nicolasa Virata (San Jose)
  • Pantaleon Granados (Area G)
  • Ramon Cruz (Area J)
  • San Gabriel (Area K)
  • San Jose
  • Severino De Las Alas (Area J)
  • Tiniente Tiago


Municipal Mayors


  • Leoniso G. Virata (1981–1986; 1988–1998)
  • Tomas E. Abueg (officer-in-charge, 1986–1987)
  • Severino P. Tamala (officer-in-charge, 1987–1988)
  • Antonio G. Virata (1998–2001)
  • Walter D. Echevarria, Jr. (2001–2010)
  • Leonisa Joana B. Virata (June 30, 2010–present)


Fastfood chains

  • Chic Boy - Chicken and Baboy (along Governor's Drive)
  • Mang Inasal (along Governor's Drive)
  • Jollibee
    Jollibee
    Jollibee Foods Corporation is the parent company of Jollibee, a fast-food restaurant chain based in the Philippines. Among JFC's popular brands are Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Caffe Ti-amo, Mang Inasal and Burger King...

     (Inside Puregold Supermarket and along Governor's Drive)
  • Chowking
    Chowking
    Chowking is a Philippine-based chain that pioneered the Asian quick-service restaurant concept in the Philippines. The concept combines a Western fast-food service style with Chinese food. Chowking predominantly sells noodle soups, dim sum, and rice toppings...

  • Blue Grass Restaurant (Located at Metro San Jose area)
  • Dunkin' Donuts
  • Chooks to Go

Supermarkets/Grocery stores/Convenience stores/Shopping centers

  • 7 Eleven
  • Mercury Drug
    Mercury Drug
    Mercury Drug is the leading chain of drugstores in the Philippines.- History :The company began in 1945 with a single store owned by Mariano Que. He named it after Mercury, the messenger of the gods in Roman mythology and whose staff, the caduceus, is sometimes used as a symbol of medicine.In 1945,...

     (Inside Puregold Supermarket and along Governor's Drive)
  • Top Choice Supermarket
  • Puregold GMA, Cavite
  • Novo Shopping Center
  • Mini Divi Mall
  • Monterey Meat Shop
  • HBC (Home of Beauty Exclusives)
  • Square mart
  • Mang tenyong'S Accesories

Banks

  • Bank of the Philippine Islands
    Bank of the Philippine Islands
    Bank of the Philippine Islands is the oldest bank in the Philippines still in operation and is the country's third largest bank in terms of assets, the country's largest bank in terms of market capitalization, and the country's most profitable bank...

  • Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
    Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
    The Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation was established in 1960 as a development bank and is licensed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for both commercial and investment banking...

  • Rural Bank of GMA
  • First Macro Bank
  • Luzon Development Bank
  • GMA Bank(closed)
  • Land Bank
    Land Bank of the Philippines
    Land Bank of the Philippines , also known as LANDBANK or by its initials, LBP, is a bank in the Philippines owned by the Philippine government with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen...

     (U.C.)

Gas stations

  • City Oil Gas Station
  • Petron
    Petron Corporation
    Petron Corporation is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines, supplying more than a third of the country’s oil requirements....

     Gas Station
  • Phoenix Gas Station
  • FilOil Gas Station

Other business establishments

  • Juaymah Maureen Transport
    Juaymah Maureen Transport
    Juaymah Maureen Transport is a bus company owned and operated by a Filipino family from Las Pinas. It plies routes from Alabang in Muntinlupa City to Lawton and Quiapo in Manila and sometimes to Ayala in Makati City.-Etymology:...

  • Meralco
    Meralco
    The Manila Electric Company , also known as MERALCO or Meralco, is the Philippines' largest distributor of electrical power.The word MERALCO, is an acronym for Manila Electric Railroad And Light COmpany, which was the company's original name from 1903 to 1919.MERALCO is the Metro Manila's only...

     Bayad Center
  • Emilio S. Lim Appliance Center
  • AVON Center
  • Effeljoy Jewelry (inside GMA Central Market)
  • Wijoyly Hotel
  • HBC
  • Rayvee Cellphone Repair Shop
  • Team Graphics Ads. Co., located along Luzon Ave.

Colleges and universities

  • University of Perpetual Help System JONELTA - GMA Campus
    University of Perpetual Help System JONELTA - GMA Campus
    The University of Perpetual Help System JONELTA - GMA Campus or simply Perpetual GMA, is an extension program of UPHS Laguna.The GMA Campus started its operations on June 1997 with a total enrollment of 333 students, broken down as follows: 238 for preparatory, elementary and business high school...

     - a private educational institution known primarily for its business and health science courses, and has a secondary program set as a business high school (BHS)
  • Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science & Technology-Cavite Campus (EARIST) - a state college, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the municipality, offering undergraduate degrees and technical courses, as well as a secondary program set as a Laboratory Science High School (LSHS)
  • Imus Computer College (ICC) - GMA Branch - Branch of the first computer school chain (ICC) in Cavite, offers 2 year college courses in computer studies.
  • Chef Logro's Institute of Culinary Arts and Kitchen Services (CLICKS) - The only culinary school in GMA which offers basic and advance culinary arts studies.
  • Asian Institute of Computer Studies (AICS) - The second computer learning in this municipality, located along Governor's Drive
    Governor's drive
    The Governor's Drive is a 2 to 6 lane, network of roads and bridges transversing through the central province of Cavite. It is the widest of the three major highways located in the province, the others are Aguinaldo Highway and A...

    .
  • EARIST State College-Cavite Campus
  • Imus Computer College (GMA Branch)
  • Asian Institute of Computer Studies (GMA Branch)

Public Elementary and High Schools

  • General Mariano Alvarez Technical High School (GMATHS) - formerly known as the Carmona Relocation Center High School
  • San Jose Community High School (SJCHS) - formerly known as San Jose National High School and located in the Metro San Jose area
  • San Gabriel I Elementary School - situated at Barangay Macario Dacon
  • San Gabriel II Elementary School - the central school of the District of Gen. Mariano Alvarez, under the Division of Cavite; the home of the district's office
  • San Gabriel III Elementary School - located in the municipality's mid-eastern part
  • Family Village Resources Elementary School (FVRES) - established in the Family Village Resources Project in Barangay Poblacion 5
  • Area J Elementary School (ARJES) - located at Barangay Jacinto Lumbreras
  • Bulihan Elementary School (BES) - located along Governor's Drive, not to be confused with schools inside adjacent Barangay Old Bulihan in Silang, Cavite
    Silang, Cavite
    The Municipality of Silang is a first class landlocked municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2009 census, it has a population of 234,285 people in an area of . Silang is located in the eastern section of Cavite...

  • Francisco de Castro Elementary School (FDCES) - serves the community of Barangay Francisco de Castro
  • San Jose Elementary School (SJES) - located in the Metro San Jose area

Private Elementary and High Schools

  • My Messiah School of Cavite (A Christ-centered School)
  • Grace Baptist Christian School (The School of Conquerors and character-trained people)
  • Karunungan Village Academy (Awarded as the school in G.M.A.)
  • Monte Cristo Research and Educational Institute (Formerly Monteverde Learning Center)
  • Shalom Akademeia of Cavite Inc. (Formerly Shalom Learning Center Inc.)
  • Victorious Christian Montessori School Foundation, Inc.
  • Upon this Rock Christian Academy
  • St. Jonah Grace School / Our Lady of Grace Academy of G.M.A.
  • Biyaya Polytechnic Academy
  • Christian Grace School of Cavite
  • Vox Dei Academy of GMA, Inc. (Formerly Christ the King Learning Center)
  • Academe of St. Jude Thaddeus
    Academe of St. Jude Thaddeus
    Academe of St. Jude Thaddeus, known as A.S.J.T. formerly St. Jude Academy, is a private school in the town of Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Cavite, Philippines....

    (Formerly St. Jude Academy)
  • Hillside Academy
  • Learner-Centered Cristian School
  • Holy Family Academy(Parochial School of GMA)
  • Vessel of Wisdom Christian School
  • Charity Learning Institute
  • Holistic Academy of Integral Learning, Inc.
  • Vision Christian Academy
  • Evangelical Christian Academy

Hospitals and clinics

  • Medicare GMA, Cavite
  • San Jose Trauma and Medical Center
  • Tapia Medical Clinic
  • Mauricio Clinic

External links

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