Legend has it that the word “Tagaytay” came from “TAGA” meaning “to cut” and “ITAY” which means “Father”. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar hunt when the animal they were chasing turned and attacked them. As the boar charged towards the old man, the son cried “TAGA- ITAY”. The boy’s repeated shouts reverberated in the valleys of the ridge. Heard by the residents, hunters and wood gatherers, the cries became the subject of conversation for several days among the people in the countryside. In time, the place where the shouts came from became known as TAGAYTAY.
During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the ridges and forests of Tagaytay became the sanctuary for revolutionaries including of those from nearby provinces. The passage to and from towns via Tagaytay added the word “Mananagaytay” to the native’s vocabulary. It means “to traverse ridges”.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 11th Airborne Division of Lieutenant General William Krueger’s 8th Army airdropped military supplies and personnel on the Tagaytay Ridge prior to the Liberation of Manila from the Japanese. A marker was installed in 1951 at the junction of the Manila-Canlubang-Nasugbu roads by the city officials in coordination with the Philippine Historical Institute.
Tagaytay became a chartered City on June 21, 1938 when President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 338, a bill authored by Representative Justiniano S. Montano of Cavite.
GEOGRAPHY OF TAGAYTAY
Tagaytay City lies on top of the Tagaytay Ridge, which, at 640 meters above sea level, is the highest point in Cavite. The ridge provides a spectacular view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in Batangas. This view supports Tagaytay’s main industry, which is tourism.
Location
Tagaytay City is located in the Province of Cavite, on the island of Luzon, approximately 56 kilometer south of Manila. It lies within 120° 56′ longitude and 14° 6′ latitude and overlooks Manila Bay on the North, Taal volcano and Taal lake on the south and Laguna Bay on the east.
The City is linked by the national highway to the Metropolitan Manila Area and to the Province of Batangas. It is also connected by the roads to the adjoining municipalities of Amadeo, Mendez, Indang, Silang and Alfonso in Cavite towards the northwest, to the cities of Calamba and Sta. Rosa in Laguna in the northeast and to the town of Talisay in Batangas in the south.
Land area
Tagaytay City has a total land area of 65 km² which represent about 5.14% of the total area of the Province of Cavite. There are 34 barangays, 6 of which are urban and the rests are classified as rural.
Topography
Tagaytay City is characterized by mixed topography, the southern and eastern potions are covered by hills and mountains which is generally forests and open grasslands. These are the ridge with slope ranging from 10.0 to over 25 percent. On the other hand the portions adjoining the municipalities of Mendez, Indang, Amadeo and Silang are level to nearly level areas interspersed with very gently sloping surface. the built-up areas including the urban center situated in these relatively level portions of the city.
Tagaytay Locator Map
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