FAQs

Question

Legend of Tagaytay

Answer

The story involved a boy and his father who went out to hunt wild boars one day. They chased a boar, which then turned to attack them, starting with the father. The son shouted, “Tagâ, Itáy!” which means to chop or cut. The boy shouted repeatedly and loudly that it echoed in the alleys of the ridge. The people heard by the hunters, wood gatherers, kaingeros, farmers, and residents. They talked about what happened for several days. Eventually, the sentence was corrupted to simply Tagaytay. Another story, and a more feasible one relating to the origin of the place, is naming the place after tagaytay, which is a Tagalog term for a ridge. A ridge refers to a chain of hills or mountains forming a continued elevated crest that can be seen from a distance.

Question

History of Tagaytay

Answer

In 1896, during the Philippine revolution, the revolutionaries found refuge on these ridges and forests; those in Cavite, particularly in Masilao (now Amadeo), Malabon Grande (now General Trias), Mendez, Silang, Indang, and Dasmariñas as well as in Laguna and Batangas. Going to and from their destinations, they termed the process mananagaytay, which meant they would traverse the ridges. The city was once a cogon land before it was discovered after the eruption of Taal Volcano. The vast stretches of cogon gave the Katipuneros a ready sanctuary when they needed to. Tagaytay City became a chartered city on January 21, 1938, upon the enactment of the Commonwealth Act No. 338. It was authored by Representative Justiniano Montano and signed by President Manuel L. Quezon. Tagaytay is a planned city that covers areas of Mendez, Amadeo, and Silang.