Carmona, Province of Cavite, Calabarzon, Philippines

🇵🇭 Carmona, officially the Municipality of Carmona (Tagalog: Bayan ng Carmona), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines.

History Carmona was just a part of Silang. This is not surprising because in the early part of the Spanish regime, Silang included what are known today as the municipalities of Indang, San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias), and Maragondon. Moreover, Alfonso, Amadeo, and Mendez were mere sitios of Indang; Santa Cruz de Malabon (now Tanza) was a part of San Francisco de Malabon or Malabon Grande; and Magallanes and Ternate were barrios of Maragondon. Furthermore, Maragondon itself had been a part of the Corregimiento of Mariveles on the opposite side of Manila Bay.

According to research conducted in 1982, by Sangguniang Bayan members Ernesto Zamora, Salvador P. Manahan, Pio Purificacion, Narciso Levardo, and Romy Laurito, assisted by Municipal Secretary Rogelio D. Paular, it was found out that the history of Carmona began during the 15th century. As related by a reliable informant, three brothers coming from the mountain of Silang were said to be the first settlers in the place which was then called “Latag”, a Tagalog word for “plain” due to the numerous hills and plains in the area. The settlement was not known to other residents of Silang until some of them also went down to the place, cleared some forest areas and established their residence.

During the Philippine Revolution in 1896, the gobernadorcillo of Carmona was Kapitan Damian Ermitano after the administrations of Tiburcio Purificacion, Mariano Mapanoo and Donald C. Virtucio, Augusto Manaog and Fabian Tenedero.

After the revolution and the occupation of the country by the Americans in 1901, the first local executive of Carmona was Martin Reyes who was followed next by Marcelo Reyes, Prudencio Torres, Juan Alumia, Estanislao Paular, Marciano Mapanoo, and Juan Zamora.

The mayors who assumed office after World War II were Bernardo Hebron, Eulalio Reyes and Cesar Casal and Felino L. Maquinay. In 1959, the district of San Gabriel and San Jose of Barangay Kabilang Baybay were purchased by the National Government for the relocation of squatters from Metro Manila. On March 14, 1981, the relocation site, which teemed with people from almost every part of the country and was more popularly known as the resettlement area, became an independent municipality called General Mariano Alvarez.

Geography Carmona is located on the eastern part of the province of Cavite, approximately 36 km (22 mi) south of Manila and 24 km (15 mi) from Trece Martires, Cavite's seat of government. It is bounded on the north, east and south by the City of Biñan, Laguna, Municipality of General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) on the north-west and Silang on the south-west.

The topography of Carmona is generally flat to strongly rolling or sloping, partly lowland and partly hill. Carmona is divided into four physiographical areas: the lowest lowland area, the lowland area, the central hilly area and the upland mountainous area.

The town is also within the path of a fault line, the Valley Fault System which starts from the Sierra Madre mountains.

Barangays Carmona is subdivided into 14 barangays (the smallest local government unit) which handles governance in a much smaller area. • Bancal • Barangay 1 • Barangay 2 • Barangay 3 • Barangay 4 • Barangay 5 • Barangay 6 • Barangay 7 • Barangay 8 • Cabilang Baybay • Lantic • Mabuhay • Maduya • Milagrosa.

Economy Cottage industries include metal works, metalcraft, footwear industries, concrete products, tricycle assembly, rattan handicrafts and bakeries. Manufacturing firms engaged in handicraft (bags and shoes), furniture making, business retailing, personal and business services, and food based enterprises contribute to the municipality's trade and commerce. Mercantile activities in the municipality are concentrated at the Poblacion area and along Governor's Drive. Carmona has been classified as a first class municipality since July 1996, brought about by industrialization, real estate development and commercial activities.

Carmona's progress accelerated after the conversion of more than 50 hectares (120 acres) of farmlands into industrial areas in 1998. Garment industries, steel fabrication, microchips and semi-conductors, tool fabrication, bus assembly, bulb factories, die casting and other small and medium-scale industries currently operate in the municipality. These investments continue to provide local employment, generate export earnings, increase municipal revenues and serve as vehicles for technology transfer. Foreign investments are pouring in as export-oriented industries continue to flourish.

Employment rate: Out of a potential labor force of 24,918 (members 15 years old & above who are actively seeking for work), 98.03% are employed while 1.97% are unemployed. The presence of 8 industrial estates & 2 industrial compounds contribute largely to the high employment rate of the municipality.

Agriculture The economy of Carmona is generally agricultural. Almost half of its total land area is devoted to agriculture.

In 2000, the total land area devoted to agriculture was 609 hectares (1,500 acres) or 19.7% of the total land area of Carmona. 230 hectares (570 acres) are irrigated areas all of which are currently planted with rice and vegetables, 30 hectares (74 acres) are upland rice areas, 122.5 hectares (303 acres) are for diversified trees and crops, and the 211.5 hectares (523 acres) are considered pasture land.

There are 217 farmers in the Municipality engaged in planting and farming. Crops and livestock farmers are distributed among 14 barangays of Carmona.

However, with the implementation of the CALABARZON growth area, the municipality of Carmona has slowly become an industrial enclave in the province. The advent of industrialization has threatened the agricultural base of Carmona. As of April 1999, land used for rice production has gone down; sugarcane plantation has decreased considerably and those land uses for other crops and vegetables totaled 84.5 hectares (209 acres) during the same year.

At present, the programs and services of the Department of Agriculture (DA) are focused on five priority programs: a sustained self-sufficiency program for rice and corn, strengthening of production market linkage, an acceleration of livelihood program, aggressive assistance to organizational development of farmers, and assistance to agriculture-related priority programs of other government agencies.

Crop production The major crops produced in the municipality are lowland and upland rice and sugarcane. Other crops grown are corn, vegetables, root crops, and fruit trees.

Fruits and vegetables production In 2000, an area covering some 23.5 hectares (58 acres) was planted with various crops and fruit trees. These yielded an estimated 444 mt[convert: unknown unit] of assorted products.

Livestock and poultry production Livestock and poultry raising in the municipality are largely backyard family enterprises. Animals raised are generally for home consumption and an additional income source for the family. Total production of livestock and poultry in 1999 registered a head count of 7,907. Pigs raised both for human consumption or for breeding purposes are estimated at 1,675, while the equally popular poultry raising produced about 4,472 head. An estimated 1,013 head of cattle, 31 head of carabaos and 716 goats were also produced. Based on reports of the municipal Agricultural Officer, the total livestock and poultry production in the municipality is still below the sufficiency level for beef, pork meat and eggs.

Economy: Industry Industrialization in the '90s accounts for the rapid growth of Carmona's business community from an otherwise quaint agricultural town in the 1950s. Brought about by huge capital from the national government, the industrial complexes bolstered the increase of the municipality's revenues and the change in the people's lifestyle.

There are eight existing industrial complexes in the towns. Its proximity to Manila and at the same time being the gateway to the Calabarzon area made Carmona a promising venue for business.

On the other hand, the local government has been very supportive of the investors. There are 114 factories in eight industrial parks/complexes to date. At present there are the eight industrial complexes strewn along the Governor's Drive, in a total of 419.31 hectares (1,036.1 acres), making up 13.56% of the town's land area. Ranging from 9 to 100 hectares (22 to 247 acres), these industrial estates are complete with amenities, secured, and in close coordination with the municipal government through the Carmona Business Club and other agencies.

Commercial and financial One of the biggest commercial subdivisions in town is the Macaria Business Park in Barangay Mabuhay which houses a WalterMart branch in its 13.13-hectare (32.4-acre) lot. Recently, fast food chains and restaurants have been opened to compete for regular patronage at the Paseo de Carmona in Barangay Maduya.

Moreover, numerous traders and retailers are housed in the bustling Carmona Public Market.

The bulk of commercial activities come from wholesale/retail enterprises, which comprise a total of 619 establishments. There are also service-related establishments: businesses, food shops and amusement operators, with 35 banks and other lending institutions. Among the major banking institutions that cater to the financial needs of businesses in Carmona and neighboring towns are Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Metrobank, Banco de Oro (BDO), Chinatrust Bank, Chinabank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), and Unionbank.

Healthcare The Pagamutang Bayan ng Carmona (lit. 'Carmona Town Hospital' and the Rural Health Unit (RHU) are government-owned and run healthcare facilities in the town.

The main health centre in the municipality is located in Barangay 4. A total of eleven barangay health centres or substations of the RHU are established in different barangays.

In addition to the rural health units and the Pagamutang Bayan, there are also private clinics and hospitals operating in the municipality. Eleven clinics are privately owned and one clinic is under the supervision of government health workers.