Tanza, officially the Municipality of Tanza, formerly known as Santa Cruz de Malabon, is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 312,116 people. It has a land area of 95.59 km2, making it the third largest municipality by land area in the province. Tanza was awarded the "Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping" in 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019, and 2021 and the "Seal of Good Local Governance" in 2016 by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. The municipality was named 2014 most competitive in economic dynamism by the National Competitiveness Council, eighth most populous municipality (2015 NSO Census), and 15th largest Municipality Revenue Earner based on the 2016 Bureau of Local Government Finance Financial Report. Tanza is the place where Emilio Aguinaldo was sworn in as the president of the revolutionary government of the Philippines, in front of the ancient Santa Cruz or Holy Cross (the titular of Tanza's main Catholic parish). Other officials elected at Tejeros Convention elections, including Mariano Trias as vice president, also took their oath with Aguinaldo. Also, Tanza was the birthplace of Felipe G. Calderon, the person who drafted the Malolos Constitution. Tanza is the home of Cavite Gateway Terminal, the first roll-on, roll-off barge terminal in the Philippines.

History

Tanza was formerly a strip of land incorporated for official purpose to the municipality of San Francisco de Malabon, now called General Trias. The first settlers were the Fabian brothers who migrated here. This place was particularly devoted to grazing and was called Estancia (1780). In the mid-19th century, the Secularization movement that was largely centered in Santa Cruz de Malabón led by Pedro Pelaez. On October 15, 1903, the Philippine Commission approved Act No. 947, annexing Santa Cruz de Malabon to the adjacent town of San Francisco de Malabon. In 1909, a resolution was passed by the San Francisco de Malabon municipal council to reconvert Santa Cruz de Malabon into a separate and independent municipality; it took effect in 1910. In 1914, Florentino Joya, the then-representative of Cavite to the Philippine Assembly, worked for the passage of a bill which renamed the town of Santa Cruz de Malabon to Tanza by virtue of Philippine Legislative Act No. 2390 dated February 28, 1914. Tanza celebrated Araw ng Tanza 100th anniversary with a theme "Tanza, Sandaang Taon Na!" February 28, 2014, with a parade of Higante figures across the town proper with fireworks display and a Lantern festival at evening.

Cityhood

Tanza, alongside Silang, is one of the two municipalities in Cavite that has already reached the requirements to become a new city in the province, yet no bills had been filed in the Congress to convert the two towns into a component city of the province.

Geography

Tanza is among of the 23 cities and municipalities that comprise Cavite. It is located in the northwestern part of Cavite lying within latitudes 140° 24’ north and longitude 120° 51’ east. It is bounded by Rosario to the North; General Trias to the east; Trece Martires and Naic to the south; and Manila Bay on the west. Tanza is 23 km from Imus and 33 km from Manila.

Barangays

Tanza is politically subdivided into 41 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Tanza, Cavite, was 312,116 people, with a density of undefined PD/km2.

Religion

Christianity

The majority of the people of Tanza are Roman Catholic under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Imus, but there has been fast growth of Protestant and other non-Catholic denominations in the town, including Iglesia ni Cristo, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Jehovah's Witnesses, Members Church of God International, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Islam

With the influx of migrants from other provinces especially from Mindanao, other non-Christian faiths particularly Islam are practiced in the town.

Other faiths

Non-Abrahamic faiths include native-Tagalog Anitism, Animism, and within the local Indian and Chinese communities Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism are followed.

Languages

The main languages spoken are Tagalog, and English. A large number of people from farther provinces have migrated to Tanza, resulting in minor but significant usage of the Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon and Waray languages.

Economy

Poverty incidence

Retail and business process outsourcing

Large retail operators have shown significant interest to the growth and increase of land value in cities throughout the Philippines. They are seen as highly developed urban centers where a lot of economic activities take place and is important to urbanization and development. Tanza is eyed as a center of exponential growth for commerce, industry and service, strengthening its stature as one of the fastest growing municipalities in Cavite province. SM Supermalls, a subsidiary of SM Prime, the largest mall operator in the country, since 2014 is negotiating with other landowners nearby Antero Soriano Highway in Barangay Daang Amaya 2 on their plan to build a new SM Mall in the town. SM City Tanza was opened in October 2022 as their 80th mall in the country.

Municipal income

Government

Elected officials

The following are the elected officials of the town elected last May 9, 2022 which serves until June 30, 2025: Municipal Government of Tanza (2022–2025):

List of former municipal heads

Gobernadorcillos: Capitan Municipal: Presidente Municipal: Municipal Mayor:

Education

Day care centers

There are 32 government-owned daycare centers in Tanza, which is being managed by the MSWD.

Elementary schools

• Alonzo's Learning Center • Amaya Elementary School • Apostle's Creed learning school (ACLS) • Bagtas Elementary School • Bienvenido R. Fojas Memorial Elementary School • Bea-Therese School • Bunga Elementary School • Capipisa Elementary School • Carissa Grace Mission School • Carissa Homes PS • CALA Institute of the Philippines, Inc. • Chanceteam Christian Academy Inc. • Cuddlers Christian Academy • Dawn Kiddie School of Cavite • De Roman Montessori School (DRMS) • Dei Gratia School, Inc. (DGSI) • Del Carmen School • Deo Roma College of Tanza • Don Crispin Yumol Elementary School (Punta Elementary Elementary School) • Dona Perpetua A. Yumol (Bagtas PS) • Felipe G. Calderon Elementary School (Tanza Elementary School/Central) • Florentino Joya Elementary School • Francisco Lopez Mariano Academy • G. Fabillar Learning Center • Good Tree International School (GTIS) • Gregorio B. Fojas Memorial School (Calibuyo Elementary School) • Halayhay Elementary School • Holy Nazarene Christian School • Holy Trinity School of Tanza • Inigo de Loyola Academy • Julugan Elementary School • Little Footprints to Jesus School • Little Minds Development Center • Lycee D' Tanza Inc. • Maddalena Starace School • New Life Child Development Center (NLCDC) • Our Lady of the Holy Rosary School (OLHRS) • Paradahan Elementary School • Pedro M. Gimenez Academe • Hillcrest Periwinkle Montessori School • Sahud Ulan PS (Halayhay Annex) • Saint Augustine School • Saint Mary of the Woods Academy • Saint Thomas More Academy • Sanja Mayor Elementary School • Santol Elementary School • Maximino V. Pangilinan Elementary School) • Sawyer Integrated School • Santa Cruz (Bucal) Elementary School • Santo Niño de Lebelle Academy • Tanza Child Development Centre (TCDC) • The International School for Children (TISC) • Tres Cruses Elementary School

High schools

Colleges

Notable personalities