Cavinti


Cavinti, officially the Municipality of Cavinti, is a municipality located in the Sierra Madre mountain range in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
It is also known as the ecotourism, adventure, and glamping capital of the Philippines. Major produce are its pandan products, including straw hat locally known as sambalilo.

History

Cavinti was originally a part of Lumban, Laguna. In 1619, the town gained independent status as a parish by virtue of a papal bull believed to have come directly from Rome. In fact, this was why, again according to the legends, the two Puhawan brothers of Lumban, in search of food in early 1600, reached Cavinti where they found an image which turned out to be that of El Salvador. They brought the image to their home in Lumban. But it got lost only to be found again the very same place where it was first discovered.
The church's early structures were made of light materials. For many times they had to rebuild it on account of destruction wrought by natural calamities such as earthquakes, typhoons, and fires.
The ecclesiastical supervision of the church also belonged to Lumban since its founding. Even at the time of the construction of the first stone church in 1621.

Spanish period

During this era, Cavinti was one of the lesser villages of Lumban. The population was very low and no significant development was recorded since during that time development was focused on Lumban. Cavinti served then as a hunting ground.

American period

In 1903, Cavinti was reduced as part of Luisiana by virtue of Act No. 939. It later separated from Luisiana to be reconstituted as an independent municipality by virtue of Act No. 1712 in 1907.
Cavinti became one of the municipalities with high insurgency due to the construction of hydropower dam where several lands were submerged. In the 1930s, Teodoro Asedillo and his group operated in Cavinti, holding meetings in schools to explain the aims of the Katipunan ng mga Anak-Pawis sa Pilipinas and recruit fighters to his cause. He garnered major support in Cavinti and nearby towns, who would shelter him, provide him with funds and other resources. Asedillo was killed on December 31, 1935 following a manhunt and intense surveillance against him and his supporters. His body was crucified and paraded around town to discourage supporters.
Two connected man-made lakes, Lumot Lake and Lake Caliraya were built by American engineers in 1943 to supply water to the Caliraya Hydroelectric Plant. The two lakes are some of the places in the whole country where Filipino anglers can attempt to catch the famed Largemouth bass, a top freshwater gamefish seeded to the lake by Americans. During this regime, no further economic and infrastructure projects were implemented in Cavinti.

Japanese occupation

During the Japanese regime, insurgency became rampant, and no further economic and infrastructure development was implemented in Cavinti.

The Third Republic

In the 1960s, ground was broken on the Lake Caliraya shoreline for the building of the resort communities, which began a period of economic revival.

Geography

Cavinti is situated on the eastern side of the province of Laguna. The town is bounded by the municipality of Lumban in the north, by the municipalities of Sampaloc, Quezon and Mauban, Quezon in the east, Pagsanjan in the west, and by Luisiana in the south. It has 19 barangays.
Cavinti is from Santa Cruz, from Manila, and from Lucena.

Climate

Like most areas in the province of Laguna, the Climate of Cavinti is characterized by two pronounced seasons: dry from March to May and wet during the rest of the year.

Barangays

Cavinti is politically subdivided into 19 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks, and some have sitios.
Currently, there are two barangays which are classified as urban.
  • Anglas
  • Bangco
  • Bukal
  • Bulajo
  • Cansuso
  • Duhat
  • Inao-Awan
  • Kanluran Talaongan
  • Labayo
  • Layasin
  • Layug
  • Lumot/Mahipon
  • Paowin
  • Poblacion
  • Sisilmin
  • Silangan Talaongan
  • Sumucab
  • Tibatib
  • Udia
The rehabilitation of 25 hectares of denuded upland forest along the eastern and northern shores of the Caliraya Watershed in Cavinti was signed in a memorandum of agreement between the country's Climate Change Commission and the National Power Corporation.

Poblacion

Poblacion is the center of commercial and business activities in Cavinti. Almost all of the basic municipal facilities are located in Poblacion including the Municipal Hall, Town Plaza, the Public Market, and many commercial and business establishments. The Catholic Church and Aglipayan Church are also located in Poblacion.
There are said to be two significant roads in Cavinti's Población: Cailles Street, where the Public Market and many commercial stores and business establishments are located; and Magsaysay Drive, where many commercial establishments are likewise found.

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Cavinti was 24,740 people, with a density of.
People from Cavinti are being called by nearby towns as "Kabintiin".

Language

The predominant language spoken in Cavinti is Tagalog. The media of instruction in schools are English and Tagalog languages.

Economy

Cavinti is primarily an agricultural town. At the población, there are only a few commercial establishments which cater to the basic services of the people.
Sources of income of the people of Cavinti are mainly focused on tourism and agriculture such as palay, bamboo, pandan, copra, coconut, vegetables and fruit trees. Piggery and poultry farming are also sources of additional income for the townfolks. The business income of the local government primarily comes from CBK Power Plants, Resorts, Hotels and Restaurants and operation of several tourism-related projects.
Annual budget:
  • Internal revenue allotment: Php 47,346,700.00
  • Economic enterprise: Php 24,452,640.00
  • National wealth share: Php 8,000,000.00
  • Local revenue: Php 17,762,500.00
  • Total: Php 97,561,840.00
  • Income class: 3rd Class

    Tourism

Annual events and festivals

  • Sambalilo Festival - The Sambalilo Festival is one of the most colorful and prosperous festivals in the province of Laguna. It is celebrated to celebrate the handmade sombrero made from pandan that has been the foremost livelihood of the people since time immemorial. Highlights of the fiesta include trade fair exhibits, Cavinti's Got Talent, Brass band bonanza, street dancing, fireworks display, Cavinti Fun run, Palarong Pinoy, Exhibition game of PBA players vs. Cavinti All Stars and the world's biggest Sambalilo.
  • Mayflower Festival - It is an old annual Catholic tradition which includes offering of flowers to the image of the Virgin Mary by young girls all dressed in white called "associadas" while praying the rosary, and the holding of various Santacruzans around the town. The Hermanos and Hermanas, chosen for each year, lead the festivities as a way of sharing their blessings to them.

    Tourist destinations

Natural features like waterfalls, rivers, lakes, caves and mountains are located in Cavinti. The Cavinti Falls, also known as Pagsanjan Falls, is actually located in Cavinti. Access to the falls is through Cavinti's own Pueblo El Salvador Cavinti Nature's Park and Picnic Groove in barangay Tibatib-Anglas. Visitors can view the nearby Mount Banahaw along the man-made lakes of Caliraya and Lumot. Sailing, wind surfing and kayaking are other activities common along the lake areas. There also other sites in Cavinti, like the Bumbungan Twin Falls, the Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex, the Bayakan Falls and Bat Cave.
Tourist destinations:
  • Cavinti Falls
  • Cavinti Underground River and Caves Complex
  • Nakulo Falls
  • Caliraya Lake is a man-made lake popular for surface water sports and recreational fishing. and shared with the town of Lumban
  • Lumot Lake is another man-made lake connected to Caliraya Lake by an underground penstock, which is also popular for water sports and sport fishing.
  • Bumbungan Eco Park
  • Pueblo El Salvador Cavinti Nature's Park and Picnic Grove
  • Japanese Garden
  • Bayakan Falls
  • Bat Cave
  • Bumbungan Twin Falls
  • Talon ng Caliraya
  • Roman Catholic Church
  • Farmshare Agri Park
  • Domelis Campsite

    Government

Local government

Like other towns in the Philippines, Cavinti is governed by a mayor and vice mayor who are elected to three-year terms. The mayor is the executive head and leads the town's departments in executing the Sangguniang Bayan's ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor heads a legislative council consisting of councilors, as members.

Elected officials

Hymn

The official song of the Municipality of Cavinti and its people is the "Cavinti Hymn" or "Imno ng Cavinti ". The anthem was composed by Bonifacio J. Linay, a native of Cavinti.

Infrastructure

Public infrastructures

  • Municipal health clinics
  • Public market
  • Cavinti Covered Plaza
  • Cavinti Sports Complex
  • ABC Multi-Purpose Hall

    Transportation

Cavinti is exactly from Manila. From Manila via Calamba, a bus would be rode to Santa Cruz, Laguna. Jeepneys plying to Cavinti are present in Santa Cruz. The town of Pagsanjan would be passed by before reaching Cavinti. The Pagsanjan–Cavinti Road is especially known for being zigzagged with many sharp twists and turns. Transportation to its barangays are served by tricycles and jeepneys.
Routes/modes of transportation:
  • Cavinti to Santa Cruz - Main
  • Cavinti to Santa Cruz - Main
  • Lucban to Santa Cruz - via Cavinti
  • Lucena to Santa Cruz - via Cavinti
  • Luisiana to Santa Cruz - via Cavinti
  • Infanta to Lucena - via Cavinti
Bridges:
  • The two main bridges in Cavinti are located along Cavinti–Caliraya Road: the Cavinti Bridge that connects barangay Duhat and barangay Poblacion, and the Tibatib Bridge that connects barangay Tibatib and barangay Poblacion.