Imus

Imus, officially the City of Imus (Filipino: Lungsod ng Imus), is a component city and the de jure capital of Cavite province in the Philippines. Its name comes from the Tagalog word *imos* or *imus*, meaning "cape" or "headland." As of the 2024 census, its population is 481,949.

The city sits about 20 kilometers south of Metro Manila. It became the de jure provincial capital on June 11, 1977, when President Ferdinand Marcos issued a decree moving the seat of government from Trece Martires. However, most provincial offices still operate out of Trece Martires. Imus was officially converted into a city following a referendum on June 30, 2012.

Imus was originally part of Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit). For over 150 years, residents had to travel 4.5 kilometers of dirt road to attend church or conduct business there. The Augustinian Recollects established a parish in what is now Bayang Luma after the British occupation of Manila in 1762. That church was destroyed by a typhoon in September 1779, so the friars moved it to barrio Toclong, and finally to sitio de Balangon, now the city plaza. With the Recollect parish, Imuseños gained religious independence from the Jesuit-run parish of Cavite el Viejo. In 1774, Recollect Fr. Pedro San Buenaventura petitioned to separate Imus from Cavite el Viejo’s political jurisdiction. The petition was granted, and Imus became an independent municipality on October 3, 1795. The 1818 Spanish census recorded 2,033 native families and 125 Spanish-Filipino families.

Imus was the site of two major Katipunero victories during the Philippine Revolution against Spain. The Battle of Imus was fought on September 3, 1896, and the Battle of Alapan on May 28, 1898. On that day, the first Philippine flag was flown, making Imus the "Flag Capital of the Philippines." Both events are celebrated annually. The Imus Historical Museum honors this history with reenactments of revolutionary scenes. On May 28, 1998, a Battle of Alapan marker was placed at Alapan Elementary School and inaugurated by President Fidel V. Ramos. A new marker and the Imus National Heritage Park were inaugurated at Barangay Alapan 2-A on May 28, 2014, to improve public access.

On October 15, 1903, the Philippine Commission merged the towns of Bacoor and Perez-Dasmariñas with Imus under Act No. 947. Bacoor was separated in 1906, and Perez-Dasmariñas in 1917.

On May 28, 2008, National Flag Day, the city launched the first Wagayway Festival (Flag-Waving Festival), commemorating the first unfurling of the Philippine flag at the Battle of Alapan. The five-day event included a historical reenactment covering the flag’s sewing in Hong Kong, the battle, and the later defeat by American troops. Participants included students, city employees, and barangay officials. Then-mayor Emmanuel Maliksi said the celebration’s core was love and respect for the flag. Former Prime Minister Cesar Virata, a grandnephew of General Emilio Aguinaldo, attended.

A bill creating Imus as a lone legislative district—the Third District of Cavite—was filed by Representative Joseph Abaya with co-authors Congressman Pidi Barzaga and Crispin Remulla, and supported by Senators Panfilo Lacson, Dick Gordon, and Bong Revilla. Republic Act 9727 was approved by the President on October 22, 2009.