LAND USE PLAN

OF
BACOOR CITY
 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Bacoor became a town in 1671, two The town of Bacoor is famous in
years after the influx of the first Philippine history as the scene of
settlers from the bustling public of two fierce battles, popularly known
Paraaque or Palaag, the ancient as the Battle of Zapote Bridge.
Tagalog name. In fact, Bacoor used to One of these took place on February
be a part of Paraaque, separating the 1897 when the Filipino
latter from the two big neighboring Revolutionary Army repulsed the
towns of Cavite el Viejo (now Kawit) advance of Spanish invaders. In
and Silang. this battle, Gen. Edilberto
Evangelista, who was also a
brilliant engineer, fought and
The name Bacood (derived from the heroically died holding at bay the
Tagalog word bakod, meaning fence) is advance of enemy forces. The
suggestive of its role as a suburb of second encounter by the
Paraaque, constituting the boundary revolutionary forces occurred in
between the mother town and Cavite el 1899 during the Filipino-American
Viejo. In early Spanish times, Bacood war.
was thickly covered with bamboo groves It is also noteworthy to remember
running from Sitio Zapote to Sitio that one of the triple victims in
Talaba. The first settlers of Bacoor the so-called GOMBURZA martyrdom
(modernized spelling of the original was Father Mariano Gomez who was
name) bore such family names as Cuenca, the incumbent parish priest of
Bauan, Farolan, Pagtakhan, de Ocampo, Bacoor when he was arrested and
Gregorio, Guevarra and Garcia. The executed in Bagumbayan Field on
first Municipal President of Bacoor, February 17, 1872.
Felix Cuenca, was a direct descendant
of one of the original settlers
The town is also noted in history as the first capital of the revolutionary
government under General Emilio Aguinaldo. Sensing that the Americans under
the Admiral Expeditionary Force had something up their sleeves because they
would not commit themselves on the question of U.S. recognition of
Philippine Independence already proclaimed on June 12, 1898, Gen.Aguinaldo
on July 4 decided to transfer his headquarters from the mansion of Maximo
Inocencio in Cavite to the house of Juan Cuenca and Candida Chavez in
Bacoor.

Gargano was the revolutionary name given to Bacoor in line with the
victory of the Magdalo government based in Imus to abolish every vestige of
the countrys colonial past. Gil Ignacio was the Katipunan leader in Bacoor.
In the battle of Zapote on February 17, 1897, General Edilberto Evangelista,
the European-educated Filipino engineer and chief of the revolutionary army,
was killed by an enemy sniper. Bacoor was recaptured by the Spaniards
during the counter-offensive launched by Spanish General Jose Achambre on
March 26, one day after the fall of the Magdalo capital of Imus.

Like other famous towns in Cavite province, Bacoor has also produced great
names, among whom are the late Governor Pedro Espiritu and the late Julian
Cruz Balmaceda, noted Filipino writer and Director of the Institute on
National Language. The original families/settlers had the following names:
Cuenca, Payao, Farolan, Pagtakhan, de Ocampo, Gregorio, Guevarra and Garcia.
Belonging to the principalia class as early as the first decades of the
nineteenth century were the Cuencas, the Espirirtus, the Cuevas, the
Mirandas, the Pagtakhan and the Narvaezes. Most of them were Chinese
mestizos.
 LAND USE
Land Area
Bacoor is at the northern tip of the
Province of Cavite. It lies
approximately 15 kilometers
southwest of the center of Manila,
and about 27 kilometers from Trece
Martires City, the provincial
capital. It is situated along the
Manila Bay and separated by Zapote
River on its eastern boundary from
the city of Las Pias, and the Imus
River on its western boundary. It
is bounded on the west by the
municipalities of Imus and Kawit, on
the south by the municipality of
Dasmarias, on the north by Bacoor
Bay, and on the east by the cities of
Las Pias and Muntinlupa. The
poblacion is located inland on the
northernmost part of the municipality
and lies along Bacoor Bay.
The municipality covers a total area
of approximately 4,397.79 hectares.
Its terrain ranges from plain to
slightly rolling. The west and the
east sides are traversed by Imus and
Zapote Rivers and both provide salt
water for Bacoors salt farms that
double as fishponds during the rainy
season. During the wet season, water
flowing from the old dams and thus
filling up existing creeks serves as
natural irrigation for the
municipality. The provincial road,
which is traversed by municipal and
barangay roads linking all barangays
of Bacoor, intersects the national
road or the Aguinaldo Highway, running
north to south from Bacoor to Tagaytay
City. Formerly noted for its salt
beds, Bacoor today is a bustling
commercial and business center.
Bacoor has a total of 73 barangays, of
which 10 are coastal and 63 are inland
barangays.
 Map 2.1. Slope Map
Topography
Physiography and Slopes
The topography of Bacoor is
characterized by a plain to slightly
rolling terrain. Slope grade of zero
to three percent (0 - 3%) covers
almost the entire area of Bacoor.
Map 2.1 shows the slope map. Maps
2.2 and 2.3 reflect the land system
map and the geological map,
respectively.
Maps 2.2. Land System Map Maps 2.3. Geological Map
Soil Type
According to the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), the soil types
found in Bacoor differ from one another only in the texture of the surface
soil. The different soil types are: Hydrosol; Guadalupe Clay; Guadalupe Clay
Adobe; Guadalupe Silt Loam; Obando Sand; and Carmona Clay Loam. The famous
Cavite Hydrosol and Obando Sand consisting of the submerged soils of the swamps
could be easily converted into fishponds and saltbeds. The rest are good types
of soil suitable for rice production purposes.
Climate and Rainfall
Bacoor has two pronounced seasons, dry from January to May and wet for the rest
of the year.
The average total rainfall in a year is 1,683.8 mm. The wettest month is
August with an average rainfall of 460.5 mm. while the driest is February with
an average rainfall of 2.1mm. The average total number of rainy days in a year
is 107 days.
Bacoor has reported an average annual temperature of 27.7 C. The hottest month
is April with monthly average temperature of 34.4 C. The coldest month is
December with monthly average temperature of 23.6 C.
Hydro-Geology
The municipality of Bacoor has many rivers, creeks, and other tributaries. The
Zapote River traverses barangays Zapote, Aniban, Ligas, San Nicolas and Molino
on the eastern boundary. One tributary to Zapote River runs across the
barangays of Zapote and Talaba while another tributary of the same river goes
out directly to Bacoor by traversing barangays Zapote, Talaba and Maliksi.
The Molino River that comes all the way from the Dasmarias area spills into
the Zapote River in the area of barangay San Nicolas.
The Imus River, on the other hand, traverses barangays Sineguelasan, Banalo,
Mabolo, Salinas, Real and parts of Molino on the western boundary.
Bacoor River traverses barangays Alima, Banalo, Mabolo, Daang Bukid, Habay and
other parts of Panapaan.
Creeks and Rivers The Molino Dam is fed by two river
Bacoor has many rivers, creeks, and systems: the Don Cella River which
other tributaries. The Zapote drains the eastern portion of the
River passes through Barangays upper watersheds, and the Molino River
Zapote, Aniban, Ligas, San Nicolas, which drains the western portion of
and Molino on the eastern boundary the upper watershed. Spills from the
of Bacoor. One tributary to the Molino Dams major spillway flow
Zapote River runs across the Zapote through creek system and joins Zapote
River and the Talaba area while River in San Nicolas. Several
another tributary of the same river discharge gates of the dam discharge
goes out directly to Bacoor Bay by waters to other creek system within
traversing Barangays Zapote, Bacoor previously intended for
Talaba, and Maliksi. The Molino agriculture.
River which comes all the way from On the other hand, the Imus River
the Dasmarias area (meeting with traverses Barangays Sineguelasan,
the Don Cella River at the Molino Banalo, Mabolo, Salinas, Real and
Dam), spills into the Zapote River parts of Molino on the western
in the area of Barangay San boundary. It serves as the boundary
Nicolas. Ilat Creek is another between the municipalities of Imus and
tributary to the Zapote River which Bacoor on the western side. Imus
also comes all the way from the River runs all the way from the
Dasmarias area. The Zapote River foothills of Tagaytay City, crossing
serves as the boundary between Las portions of Silang, Dasmarias, Imus
Pias and Bacoor and consequently, and Bacoor until it discharges finally
between Metro Manila and Cavite. to Bacoor Bay.
Within Bacoor, its major tributary is the Bacoor River (also known
as Mestizo River), which drains areas of Barangays Alima, Banalo,
Mabolo, Daang Bukid, Habay and other parts of Panapaan. The Daang
Bukid Creek, which is a tributary of Bacoor River, traverses many
coastal barangays such as barangays Alima, Campo Santo, Daang Bukid,
Dulong Bayan, Kaingin and Maliksi. The Imus River has many other
tributaries throughout the town.
Maps 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 show the surface water map, drainage map, and
infiltration map of Bacoor, respectively

Watersheds
The watersheds of the major surface waters found in Bacoor are those
that feed the Imus, Bacoor, and Zapote Rivers referred to as the
Imus River Watershed, Bacoor River Watershed and the Zapote River
Watershed, respectively.
The Imus Watershed covers areas at the mouth of the Imus River at
its discharge point in Bacoor Bay and stretches southward to the
foothills of the elevated areas of Tagaytay City. It drains
portions within the municipalities of Imus, Bacoor, Dasmarias,
Silang, Amadeo and Tagaytay City totaling around 60.84 km2.
The Bacoor River Watershed which lies in the middle portion of
Bacoor has an approximate area of 26.63 km2 covering the lower areas
consisting of the coastal barangays and southern barangays. Some of
Bacoor Rivers tributaries cross the municipal boundary with
Dasmarias. However, its extent narrows as some of the waters
drains into other adjacent watersheds.
The Zapote River Watershed has a total land area of 37.53 km2
consisting of areas drained by Zapote River (approximately 22.52 km2)
and areas drained by the Molino Dam River Systems (approximately
15.01 km2). The Zapote River drains areas of Bacoor, Las Pias,
Muntinlupa and the northern portions of Gen. Mariano Alvarez. The
watershed of the Molino Dam River System drains the southern portion
of Bacoor and the middle portions of Dasmarias.
Combining all these watershed areas feeding the surface waters flowing into
Bacoor, the aggregate watershed area totals approximately 125 km2.
Map 2.4. Surface Water Map Map 2.5. Drainage Map
Map 2.6. Infiltration Map

If a typical strong storm drops around 10

inches of rain or 254 mm. in one day,
around 31,750,000 cubic meter of water
flows into the surface waters and has a
potential of flooding Bacoor up to 61 cm.
or 2 feet of water. If this floodwater
accumulates in the northern and coastal
barangays and with a rough ratio of low
lying areas, say 40%, to those in higher
elevations, the estimated flooding
potential in low areas will be around 5
ft.

Existing Land Uses

With the advent of urbanization, much has
changed in the land uses of the
municipality of Bacoor. Within a span of
almost 20 years, the municipality has
largely lost its agro-fishery base for
residential, commercial, institutional and
industrial purposes.
Map 2.8 shows the existing land use of
Bacoor.
Table 2.5 below shows the areal
distribution of existing land uses.
Table 2.5. Existing Land Use, Bacoor, by Category, 2001
Land Use Type Area (Has.) % to Total
Residential 4,030.61 86.29%
Agricultural 198.24 04.24%
Open Grasslands 264.30 5.66%
Commercial 91.95 1.97%
Institutional 23.30 0.50%
Industrial 42.88 0.92%
Cemetery 19.92 0.42%
Total 4,671.00 100.00%
Source: 2001 data based on GIS maps

Built-up Area
The built-up area of Bacoor is a mixture of residential,
commercial, industrial, and institutional uses forming an urban
area of approximately 4,188.74 hectares or 89.68% of the total
land area of the municipality.

Residential Area
Residential use comprises the bulk of
Bacoors current land use, covering about
73 barangays. These include the
following: Siniguelasan; Banalo; Mabolo
1; Tabing Dagat; Digman; Maliksi 1;
Talaba 1; Zapote 1,2,3; Ligas; Aniban
1,2,3,4,5; San Nicolas 1,2; San Nicolas
3; Niog 1,2,3; Panapaan 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8;
Real 1,2; Mambog 1,2,3,4,5; Salinas 3,4;
Habay 1,2; Dulong Bayan; Molino
1,2,3,4,5,6,7; Queens Row West, Queens
Row East, and Queens Row Central. In
most of these barangays are found
residential subdivisions.
Map 2.7. Watersheds of Bacoor.
Map 2.8. Existing Land Use Map

The residential area has increased

over the years, due to the conversion
of agricultural land into residential
uses resulting from increased demand
for urban land brought about by high
population growth. Most subdivisions
located on the northern portion of
Bacoor are developed for high- and
medium- cost housing while those
located on the southern portion are
mostly for medium- and low-cost
housing. There are also residential
lots that were left undeveloped or
abandoned by developers. Total
residential area is estimated at
4,032.61 hectares or 86.29% of the
municipalitys total area.
Commercial Area
Commercial activities cover an area of
91.95 hectares (1.97% of total area).
Commercial establishments intersperse
the residential areas scattered in
different barangays of the
municipality. These commercial uses
are found in Mabolo 1; Dulong Bayan;
Habay 1-2; Salinas 4; Real 1;
Panapaan 1,2,4,5,6,7,8; Niog 1,2,3;
Talaba 2,3,5,6,7; Zapote 1,3,4,5;
Aniban 1,4; Kaingin; Digman; Tabing
Dagat; Alima; Mambog 4; San Nicolas
3; Bayanan; and Molino 1,2,3,5

Major commercial activities lie along
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, and the
highways of Tirona, Evangelista, Molino
and Talaba-Zapote. The main commercial
centers can be found in the intersection
of Tirona and Aguinaldo Highways (where
SM City Bacoor is located) and in the
Aguinaldo Highway Extension leading to
Zapote, Las Pias City.
Institutional Area
Institutional areas consist of lands
which presently house the government,
academic and religious institutions as
well as other structures catering to the
provisions of public services and needs.
This covers 23.30 hectares (0.50% of
total area).
Institutional facilities are situated in
the following barangays: Molino
1,2,4,5,7; Queens Row Central; Mambog 3;
Bayanan; San Nicolas 2; Real 1; Ligas 2;
Panapaan 1,2,3,5,7; Dulong Bayan; Salinas
1; Mabolo 1; Siniguelasan; Banalo; Alim;
Campo Santo; Tabing Dagat; Digman;
Maliksi 1,2,3; Niog 2; Aniban 1,2; Talaba
6; and Zapote 3,4.
Industrial Area
Industrial activities cover an area of 42.88
hectares (0.92%). Bacoor has existing
industrial warehouses that are scattered in
different areas such as along the Tirona
Highway and Aguinaldo Highway. The towns
industrial activities are concentrated in Niog
3.
Agri-Fishery Area
Agri-fishery areas include all ricelands and
other productive agricultural lands and water
bodies or fishponds. Based on 2001 GIS maps,
Bacoor has 198.24 hectares devoted to agri-
fishery (41.24% of total area).
Agricultural uses are located in Maliksi 1,2,3;
Kaingin; Panapaan 3; Talaba 1,2; Mabolo 2;
Dulong Bayan; Habay 1; Alima; and San Nicolas
1,2.
Open Grassland
On the southern part of the municipality, vast
grasslands can be found. This area totals
264.30 hectares, covering 5.66% of the total
land area of Bacoor. Grasslands are found in
Siniguelasan; Daang Bukid; Campo Santo; Habay
1; Salinas 1; Ligas 3; Niog 3; San Nicolas 1,2;
Bayanan; Molino 2; and Mambog 4.
Cemetery
Cemeteries cover an area of 19.82 hectares
(0.42%). Cemeteries are found in Molino 2;
Ligas 2; Digman; Kaingin; and Panapaan 7.
 These areas may be used but must not be
subjected to damaging or degrading
2.2.4 Urban Form impacts.
Urban form in the municipality follows the In Bacoor, portions of San Nicolas 1 and
typical town under the Spanish colonial 2 have been declared as a SAFDZ (Map
government where the government and 2.9). These portions are currently
religious structures are adjacent to each planted to seasonal crops such as corn,
other in the poblacion. vegetables, and palay.
The urban area in Bacoor is characterized
by a relatively high concentration of Areas subject to natural hazards include
population. The poblacion area includes weather-related hazards, earthquake-
the barangays of Alima, Campo Santo, induced hazards and those subject to
Digman, Daang Bukid and Tabing Dagat. The volcanic hazards. As regards fault
poblacion wherein buildings occupy almost lines, these are areas where lateral or
every available space is the most densely vertical displacement/movement is still
populated area in the municipality. The likely to occur. Episodic movements
main street, Evangelista Street, is very along these active fault lines can
narrow, intersected by much narrower cause earthquakes, which may result to
streets with no sidewalks for pedestrians. the destruction of property and loss of
There are not enough parking spaces on lives.
both sides of the streets. Areas subject to typhoon hazards cover
2.2.5 Environmentally-Constrained the municipality, especially the
Areas coastal barangays, and the entire
Environmentally-constrained areas refer to province as a whole. Typhoons
areas subject to natural or environmental occasionally visit the province in a
hazards such as earthquakes, typhoons, seasonal distribution. Flood prone
tsunamis, volcanic eruption, flooding or areas in the municipality include all
landslides. It also pertains to barangays except Barangays Queens Row
proclaimed catchments and areas declared and Molino. Also, Barangays Banalo,
as Network of Protected Agricultural Areas Sineguelasan, Alima 1, Maliksi 1 and 2,
for Development (NPAAD) and Strategic Tabing Dagat, Talaba 1 and 2 and Zapote
Agricultural and Fishery Development Zone 5 are prone to moderate seasonal
(SAFDZ) where there are regulations, flooding during high tides when the
management plans or covenants on land use. clogged rivers and their tributaries
could not handle the swelling waters.
Land Use Potentials/Advantages
Compact Urban Structure

The city has a relatively compact structure that: a)

allows for efficient service delivery and use of
infrastructure; b) encourages pedestrian movements;
and c) creates a well-defined urban image.

New and Pipeline Infrastructure Projects

New and pipeline infrastructure projects include the

following:
Construction of the Molino Boulevard to serve as an
alternate route for Molino Road.
Road Widening of the Tirona Highway.
Construction of Bus Way to serve as an alternate
for Aguinaldo Highway.
Extension of the Light Railway Transit (LRT).
Construction of Zapote-Coastal-Tanza Road.
Construction of Tanza-Muntinlupa Road.

These projects are intended to ease decongestion

affecting the traffic network
projects will also strengthen
gateway to Cavite, serving as
link between the industrial
Cavite and Metro Manila.
in the area. These
Bacoors role as the
an important physical
and tourism areas of
Land Use IssuesNeed to Manage CBD
GrowthThe growth of the central
business district (CBD) has to be
managed so that future growth is
accommodated. CBD expansion areas have Summary of Land Use Conditions and
Trends
to be defined to avoid or minimize
haphazard developments that conflict
Bacoors roles as the Gateway to Cavite
with adjacent uses or cannot be
supported by existing and future and the Catchment Area for the
residential population from Metro Manila
infrastructure and services.
and industrial centers in Cavite have
Need for Density Controls Given the largely influenced the land uses in
fast growth of the municipality, some Bacoor. Residential areas comprise the
majority of the land uses, followed by
form of control over development
open grassland, agri-fishery, commercial,
densities are needed since these will
institutional, and industrial. The
affect the demand for infrastructure,
towns formerly agricultural character
utilities, services, and the overall
has given way to a predominantly
quality of the environment.
residential town.Land use potentials and
Need for More Infrastructure SupportTo advantages include the towns compact
support current and future land use urban structure, and infrastructure
projects that are currently being
activities, infrastructure and services
implemented or being planned in
such as transportation, water supply,
Bacoor.Land use concerns include the need
drainage and sewerage should be
to manage CBD growth as well as the need
augmented. This need becomes more
for density controls and more
pronounced in the light of Bacoors
infrastructure support.
role as the catchment area of residents
from Metro Manila as well as of migrant
population employed in the industrial
centers of Rosario, Carmona, and
Dasmarias.
 PREPARED BY:

ALVAREZ, KIM BRIAN

APUYAN, JOHN
MICHAEL
CABASI, CANDACE
DELA CRUZ, CHARLENE
LABADO, REGINE MAE