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Tagaytay (), officially the City of Tagaytay (), is a component city in the province of Cavite, Philippines.
It is one of the country's most popular destinations for domestic tourism because of its scenery and cooler climate provided by its elevation. Tagaytay overlooks Taal Lake in Batangas and provides views of Taal Volcano in the middle of the lake through various vantage points situated in the city.
Etymology
The name
Tagaytay is derived from the
Tagalog language words
or , which mean "mountain
ridge" or "low
mountain range", in reference to the
Tagaytay Ridge on which the city sits.
History
Philippine Revolution
During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the ridges and forests of Tagaytay became a sanctuary for revolutionaries including those from nearby provinces. The passage to and from towns via Tagaytay added the word "mananagaytay" to the native's vocabulary. It means "to traverse ridges."
Cityhood
Tagaytay became a chartered city with the passing and signing of Commonwealth Act No. 338 by President Manuel L. Quezon on June 21, 1938,
as authored by Representative Justiniano Montano of Cavite.
[ "History" . Official Website of Tagaytay City. Retrieved on February 4, 2012.] To form the newly founded city, areas of the towns of Silang, Mendez, Indang, and Amadeo were removed from their town governments, making it the first planned community in the province and the first city to be built from scratch, given the ongoing highway works in the area then.
Territorial changes
On April 1, 1941, portions of Talisay, Batangas and Alfonso, Cavite were ceded to Tagaytay through Executive Order No. 336 signed by President Quezon to expand its territory.
However, on June 7, 1956, the lakeside barangays of Birinayan (Berinayan) and Caloocan on the shores of Taal Lake were returned to Talisay.
Berinayan later became part of Laurel when the municipality was established in 1969.
World War II
On February 3, 1945, the 11th Airborne Division of Lt. Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger's 8th Army performed a combat jump of the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment and associated elements on Tagaytay ridge, with a drop zone around the Manila Hotel Annex, which had been cleared of Japanese forces by the Fil-American Cavite Guerilla Forces of General Mariano Castaneda, After the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, the Fil-American Cavite Guerilla Force resisted the Japanese occupation forces and were instrumental in clearing the landing zone of the 11th Airborne Division . To commemorate this event, a marker was installed in 1951 at the junction of Silang, Canlubang-Nasugbu roads by the city officials in coordination with the National Historical Institute of the Philippines.
Geography
Tagaytay is relatively close to the capital city of
Manila, only away via Aguinaldo Highway, providing an easy escape for the locals from the heat of the
Metro Manila. It is from
Imus.
Land area
Tagaytay has a total land area of which represents about of the total area of the province of Cavite. It lies within 120°56' longitude and 14°6' latitude and overlooks
Manila Bay to the north,
Taal Volcano and
Taal Lake to the south, and Laguna de Bay to the east.
Topography
The southern and eastern portions of Tagaytay are covered by hills and mountains which is generally forests, pine trees, and open grasslands. The city lies along Tagaytay Ridge, a
ridge stretching about from
Mount Batulao in the west to
Mount Sungay in the east with elevations averaging about above sea level.
[ "Tagaytay City – Geography". Cavite Province Official Website. Retrieved on February 4, 2012.] Mount Sungay in Tagaytay is the highest point of the province of Cavite at .
[ "Mount Sungay" . Mountains Mounts. Retrieved on February 4, 2012.]
The ridge, which overlooks Taal Lake in Batangas province, is the edge of Taal Caldera. The wide cavity is partially filled by Taal Lake.[ "Taal Volcano Flyer". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Retrieved on February 7, 2012.] Tagaytay's built-up areas including the urban center are situated in the relatively level top of the caldera rim, but beyond the edge are deep ravines that drop steeply to Taal Lake. The portions adjoining the municipalities of Mendez, Indang, Amadeo, Silang, and Alfonso are level to nearly level areas interspersed with very gently sloping surfaces. Across the southern edge of the lake on the opposite side of the city is Mount Macolod, the highest point of the Taal Caldera rim.
Climate
- Temperature and precipitation
Tagaytay has a mild tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification: Am) characterized by cooler weather compared to Manila, lower humidity and abundant rainfall. The city has an average temperature of and rarely exceeds .
With its high elevation, the city gets foggy, windy, and cooler temperatures during the months of December, January, and February. Like most areas in the province of Cavite, the city has two pronounced seasons: dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.
- Humidity and wind
Tagaytay has an average relative humidity of about 78%. Northeasterly winds prevail in the city from October to April. Winds come from southwest from May to September. The cool Tagaytay breeze has made the city popular for casual and competitive kite flying.
Barangays
Tagaytay is administratively subdivided into 34
, as indicated below.
Each barangay consists of
and some have
sitios.
-
Asisan
-
Bagong Tubig
-
Calabuso
-
Dapdap East
-
Dapdap West
-
Francisco
-
Guinhawa North
-
Guinhawa South
-
Iruhin East
-
Iruhin South
-
Iruhin West
-
Kaybagal Central
-
Kaybagal North
-
Kaybagal South (Poblacion)
-
Mag-Asawang Ilat
-
Maharlika East
-
Maharlika West
-
Maitim 2nd Central
-
Maitim 2nd East
-
Maitim 2nd West
-
Mendez Crossing East
-
Mendez Crossing West
-
Neogan
-
Patutong Malaki North
-
Patutong Malaki South
-
Sambong
-
San Jose
-
Silang Junction North
-
Silang Junction South
-
Sungay East
-
Sungay West
-
Tolentino East
-
Tolentino West
-
Zambal
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Tagaytay was 87,811 people, with a density of .
In the 2010 census, Tagaytay had a population of 62,030 people. Christianity is the majority religion of Tagaytayeños with Catholic Church as the most dominant sect, compromising 95.36 percent of the total population. The next prominent Christian denominations among residents of Tagaytay are Protestantism which comprise 3.37% of the population including Iglesia ni Cristo (2.5%). The Eastern Orthodox Church was a part of the Philippine Orthodox Church in the Philippines under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow and its own Orthodox Diocese province in Southeast Asia, the Diocese of the Philippines and Vietnam, and the Orthodox community account for 1% of Tagaytay's population, many of whom live throughout the town.
Tagalog language is the dominant language in the city, with 93.58% of the population speaking the language. The next prominent Philippine languages are Bicolano (1.52%), Ilocano language (1.52%), and Cebuano language (1.00%).
Economy
Agriculture
Despite rapid urbanization of Tagaytay, agriculture remains an important part of the city's economy and development. As of 2009, it is recorded that there are about of agriculture land which is about 20 percent of the city's total land area. The city was once cogon grassland as a result of Taal eruptions. The soil contains rich volcanic components suitable to farming. The main agricultural goods produced are
pineapple,
coffee,
banana,
root crops, cacao, camote, cassava, other fruits and vegetables, and
cut flowers which are supplied to both local and international markets. Garden plant shops thrive along Tagaytay–Calamba Road. The city was once a daisy and gladiola farming haven prior to tourism development and a residential boom.
Tourism
Tagaytay is considered to be the second summer capital of the Philippines with the first being
Baguio due to its cool climate and, thus, is a favored destination for those seeking more temperate areas of the Philippines. Tagaytay is also a destination for tourists seeking views of
Taal Volcano and the
Taal Lake. In 2015, the Department of Tourism cited Tagaytay as the top tourist destination in the
Calabarzon region. Among the most visited sites in Tagaytay are
Sky Fun, Ayala Malls Serin, Robinsons Summit Ridge (Robinsons Tagaytay), Picnic Grove Complex, People's Park in the Sky, Halfway Zoo, and numerous restaurants known for serving the famous
bulalo and crispy
tawilis. Fresh beef and vegetables are sold at Mahogany Market. Tagaytay City Market contains many fruit and vegetable stands as well as fresh
tilapia from Taal Lake. Tagaytay's proximity to
Metro Manila accounts for the high level of tourism in the city. Tagaytay receives a seasonal influx of tourists during
Christmas season and
Holy Week, and the city is a pilgrimage destination with many churches, shrines, and retreat houses. The Taal Vista Hotel is a symbol of Tagaytay's past.
Government
The current city hall of Tagaytay was opened on June 21, 2025.
It also features a stainless steel statue of
Jose Rizal as a
fencing.
Transportation
Roads
Tagaytay is linked by national highways to the
Metro Manila area and to the provinces of
Batangas and Laguna. Secondary roads link the city with the adjoining municipalities of Amadeo, Mendez, Indang, Silang, and Alfonso in Cavite towards the northwest, to the cities of Calamba,
Cabuyao, and Santa Rosa in Laguna to the northeast, and the town of Talisay in Batangas to the south.
The South Luzon Expressway serves the city via Tagaytay–Santa Rosa Road that passes Santa Rosa and Silang from Santa Rosa and Eton City Exits, and Tagaytay-Calamba Road that traverses Calamba Premiere International Park from Batino Exit, albeit discontinuously for the public previously due to the Tagaytay Highlands right of way. Governor's Drive and Pala-Pala Road in Dasmariñas from Carmona Exit, and Cavite–Laguna Expressway (CALAX) through its Silang–Aguinaldo Exit in Silang are the other alternative routes to the city, as those roads intersect with the Aguinaldo Highway, which ends in Tagaytay. The Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx, formerly Coastal Road) also serves Tagaytay via Aguinaldo Highway.
From Batangas, the main route to Tagaytay is either Tagaytay–Nasugbu Highway, a major thoroughfare from Tagaytay Rotonda to Nasugbu, Ligaya Drive, a winding road that starts near the poblacion of Talisay and ends near Tagaytay Picnic Grove, or Tagaytay–Talisay Road, a road from Lemery–Agoncillo–Laurel–Talisay Road to Tagaytay Rotunda. From Laguna, the main route is Tagaytay–Santa Rosa Road from Santa Rosa, Laguna; another route is Tagaytay–Calamba Road (via Tagaytay Highlands and a future link to Calamba) from Calamba, Laguna. Mahogany Avenue also serves as the alternative route of the Tagaytay–Nasugbu Highway within Tagaytay city proper.
To decongest traffic on the aforementioned major roads in Tagaytay, the partially opened Tagaytay Bypass Road and the proposed Cavite–Tagaytay–Batangas Expressway (CTBEX) were laid out to traverse parallel to the Tagaytay–Nasugbu Highway.
Notable personalities
-
Francis Tolentino – Senator (2019–2025), mayor of Tagaytay (1995–2004)
Sister cities
- Local
- International
-
Manningham, Victoria, Australia
-
Las Vegas, Nevada
-
Rohnert Park, California
-
Tainan, Taiwan
See also
-
Tagaytay Hospital and Medical Center
External links
