Revisiting Indang, Cavite

Although old and small, I have always been fascinated by the charm of Indang, Cavite. Travelling to this small town when I was a child has always been a delight for me. I have come to know the place because my Nanay Epang was hailed here She'd often tag me along for a short vacation. Their coffee trees, old houses, foggy mornings and nights, and the sweet candy "balikutsa" were among my fondest memories of it. 

And just last Saturday, out of boredom, I packed my bag, brought my camera and headed up there to revisit the old town that has gave me a lot of good  memories.But before I give you a recount of my travel there, let me give you a brief history of the place.. 

Indang is one of the towns of the province of Cavite. Known to be one of the top coffee producing towns along with Mendez, Alfonso, Silang, Tagaytay City, Amadeo, Maragondon, Magallanes and Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. It's name was derived from the word "Inrang" , a common tree that grew there. It was a part of the town of Silang for 70 years but due to its proximity to the town proper people and people were having a hard time transacting business, they petitioned that the municipality be separated from Silang and it was granted in 1655. 

When we reached the town, I was in awe seeing that nothing much has changed in the plaza. It's rustic appeal still intact. There were some few new establishments like Jollibee and a tiangge but it hasn't affected much the way Indang was supposed to look like. The old municipal hall still standing, boasting its rich history. Used to be, it was painted in white, now, they brought back its olden appeal by painting it brown. 

Just right outside the town hall is a bust of the Father of Philippine Revolution, Andres Bonifacio. He was arrested in Limbon, Indang and was  imprisoned here along with his wife Gregoria De Jesus and brother Procopio before they were brought to trial in Naic, Cavite.

Then after visiting the hall, I went across the street where St. Gregory Church can be found. Actually, this is one of the main reasons why I'm itching to go up here. I love old churches. The older the better. For me, it has a lot of character and has a lot of stories to tell. When I was visiting the church when I was younger I didn't know much about its history. All I know that its old. But, when I learned that it was erected just a century after Magellan founded the Philippines Island, I vowed to see it once again.

St Gregory church is one of the 9 pilgrim churches in Cavite, as proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI.  The large part of the church was built in 1672 to 1676 by Jesuit priest naming Fr. Luis Morales and it was completed in 1707. In 1710, the convent was erected and it would be longest and oldest convent in Cavite at that time.

Right after my eyes feasted on the beauty of their parish church, I went to the the town plaza's newly renovated garden where you can see a monument of our national hero, Jose P. Rizal. I sat for awhile on the bench under the tree to take some rest before I did some more trekking of the area. 

As I sat on that bench,  I noticed old houses lined up near the municipal hall. Some were built during the Spanish era. But unfortunately, some of the old, big houses at the back of the parish church were torn down according to the locals. Too bad the government hasn't paid much attention in preserving national treasures like these. They will bring more tourist to the town instead if it was properly taken care of like the ones in Negros and Iloilo and other old provinces of the country.

After half an hour of resting, I'm back on feet again. I went to Cavite State University campus. It was formerly known as Don Severino De Las Alas Agricultural College. Founded  by Thomasites recruited from the United States Armed Forces.in 1906-- they gave emphasis on vocational agriculture and domestic science. Later its name changed to Indang Farming School, then,  to Cavite State University as the enrollees increased.

And last but not the least, I wouldn't leave the place without tasting the sweet and gooey Kalamay Buna-made of powdered rice with coconut and muscovado sugar.  I found a stall just right outside the municipal hall where vendors of kakanin lined up to offer the tourist their proudly made dainties that includes puto, kutsinta and sapin-sapin. 

It was indeed a nice and fulfilling experience going back to a place that gave me a lot of memories as a young kid. It revived my spirit and widened my knowledge about the town and its contribution to the history of my country. I'm hoping to see the municipality to develop more in the future while keeping the historic value of their beloved hometown.