Saint Michael the Archangel Parish
Poblacion Bacoor Cavite

The Municipality of Bacoor (Filipino: Bayan ng Bakoor/Bacoor) is a first class urban municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines. It is part of the first congressional district of Cavite. The town has an area of 52.4 square kilometers, located approximately 16 kilometers away from Manila, on the southeastern shore of Manila Bay, at the northwest portion of the province. To the east lies Las Piñas City and Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila, to the south is Dasmariñas, and to the west are Kawit and Imus. Bacoor is separated from Las Piñas by the Zapote River.

Its location, southwest of Metro Manila makes Bacoor an important gateway to Metro Manila. This is further reinforced by the fact it contains the south end of the Manila-Cavite Expressway. Bacoor is among the key areas and the fastest growing municipalities in Cavite together with Imus and Dasmariñas, mainly because of their location. Two SM malls are located in Bacoor. During weekdays many residents leave the district to go their places of work in the metropolitan areas such as Manila and Makati cities.

Catholicism is the dominant religion in Bacoor, mainly due to the influx of immigrants from other places, most notably from Metro Manila.

The nave of St. Michael Parish, Bacoor Cavite

Retablo

Old Bell

Some accounts indicate that the town of Bacoor, also named Bakood or Bakoor (named after a species of bamboo), was founded in 1671. When the Spaniard troops arrived in "Bacoor", they met some local inhabitants in the process of building a fence around their house. The Spaniards ask the men what is the city's name, but because of the difficulties in understanding each other, the local inhabitants thought that the Spaniards were asking what they are doing. The men answered "Bakood". It was then pronounced Spanish which is "Bacoor" by the Spaniards soldiers and was soon officially called "Bacoor".

Bacoor was also the site of the Battle of Zapote Bridge in 1897 which involved Philippine and American troops. It was in this battle where Gen. Edilberto Evangelista was killed.

In the aftermath of the Philippine Revolution which coincided with the declaration of the first Philippine independence on June 12th, 1898, Bacoor was designated as the first capital of the Philippine Revolutionary government by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo until it was transferred to Malolos, Bulacan. "Gargano" was then the revolutionary name assigned to Bacoor by Aguinaldo's henchmen.

St. Michael the Archangel

The Jews regarded Michael as the special protector of Israel, and in Christian usage he became the protector of the church. In the prayers after low mass, he is accordingly invoked to be 'our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil,' and is referred to as the 'captain of the Heavenly Host' because of what John tells us about him in the Apocalypse (12:7 to 9:): "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon... And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

In the offertory anthem of the mass for the dead, Michael is charged with the care of all departed souls that he "the holy standard bearer (may) introduce them to the holy light, which thou didst promise of old to Abraham and to his seed."

The main feast is, of course, on Michaelmas Day (September 29th), but on May 8th a lesser feast is observed to commemorate the appearance of St. Michael on the summit of Mount Gargano in Apulia during the time of Pope Gelasius (492-6).