Imus Cityhood Day in the Philippines Date in the current year: June 30, 2024

Imus is a first-class component city in the Philippine province of Cavite. It has been the de jure provincial capital since 1977, but most government offices and some national-level agencies are still located in Trece Martires, the former seat of the provincial government.

The city’s name derives from the Tagalog word imos, which means “headland” or “cape”. During the early Spanish colonial era, it was administered from Cavite el Viejo (“Old Cavite”, now Kawit), a thriving settlement established by the Jesuits in 1587 and officially recognized in 1600. Despite being considered part of Cavite el Viejo, Imus was situated too far from the city proper, which made it hard for local residents to attend religious services or conduct official businesses.

The Augustinian Recollects finally established a parish church in Imus in 1762. The settlement gained religious emancipation from Cavite el Viejo, but was still dependent from it administratively and politically. It wasn’t until 1795 that Imus officially became an independent municipality.

During the Philippine Revolution, Imus was the site of two major battles, both of which ended in a Katipunan victory. The Battle of Imus, fought in September 1896, was the first major battle of the revolution, and the Battle of Alapan, fought in May 1898, was the first major victory of the Katipunan during the final stage of the revolution. On the day of the Battle of Alapan, the national flag of the Philippines was flown for the first time.

Following the defeat of the Philippines in the Philippine-American War, the Philippine Commission merged the adjacent towns of Bacoor and Perez-Dasmariñas with Imus in 1903. Bacoor was split from Imus in 1906, and Perez-Dasmariñas regained its municipality status in 1917.

After World War II and the independence of the Philippines, Imus developed into a thriving commercial and residential center. In 1977, President Ferdinand Marcos designated it as the provincial capital, although Trece Martires has remained the de facto capital of Cavite.

A cityhood bill for Imus, together with bills for Bacoor and Dasmariñas, was first introduced in the mid-1990s, but it did not pass the Congress. The bill creating the city of Imus was finally passed in August 2010, but a plebiscite was required to ratify it, which was conducted on June 30, 2012. Almost 90% of voters supported the conversion of Imus from a municipality to a city, and the cityhood of Imus was confirmed officially.

Today, Imus is one of the most economically dynamic cities in the Philippines and the foremost financial center of Cavite, with a developed banking infrastructure and numerous financial institutions. It hosts a number of big corporations while simultaneously being committed to supporting micro, small and medium enterprises.