Dasmariñas, or Dasma in short, is a large city in Cavite. It is at the center or the province, and at the crossroads of two major highways.

Understand

Dasmariñas is located approximately 27 km (17 mi) south of Manila, and part of the sprawl south of Metro Manila; uncontrolled suburban developments led to the present crowding situations and cacophonous traffic.

History

The city originated from the barrio (present-day barangay) of Tampus, then part of Imus. The Spanish colonial administrators formed the present city from a merger of smaller barrios namely Malagasang, Malinta, Nancaan (Langkaan, since divided into two barangays), Paliparan, Salacay and Salitran. The original town was named Tampus in 1866, until it was renamed as Pérez Dasmariñas in honor of Governor-General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas at the same year. Dasmariñas was founded not by the petition of barrio dwellers, but by orders of the Spanish military and religious groups. A downtown area, or población is founded between the barrios of Salitran and Nancaan, and the historic Roman Catholic parish church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception was built.

As the Philippine Revolution erupted, Spanish town administrators ordered the execution of suspected "Masons", and continued advances by Filipino revolutionaries led into the Battle of Pérez Dasmariñas, which led to 150 Filipino casualties, including generals Flaviano Yengco and Crispulo Aguinaldo. During the Philippine-American War, Pérez Dasmariñas was protected from American advances, but Americans eventually advanced and occupied the town. The new civil government renamed the town into the present name.

Dasmariñas also witnessed bloodshed during World War II, where advancing Japanese troops ravaged the municipality's barangays, imprisoning residents on the town's central parish church and killing males on each barangay. Since the Allied liberation in 1945 and Philippine independence in 1946, Dasmariñas grew fast with migrants settling in the newly rebuilt town. The Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan (DBB, literally "Dasmariñas New Town") relocation area, the largest social housing complex in the Philippines, further added the town's population during the Marcos regime. After two failed attempts to cityhood, Dasmariñas officially became a city in 2008.

Get in

By bus

Dasma is served by two commuter bus routes emanating from the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), Route 28 PITX-Dasmariñas and Route 29 PITX-General Mariano Alvarez, yet only Route 28 is useful for visitors as Route 29 leads through the primarily residential areas of Salawag and Paliparan.

In addition, Dasma is also served by point-to-point (P2P) express buses, all operated by MetroExpress Connect, using Volvo low-floor buses. Buses take a shortcut from Las Piñas through a private road across undeveloped land up to the easterly barangay of Salawag, where they reenter the highways.

• Route DA Starmall Alabang (Muntinlupa)-Vista Mall Dasmariñas. Open Monday to Friday, 5AM to 7:30PM. Fare: ₱40
• Route DM Trasierra (Makati)-Robinsons Place Damariñas. Open Monday to Saturday, 5AM to 7:30PM.

By taxi

You can take a taxi from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL ^IATA) to the city. A trip takes 40-60 minutes depending on the traffic condition. It costs ₱400-1000 depending on your destination.

You can also take a taxi from Clark International Airport (CRK ^IATA) to the city. A trip takes 2 to 4 hours depending on the traffic condition. It costs ₱900 to 2000 depending on your destination.

By jeepney

It is possible to take a jeepney, but it is much slower, with more frequent stops.

Get around

The easiest way of getting around the city is by tricycles. They will bring you to any part of the city within minutes. A trip costs ₱20-60 depending on your destination.

You can also catch jeepneys which are common around the city. They run on fixed routes and you can hail and ride on any part of the route. A trip costs ₱8-24 depending on your destination.

Another way of getting around the city is by taxi. You can catch taxis on the Central Business District and it will bring you to any part of the city. A trip costs ₱200-600 depending on your destination.

Buses can also be found on the city. Like jeepneys, they run on fixed routes and you can hail and ride on any part of the route. A trip costs ₱20-100 depending on your destination.

See

• Daño Street. A scenic winding street, which overlooks Dasma's remaining patch of open fields. During Christmas season, it becomes a pedestrian-only street and a flea market (tiangge) (updated Jul 2020)
• 1 Immaculate Conception Parish Church (Dasmariñas Church), Don Placido Campos Avenue cor. Camerino Avenue, Poblacion. The first Roman Catholic church in the city, designated a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government. Originally a chapel for the barrio of Tampus, it served as a Spanish outpost during the Philippine Revolution, and also a concentration camp during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during Pacific War. Also within the churchyard is a statue of Don Placido Campos, who led Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards stationed in the church; he died thereafter in battle. (updated Jul 2020)
• DC Park (Kadiwa Park). A large park hosting animatronic animals and dinosaurs. (updated Jul 2020)
• 2 Museo De La Salle (Inside DLSU-D). A unique cultural museum dedicated to the preservation of Filipino high culture and lifestyle, as well as the history of the De La Salle schools system. (updated Jan 2019)
• Promenade des Dasmariñas, Congressional Road, Burol (Behind DLSU-D). A riverside park opened in 2019, at the tributaries of the Imus River. (updated Jul 2020)

Do

Golfing is the main pastime of both tourists and residents. It is available at the Orchard Golf and Country Club.

City view

Festivals

• Paruparo Festival (November 26) - A festival commemorating Dasmariñas' city charter, people wearing butterfly costumes dance on parades on the main thoroughfares of the city.

Learn

The De La Salle University campus

• 1 De La Salle University Dasmariñas (DLSU-D), 4115 Kadiwa Ave, DBB-B. Founded as General Emilio Aguinaldo College Cavite campus from 1977 to 1987 as part of the Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan development, it since served as a satellite campus of De La Salle University in Manila. Inside the campus is the affiliated De La Salle Health Sciences Institute, which offers health-related programs. It has about 29,000 students as of 2014. (updated Jan 2019)
• 2 Philippine Christian University - Dasmariñas (PCU-Dasma, PCU-D), Aguinaldo Hwy, Sampaloc 2 (Past Pala-pala. From Governor's Dr, via UTS Blvd.). Satellite campus of the Philippine Christian University, a Protestant university in Manila. (updated Jul 2020)

Buy

• SM City Dasmariñas, Governor's Drive, Pala-pala, Sampaloc 1. (updated Jul 2020)
• Robinson Place Dasmariñas, Aguinaldo Highway, Pala-pala, Sampaloc 1. (updated Jul 2020) -
• The District Dasmariñas, Paliparan Road, Salawag. Small community-sized mall, (updated Jul 2020)
• Vista Mall Dasmariñas, Agustin Grove cor. Aguinaldo Highway, San Agustin 2. (updated Jul 2020) -

• Walter Mart Dasmariñas, Aguinaldo Highway, Zone 4 Poblacion. (updated Jul 2020)
• Central Mall, Aguinaldo Highway, Salitran 2. (updated Jul 2020)
• CM Plaza, Don Placido Campos Avenue, Zone 4 Poblacion. (updated Jul 2020) -
• Terraza Dasmariñas, Governor's Drive, Pala-pala, Sampaloc 1. (updated Jul 2020)

Sleep

There are many hotels and resorts in Dasmarinas.

• 1 Spring Plaza Hotel, Aguinaldo Highway, Bucal (Near Delfin Jaranilla Elementary School). Has basic rooms with fans and bathroom or deluxe rooms with A/C, cable TV, and hot water. ₱1,100. (updated Dec 2018)
• 2 Kalipayan Resort, Aguinaldo Highway (Near Toyota Dasmariñas). From ₱2,500. (updated Dec 2018)

Go next

Routes through Dasmariñas

Biñan ← General Mariano Alvarez ←	E  W	→ General Trias → Trece Martires
Continues as ← Junction (Palapala Junction) ←	N  S	→ Silang → Tagaytay
Bacoor ← Imus ←	N  S	→ Continues as