Information about Aguinaldo Shrine and Museum

Aguinaldo Shrine and Museum

The Aguinaldo Shrine and Museum is a national shrine in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines, where on June 12, 1898, the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain was proclaimed. 

On June 12, each year, top government officials lift the Philippine flag here to celebrate the day, now celebrated as Araw ng Kalayaan or Independence Day, a national holiday. The mansion is now a museum.

The shrine is Emilio Aguinaldo's ancestral birthplace, the only president of the First Philippine Republic and currently the first President of the Philippines. The house was built in 1845 out of wood and thatch and was demolished in 1849. On March 22, 1869, Aguinaldo was born here.

Aguinaldo's house is a mansion with a floor space of over 14,000 square feet designed by Aguinaldo himself.

The house is packed with antique furniture and adorned throughout with motifs of the Philippine flag and other national flags, and it has hidden passages and hiding places for documents and arms. The structure is divided into three sections: the main house on the west side, the family wing on the east, and the tower in the middle. 

How to get there

Ride a bus or van bound for Kawit, Cavite. Ask the driver to drop you off directly at the shrine.

Best time to visit

It is open daily from 8 AM to 4 PM.