Orange Aguinaldo's Cavite

MANILA, Philippines - His great-grandfather and namesake, General Emilio Aguinaldo, was one of the key players in the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the first President of the Philippines.

With the country’s history closely entwined with that of his family’s, it is not surprising that Emilio Aguinaldo IV has chosen to pursue a career in public service, first on the staff of his uncle, Congressman Plaridel Abaya, then as a two- term councilor, and more recently as Vice Mayor of Kawit, Cavite.

As we celebrate Philippine Independence Day this June, Orange, as he is fondly called, gives us a sense of the events that helped shape the destiny of our nation through a tour of his hometown. This is his Cavite. This is his SM.

It is a big responsibility to be named after a hero. First, people tend to give you special treatment, something I am not comfortable with; secondly, it is difficult to follow Lolo’s footsteps. I see my name Emilio Aguinaldo as more of a responsibility than a privilege.

Cavite’s main attraction is its history, and if I would be asked to bring tourists around Cavite, I would bring them to the Aguinaldo Shrine because this is where our independence began.

I believe that for us to do the right thing, we must first know our history and learn our lessons from it.

I like to believe that there are good and honest people in public service. Lolo has inspired me to continue his work in serving Caviteños.

We have some of the freshest seafood in Cavite, and no visit to our province will be complete without tasting our mussels and oysters.