On October 22, 1845, Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria promulgated a Decree for the establishment of a new town comprising Salinas-Leiton and Tierra Alta of San Francisco de Malabon, what is now known as the town of Gen. Trias. On the 27th October, Don Juan Arlegui, Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Manila informed the Politico-Military Governor of Cavite Don Miguel Roca, that he was designated by the Governor-General to look for a person of unquestionable integrity who will be entrusted with the money for the construction of the church building.

On November 3, 1845, Presbyter Don Mamerto Ner, who was at that time one of the best priests of the Curia of Manila, was appointed parish priest and served until December 1866.

The Municipality of Rosario was originally a part of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias, Cavite). It became an independent municipality in 1846, one year after the founding of the Santissimo Rosario Parish. Rosario was formerly called Tejero, which may have originated from the word “tejer” (Spanish “to weave”) because weaving fish nets was then the main occupation of the women. Rosario was also called Salinas derived from the word “sal” (Spanish “salt”) during the Philippine Revolution because salt-making was a prime industry of the town. The place was likewise called Marcella or “Marcelles” due to its proximity to the sea (“mar” in Spanish).

Rosario was, finally, named in honour of their patroness Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario, Reina de Caracol (or Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary). The second smallest town in the province of Cavite, Rosario has now emerged into the “biggest” neither in terms of its land area nor its per capita income but because of the great transitions that occurred with the town’s political, social, cultural and economic developments since 1845.

There are three religious versions for naming the town “Rosario.” One version says, the image of the Madonna and the Child was found one day floating on the water by a group of kids playing along the seashore. They played with the image, using it as a toy and afterwards hid it in the bushes near the sea. Every time they came back, however, they would see the image already floating leisurely on the water, as if waiting for them. They thought it strange, but could not explain how the image got back to the water.

Not long after their elders learned about the image and took it to an empty nipa hack. Thus began a public adoration of the Madonna and Child. The hut was transformed into a place of worship. News of miraculous happenings attributed to the image spread around. The religious fervour was so great and the people were moved by the image that they decided to adopt it as the patroness of the town and changed the name Salinas Marcella to Rosario. However, the town’s original name “Salinas” is still cherished.

To date, the different names given to the town are remembered. Marcella exists as one of the national roads of the town. Salinas is associated with the finest and famous smoked fish (Tinapang Salinas) produced by the townspeople. Rosario as an agro-industrialized fishing hamlet along the coastlines of Manila Bay, is occupied by productive, peace-loving and God-fearing people who devotedly venerate the Nuestra Señora Virgen del Santissimo Rosario de Caracol as their patroness.