The eastern portion of Laguna is a rough agglomeration of 16 towns sandwiched between the eastern shores of Laguna de Bay and the western slopes of the Sierra Madre mountains. It is where the rural and wild portion of the province can be seen unhindered by the urbanization to its west.
Understand
[edit]
This area guide encompasses 16 municipalities, namely:
- 1 Santa Cruz - Provincial capital
- 2 Cavinti - resort town, gateway to Lumot and Caliraya Lakes, several waterfalls, Bumbungan Eco-park and a heritage church
- 3 Famy
- 4 Kalayaan - A small town and gateway to Caliraya with a Spanish-era church and forests
- 5 Luisiana - Upland town dubbed the Little Baguio of Laguna due to its cool climate, forests, waterfalls and mountains.
- 6 Lumban - One of the oldest known precolonial towns in Laguna. A center for hand embroidery. Home to a Spanish era church and one of the gateways to Caliraya Lake
- 7 Mabitac - Gateway to Laguna from Rizal province, known for its church situated on top of a hill with 125 steps
- 8 Magdalena - Dubbed as the "Little Hollywood of Laguna" due to it being a setting for several iconic Filipino movies and TV series
- 9 Majayjay - Highland town that is home to the only Catholic basilica in Laguna and some of the few remaining Spanish-era bridges in the country
- 10 Paete - A municipality known for its heritage church containing colonial-era paintings, woodcarving and folk art traditions.
- 11 Pagsanjan - Home to Pagsanjan Falls
- 12 Pakil- Home to Our Lady of Turumba, one of the most revered images of the Virgin Mary housed in a Spanish era church. Surrounded by springs and mountains
- 13 Pangil - Home to Our Lady of O, one of the few revered images of the Virgin Mary depicting her as a pregnant woman
- 14 Pila - One of the oldest precolonial towns in Laguna and home to one of the few surviving colonial-era town centers in the Philippines.
- 15 Santa Maria - rice granary of Laguna, a stopover on the Marilaque Highway and home to less-visited waterfalls
- 16 Siniloan - economic and transport hub of northeastern Laguna
Unlike the rest of Laguna, the region is predominantly rural and has avoided the urban sprawl from Metro Manila that has subsumed the western portion of the province or the agglomeration that is growing around San Pablo in southern Laguna. The region's geographical position between Laguna de Bay and the Sierra Madre mountains gives it a greenish impression, with frequent rains feeding the waterfalls and forested highlands, as well as the extensive ricefields that sustain the region's economy, along with a growing interest in ecotourism features such as Lakes Caliraya and Lumot. The bulk of the province's heritage churches, dating from the Spanish era, can be found in this region, making it a hub for Catholic, Christian and syncretic faith tourism with its iconic religious images and unique festivals and rituals.
Although there are no officially-recognized cities in the area, the towns of Pila and Pagsanjan, as well as the provincial capital, Santa Cruz, are the main commercial hubs due to their proximity to the rest of Laguna and their location along the Calamba-Pagsanjan Road, the main thoroughfare in the lakeside towns of the province. These three towns enjoy direct access to Metro Manila in terms of public transportation and road infrastructure, making them an ideal base to explore the outlying towns.
Eastern Laguna's position between Laguna de Bay and the Sierra Madre results in a consistent pattern of rainy weather in the region for most of the year. A local joke says that the rainy season lasts for 10 months with the dry season only running for the remaining two.
Get in
[edit]By bus
[edit]From Cubao or Buendia terminals in Metro Manila, DLTB, LLI and HM operate direct services to Santa Cruz via the Calamba-Pagsanjan Road, passing through Pila. The HM terminal is actually in Pagsawitan, a barangay of Pagsanjan on the boundary with Santa Cruz, but travelers heading to Pagsanjan town proper will need to transfer by jeep. DLTB also operates infrequent trips to Luisiana via Santa Cruz from Buendia.
Raymond Transport Inc operates services from Manila to Infanta in northern Quezon Province via Manila East Road, passing through Mabitac, Siniloan and Famy.
By car
[edit]From Manila, the main route to eastern Laguna is from the Calamba-Pagsanjan Road, exiting from Turbina exit of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) in Calamba and passing through Pila, Santa Cruz and Pagsanjan. Another option for those heading to Majayjay is SLEX's Santo Tomas exit in Batangas, which reenters Laguna at Alaminos and goes on to San Pablo, where the highway proceeds to Rizal, Nagcarlan and Liliw before reaching Majayjay. From Nagcarlan, a two-lane road leads to Santa Cruz via Barangay Calumpang, where a branch leads separately to Pila.
It is also possible to reach Laguna from Rizal through the Manila East Road into Mabitac and then down to its terminus in Pagsanjan, but it is a longer drive that passes through mountains and involves navigating dangerous curves. The Marilaque Highway further north also passes through the mountainous far north of Laguna on its way to northern Quezon from Antipolo, but does not pass through major population centers and is connected to the rest of the region by a desolate two lane-road in Barangay Cueva, Santa Maria. Further south, Pililla-Jalajala-Pakil Road is a longer detour that skirts the shores of the Jala-jala Peninsula along Laguna de Bay leading to the western exclaves of Pakil and Pangil before terminating in Mabitac.
From Quezon Province, eastern Laguna is served by Route 603 from Lucena entering at Luisiana and ending at Pagsanjan via Cavinti. A spur line also connects Majayjay with Lucban.
By jeep
[edit]As the provincial capital, Santa Cruz is the main hub of jeepneys from the rest of Laguna, particularly those originating from Calamba, San Pablo, Nagcarlan and Liliw, as well as from Lucban in Quezon.
From Rizal, SINCRODA operates jeepneys and minibuses from Robinsons Cainta (Big R) into Mabitac and Siniloan via Manila East Road. There are also jeepneys in Tanay, Pililla and Jala-jala heading to Siniloan via Mabitac.
From Lucban, there are also jeepneys heading to Majayjay and Luisiana. A jeepney service also runs from Nagcarlan to Majayjay via Liliw.
Get around
[edit]The main form of transportation between the region's towns are jeepneys, with fares starting at P13. The main jeepney hub is Santa Cruz, where services branch out to the rest of Laguna. For eastern Laguna, the relevant jeepney routes are as follows:
- Santa Cruz-Calamba (for those heading to Pila)
- Santa Cruz-Pila
- Santa Cruz-Pagsanjan
- Santa Cruz-Lumban
- Santa Cruz-Lumot (barangay of Lumban, for those heading to Lakes Caliraya and Lumot)
- Santa Cruz-Siniloan (for those heading to northeast Laguna, also passes through Pagsanjan)
- Santa Cruz-Cavinti
- Santa Cruz-Luisiana
- Santa Cruz-Lucban, Quezon Province via Pagsanjan, Cavinti and Luisiana
- Santa Cruz-Magdalena
- Santa Cruz-Majayjay (via Magdalena)
- Santa Cruz-Liliw (via Magdalena)
- Santa Cruz-Nagcarlan (via Magdalena and Liliw)
Mabitac, Famy and Santa Maria do not have jeepney services and are only accessible via tricycle from Siniloan. A one-way fare from Siniloan to Mabitac will cost P60. Tricycles are also used for travelling within individual towns, with fares starting at P20.
Jeepneys run between Majayjay and Luisiana.
By car
[edit]Driving in eastern Laguna is generally a quick affair, with the exception of Pila, Santa Cruz and Pagsanjan. Outside these towns however, driving can be hazardous due to frequent rains, narrow two-lane roads and highland terrain, particularly when going to Lake Caliraya, Cavinti, Luisiana and Majayjay.
See
[edit]
For individual listings, see Cavinti, Kalayaan, Luisiana, Lumban, Mabitac, Magdalena, Majayjay, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pakil, Pangil, Pila, and Santa Cruz.
The main reasons to go to eastern Laguna are to hike its mountains, swim in pristine waterfalls, fish or do watersports in the manmade lakes of Caliraya and Lumot, or to pray and marvel at its Spanish-era churches that seem to line up in almost every municipality. In addition, the town centers of Pila and Pagsanjan contain a sizeable number of colonial-era houses similar to those in Vigan and Taal, although contrary to popular belief, the houses in Laguna date back from the early years of the 20th century during the American occupation.
- 1 Mount Romelo, Mayatba, Siniloan. A 300 metres (980 ft) peak surrounded by multiple waterfalls. Most hikes to the mountain combine a stop with the Buruwisan Falls.
Buy
[edit]With the exception of Santa Cruz, eastern Laguna is free of shopping malls, with commerce in the rest of the region being conducted in the respective municipal markets and small groceries.
As the woodcarving capital of the Philippines, tourists seeking unique Filipino handicrafts flock to Paete for its wooden religious sculptures and papier mache toys depicting animals known as taka. Lumban is also known for its embroidery. Many of the old churches also sell religious and souvenir items including sculptures, fridge magnets, rosaries and prayer books in their convents. Pakil Church in particular sells holy oil.
Eat
[edit]Dining options are relatively extensive and diverse in Pila, Santa Cruz and Pagsanjan, but decrease in the outlying towns. There are no fastfood chains for example when traveling from Pagsanjan to Siniloan. Street food is prevalent everywhere, though standard hygiene precautions also need to be considered.
Convenience stores like 7/11 and Dali are available in most towns. For a more filling meal, there are roast chicken stores in every town.
Some local delicacies include:
- Abnoy, also known as Bugok, a Bibingka partially made from salted eggs and drenched in vinegar. Both are colloquial Filipino terms for "crazy".
- Kesong puti (White Cheese, especially in Santa Cruz)
- Lanzones fruit (seasonal in Paete)
Drink
[edit]Apart from commercial beer and spirits, lambanog (coconut spirit) is common here and in the rural areas, although the risk of methanol poisoning from improper distillation exists.
Sleep
[edit]Lakes Caliraya and Lumot are popular glamping and camping destinations for tourists coming from Metro Manila. Similar arrangements also exist along the Marilaque Highway in Santa Maria, Famy and Siniloan. Conventional lodging options also exist in Pila, Santa Cruz and Pagsanjan.
Stay safe
[edit]As a predominantly rural area, eastern Laguna is generally safe, though Santa Cruz has the petty crime vibes of a moderately-sized Philippine city. Beware of touts though, especially in tourist hotspots like Pagsanjan or Caliraya. Begging syndicates operate as far as Siniloan.
Rains are frequent all-year round in eastern Laguna, so bring an umbrella whenever possible. Floods can be a problem when Laguna de Bay or any of the rivers that empty into it overflows. Typhoons are also another major risk. In the summer, forested areas are vulnerable to wildfires.
Despite Laguna being named after Laguna de Bay, swimming in the lake itself is not a good idea due to pollution, murky waters, lack of beaches, volatile currents and lots of fishing boats and fishponds operating in it.
Additional care should be undertaken while driving in parts of eastern Laguna due to mountainous terrain. The standard precautions in hiking also apply.
The New People's Army operates in a severely diminished capacity in remote areas of eastern Laguna. Sporadic battles with government forces sometimes occur.
Stay healthy
[edit]Like the rest of the Philippines, standard precautions should be made when coming into contact with stray dogs, cats and other potential carriers of rabies, snakes (particularly when hiking or in agricultural lands) and dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
Pharmacies are found in virtually every town, although the ones in smaller towns operate at a slower pace. Hospitals of varying quality exist in most towns, but serious cases are generally referred to Metro Manila.
Go next
[edit]| Routes through Eastern Laguna |
| Calamba ← Victoria ← | W  E
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→ END |
| Tanay ← Pililla ← | N  S
|
→ Continues south as 
|
| Continues north as ←
|
N S
|
→ Lucban → Lucena |