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.
Understand
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This area guide encompasses 16 municipalities. The municipalities covered are:
- 1 Santa Cruz - Provincial capital
- 1 Cavinti - resort town, gateway to Lumot and Caliraya Lakes, several waterfalls, Bumbungan Eco-park and a heritage church
- 2 Famy
- 3 Kalayaan - A small town and gateway to Caliraya with a Spanish-era church and forests
- 4 Luisiana - Upland town dubbed the Little Baguio of Laguna due to its cool climate, forests, waterfalls and mountains.
- 5 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
- 6 Mabitac - Gateway to Laguna from Rizal province, known for its church situated on top of a hill with 125 steps
- 7 Magdalena - Dubbed as the "Little Hollywood of Laguna" due to it being a setting for several iconic Filipino movies and TV series
- 8 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
- 9 Paete - A municipality known for its heritage church containing colonial-era paintings, woodcarving and folk art traditions.
- 10 Pagsanjan - Home to Pagsanjan Falls
- 11 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
- 12 Pangil - Home to Our Lady of O, one of the few revered images of the Virgin Mary depicting her as a pregnant woman
- 13 Pila - One of the oldest precolonial towns in Laguna and home to one of the few surviving colonial-era town centers in the Philippines.
- 14 Santa Maria - rice granary of Laguna, a stopover on the Marilaque Highway and home to less-visited waterfalls
- 15 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.
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.
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. 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, 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 Rte 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 Paete and other towns of 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 Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan and Paete.
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.
Churches
[edit]- Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pagsanjan was rebuilt in its original Spanish colonial-style minus its dome after sustaining heavy damage from World War II-bombardment. It houses a venerated image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that was donated by Mexico. A side chapel contains funeral plaques of residents from the colonial era.
- Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Santa Cruz: a reconstruction of a Baroque church that was built in 1603 but destroyed during the liberation of the Philippines at the end of the Pacific War in 1945.
- Saint James the Apostle Parish Church in Paete was built during the Spanish colonial era. ts murals are designated as national cultural treasures. There are also statues of saints whose limbs can be moved like puppets. This is usually done during religious processions for events such as Holy Week.
- 1 National Shrine and Parish of San Antonio de Padua (Pila Church), San Antonio Street, Bulilan Sur, Pila. Pila's Roman Catholic church was built in 1849. Its gray brick exterior contrasts with the red brick belltower. Its interior features an ornate altar, multiple gravestones on the walls containing the remains of Pila's high society, and an exquisite statue of the Christ Child
- 2 Minor Basilica and Parish of Saint Gregory the Great (Majayjay Church), F. Blumentritt Street, Majayjay. The only Catholic basilica in Laguna and a national cultural treasure, Majayjay's church burned several times during the Spanish era, with the last being in 1711. Instead of razing the structure, its priest instead ordered the ruins to be encased inside a 3 metres (9.8 ft)-thick layer of brick and plastered in pink, resulting the façade exuding a fortress-like aura. The interior contains an ornate altar and an upper-level catwalk that rings the space. Unlike most Spanish-era churches in the Philippines, the basilica was built in the Romanesque style.
- 3 Saint Mary Magdalene Parish Church (Magdalena Church), Ilayang Butong, Magdalena. Magdalena's Roman Catholic church was built in the Baroque style and features an austere and unplastered facade and interior, along with a statue of Saint Mary Magdalene seemingly bleeding through her eyes while she holds a skull. Its main claim to fame is being a convalescent home for Filipino revolutionary hero Emilio Jacinto during the war of independence against the Spanish, with a small monument in the adjacent convent showing where drops of his blood fell, although the stains have faded away. The church faces the town plaza and the municipal hall, both of which have been preserved from the colonial era.
- 4 San Sebastian Parish Church (Lumban Church), J.P. Rizal Street, Lumban (beside the municipal hall). Lumban's Roman Catholic church was built in the late 16th century but was finished in its present form during the early 20th century. It features a partially plastered facade colored in orange. Its interior is largely plastered, without much ornamentation.
- 5 Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish Church (Cavinti Church), Rizal Street, Cavinti. Cavinti's Roman Catholic church was built on the site where the town's venerated image of Jesus Christ was said to have been discovered during the Spanish period. Its facade is made of exposed brick, while its interior has been plastered.
- 6 Saint John the Baptist Parish Church (Longos Church), Esperanza Street, Longos, Kalayaan (not to be confused with the modernist-looking structure located along the highway in Barangay San Juan that is dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist). The church was built in the 18th century but was neglected through much of the 20th century when it was downgraded into a chapel due to the government's decision to move the town center of Kalayaan from barrio Longos to San Juan. After recovering its parish status in 1996, the church was gradually repaired. The church's façade, partially covered by moss complimented by the shrub-lined plaza in front, gives it a garden-like air. Its doors and carvings have been preserved from the Spanish era, while its interior has also been preserved save for the roof, which was rebuilt following typhoon damage in 2006. Among the interior's highlights is the botafumeiro or thurible, the ornate altar, and the bas reliefs in the baptistery.
- 7 Saint Peter of Alcantara Parish Church (Pakil Church), Tavera Street, Pakil (in front of Pakil town plaza, across the old municipal hall). Museum: Closed weekends. The church was built in the 18th century and features elaborate Baroque carvings in its plastered, cream-colored exterior. Its interior consists of an ornate altar, a holy water font carved with a resemblance to a gargoyle, and old painting of the Final Judgement, and cheery, vibrant ceiling frescoes inspired by the town's devotion to Our Lady of Turumba, a venerated painting of the Virgin Mary that was discovered in the town, and the Sistine Chapel. The second floor of the adjacent convent houses the Turumba image itself, while the ground floor contains a museum about the Turumba and a souvenir store.
- 8 Nuestra Señora dela Natividad Parish Church (Pangil Church), Pakil-Pangil-Mabitac Road, Longos, Pangil (across the old municipal hall). Pangil's Roman Catholic church was largely rebuilt following World War II destruction in a more modernist style, resulting in an austere and smooth look. It is known for hosting the Nuestra Señora de la O, a rare venerated image of the Virgin Mary in her pregnant state, and Santo Niño de la O, an equally venerated image of the Christ Child.
- 9 Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Parish Church (Mabitac Church), Pakil-Pangil-Mabitac Road, Masikap, Mabitac. Mabitac's Roman Catholic church was largely rebuilt following damage from World War II and earthquakes, resulting in an austere look, with only the belltower and altar hinting at its Spanish origins. The church was built on top of Kalbaryo (Calvary) Hill, the highest point in the town center with vistas of the surrounding valley, Mount Sembrano, the Sierra Madre mountains, and Laguna de Bay. While the church is accessible by vehicle through a gentle ramp leading from the Battle of Mabitac monument, many devotees instead climb the short but steep 126 steps leading from Mabitac Rural Health Unit.
Other man-made structures
[edit]- 10 Pila Historic Town Center. One of the few surviving colonial-era town centers in the Philippines, clustered around the Saint Anthony parish church and declared a National Historical Landmark in 2001. Contrary to popular belief, only the church was built in the Spanish era, while the houses and municipal hall were built during the early years of the American occupation.
- Pagsanjan Arch is one of the few-surviving town gates in the Philippines from the Spanish era, the three-portal structure is a designated National Cultural Treasure that sits directly on the highway from Santa Cruz.
- 11 Tulay Pigi (Puente del Capricho), Majayjay (the main entrance is at Ordonez corner Limquico streets beside the town cemetery, but involves passing through a closed but still malodorous dumpsite and a steep descent along a narrow, secluded and overgrown trail. For a safer experience, enter through Barangay Talortor, on the other side of the bridge, where you can be in earshot of residents in case of an emergency). In the 19th century, a Spanish priest ordered his parishioners to build a bridge connecting Majayjay and Magdalena over the Pagsanjan River. He treated his workers badly and frequently whipped them in the buttocks, hence its name (Tulay Pigi literally means Buttocks Bridge, while Puente del Capricho literally means Bridge of Caprice). This ultimately backfired, and the bridge was left unfinished as Majayjay was depopulated by residents fleeing from the priest's abuses. The bridge's overgrown state and missing span is best admired from the bottom of the structure. Free.
- 12 Battle of Mabitac Monument, Pakil-Pangil-Mabitac Road, Maligaya, Mabitac (beside the town cemetery). A colorful monument commemorating a rare victory by Filipino forces against the Americans during the Philippine-American War in 1900. Free.
Landforms
[edit]- 13 Cavinti Underground River and Cave Complex, Paowin, Cavinti. An extensive cave complex in the Sierra Madre mountains
- 14 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.
Waterforms
[edit]- 15 Pagsanjan Falls (Cavinti Falls). A waterfall with a height of around 120 metres (390 ft). The falls is administratively part of Cavinti, but is more accessible upstream from Pagsanjan town proper, hence the insistence of some in Cavinti to name the falls after their town. The trip heading there involves a scenic raft trip through the forested Pagsanjan Gorge along the Bumbungan River or a hike from the Cavinti side.
- 16 Bumbungan Ecopark, Lumban-Caliraya-Cavinti Road, Tibatib, Cavinti. 8 AM–5 PM, closed during inclement weather or when the water is heavily contaminated with brown sediment, usually following heavy rains. The park was the result of a botched attempt to build a dam over the Bumbungan River, when an engineering error led to the water continuously overtopping the spillway and create a mini-waterfall before municipal authorities decided to build a higher bridge and convert the original structure into a small park and allow visitors to dip their feet in the spillway or just lie down on it. P50.
- 17 Caliraya Lake, Lumban. A man-made reservoir created in 1939 following the damming of the Caliraya river in the boundary of Lumban and present-day Kalayaan. A favorite spot for watersports, fishing and camping activities, with an increasing number of Metro Manilans setting up retirement homes along the shore.
- 18 Lumot Lake, Cavinti. A man-made reservoir created in the 1940s as an auxiliary to nearby Caliraya Lake. Same features as Caliraya, though it is lesser known.
- 19 Hulugan Falls, San Salvador, Luisiana. A 70 metres (230 ft) cascade.
- 20 Taytay Falls (Imelda Falls), Taytay, Majayjay. The most visited waterfall in Majayjay, with a height of 15 metres (49 ft).
Festivals
[edit]- Turumba Festival, Pakil. Regarded as the longest religious festival in the Philippines, lasting from April to October, although in practice the festivities are only done on 11 occasions between those said months. It is held to honor Our Lady of Turumba, a painting of the Virgin Mary regarded as miraculous and involves participants dancing and singing as the image is taken to the streets for a procession.
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 convent. 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 a favorite glamping and camping destination 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 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.
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.