Laguna is a province in the Calabarzon region of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, wrapped around the large lake Laguna de Bay. It is one of the most progressive, historical and cultural provinces in the Philippines.
Regions
[edit]For travel purposes, we divide Laguna into three travel regions, all having one major hub to the other locations and distinctive flavors and geography.
| Eastern Laguna (Cavinti, Famy, Kalayaan, Luisiana, Lumban, Mabitac, Magdalena, Majayjay, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pakil, Pangil, Pila, Santa Cruz, Santa Maria, Siniloan) Rainy region at the western side of Sierra Madre; major tourist draws are the Pagsanjan Falls, Lake Caliraya, and the wood sculptures of Paete. |
| Northwest Laguna (Bay, Biñan, Cabuyao, Calamba, Los Baños, San Pedro) Urban sprawl with a mix of modern communities and crowded communities; major draws are the hot springs and the Rizal mansion, Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa, and lovely downtowns with Spanish-era churches. |
| Southern Laguna (Alaminos, Calauan, Liliw, Nagcarlan, Rizal, San Pablo, Victoria) Forested and mountainous area, with scattered towns and the hub city of San Pablo. Attractions in this area are the Seven Lakes of San Pablo, the Underground Cemetery of Nagcarlan, and the wooden slippers (bakya) of Liliw. |
Cities
[edit]With fast suburbanization brought by Manila's outward growth, most cities in Laguna are largely bedroom communities, and much of their history and culture have been lost into obscurity. If you want to see the real Laguna, head south and east.
- 1 Santa Cruz - Provincial capital
- 2 Biñan - Now a large suburb of Manila, it was where Jose Rizal have his first education
- 3 Calamba -Hometown of Jose Rizal and a city of hot springs
- 4 Cabuyao - An out-of-the-way residential and industrial city, with some notable churches and
- 5 San Pablo - Largest city in Laguna in terms of land mass. The "City of Seven Lakes".
- 6 San Pedro - A growing residential and industrial suburb not far from Metro Manila. Home of the Sampaguita Festival and the Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre.
- 7 Santa Rosa - A growing residential suburb and main gateway to Tagaytay, with an amusement park, malls,.
Municipalities
[edit]
- 1 Cavinti - resort town, gateway to Lumot and Caliraya Lakes, several waterfalls, Bumbungan Eco-park and a heritage church
- 2 Kalayaan - A small town and gateway to Caliraya with a Spanish-era church and forests
- 3 Liliw - A small municipality at the foot of Mount Banahaw. Known for its slippers, heritage houses and church.
- 4 Los Baños - Suburb of Calamba. Home of hot springs, Mount Makiling, University of the Philippines Los Baños and the International Rice Research Institute
- 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 - Home to the only Catholic basilica in Laguna and some of the few remaining Spanish-era bridges in the country
- 10 Nagcarlan - Home to the only underground cemetery in the Philippines and a gateway to Mount Banahaw.
- 11 Paete - A municipality known for its heritage church containing colonial-era paintings, woodcarving and folk art traditions.
- 12 Pagsanjan - Home to Pagsanjan Falls
- 13 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
- 14 Pangil - Home to Our Lady of O, one of the few revered images of the Virgin Mary depicting her as a pregnant woman
- 15 Pila - One of the oldest known precolonial towns in Laguna. Has one of the few surviving Spanish and American-era town centers in the Philippines.
- 16 Santa Cruz - Provincial capital.
- 17 Victoria - The center of the duck industry in Laguna.
Other destinations
[edit]- 18 Mount Makiling - volcano with hot springs
Understand
[edit]Laguna also has its share of its historical contributions, such as the Laguna Copperplate Inscription dated back to 700 CE and the birthplace of Philippines' national hero, Jose Rizal. Most of the settlements in Laguna date back to the Spanish era, and provide a glimpse of its colonial past.
Laguna is also another frequented tourist destination not far from Metro Manila. Los Baños is abundant on hot spring resorts, and Calamba is another important location as Jose Rizal's hometown and also has its share of resorts. Pagsanjan, just east of the provincial capital in Santa Cruz, is home to the frequented Pagsanjan Falls. Visitors seeking a religious-themed experience will find plenty of colonial-era Roman Catholic churches dating from the Spanish period to pray in, along with multiple religious festivals to participate in.
The economy of Laguna is centered on the Laguna de Bay (also called Laguna Lake) and its rice paddies, but there have been shifts to an industrial and commercial economy. Biñan and Santa Rosa have become important industrial centers, but they remain bedroom communities near Metro Manila. With a number of motor vehicle factories, Laguna is nicknamed the "Detroit of the Philippines". The rest of the province relies on agriculture and tourism.
The local climate is generally characterized by frequent rain showers throughout the year, except for the northwestern corner, where there are dry and wet seasons. It is important to take account of the frequent changes in the weather when visiting most of Laguna.
Provincial government web site.
Talk
[edit]The primary language is Tagalog. The Tagalog dialect in Laguna is generally the same as in Manila, but with some influences from Batangas and Quezon dialects in terms of vocabulary. Most Laguna residents can speak English, especially in the urbanized regions.
Get in
[edit]By bus
[edit]DLTB Co, JAC LINER, LLI and HM Transport have buses to major destinations in Laguna from Manila. From Batangas, JAPS operate a Batangas City-Calamba service via the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR). Most buses headed south pass through Laguna, with a stop in Calamba or in San Pablo. DLTB, LLI and HM operate direct services to Santa Cruz via the Calamba-Pagsanjan Road.
San Pedro and Biñan are served by city buses that follow the old Rte 1. Santa Rosa is served by premium buses from Makati and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and a service connecting the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) with the Santa Rosa Integrated Terminal (SRIT).
FOC Transport has buses plying eastern Laguna via Lucena-Tayabas-Lucban and Infanta in Quezon Province.
EMBC Bus has daily bus trips to Mabitac and Siniloan from EDSA Ortigas Avenue-Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila via Cainta-Baras-Tanay (East Manila Road) in Rizal Province.
Raymond Transport Inc from Sampaloc, Manila travels daily from Cainta to Famy via East Manila Road.
By car
[edit]From Manila, Laguna is accessible by the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), which serves all the cities forming northwestern Laguna. An extension to Quezon Province, serves Alaminos and San Pablo to the southwest. Exit at Santo Tomas, Batangas and enter Route 1.
It is also possible to reach Laguna from Rizal via Rte 601 into Mabitac, but it is a longer drive that passes through mountains.
Rte 1, which also carries Asian Highway 26 (except in northwestern Laguna where it follows SLEx) runs across Laguna except for an interruption as it enters Santo Tomas, Batangas before reentering Laguna at Alaminos.
From Quezon Province, eastern Laguna is served by Rte 603 from Lucena entering at Luisiana and ending at Pagsanjan via Cavinti.
Governor's Dr (420 65) and Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd (Rte 420) connect with Cavite.
Get around
[edit]Travel around the cities and towns using the jeepneys. Fares are cheap, but they can be very crowded. In inland areas, service can be scarce or the only available ones are unlicensed vehicles. The major jeepney hubs are Calamba, San Pablo, and Santa Cruz, while minor hubs include Siniloan, Majayjay and Liliw. Bus service is limited to the major locations.
In rural areas, use the tricycle, but it's sometimes tight, especially for foreigners. Beware of unscrupulous tricycle drivers who charge above the official or agreed fare.
Bringing a car can be another way to explore Laguna and avoiding hassles with local transport, but expect traffic jams (especially in northwest Laguna, San Pablo and Santa Cruz), dangerous road conditions, and aggressive drivers. While Laguna has wide highways like the South Luzon Expressway and two major national roads, expect two-lane roads frequented by tricycles, motorcycles and pedestrians elsewhere.
See
[edit]- 1 Rizal Shrine (Rizal House), Francisco Mercado co. Jose Rizal Sts., Calamba (beside Saint John the Baptist Parish Church), [email protected]. 8AM–4PM, closed Mondays and holidays. The birthplace of the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal. It houses the restored colonial-era mansion of Jose Rizal, which contains his memorabilia. Free, donation optional.
- 2 Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, Rizal Avenue, Barangay Bambang, Nagcarlan (Saint John the Baptist Parish Church), [email protected]. 8AM–4PM, closed Mondays and holidays. The only cemetery of its kind in the Philippines and built on an octagonal layout, it retains its Spanish-era chapel and underground crypt with several remains still inside and contains a museum about death in Philippine culture. Free, donation optional.
- 3 Pila Historic Town Center, Barangay Santa Clara Norte, Pila (from Manila: turn left from the Calamba–Pagsanjan Road at the junction leading to town and continue until you reach the Saint Anthony church and plaza; from Santa Cruz: continue right at the cemetery junction leading to town and keep driving until you reach the Saint Anthony church and plaza.). One of the few surviving colonial-era town centers in the Philippines. Contrary to popular belief, only the Saint Anthony parish church was built during the Spanish era, while the houses and municipal hall were actually built during the early years of the American occupation.
Heritage churches also abound, especially in Cabuyao, Bay and in the towns of southern (Alaminos, San Pablo, Nagcarlan and Liliw) and eastern Laguna (Mabitac, Magdalena, Majayjay, Pila, Cavinti, Lumban, Kalayaan, Paete and Pakil).
The heritage church of Kalayaan, also known as Longos Church refers to the one in Barangay Longos dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, not the modernist-looking structure located along the highway in Barangay San Juan that is dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist.
Apart from Pila, the town centers of Alaminos, Pagsanjan, Liliw, and San Pablo contain a considerable number of houses from the colonial era.
Do
[edit]- Bathing at the hot springs of Pansol, Calamba and Los Baños
- Enchanted Kingdom (in Santa Rosa)
- Mt Makiling
- Mt Banahaw
- Pagsanjan Falls
- Rafting on Sampaloc Lake (in San Pablo)
- Wakeboarding at Republ1c Wake Park (in Nuvali, Calamba)
- Glamping at Cavinti
- Pilgrimage at multiple Spanish-era churches
Eat
[edit]Dining options in northwest Laguna, San Pablo and to a lesser extent, Santa Cruz are similar to those in Manila, with fastfood chains, casual and fine dining options and mall food courts also in existence. Outside the major cities, Nagcarlan, Liliw and the Calamba-Pagsanjan Road, dining options are limited, especially east of Pagsanjan and Liliw. 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.
Some local delicacies include:
- Buko pies (especially in Los Banos)
- Suman
- Bibingka
- For a memorable experience, try Abnoy, also known as Bugok, a Bibingka drenched in vinegar.
- Espasol
- Pancit
- Kesong puti (White Cheese, especially in Santa Cruz)
- Duck/Goose dishes in Victoria, which has a roadside monument to the humble Itik in Barangay Masapang.
Fruit
[edit]- Avocado
- Lanzonese
- Rambutan
- Banana
- Grapes
Drink
[edit]- Fruit juices
- Lambanog
Sleep
[edit]- Luxury hotels
- Condo
- 5 Star hotels
- Mansion
Stay safe
[edit]Petty crime is a major issue in the cities, but elsewhere, it is generally safe. Crime is not a problem in the tourist attractions when you use common sense. Beware of touts though, especially in tourist hotspots like Pagsanjan or Los Baños. Begging syndicates also operate in major cities and even in smaller towns like Pagsanjan, Liliw, Nagcarlan and Siniloan.
Severe weather is also an issue in Laguna. While the northwestern part of the province have wet and dry seasons, the rest remains rainy throughout the year, 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 and southern 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.
Like most provinces in the Philippines, Laguna is also hit by earthquakes, with the dreaded West Valley Fault extending from Metro Manila down the length of northwestern Laguna.
The southernmost parts of Calamba and Cabuyao are part of an extended 17-kilometer radius danger zone in the event of a severe eruption by the Taal Volcano in neighboring Batangas.
Stay healthy
[edit]Laguna, like other places in the Calabarzon region, was severely impacted by an outbreak of methanol poisonings linked to improperly-distilled coconut-based spirits (lambanog), in 2019-2020 that left dozens dead. Caution should be exercised when drinking the substance as even products that look properly bottled and labeled may still be contaminated. In some cases, products made by villagers themselves for home consumption may be safer than those sold in stores.
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 the major cities, Los Baños, Santa Cruz, Siniloan, Paete and Majayjay.
Go next
[edit]- Cavite - Most go there to visit the city of Tagaytay, but you can also have a glimpse of its rich historical heritage.
- Batangas - Laguna's southern neighbor has beach resorts, the iconic Taal Volcano, historic cities and towns, and religious sites.
- Quezon Province - Laguna's eastern neighbor has nature, culture, and history that should dispel common stereotypes of it being a forested backwater along the way to Bicol.