Magdalena is a town in the province of Laguna in the Philippines. Situated at the transition zone between the province's lakeside lowlands and the foothills of the Sierra Made and Mount Banahaw, it is dubbed as the "Little Hollywood of Laguna" due to it being a favorite shooting location for domestic television shows and films.
Understand
[edit]Magdalena was founded during the Spanish era in 1820. Formerly a barrio of Majayjay known as Ambling, it was renamed after its patron saint, Mary Magdalene. The town became a major battleground during the Philippine wars of independence against Spain and the United States, and is commonly associated with Emilio Jacinto, a revolutionary hero who commanded Filipino forces in the area.
Magdalena's reputation as a filming location began in the 1970s, when it was used as a setting for historical and spaghetti western like films about local Robin Hood figures starring action hero Fernando Poe Jr. Since then, Magdalena has been used as a stand-in for domestic films set in the colonial-era, although the town retains a dated air and a quiet atmosphere unlike its neighboring towns.
Get in
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Magdalena is situated at the southern terminus of F.T. San Luis Avenue, a two-lane provincial road running from Sambat Junction, along the Calamba-Pagsanjan Road in Pagsanjan. Magdalena is also the northern terminus of the Liliw-Magdalena Road for those heading from Santa Pablo. Before entering the downtown, the road forks into two directions in Barangay Burlungan, with a right turn leading to Majayjay .
The main public transportation routes into Magdalena are the jeepneys running from the provincial capital Santa Cruz via Sambat Junction to Magdalena, Majayjay and Nagcarlan via Liliw. The jeepney terminal in Magdalena is at the intersection of Bonifacio and Mabini Streets, near the Alfamart convenience store. A one-way fare costs PHP25.
Get around
[edit]Tricycles are the main mode of transportation between barangays.
See
[edit]- 1 Saint Mary Magdalene Parish Church (Magdalena Church), Poblacion (in front of the town plaza). 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.
- 2 Magdalena Town Plaza. An extensive public square with somewhat gaudy sculptures of animals and superheroes and a Hollywood-like Magdalena sign beside the church, and a small garden, a monument to national hero Jose Rizal, and a busts gallery of former mayors in front of the municipal hall. Flanked by the Spanish-era parish church and the American-era municipal hall, the grounds were laid out according to a design established during the colonial era, which explains why the area is a favorite filming shoot. There is a Walk of Fame commemorating actors who visited Magdalena, but the plaques containing their names have faded away due to neglect.
- 3 Magdalena Municipal Cemetery, F.T. San Luis Avenue, Salasad. The town's cemetery, built in 1938, is also a common filming location due to its old design and the original arch at its entrance.
Do
[edit]- 1 Balanac Dam, Munting Ambling. An irrigation dam along the Pagsanjan River that is a favorite swimming sport for locals during the summer months.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Magdalena Public Market, Burgos corner Bernardo Streets, Ilayang Butnong.