| Laguna
Wedding Destinations
Laguna - Resort
Province of the Philippines
Aside from being
the hometown of the Philippines' National Hero, Dr.
Jose Rizal, Laguna is considered as a resort haven.
The province is filled with illustrious bodies of water;
examples are Pagsanjan Falls, Seven Lakes, Caliraya
Lake, Laguna de Bay, and Hidden Valley Springs. These
nature-drawn wonders offer relaxation for those who
wants to escape the fast city life and recline to the
beauty of Mother Nature.
Demographics
1. Population - 2,
473, 530 (as of 2007 Census)
2. Land Area - 1,759.7 sq. km
3. Capital - Santa Cruz
4. Language/Dialect - Tagalog, Ilokano, Bicolano, Waray,
English and Filipino
5. Divisions
Cities (4)
- Santa Cruz
- Calamba City
- San Pablo City
- Santa Rosa City.
Municipalities (20)
- Alaminos
- Bay
- Biñán
- Cabuyao
- Calauan
- Cavinti
- Famy
- Kalayaan
- Liliw
- Los Baños
- Luisiana
- Lumbán
- Mabitac
- Magdalena
- Majayjay
- Nagcarlán
- Paeté
- Pagsanján
- Páquil
- Pêñguil
- Pila
- Rizal
- San Pedro
- Santa Cruz
- Santa María
- Sinilóan
- Victoria
Famous For...
Rizal Shrine
The two-storey vintage house is the residence of the
country's national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
Pagsanjan
Falls
This is one of the most famous falls in the Philippines.
The trip to the falls and the location of this natural
wonder are what makes tourists go back to Laguna.
Mount Makiling
Popularized because of its myth and the legend written
by Dr. Jose Rizal, this lush mountain is a favorite
among campers and mountain climbers.
Mount Banahaw
This mystical mountain is famous as a pilgrimage site
for many Filipinos because it is said that the mountain
possesses mythical powers and psychic energy
Laguna de
Bay
It is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third
largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.
Hot and Cold
Spring resorts
Hot and cold spring resorts proliferate throughout Laguna.
Water from these resorts comes from either Mount Banahaw
or Mount Makiling. Most resorts are located in Pansol,
Calamba City.
Paete Wood
Carrving and Paper Mache
Paete is the home of the best wood sculptors and mache
artists in the country. The practice has been passed
on from generations. Here, tourists can find artistically
crafted religious and non-religious items with various
sizes at a very affordable price.
Lumban Barong
Embroidery
Hand-embroidered barong is the main specialty of the
residents of Lumban. This art is passed on from generation
to generation. Using either jusi or Santana fabric,
workers diligently embroider detailed designs on the
barong, making one stand out among the rest.
Footwear
from Liliw
Dubbed as the Footwear Capital or Tsinelas Capital,
the main industry in this 4th class municipality is
shoes and slipper making. The most prominent area for
shoe-holics is at Gat. Tayao Street.
Delectable
foods
Laguna has a series of mouth-watering concoction to
offer its visitors that would make them come back to
the province.
1. Buko pie, espasol, and cassava cake from Los Baños
and Calamba
2. Puto Biñan (special rice cake) from Biñan
3. Uraro cookies (arrow root) from Liliw
4. Pineapples from Calauan
5. Native sweets and preserved delicacies from San Pablo
and Calauan
6. Lanzones and rambutan fruits from Pakil and Paete
7. Kesong Puti (native white cheese) from Sta. Cruz
and UP Los Baños
8. Lambanog (coconut wine) from Liliw, Luisiana and
Majayjay
Places of Interest
Cultural
Pintong Pilak
Location: Brgy. Munting Ambling and Brgy. Malaking Ambling,
Magdalena, Laguna
The narrow-mouthed cave is called Pintong Pilak by the
locals because of an old legend. It is said that a beautiful
mystical lady lived in the cave and only those with
a pure heart can enter her dwelling place. Those found
with a pure heart can borrow kitchen and household utensils
provided that they give a young white hen as rent for
the items borrowed.
University
of the Philippines - Los Baños
National Arts Center
Managed by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the
Center has 62 cottages, auditorium, and seminar and
convention facilities. It also has a scenic view of
four notable places in Laguna: Laguna de Bay, Talim
Island, Crocodile Lake, and the International Rice Research.
Museum of Natural History
The museum, established on September 30, 1976, now has
more than 200, 000 biological creatures in its records
ranging from animals, plants, microorganisms and others.
Museum of Wildlife Collections
The items displayed are collections of Dr. Dioscoro
Rabor, known as the "Father of Philippine Conservation".
Dr. Rabor gave significant contributions in the field
of ichthyology, fishery, mammalogy, herpetology, ornithology,
and ecology.
Entomology Museum
The museum exhibits various insects found throughout
the world; from the smallest insect to the biggest moth.
Philippine
High School For The Arts
Location: Los Baños, Laguna
The institution serves as the training center of young
children gifted in the field of dance, theater, music,
voice, and visual art. Their training is accompanied
by other secondary education subjects.
Pila Heritage
Town
Location: Pila, Laguna
The whole town of Pila is one of the few places in the
country where tourists can see an example of a typical
Spanish colonial community. The plaza, church, town
hall, and principalia are located near each other. The
35 ancestral houses and the Diocesan Shrine of St. Anthony
de Padua have been preserved. A museum is located at
the town proper which contains documents and artifacts
dating back as far as the 12th century.
Historical
Rizal Shrine
Location: Calamba, Laguna
Tour Days: Tuesday - Sunday
Tour Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The two-storey vintage house is the safe keeper of some
of the valuables of Dr. Jose P. Rizal such as his childhood
photos and laminated excerpts of his works. The Shrine
is a replica of the original house of the national hero.
Emilio Jacinto
Shrine
Location: St. Mary Magdalene Church, Magdalena, Laguna
The church erected a shrine and served as the keeper
of the authentic blood-stained bolo and hut of General
Emilio Jacinto. The Brains of the Katipunan was gravely
injured during the Battle of Maimpis. A small obelisk
was erected at the exact spot where he left the bolo
and hut.
Battle of
Mabitac Mural
Location: Mabitac, Laguna
The historic Battle of Mabitac happened on September
17, 1900 between the forces of Fillipino General Juan
Cailles and American Colonel Benjamin Cheatham. The
Americans lost the battle and in honor of this victory,
a mural was erected depicting a scene in this hard-fought
battle.
Trece Martires
Monument
Location: Sampalok Lake, San Pablo City, Laguna
The monument, located at the south side of the lake
was built through the efforts of Association of Deaconesses
of the Philippine Independent Church back in 1927.
Bonifacio
Monument
Location: Trece Martires St., Sampalok Lake, San Pablo
City, Laguna
The monument was inaugurated during the 133rd birth
anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, the Supremo of the
Katipunan
Bantayog
ng mga Bayani
Location: Brgy. Sta. Isabel, San Pablo City, Laguna
A commemorative statue in honor of those who fought
for Philippine Independence during World War II.
Bantayog
ng Kagitingan
Location: Brgy. San Mateo, San Pablo City, Laguna
This commemorative edifice is the venue for WWII veterans
who are honored during April 9.
Homma - Yamashita
Shrine
Location: University of the Philippines - Los Baños
Campus
Generals Masaharu Homma and Tomoyuki Yamashita were
two of the commanders during the Japanese occupation.
The Shrine was built at the exact spot where the two
generals were executed for their war crimes.
Japanese
Memorial Garden
Location: Brgy. Kanluran Talaongan, Cavinti, Laguna
The Japanese Government built it in honor of the fallen
Japanese soldiers during the WWII. The garden has served
as a good venue for picnics and bike rides.
Man-made
Lake Caliraya
Location: Lumban -Cavinti - Kalayaan, Laguna
This is a man-made lake used as a water reservoir for
the Caliraya Hydroelectric Plant. Now, the Lake is surrounded
by resorts and recreation centers, to give tourists
a better view of the lake.
Enchanted
Kingdom
Location: Santa Rosa, Laguna
Enchanted Kingdom opened in 1995 as the country's first
authentic theme park. Divided into seven park zones,
children and child at heart visitors will enjoy the
rides and thrills offered by the theme park.
Hidden Valley
Springs
Location: Alaminos, Laguna
This hot springs is a secluded private resort situated
near the old crater of Mount Makiling. It offers first
class facilities for leisure and recreation purposes.
Its main attractions include the Lovers' Pool and the
Soda Pool, similar to the Vicki and Fuji Waters of Japan.
Villa Escudero
Plantation and Resort
Location: San Pablo City, Laguna
This is one of the largest coconut plantations in the
province. Inside the plantation is a museum which houses
several Spanish-era artifacts such as silver altars,
glided carrozas (ceremonial carriages), ivory-headed
saint statues, oriental ceramics, and other cultural
and religious items.
Natural
Pagsanjan
Falls
Location: Cavinti - Pagsanjan, Laguna
The real name of the falls is Magdapio Falls. It gained
its popular name because the trip towards the falls
starts from Pagsanjan River. Tourists will enjoy the
two-hour boat ride called "shooting the rapids" for
it involves intense boat ride across several rapids.
Mount Makiling
Shaped like a woman lying on her back, this extinct
volcano towers 1,090 m above sea level is now an eco-tourism
site where nature-loving tourists can engage in mountain-climbing,
hiking, camping, mountain biking and bird watching.
Laguna de
Bay
It is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third
largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Shaped like
a letter 'W', it spreads throughout areas of Metro Manila,
Cavite and Laguna.
Taytay Falls
/ Imelda Falls
Location: Brgy. Gagalot, Majayjay, Laguna
The cold, clear-flowing water from this falls is from
Mount Banahaw. Nature-loving tourists can build campsites
near the falls. A 30-minute hike is the only way to
reach this place.
Crocodile
Lake
Location: Laguna de Bay, Laguna
It is a 'lake within a lake'. It got its name because
the Crater Lake is shaped like a crocodile.
Wawa Park
Location: Laguna de Bay, Laguna
Parallel to the Paete River, Wawa Park has pavilions
used as coffee shops where tourists can have a good
cup of coffee while enjoying the view.
Seven Lakes
Location: San Pablo City, Laguna
The city of San Pablo is popularly known as the "City
of Seven Lakes" because of the seven interconnected
lakes that surrounds the whole city. The lakes pass
through Mt. Cristobal, Tayak Hill, Mt. Kalisungan, and
Mt. Mabilog. The lakes originated from craters of ancient
volcanoes, thus the area is known as "San Pablo Volcanic
Field".
1. Sampaloc Lake
Location: Poblacion (Town Proper)
a. Sampalok Lake Staircase (Hagdang Bato)
Location: Trece Martires St., San Pablo City, Laguna
This staircase has been incorporated in the official
seal of San Pablo City. Construction of this 89-step
began in 1915.
2. Mojicap Lake
Location: Brgy. Santa Catalina
3. Palakpalin Lake
Location: Brgy. San Buenaventura
4. Calibato Lake
Location: Brgy. Santo Angel
5. Pandin Lake
Location: Brgy. San Lorenzo
6. Yambo Lake
Location: Brgy. San Lorenzo
7. Bunot Lake
Location: Brgy. Concepcion
Luisiana,
Laguna Falls
For the record, there are seven falls located throughout
the town of Luisiana. Maapon Falls' headwater comes
from Brgy. San Pedro Luisiana, Laguna and outlets in
Mauban, Quezon. Its height is approximately 30 meters.
Bongbonga, Malaog, Cabute, and Alimang Munti Falls are
all located in Brgy. San Buenaventura. Hulugan Falls
is the tallest waterfall in Luisiana with the height
of approximately 70 meters.
Religious
Nagcarlan
Underground Cemetery
Location: Nagcarlan, Laguna
Tour Days: Monday - Sunday
Tour Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Built in 1851 by Father Vicente Belloc, a Franciscan
Missionary, this underground cemetery is considered
by the National Historical Institute as a National Historical
Landmark. It was buit to stop the spread of an unknown
disease. The crypt is the only underground part of the
cemetery. To get there, tourists have to crawl down
a plight of stone steps inside the Baroque Spanish chapel.
This baroque structure also served as a secret meeting
place of the Katipuneros.
Festivals...
Salinbada "Sto.
Niño" Festival
Place: Paete, Laguna
Date: First Sunday of January
Celebrated together with the Feast of Sto. Niño, locals
dance around the town in ala-mardi gras, pouring water
on each other, recreating the baptism of the Child Jesus.
Barong Tagalog
Festival / Burdang Lumban Festival
Place: Lumban, Laguna
Date: Third week of September
In honor of the long tradition of Barong Tagalog-making
in Lumban, the locals celebrate it by exhibiting their
best work. Also, locals cook their notable dishes such
as kesong puti (white cheese) and ginataang hipon (shrimp
sauté in coconut milk). Other cottage industries are
exhibited and sold during the event.
Liliw Gat
Tayaw Festival (Tsinelas Festival)
Place: Liliw, Laguna
Date: Last week of April - first week of May.
First held in April 2002, the Gat Tayaw Tsinelas Festival
is celebrated yearly for the continued growth of the
slippers and shoe industry of Liliw, which has made
the town popular as the 'Footwear Capital of Laguna".
Named after the local hero of Liliw, Gat Tayaw, the
festival is filled with cultural dance presentation,
street dancing, competitions, and the search for Mutya
ng Liliw. Also, the infamous native delicacies uraro
(arrow root) and lambanog (coconut wine) is served for
everyone to enjoy.
Bangkero
Festival
Place: Pagsanjan, Laguna
Date: Last Saturday and Sunday of May
This is a yearly event for the boatmen or bangkeros
of the province. Events such as boat racing, tug-of-war,
and singing competition are held during the festival.
The highlight is the bantillan and gantungan, a boat
and float decoration spectacle.
Yugyugan
Festival
Place: Pagsanjan, Laguna
Date: December 3 -12
The first week of December is Pagsanjan day and the
town fiesta. The streets are filled with street dancers
and cultural events make up most of the fiesta program.
Coconut Festival
Place: San Pablo City, Laguna
Date: January 11 - 15 (Second Sunday of January)
The feast is a joint celebration of the city's patron
saint, St. Paul the First Hermit and the bountiful harvest
of the city's main product, coconut. Participants dressed
in coconut-inspired costumes dance around the city followed
by floats designed using coconut materials. There are
concerts, exhibits, games, and other activities throughout
the day.
Turumba Festival
/ Pistang Lupi
Place: Pakil, Laguna
Date: Friday before Palm Sunday to Pentecost Sunday
The Turumba Festival is in honor of the Our Lady of
Sorrows, or the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba.
It is celebrated seven times during the Lenten Season;
each corresponds to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin
Mary. This is considered as the longest feast here in
the country.
1. Unang Lupi - Biyernes de Dolores
Date celebrated: Friday before Palm Sunday
2. Ika-2 Lupi - Pistang Martes
Date celebrated: Tuesday after Easter Sunday
3. Ika-3 Lupi - Pistang Biyatiko
Date celebrated: a three-day event beginning six days
after Pistang Martes
4. Ika-4 Lupi - Pistang Biyernes
Date celebrated: Second Friday after the last day of
Pistang Biyatiko
5. Ika-5 Lupi - Pistang Linggo
Date celebrated: One week after Pistang Biyernes
6. Ika-6 Lupi - Pistang Pag-akyat
Date celebrated: Second Friday after Pistang Linggo
7. Ika 7 Lupi - Pistang Pagpanaog
Date celebrated: Pentecost Sunday
Other celebrations during Pistang Lupi
1. Extra Lupi - Pistang Pakileña
Date celebrated: May 12
2. Daan ng Krus sa Ping-as
Date celebrated: Last Saturday of May
3. Pistang Domingo de Dolores
Date celebrated: Third Sunday of September
Manok ni
San Pedro Festival
Place: San Pedro, Laguna
Date: Good Friday
The celebration is in honor of St. Peter the Apostle.
During the festival, government and private sector participate
in float making contest and street dancing throughout
the day.
Ana Kalang
Festival
Place: Nagcarlan, Laguna
Date: Third Wednesday of October
The feast is derived from the myth of Ana Kalang, a
beautiful, wealthy, generous woman, who saw the Virgin
of Santa Ana picked the lanzones, removed its poison
and made it edible. It was named after Ana Kalang in
honor of the bountiful harvest of lanzones, Nagcarlan's
main product and their agro-industrial products. Locals
create 'kalang-kalang', a giant statue made from different
fruits, vegetables, and other indigenous products, and
dance on the street together with their creations.
Itik Festival
Place: Victoria, Laguna
Date: second week of November
Itik-raising is the main industry of the Duck Capital
of the Philippines. Since November 2002, the local government
of Victoria pays tribute to this simple creature that
has contributed to the prosperity of the town. Street
concerts, games, exhibits, float parade, beauty pageant,
and the duck fest comprise this three-day event.
Pinya Festival
Place: Calauan, Laguna
Date; First - Second week of May
Started in 2003, the Pinya (Pineapple) Festival is celebrated
together with the feast of San Isidro Labrador (May
15). Events such as trade exhibit, culinary contest,
and float parade showcase products made from this home-grown
product. |
