Laguna

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

For travel purposes, we divide Laguna into three travel regions, all having one major hub to the other locations and distinctive flavors and geography.

Regions of Laguna

Eastern Laguna (Cavinti, Famy, Kalayaan, Luisiana, Lumban, Mabitac, Magdalena, Majayjay, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pakil, Pangil, 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

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

• 1 Alaminos
• Cavinti - resort town, home to the Caliraya Lake
• 2 Liliw - A small municipality overlooking Mount Banahaw. Known for its slippers.
• 3 Los Baños - Suburb of Calamba. Home of hot springs, Mount Makiling, University of the Philippines Los Baños and the International Rice Research Institute
• 4 Paete
• 5 Pagsanjan - Home to Pagsanjan Falls
• 6 Santa Cruz - Provincial capital.

Other destinations

• 7 Mount Makiling - volcano with hot springs

Understand

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.

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

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

By bus

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.

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 daily plies on eastern town part of Laguna Province via Lucena City-Tayabas City-Lucban-Infanta in Quezon Province.

EMBC Bus it plies daily bus trip to Mabitac and Siniloan Laguna Province EDSA Ortigas Avenue-Shaw Boulevard Mandaluyong City Metro Manila via Cainta-Baras-Tanay (East Manila Road) in Rizal Province.

Raymond Transport Inc from Sampaloc Manila it has been daily plies Cainta to Famy Laguna Province East Manila Road via Infanta-Real in Quezon Province similar route with own sister bus company MRR Transport Inc.

By car

From, Laguna is accessible by the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), which serves all the cities forming northwestern Laguna. An extension to Quezon Province will serve Alaminos and San Pablo to the southwest.

It is also possible to reach Laguna from Rizal via Rte 601, but it is a longer drive.

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.

From Quezon Province, eastern Laguna is served by Rte 603 from Lucena.

Governor's Dr (420 65) and Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd (Rte 420) connect with Cavite.

Get around

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. 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, 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

• Rizal Shrine (in Calamba) Historical Home of Filipino National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Heritage churches also abound, especially in the towns of southern and eastern Laguna.

Do

• Bathing at the hot springs of Pansol, Calamba and Los Baños
• Enchanted Kingdom (in Santa Rosa)
• Mt Makiling
• Pagsanjan Falls
• Rafting on Sampaloc Lake (in San Pablo)
• Wakeboarding at Republ1c Wake Park (in Nuvali, Calamba)

Eat

• Buko pies
• Suman
• Bibinka
• Pizza pies
• Filipino culinary dishes
• Asian culinary dishes
• Street foods
• Espasol
• Pancit
• Spicy foods
• Kesong puti

Fruit

• Avocado
• Lanzonese
• Rambutan
• Banana
• Grapes

Drink

• Soft drinks
• Fruit juices

Sleep

• Luxury hotels
• Condo
• 5 Star hotels
• Mansion

Stay safe

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.

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.

Go next

• 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.