Calamba, Laguna

Calamba, officially the City of Calamba, is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
Calamba is the regional center of the Calabarzon region. It is situated south of Manila and west of Santa Cruz. The city is known as the "Spring Resort Capital of the Philippines" because of its numerous hot spring resorts, which are mostly located in Barangays Pansol, Bucal, Bagong Kalsada, and Lingga.
According to the 2024 census, Calamba has a population of 575,046 people, making it the second most populous local government unit in Laguna. It is the fifth-densest city in the province with more than 2,600 people per square kilometer after San Pedro, Biñan, Cabuyao, and Santa Rosa. Based on the overall rankings of the 2014 Cities and Municipalities Index, the city ranked 18th in the overall competitiveness and first among cities in the Calabarzon region. Calamba is known to be Calabarzon's richest city because of its numerous industries.
Calamba is the hometown of the de facto Philippine national hero, José Rizal.

Etymology

The name of the city is derived from Tagalog kalamba, meaning a wide-mouthed earthen water jar. The origin of the name is reflected in the Calamba Jar landmark in city plaza, as well as the city's seal which depicts a water jar superimposed with a profile of José Rizal.

History

Early history

The oldest part of Calamba is believed to be Barangay Sucol where its first settlers remained. With the arrival of Spaniards, the whole area was converted into a hacienda, then a part of Tabuco. In 1639 Calamba was the site of a rebellion of Chinese farmers, who had been forcibly resettled there by Governor Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera. This rebellion spread north of the Pasig River and eventually culminated in the deaths of over 20,000 Chinese in the whole region surrounding Manila. Calamba became an independent pueblo on August 28, 1742, and formed into the town of Calamba in 1770. In 1813, Calamba was placed in the hands of "encargados" by the Dominican Brothers, who divided it into portions and sold the haciendas to the natives during the American regime.

World War II

During the Japanese occupation in World War II, Calamba was the location of a massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army, in which at least 2,000 civilians were killed. The St. John the Baptist Church, established in 1859, was burned by the Japanese during World War II. It was reconstructed by Fr. Eliseo Dimaculangan. It was the christening site of José Rizal. The original baptismal font has been preserved and refurbished.

Cityhood

After a process of more than seven years, Calamba became the second component city of the Laguna by virtue of Republic Act No. 9024, "An Act Converting the Municipality of Calamba, Province of Laguna into a Component City to be known as the City of Calamba." R.A. 9024 was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on March 5, 2001, at the Malacañan Palace. The Commission on Elections then set the plebiscite for Calamba's cityhood on April 21, 2001, where 15,056 residents participated. 3,413 or 22.67% voted "No" while the remaining 77.33% voted "Yes" to Calamba's conversion into a component city.

Events leading to Cityhood

As early as 1994, the town's Sangguniang Bayan approved Resolution No. 60, Series of 1994 requesting the Senate of the Philippines through its president and the House of Representatives through its speaker to co-sponsor a bill for Calamba's conversion into a city. It was only after two years that another resolution, Resolution No. 115 was passed requesting then-Representative Joaquin M. Chipeco Jr., to co-sponsor a bill for Calamba's cityhood and requesting the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for their comments and recommendations regarding the matter. Another two years passed before House Bill No. 986 and Senate bill Nos. 1630 and 1791 were filed in the House of Representatives by Congressman Chipeco and Senate of the Philippines by Senators Franklin M. Drilon and Sergio Osmeña III, respectively.
It was only in the year 2000 that the motion for Calamba's cityhood was fast-tracked. Then Mayor Severino J. Lajara requested favorable endorsement of House Bill No. 986 from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on January 3, 2000. The Sangguniang Bayan also endorsed House Bill No. 986 and Senate Bill Nos. 1630 and 1791 and also requested favorable endorsement from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in the same month. A month passed and Mayor Lajara sent a follow-up letter to then Vice Governor Teresita "Ningning" Lazaro on updates regarding the matter.
On March 8, the House Committee on Local Government approved House Bill No. 986 on 2nd reading at a hearing held at Hotel Rembrandt, Quezon City. The same House Committee conducted a public hearing on House Bill No. 986 at the Calamba Elementary School gymnasium on March 23, approving the House Bill in principle. House Bill 986 was deliberated in April by the House of Representatives in plenary session and approved as House Bill No. 10661, which was then filed with the Senate of the Philippines in June.
The year 2001 came and brought about approval on 2nd reading of Senate Bill Nos. 1630 and 1791 and House Bill No. 10661 in a hearing held on February 5 at the Ambrocio Padilla Hall, Senate of the Philippines. Three days later, February 8, Senate Bill Nos. 1630 and 1791 and House Bill No. 10661 was deliberated in Plenary Session and was approved as Republic Act No. 9024.

Designation as regional center

Calamba was declared the regional center of the Calabarzon region by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo by virtue of Executive Order No. 246, dated October 28, 2003.

Geography

Calamba lies on the northern slopes of Mount Makiling, a dormant volcano. The southern terminus of the South Luzon Expressway is in Calamba and this geographic position makes the city a gateway to the southern provinces of Luzon. The highway at the end of the South Luzon Expressway leads east to the other towns of Laguna and south towards the provinces of Batangas and Quezon.
The city is bordered by Cabuyao to the north, by the province of Cavite to the west, specifically Silang and Tagaytay, Los Baños to the east, and by the province of Batangas to the south and southwest, specifically the cities and municipalities of Talisay, Tanauan, and Santo Tomas. Laguna de Bay, the country's largest lake, forms the city's northeast border. The provincial capital, Santa Cruz, is located by road to the east.
Calamba covers a total land area of, making it is the second-largest city in Laguna province in terms of land area after San Pablo.

Land uses

Barangays

Calamba is politically subdivided into 54 barangays, as indicated in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

No.	Barangay	Barangay chairman	Land Area	Population	Population	Classification	Zoning Classification
1	Bagong Kalsada	Clemente M. Manato	157.8	3,600	3,892	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
2	Bañadero	Aries B. Hizon	190.0	14,957	12,647	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone
3	Banlic	January Y. Paraso	274.9	20,379	18,335	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone
4	Barandal	Cristina H. Rosales	189.3	19,326	18,076	Rural	Growth Management Zone 1
5	Barangay 1	Marcelino T. Tuballas	29.2	4,767	5,823	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
6	Barangay 2	Joanne M. De Mesa	17.1	11,053	10,627	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
7	Barangay 3	Donnie P. Alvarez	29.8	4,060	4,537	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
8	Barangay 4	Joseph L. Emergo	4.5	3,230	3,301	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
9	Barangay 5	Matthew B. Rizal	25.6	5,384	5,858	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
10	Barangay 6	Andrew A. Balita	42.3	2,757	1,693	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
11	Barangay 7	Victor A. Opaco	81.8	2,160	2,357	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
12	Batino	Pio C. Dimapilis	110.5	1,773	1,616	Rural	Growth Management Zone 1 Urban Redevelopment Zone
13	Bubuyan	Madell Donna C. Manaig	196.0	6,255	3,193	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
14	Bucal	Gil B. Rimas	265.0	14,526	14,289	Urban	Upland Conservation Zone Urban Redevelopment Zone Agricultural Development Zone
15	Bunggo	George F. Cabrera	556.6	4,694	4,437	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
16	Burol	John Kenneth Vence L. Evangelista	258.2	5,524	3,551	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
17	Camaligan	Victor E. de Castro	106.5	1,360	1,345	Rural	Growth Management Zone 2
18	Canlubang	Larry O. Dimayuga	3,912.0	68,780	60,292	Urban	Growth Management Zone 1 & 2
19	Halang	Aries O. Silva	166.7	8,776	8,582	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone Agricultural Development Zone
20	Hornalan	June M. Oña	22.0	1,945	2,053	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
21	Kay-Anlog	Nemar G. Mendoza	272.0	21,095	20,487	Rural	Growth Management Zone 2
22	La Mesa	Eduardo R. Silva	294.1	18,808	17,569	Urban	Upland Conservation Zone Urban Redevelopment Zone Growth Management Zone
23	Laguerta	Eduardo M. Sanque	314.9	8,455	5,461	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
24	Lawa	Emmanuel F. Nido	146.6	13,508	12,245	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
25	Lecheria	Rommel P. Casintahan	157.5	12,194	10,907	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone Agricultural Development Zone
26	Lingga	Darwin C. Retusto	45.0	6,662	6,193	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone
27	Looc	Rustan T. Miranda	179.1	29,364	26,819	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone
28	Mabato	Luisito G. Manguiat	273.1	844	724	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
29	Majada Labas	Rowel G. Fajardo	180.2	11,231	10,571	Urban	Growth Management Zone 1
30	Makiling	Aigrette P. Lajara	465.7	13,691	12,508	Rural	Growth Management Zone 1 & 2
31	Mapagong	Jonathan O. Gaylon	320.8	7,057	7,254	Rural	Urban Redevelopment Zone Agricultural Development Zone Growth Management Zone 1
32	Masili	Rhonell C. Malabanan	32.1	3,863	3,827	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
33	Maunong	Joselito S. Estrada	399.2	4,549	4,395	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone Growth Management Zone 1 & 2
34	Mayapa	Victoria T. Sumbillo	116.3	15,309	28,302	Urban	Growth Management Zone 1
35	Milagrosa	Randy M. Sulit	209.4	12,557	9,687	Urban	Growth Management Zone 1 & 2
36	Paciano Rizal	Napoleon V. Baradas	126.8	17,398	15,679	Urban	Growth Management Zone 2
37	Palingon	Jeffrey Q.	15.3	6,046	5,249	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone
38	Palo-Alto	Nelson C. Unico	273.7	19,279	18,874	Rural	Growth Management Zone 1
39	Pansol	Joel DR. Martinez	528.2	12,099	11,623	Urban	Upland Conservation Zone Urban Redevelopment Zone Forest Buffer Zone Agricultural Development Zone
40	Parian	Rodnie P. Perez	112.0	27,378	25,558	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone Urban Redevelopment Zone
41	Prinza	Marvin D. Atienza	95.3	5,034	5,284	Rural	Urban Redevelopment Zone Growth Management Zone 1
42	Punta	Justino P. Carandang	331.0	8,639	7,321	Rural	Growth Management Zone 1 & 2
43	Puting Lupa	Allan S. Pedraja	542.0	2,390	2,389	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone Growth Management Zone 2 Forest Buffer Zone
44	Real	Florencio A. Morales, Jr.	132.9	18,607	16,371	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
45	Saimsim	Apolonio P. Manalo Jr.	194.5	6,776	6,166	Rural	Growth Management Zone 1
46	Sampiruhan	James Philip C. Dumalaon	81.0	9,740	9,466	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone
47	San Cristobal	Irineo T. Logo	119.0	15,096	14,881	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
48	San Jose	Reginald C. Oliva	89.6	4,393	4,061	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
49	San Juan	Danilo Q. Amparo	15.3	6,455	4,826	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
50	Sirang Lupa	Ronaldo M. Contreras	198.4	12,636	12,938	Urban	Growth Management Zone 1
51	Sucol	Edgar A. Balagtas	31.6	5,255	5,233	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
52	Turbina	Rodel V. Manalo	51.5	5,541	6,268	Urban	Urban Redevelopment Zone
53	Ulango	Andro M. Evangelista	227.6	1,067	1,060	Rural	Upland Conservation Zone
54	Uwisan	Catalina P. Aldabe	78.0	6,724	2,971	Urban	Agricultural Development Zone