Calamba City, Philippines, The

Calamba City is a 2nd class city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Situated only 54 kilometers south of Manila, about an hour by chartered bus, Calamba City is a popular tourist destination with its hot spring resorts, most of which are located in Barangay Pansol, and the Canlubang Golf and Country Club, site of many Philippine Opens. Calamba is also an important modern industrial center in the CALABARZON region as shown by the large number of industrial parks and business estates that are located in the city. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 281,146 people in 58,466 households.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

City of Calamba

Region: CALABARZON (Region IV-A)

Province: Laguna

Dates:
Founded—August 28, 1742
Cityhood—April 7-21, 2001

Population:
2000 census—281,146
Density—1,942 per km²

Area: 144.80 km²

Coordinates:

Barangays: 54

Congressional districts: 2nd district of Laguna

Income Class: 2nd class; urban

Calamba is the birthplace of José Rizal, the country's national hero.

Geography

Calamba lies at the northern slopes of Mount Makiling, an extinct 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. Calamba City is bordered by Cabuyao to the north, Los Baños to the east, by the province of Batangas to the south, specifically the municipalities of Santo Tomas and Talisay, and by the province of Cavite to the west, with Tagaytay City and Silang. Laguna de Bay the country's largest lake, forms the city's northwest border. The provincial capital, Santa Cruz, is located 45 kilometers by road to the east.

Barangays

Calamba City is politically subdivided into 54 barangays.

History

The name of the city came from a legend that during the early time of the Spanish period in the country, a "guardia civil" or soldier was passing through what is now Calamba. The soldier met a young lady who came from a river carrying a jar of water. Asked by the soldier as to the name of the place, the woman, in her confusion, uttered “kalan-banga” or “water jar”. Supposedly since then, the town has been called Calamba. This legend is immortalized with a large concrete water jar erected in the city plaza with the names of the city's barangays written on its surface. This same jar is also found in the city's seal.

Before it became a separate town, Calamba was then a part of Tabuco, now known as Cabuyao. Calamba became an independent pueblo on August 28, 1742. With the passage of Republic Act No. 9024 on April 7, 2001 and the approval of the residents in a plebiscite on April 21, Calamba was promoted from a municipality into Laguna's second component city after San Pablo.

An SM Mall will be established in Calamba in 2007.