Calamba City

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City of Calamba Lungsod ng Calamba
Seal
Nickname: Resort Capital of the Philippines
Map of Laguna showing the location of Calamba City
Coordinates: 14°13′N 121°10′E / 14.217, 121.167
Country	Philippines
Region	CALABARZON
Province	Laguna
District	II
Barangays	54
Incorporated (Town)	August 28, 1742
Incorporated (City)	April 21, 2001
Area
- Total	144.80 km² (55.9 sq mi)
Population (2000)
- Total	281,146
- Density	1,942/km² (5,029/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	4027 to 4029
Area code(s)	49
Income Class	1st Class
Classification	Component City
Website: elgu2.ncc.gov.ph/CITYOFCALAMBA

The concrete jar where the legend of the city's name has been immortalized.

Calamba City is a first 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.

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

[edit] History

The name of the city comes from a legend that during the early time of the Spanish period in the country, two "guardias civil" or soldiers were lost and passing through what is now Calamba. The soldiers met a young lady who came from a river carrying a jar of water and a wooden stove. The soldiers unwittingly in Spanish language and in authoritative tone, to conceal the fact that they were lost, asked the local maiden the name of the place they were in. The lady, who speaks only her native language, naturally thought she was being interrogated about what she was carrying and nervously uttered "kalan-banga", meaning "clay stove" (kalan) and "water jar" (banga). Because the Spaniards could not pronounce it properly, the town has been called Calamba supposedly since then. 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. It is considered the World's Biggest "Claypot". This same jar is also found in the city's seal. The plaza was proposed by Dr. Agapito Alzona, then the town councilor to utilize the waste area where the old town market relocated from. The resolution was approved by the then town mayor Roman Lazaro and added additional P5,000 for the fence to the original P15,000 construction cost. It was completed in 1939.

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.

During the Japanese occupation in World War II, the city was the theater of a massacre during which the Imperial Japanese Army killed at least 2,000 civilians. ^[1]

In 1945, the decoration of the Philippine soldiers and guerrillas taked in Calamba, fought the battles against the Japanese forces during the Second World War.

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.

Calamba boasts no less than five national heroes: Dr. Jose Rizal, General Paciano Rizal, Teodora Alonzo, General Vicente Lim, and Lt. Geronimo Aclan.

[edit] Geography

Calamba lies at 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. 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.

[edit] Barangays

Calamba City is politically subdivided into 54 barangays.

Banlic Bunggo Burol Camaligan Canlubang Hornalan Kay-Anlog La Mesa Lecheria Looc Mabato Mapagong Maunong Mayapa Parian Palo-Alto Prinza Punta Puting Lupa Sucol Tulo Ulango 1. Laguerta 2. Bubuyan 3. Majada Labas 4. Sirang Lupa 5. Barandal 6. Paciano Rizal 7. San Cristobal 8. Batino 9. Lawa 10. Real

11. Turbina 12. Makiling 13. Saimsim 14. Bagong Kalsada 15. Masili 16. Pansol 17. Bucal 18. Halang 19. Lingga 20. Palingon 21. Sampiruhan 22. San Juan 23. Banadero 24. Barangay 1 24. Barangay 2 24. Barangay 3 24. Barangay 4 24. Barangay 5 24. Barangay 6 24. Barangay 7 25. San Jose 26. Uwisan

[edit] Sister Cities

• Caloocan City, Philippines
• Litomerice, Czech Republic
• Walnut, USA

[edit] References

1. ^ Jintaro Ishida, The Remains of War, 2001, p.238, citing the Barangay Real Memorial.

[edit] External links

• Town of Calamba information site
• Calamba web page in the Official Website of Laguna
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• DEPED Masterlist
• http://www.msc.net.ph/calamba/
• http://calamba.50megs.com/
• http://ecommunity.ncc.gov.ph/CITYOFCALAMBA/