THE HISTORY OF LAGUNA

IN 16TH TO 20TH CENTURY

What do you think when I say the province of Laguna?

Laguna, officially known as the Province of Laguna (Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Laguna;

Spanish: Provincia de Laguna), is a province in the Philippines, located in the Calabarzon region
in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is situated southeast of Metro Manila, south
of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna hugs the
southern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. As of the 2015 census, the
province's total population is 3,035,081. It is also currently the seventh richest province in the
country. Laguna is notable as the birthplace of Jose Rizal, the country's national hero. It is also
famous for attractions like Pagsanjan Falls, the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus,
the hot spring resorts of Los Baños and Calamba on the slopes of Mount Makiling,Pila historic
town plaza, Taytay Falls in Majayjay, the wood carvings and papier-mâché created by the people
of Paeté, the annual Sampaguita Festival in San Pedro, the turumba of Pakil, the tsinelas
footwears from Liliw, the Pandan Festival of Luisiana, the Seven Lakes of San Pablo, and The
Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan.

 7 LAGUNA DELICACIES YOU’VE BEEN MISSING ALL THESE YEARS

 1. Espasol

This is a rice cake cooked in coconut milk filled with coconut powder which gives an
appealing snowy feature. Heaven. It has a soft and chewy texture with a sweet taste that leaves
you craving for more. You can basically buy it all around in Laguna and even in the provincial
buses, but the best ones are offered in Los Baños, Liliw, Nagcarlan, Alaminos, and Pagsanjan.
Price Range: P20.00 to P50.00

2. Kinulob na Itik

This is deep-fried duck recipe with an appearance similar to a deep-fried chicken. But I
tell you one thing, it’s a duck. One cannot simply find a deep-fried duck anywhere. If there ever
comes a time that you feel sorry for a chicken, probably because it’s cute, try a duck. You won’t
regret it. I think it’s totally worth it. But seriously, it tastes just as delicious, maybe even better.
Something to add in your bucket list. Best ones are found in Victoria. They are available there
from small stands to big restaurants. Price Range: P100.00 to P150.00.
 3. Monay Bae

Monay, a common type of bread characterized by its large size, is also a familiar
delicacy. Monay Bae, which came from Bay (pronounced as ‘ba-eh’), is another. Its appearance
has no actual difference in particular compared to a traditional Monay. The differences between
the two come out bite after bite—I’ve experienced it myself—in which case I would leave for
you to find out why its life-changing. It can be bought on a number of bakeries in, you’ve
guessed it again, Bay. Price Range: P3.00

Popular Shops: Tenorio’s Bakery

4. Puto Biñan

Puto, which is grinded rice mixed with eggs and cheese, may be a common delicacy in
the Philippines, but “Puto Biñan” makes all the difference. It has many variations, with different
flavors and sizes, making it unique to all the other traditional putos out there. Some have fillings
inside, some on top, and can be as large as the size of a pizza. Don’t settle for ordinary, try Puto
Biñan. Best ones are sold in, you’ve guessed right, Biñan City. Price Range: P20.00 to P50.00

Popular Shops: Nila’s Special Puto Biñan, Nanay Juling’s Special Puto Biñan.
 5. Kesong Puti

Kesong puti, or white cheese. Clearly, white is the color of purity. And that’s what it’s
made of, a fresh and soft cheese made from unskimmed carabao milk. It can be eaten along with
bread, or as an ingredient for pastas or burgers, and, trust me, it’s delicious, and fills up that
emptiness the yellow ones don’t offer. It’s also found in Sta. Cruz, the home of kesong puti.
Price Range: P10.00 to P20.00

Popular Shops: Gil’s Kesong Puti, Flor De Lima’s Special Kesong Puti, Mr. Moo’s Fresh Milk
and Kesong Puti.

6. Bibingka De Macapuno

If you have already tried a bibingka, good for you, you’re halfway across the battle. But
bibingka de macapuno? It’s the winning piece. It’s a rice cake filled with macapuno, a soft
processed coconut meat. It has a texture similar to bread but it’s sweet! Definitely something that
must not be missed. Best ones sold in Sta. CPrice Range: P20.00 to P30.00

Popular Shops: Tio Casio’s Bibingka de Macapunoruz. Don’t miss it.

 7. Buko Pie

Buko. Pie. Sounds intriguing and delicious at the same time. Yes, you have guessed it,
it’s like an apple pie but instead of an apple, a young coconut is used. The pie has a sort of crispy
“buko meat” on the top and has a soft buko fillings inside, and—with a bite—you’ll feel all the
good vibes come to you and forget all other things. Best ones are sold in Los Baños, so if you
ever happen to be there, you are obliged to buy one, or else. Price Range:

P50.00 to P100.00

Popular Shops: Lety’s Buko Pie, Orient Original Buko Pie, Colette’s Buko Pie, D’Vinia’s Buko
Pie, Sheila’s Buko Pie.

 JOSÉ PROTASIO RIZAL MERCADO Y REALONDA

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Realonda,(Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse riˈsal]; June 19,
1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the
Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. An ophthalmologist by profession, Rizal became a
writer and a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement which advocated political
reforms for the colony under Spain. He was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the
crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution, inspired in part by his writings, broke out.
Though he was not actively involved in its planning or conduct, he ultimately approved of its
goals which eventually led to Philippine independence.
The siblings of Rizal

Paciano Mercado Paciano Mercado

Narcisa Mercado Olympia Mercado

Soledad Mercado Lucia Mercado

Saturtina Mercado Josefa Mecado

  PAGSANJAN FALLS

Pagsanjan Falls, also known as Cavinti Falls (indigenous

name: Magdapio Falls) is one of the most famous waterfalls in the
Philippines. Located in the province of Laguna, the falls is one of the
major tourist attractions of the region. The three-drop waterfall is
reached by a river trip on dugout canoe, known locally as Shooting
the rapids, originating from the municipality of Pagsanjan.The falls
can also be reached from the top by a short hike from Cavinti.The
boat ride has been an attraction since the Spanish Colonial Era with
the oldest written account in 1894. The town of Pagsanjan lies at the
confluence of two rivers, the Balanac River and the Bumbungan River (also known as the
Pagsanjuan River).

 HISTORY

The history of the province of Laguna, and that of the Southern Tagalog region, dates as
far back as 900 AD. The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the oldest known written document
found in the Philippines, which talks of its subject being released from a debt to the King of
Tondo. Pre-Hispanic settlement in the area can be dated to prehistoric times, as evidenced in the
names of towns such as Pila, Laguna, whose name can be traced to the straight mounds of dirt
that form the boundaries of the rice paddy, or Pilapil.

A prominent figure during the time of pre-Hispanic contact is Gat Pangil, a chieftain in
the area. The towns of Bay, Pangil and Pakil were reputed to have once been a part of his
domain, although accounts vary on who exactly Gat Pangil was.

 LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription

(Filipino: Inskripsyon sa Binatbat na Tanso ng
Laguna, Malay: Prasasti keping tembaga Laguna;
often shortened into the acronym LCI), a legal
document inscribed on a copper plate in 900 CE, is
the earliest known calendar-dated document found
in the Philippines. The date of the inscription
would make it contemporary to the Balitung kingdom of Central Java, although it necessarily did
not originate from that area. The plate was found in 1989 by a laborer near the mouth of the
Lumbang River in Wawa barangay, Lumban municipality, Laguna province. The inscription,
written in a mix of the Old Malay language using the Old Kawi script, was first deciphered by
Dutch anthropologist and Hanunó'o script expert Antoon Postma in 1992.

 16TH CENTURY

The Province of Laguna, which was formerly called La Laguna and La Provincia de la
Laguna de Bay, was named after Laguna de Bay, the body of water that forms its northern
boundary.Laguna de Bay, in turn, was named after the town of Bay, the first provincial capital.
Captain Juan de Salcedo with a band of one hundred Spanish-Mexican soldiers conquered the
province and its surrounding regions for Spain in 1571. The province of La Laguna comprised
the modern province of Laguna, as well as parts of what is now known as Rizal and Quezon.

In 1577, the Franciscan missionaries arrived in Manila, and in 1578 they started
evangelizing Laguna, Morong (now Rizal), Tayabas (now Quezon) and the Bicol Peninsula. Juan
de Plasencia and Diego de Oropesa were the earliest Franciscans sent to these places. From
1580, the towns of Bay, Caliraya, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Liliw, Pila, Santa Cruz, Lumban, Pangil
and Siniloan were founded. During the time of Governor-General Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, the
province of La Laguna was divided into the following encomiendas.

 JUAN DE SALCEDO

Juan de Salcedo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan

de salˈθeðo]; 1549 – March 11, 1576) was a Spanish
conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549 and he
was the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi and
brother of Felipe de Salcedo. Salcedo was one of the
soldiers who accompanied the Spanish colonization of
the Philippines in 1565. He joined the Spanish military
in 1564 for their exploration of the East Indies and the
Pacific, at the age of 15. In 1567, Salcedo led an army of
about 300 Spanish and Mexican soldiers and 600
Visayan (Filipino) allies along with Martín de Goiti for
their conquest of Islamic Manila (then under occupation by the Sultanate of Brunei). There they
fought a number of battles against the Muslim leaders, mainly against Tarik Sulayman (ironically
named from the Arabic ‫ زياد بن طارق‬Tāriq, Islamic conqueror of Spain before the Christian
Spanish expelled the Muslims during the Reconquista). The Spanish officers, Mexican recruits
and Filipino warriors coalesced in 1570 and 1571 to attack the Islamised areas of Luzon, for
control of lands and settlements.

 MIRABAGO-CURRENTLY THE AREAS SURROUNDING, LILIW, AND

NAGCARLAN

Liliw, officially the Municipality of Liliw, (Tagalog: Bayan ng Liliw), is a 4th class
municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a
population of 36,582 people

It is one of the highland towns forming the southern extremity of Laguna. It is situated at
the foot of Mt. Banahaw.

Liliw has a total land area of 3,910 hectares (9,700 acres).  It is bounded on the north-
west by Sta. Cruz; north-east by Magdalena; on the east by Majayjay; on the west by Nagcarlan;
and on the south by Dolores, Quezon.

Nagcarlan, officially the Municipality of Nagcarlan, (Tagalog: Bayan ng Nagcarlan), is a

2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it
has a population of 63,057 people.

It is 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northeast of San Pablo City, or 103 kilometres (64 mi) south
of Manila. The town is home to the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, one of the most
important cemeteries in the Philippines which has been declared as an Important Cultural
Property for its outstanding value to the nation.

 NAGCARLAN UNDERGROUND CEMETERY

The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery (Filipino: Libingan sa

Ilalim ng Lupa ng Nagcarlan) is a national historical landmark
and museum in Barangay Bambang, Nagcarlan, Laguna
supervised by the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines. It was built in 1845 under the supervision of
Franciscan priest, Fr. Vicente Velloc as a public burial site and
its underground crypt exclusively for Spanish friars, prominent
town citizens and members of elite Catholic families.[1] It is
dubbed as the only underground cemetery in the country.
  TABUCO - CURRENTLY THE AREAS SURROUNDING SAN PEDRO, BIÑAN,
SANTA ROSA, CABUYAO, AND CALAMBA

San Pedro, officially the City of San Pedro, (Tagalog:

Lungsod ng San Pedro), or simply San Pedro City, is a 1st class
city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2015
census, it has a population of 325,809 people.

It is named after its patron saint, Peter the Apostle.

Despite being the third smallest in the entire province, with

a total land surface area of only 24.05 km2, San Pedro is the fourth
largest city in terms of population after the cities of Calamba, Biñan, and Santa Rosa. The city
also has the highest population density in the province of Laguna and in the whole Calabarzon
region, having 14,000 people/km2.

 THE SEVEN LAKES OF SAN PABLO

1. Lake Bunot is one of the Seven Lakes of San
Pablo, Laguna in the Philippines. It is located in
Brgy. Concepcion, San Pablo City. Only 4.5
kilometres (2.8 mi) from the city proper, Bunot is
known for its cultured tilapia and fishpens for
Nilotica fingerlings. Bunot has a normal surface
area of 30.5 hectare s (75 acres) with a maximum
depth of 23 metres (75 ft).

2. Lake Calibato is one of the seven crater lakes collectively

called Pitong Lawa or Seven Lakes of San Pablo in Laguna
province in the Philippines. The lake is situated in Brgy. Sto.
Angel in San Pablo City. Calibato has an area of 42 hectares
(100 acres) and maximum depth of 135 metres (443 ft).
Calibato's maximum water capacity is approximately 29,600
cubic metres (1,050,000 cu ft). Its supplies the city and
nearby towns with abundant fish and aquatic plants. The
lake is the deepest recorded lake among the seven-lake
system; no recorded depths are available for Muhikap.
 3. Lake Palakpakin is one of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo in Laguna province in the
Philippines. Palakpakin is located in Brgy. San Buenaventura, San Pablo City. With an
area of 43 hectares (110 acres), it has a maximum depth of 7.5 metres (25 ft).
Residents around the lake rely on income from fishpens and fishcages that grow cultured
tilapia and silver carps.
4. Lake Mohicap (also spelled as Mojicap or Muhikap) is one of the seven lakes of San
Pablo City, in the province of Laguna, Philippines. The lake, located in Brgy. San
Buenaventura, has an area of 14.5 hectares (36 acres) and is one of the main suppliers of
water in the city. The waters of San Pablo Lakes provide a generous source of tilapia for
Metro Manila and suburbs.

 THE TWIN LAKES OF YAMBO AND PANDIN

Pandin and Yambo are twin crater lakes separated by a narrow strip of land. They are part
of the Seven Lakes system in San Pablo, and are situated at Brgy. San Lorenzo in San Pablo City
of Laguna province in the Philippines.

Lake Pandin is said to be "the most pristine" of the seven lakes of San Pablo.

5. Pandin Lake Pandin has an area of 20.5 hectares and a maximum depth of 30480 meters.
It has a calculated volume of 6,600 cubic meters of water in storage.
6. Yambo has a normal surface area of 28.5 hectares. Yambo, like pandin is considered
oligotrophic, and is suitable for swimming, outings, and picnics.

Yambo Lake Pandin Lake

 7. Lake Sampaloc

Lake Sampaloc is an inactive volcanic maar on the island of Luzon, the Philippines. It is
the largest of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo, Laguna. Nearly half of the lake's depth has a
shallow depression at the bottom, indicating its volcanic origin. The lake is behind San Pablo
city hall and is dotted with fishpens and small cottages built on stilts.

 BIÑAN

Biñan, (/bɪnjaʊn/) officially the City of Biñan,

(Tagalog: Lungsod ng Biñan), and known simply as Biñan
City is a 1st class city in the province of Laguna,
Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a
population of 333,028 people.It comes second in Laguna
coming from Metro Manila next to San Pedro City.

Biñan also known as Biniang has become both a

suburban residential community of Metro Manila and a
location for some of the Philippines' largest industrial estates
and export processing zones. Prior to its cityhood in 2010,
Biñan was the richest municipality in the Philippines with an
annual gross income of ₱677 million (US$14.383 million) and net income of ₱250 million
(US$5.308 million), as of 2007 by the Commission On Audit.[5] According to the 2015 census,
it has a population of 333,028, making it the third largest in population in the province of
Laguna, after Calamba City and Santa Rosa City.

 SANTA ROSA

In 1571, Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo, the

grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi, founded the town of
Biñan which was annexed as a barrio to Tabuco (now, Cabuyao)
while exploring the region of Laguna de Bay.

In 1688, Biñan, together with Barrio Bukol (Santa Rosa,

before separation from Biñan) separated from Cabuyao. After a
series of renaming, separation of barrios to become independent
towns, Barrio Bukol was politically emancipated as the
municipality of Santa Rosa. The town was renamed after Saint
Rose of Lima. The municipality of Santa Rosa was founded on January 18, 1792.
 During the revolutionary period in 1898, the town was instrumental in the proclamation
of Philippine independence from Spain when it signed the Act of Independence on June 12,
1898. Later on the town's local revolutionaries fought alongside the forces of Pío del Pilar.

 CABUYAO

Cabuyao, officially the City of Cabuyao, (Tagalog:

Lungsod ng Cabuyao), or known simply as Cabuyao City, is a
1st class city in the province of Laguna, Philippines.
According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 308,745
people.

It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the

Philippines because of the large populace of migrants working
in the town's industrial estates.Nestlé Philippines, Asia
Brewery, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, Tanduay Distillers,
Inc., Wyeth Philippines, Inc., Procter & Gamble Philippines,
Light Industry and Science Park of the Philippines and
Malayan Colleges Laguna have established factories or are located in Cabuyao.

 CALAMBA

Calamba, officially the City of Calamba, (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Calamba), or known

simply as Calamba City is a 1st class city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to
the 2015 census, it has a population of 454,486 people.

It is the regional center of the Calabarzon region. It is situated 51 kilometres (32 mi)
south of Manila, 37 kilometres (23 mi) west of Santa Cruz, Laguna and 31 kilometres (19 mi)
north of San Pablo, Laguna. The city is known as the "Resort Capital of the Philippines"because
of its numerous hot spring resorts, which are mostly located in Barangay Pansol, Bucal and
Bagong Kalsada.

It is the regional center of the Calabarzon region. It is situated 51 kilometres (32 mi)
south of Manila, 37 kilometres (23 mi) west of Santa Cruz, Laguna and 31 kilometres (19 mi)
north of San Pablo, Laguna. The city is known as the "Resort Capital of the Philippines"[4]
because of its numerous hot spring resorts, which are mostly located in Barangay Pansol, Bucal
and Bagong Kalsada.
 According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 454,486 people, making it the
most populous local government unit in Laguna.[3] It is the 5th 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 (cities ranking) and 1st among cities in the Calabarzon region. The
city is known to be the Calabarzon's richest city, followed by Cabuyao City, because of its
numerous factories according to the Region 4-A Calabarzon.

 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY

Laguna was the site of multiple engagements during the Sangley Rebellion.In 1603,
Antonio de Morga relates how the Chinese rebels scattered to three divisions, one of which went
to the mountains of San Pablo.Captain Don Luys de Velasco, aided by Spanish and Filipino
forces, was successful in pursuing the rebels. Eventually the Chinese were able to kill Luys de
Velasco and ten of his men, before securing themselves in San Pablo while waiting for
reinforcement from the mainland. On the 20th of October, 1603, Governor-General Pedro Bravo
de Acuña then sent Captain Cristoval de Axqueta Menchaca to pursue and crush the rebellion
and was successful after twenty days of fighting. Around this time the hot springs of Los Baños
and San Pablo were known to the Spanish, and a hospital was built in the area. By 1622 the
hospital was notable enough to be mentioned by the Archbishop of Manila at the time, Miguel
García Serrano in his letter to King Philip IV.

In 1639, a second rebellion involving the Chinese occurred, and the rebels fortified
themselves in the highlands of Cavinti and Lumban before surrendering in Pagsanjan a year
later. n 1670, a delimitation of borders were made between Lucban, Majayjay and Cavite. The
most populous town at that time, Bay, was capital of the province until 1688, when the seat of
the provincial government was moved to Pagsanján. Pagsanján would be the provincial seat until
1858 when it was moved once again to Santa Cruz. In 1754, the Province of Laguna and Tayabas
were divided, with the Malinao River separating the towns of Majayjay and Lucban. In 1678,
Fray Hernando Cabrera founded San Pablo de los Montes (now San Pablo City) and built a
wooden church and convent considered as the best and finest in the province.

Fighting extended to Laguna during the British occupation of Manila between the years
of 1762-64. A detachment of British troops under Captain Thomas Backhouse entered the
province in search of the silver cargo of the galleon Filipina while Francisco de San Juan led a
band of volunteers that fought them in several engagements in and around the then provincial
capital of Pagsanjan. Backhouse plundered the town and burned its newly reconstructed church
but San Juan succeeded in escaping with the precious hoard to Pampanga where the treasure
greatly bolstered the defense effort of Governor-General Simón de Anda y Salazar. For his
actions, San Juan was made a brigade commander and alcalde mayor of Tayabas (now Quezon)
province.

 Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay

Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (November 29,

1559 – July 21, 1636) was a Spanish lawyer and a
high-ranking colonial official for 43 years, in the
Philippines (1594 to 1604), New Spain and Peru,
where he was president of the Audiencia for 20 years.
He was also a historian. After being reassigned to
Mexico, he published the book Sucesos de las islas
Filipinas in 1609, considered one of the most important
works on the early history of the Spanish colonization
of the Philippines.[1] As Deputy Governor in the
Philippines, he restored the audencia. He took over the
function of judge or oidor. He also took command of
Spanish ships in a 1600 naval battle against Dutch corsairs, but suffered defeat and barely
survived. His history was first published in English in 1868; numerous editions have been
published in English, including a 1907 edition that is online at the Gutenberg Project. It has
also been reprinted in Spanish and other languages.

 Pedro Bravo de Acuña

Pedro Bravo de Acuña (died June 24, 1606) was a Spanish military officer and colonial
official in the New World and the Philippines. From 1602 to 1606 he was governor of the
Philippines.
  Miguel García Serrano

Miguel García Serrano, O.S.A. (1569 – June 14, 1629) was a Roman Catholic prelate
who served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (1618–1629) and
the Bishop of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia (1616–1618).

 King Philip IV

Philip IV (Spanish: Felipe, Portuguese: Filipe; 8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665) was
King of Spain and (as Philip III) Portugal. He ascended the thrones in 1621 and reigned in Spain
until his death and in Portugal until 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the arts,
including such artists as Diego Velázquez, and his rule over Spain during the Thirty Years' War.

By the time of his death in 1665, the Spanish Empire had reached approximately 12.2
million square kilometers (4.7 million square miles) in area but in other respects was in decline, a
process to which Philip contributed with his inability to achieve successful domestic and military
reform.
  19TH CENTURY

A major event in Laguna occurred in 1840, when religious intolerance led the people of
Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Bay, and Biñan to join the revolt of Hermano Pule (Apolinario de la Cruz)
of Lucban, Tayabas. This revolt was eventually crushed by Governor-General Marcelino de Oraá
Lecumberri. As part of political restructuring during the 19th century, the municipalities of
Morong, Pililla, Tanay, Baras, Binangonan, Jalajala, Angono and Cardona were separated from
Laguna and re-organized to the province Politico-Militar Distrito de Morong. In 1858, the
provincial capital was once again moved from Pagsanjan to Santa Cruz, where it stands until
today.

In 1861, José Rizal was born in Calamba to Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso.
Rizal would become one of the leading members of the Propaganda Movement, who advocated
political reforms for the colony. Rizal would go on to write two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo, which in part fueled additional anti-colonial sentiment, contributing to the
eventual Philippine Revolution. In 1896, thousands of inhabitants, especially of Bay, Los Baños,
Nagcarlan, Magdalena, Santa Cruz, and Pagsanjan had joined the revolutionary Katipunan. Rizal
was executed on December 30, 1896, on charges of rebellion. Today Rizal is recognized as one
of the national heroes of the Philippines. Laguna was one of the eight provinces to rise in revolt
against the Spanish misrule led by Generals Paciano Rizal of Calamba, Severino Taiño of
Pagsanjan, Agueda Kahabagan of Calauan, and Miguel Malvar of Batangas.One of the early
engagements of the revolution was the Battle of Sambat, in Pagsanjan. Katipuneros from
Laguna, led by Severino Taiño, took the city of Pagsanjan and attempted to use it as a starting
point towards the liberation of the province, but was quelled by forces led by Basilio Augustin.

The defeat in Sambat meant the end of large-scale organized revolt in Laguna, the
Malungingnging chapter of the Katipunan failing to replicate the relative success of the
revolution in Cavite. The revolutionaries resorted to hit-and-run and guerrilla tactics against the
Spanish, lasting until the Pact of Biak-na-Bato on December 14 to 15, 1897.It was only after the
execution of Jose Rizal that the revolution flared up again, culminating in the Battle of Calamba
in May 1898, and the surrender of the last Spanish garrison in Laguna in Santa Cruz, on August
31 of the same year. Laguna actively supported the First Philippine Republic proclaimed at
Malolos on January 23, 1899. Its two delegates to the Malolos Congress were Don Higino
Benítez and Don Graciano Cordero, both natives of Pagsanján.

Apolinario de la Cruz (July 22, 1815 – November 4, 1841), known as Hermano Pule
(Spanish: [eɾˈmano puˈle], Spanish for "Brother Pule";also spelled Hermano Puli), was a Filipino
religious leader who founded and led the Cofradía de San José (Confraternity of St. Joseph). The
cofradía was established in 1832 in response to the racially discriminatory practices of the
Catholic Church in the Philippines. During the Spanish colonial period, Catholic religious orders
refused to admit native Filipinos as members. In retaliation, Pule established his own religious
order which was exclusive for native Filipinos. During its peak, the cofradía had 4,500 to 5,000
members from the provinces of Tayabas, Batangas, and Laguna. Fearing an armed rebellion, the
Spanish colonial government sent military forces to suppress the cofradía, an attack that was
resisted by Hermano Pule and his followers on October 23, 1841. However, more troops were
sent and the cofradía was finally quelled by the colonial military forces on November 1, 1841.
Pule was then captured.

 Apolinario de la Cruz

 Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri

Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri (1788–1851) was a Spanish military man and

administrator. Born in Beriáin in Navarre, he distinguished himself as a cadet during the War of
 Spanish Independence. He was married to Josefa de Erice, later Condesa de Chiva y
Vizcondesa de Oráa.

The Propaganda Movement was a period of time when native Filipinos were calling for
reforms, lasting approximately from 1880 to 1886,with the most activity between 1880 and 1895.
The word "propaganda" in English has acquired a pejorative connotation that is absent from the
original Latin word. One can see its true meaning in the Roman institution called "Congregatio
de propaganda fide" - the Secretariate for the Spread of the Faith (or, as the modern translation
has it, For the Evangelization of Peoples). It was in the latter sense that the word was used by the
Filipino group that sent Marcelo H. del Pilar to Spain to continue the "propaganda" on behalf of
the Philippines. It was essentially a campaign of information, as well as a bid for sympathy. Dr.
Domingo Abella, the learned Director of the National Archives, has made the suggestion that the
so-called Propaganda Movement was misnamed. It should have been called the
Counterpropaganda Movement because its essential task was to counteract the campaign of
misinformation that certain Spanish groups were disseminating in Spain and later in Rome.
  NOLI ME TANGERE

Noli me tangere ('touch me not') is the Latin version of

a phrase spoken, according to John 20:17, by Jesus to Mary
Magdalene when she recognized him after his resurrection.
The biblical scene gave birth to a long series of depictions in
Christian art from Late Antiquity to the present. The original
Koine Greek phrase, Μή μου ἅπτου (mē mou haptou), is
better represented in translation as "cease holding on to me"
or "stop clinging to me", i.e. an ongoing action, not one done
in a single moment.

 EL FILIBUSTERISMO

El filibusterismo (lit. Spanish for

"filibustering"; The Subversive or Subversion, as in
the Locsín English translation, are also possible
translations), also known by its English alternative
title The Reign of Greed,is the second novel written
by Philippine national hero José Rizal. It is the sequel
to Noli me tangere and, like the first book, was
written in Spanish. It was first published in 1891 in
Ghent. The novel centers on the Noli-El fili duology's
main character Crisóstomo Ibarra, now returning for
vengeance as "Simoun". El fili's dark theme departs
dramatically from the previous novel's hopeful and
romantic atmosphere, signifying Ibarra's resort to
solving his country's issues through violent means,
after his previous attempt at reforming the country's system have made no effect and seemed
impossible with the corrupt attitude of the Spaniards towards the Filipinos.

Philippine Revolution began in August 1896, when the Spanish authorities discovered
the Katipunan, an anti-colonial secret organization. The Katipunan, led by Andrés Bonifacio,
was a liberationist movement whose goal was independence from the 333 years of colonial
control from Spain through armed revolt. The organization began to influence much of the
Philippines. During a mass gathering in Caloocan, the leaders of the Katipunan organized
themselves into a revolutionary government, named the newly established government "Haring
Bayang Katagalugan", and openly declared a nationwide armed revolution. Bonifacio called for
an attack on the capital city of Manila. This attack failed; however, the surrounding provinces
began to revolt. In particular, rebels in Cavite led by Mariano Álvarez and Emilio Aguinaldo
(who were from two different factions of the Katipunan) won major early victories. A power
struggle among the revolutionaries led to Bonifacio's death in 1897, with command shifting to
Aguinaldo, who led the newly formed revolutionary government. That year, the revolutionaries
and the Spanish signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which temporarily reduced hostilities.
Aguinaldo and other Filipino officers exiled themselves in the British colony of Hong Kong in
southeast China. However, the hostilities never completely ceased.

 FRANCISCO ENGRACIO RIZAL MERCADO Y ALEJANDRO

Paciano Rizal was born to Francisco Engracio

Rizal Mercado y Alejandro (1818–1897) and Teodora
Morales Alonso y Quintos (1827-1911; whose family
later changed their surname to "Realonda"), as the
second of eleven children born to a wealthy family in
the town of Calamba, Laguna. He grew up witnessing
the abuses of the clergy and the Spanish colonial
government. As a young student, together with Felipe
Buencamino and Gregorio Sancianco, Paciano was a
founding member of La Juventud Liberal, a reformist
student organization that worked under the direction of
the Comite de Reformadores, among whose leaders was
Padre José Burgos. Among their tasks was to secretly
distribute copies of the reformist paper, El Eco Filipino, while pretending to be purveyors of
horse fodder (zacateros).

Agueda Kahabagan y Iniquinto is referred to in the few sources that mention her as
"Henerala Agueda". Not so much is known about her but from snatches of information available,
she was presumably a native of Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Henerala's bravery in battle was legendary.
She was reportedly often seen in the battlefield dressed in white, armed with a rifle and
brandishing a bolo. Apparently she was commissioned by General Miguel Malvar to lead a
detachment of forces sometime in May 1897. Kahabagan was mentioned in connection with the
attack led by General Artemio Ricarte on the Spanish garrison in San Pablo in October 1897. It
was most probably General Pío del Pilar who recommended that she be granted the honorary title
of Henerala. In March 1899, she was listed as the only woman in the roster of generals of the
Army of the Philippine Republic. She was appointed on January 4, 1899.

 MIGUEL MALVAR Y CARPIO

Miguel Malvar y Carpio (September 27, 1865 – October 13,

1911) was a Filipino general who served during the Philippine
Revolution and subsequently during the Philippine–American War. He
assumed command of the Philippine revolutionary forces during the
latter conflict following the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo by the
Americans in 1901. According to some historians, he could have been
listed as one of the presidents of the Philippines but is currently not
recognized as such by the Philippine government.

 BASILIO AUGUSTÍN Y DÁVILA

Basilio Augustín y Dávila[1] (February 12, 1840 –

August 7, 1910) was briefly a Spanish Governor-General of the
Philippines, from April 11 to July 24, 1898.

During his tenure, the Spanish–American War began,

which he assured the Spanish would be "short" and
"decisive".Spanish forces were decisively defeated by the
American Navy in the Battle of Manila Bay. This defeat led to
the return of revolutionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo from exile
and the beginning of the second phase of the Philippine Revolution, during which, on June 12,
1898, Aguinaldo issued the Philippine Declaration of Independence.
  PACT OF BIAK-NA-BATO

The Pact of Biak-na-Bato, signed on December 15,

1897, created a truce between Spanish colonial Governor-
General Fernando Primo de Rivera and the revolutionary leader
Emilio Aguinaldo to end the Philippine Revolution. Aguinaldo
and his fellow revolutionaries were given amnesty and
monetary indemnity by the Spanish Government, in return for
which the revolutionary government would go into exile in
Hong Kong. Aguinaldo had decided to use the money to
purchase advance firearms and ammunition later on return to
the archipelago.

The pact was signed in San Miguel, Bulacan, in the house of Pablo Tecson, a Philippine
revolutionary captain who served as Brigadier General in the 'Brigada Del Pilar' (military troop)
of General Gregorio del Pilar during the Revolution.

The battel of Calamba Initially, the Spanish garrison in Calamba, holed up in the town church,
realizing that a resistance could still be held for the larger force of 500 to arrive and help them,
before ultimately going to Cavite. The Spaniards chose to wait as the Filipino revolutionaries
besieged the church. Lacking guns, and lacking even more ammunition, Paciano Rizal devised a
ploy to get the Spaniards to surrender, he ordered that every time the Filipino column opened fire
on the church, other troops, those without guns, would light up firecrackers to create the illusion
that the Filipinos had plenty of guns,[1] sure enough the Spaniards fell for it, and surrendered a
few days later. As the Spanish column approached, the revolutionaries under Jose Rizal's
brother, General Paciano Rizal who was also the main commander of all revolutionary forces in
the province, counterattacked the Spanish column in his hometown Calamba. The revolutionaries
then staged an ambush in the vicinity, and many Spaniards became casualties and several of
them were captured during the battle.

The Philippine Republic (Spanish: República Filipina; Filipino: Repúblikáng Pilipino),

more commonly known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic, was a nascent
revolutionary government in the Philippines. It was formally established with the proclamation
of the Malolos Constitution on January 21, 1899, in Malolos, Bulacan,[Note 1] and endured until
the capture of President Emilio Aguinaldo by the American forces on March 23, 1901, in
Palanan, Isabela, which effectively dissolved the First Republic. The First Philippine Republic
was established after the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire (1896-1897) and the
Spanish–American War between Spain and the United States (1898). Following the American
victory at the Battle of Manila Bay, Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines, issued the Philippine
Declaration of Independence on June 12, 1898, and established a revolutionary Philippine
government. In December 1898, Spain sold the Philippines to the United States in the 1898
Treaty of Paris, making the United States formally the Philippines colonial power. The Malolos
Constitution establishing the First Philippine Republic was proclaimed the following month. The
Philippine–American War began in February 1899, which the Philippine Republic lost.

 20TH CENTURY

Upon the outbreak of the Philippine–American War, Generals Juan Cailles and Paciano
Rizal led the defense of Laguna during the war's early stages. The Battle of Mabitac was fought
in defense of the town of Mabitac and was won by Filipino forces. However, forces led by Henry
W. Lawton fought and won in Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan, and Paete, effectively securing the
province for American forces. Resistance still occurred during this time. One of the province's
folk hero during the continuing engagements was Teodoro Asedillo, who was considered a
bandit by American forces. By the end of the war, the entire country was occupied by American
forces and was taken as a colony. The Taft Commission was established to govern the
Philippines during the interim period, which appointed Juan Cailles as the provincial governor of
Laguna. Act No. 83, or the Provincial Government Act, established a civilian government under
American occupation. During this time, roads were built, schools were established, and in 1917,
the Manila Railroad Company extended its line to Laguna as far as Pagsanjan. During the
Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942–1945), Laguna was a center of Filipino resistance
despite the presence of Makapili collaborators.

The Philippine–American War, also referred to as the Filipino–American War, the

Philippine War, the Philippine Insurrection or the Tagalog Insurgency (Filipino: Digmaang
Pilipino-Amerikano; Spanish: Guerra Filipino-Estadounidense), was an armed conflict between
the First Philippine Republic and the United States that lasted from February 4, 1899, to July 2,
1902. While Filipino nationalists viewed the conflict as a continuation of the struggle for
independence that began in 1896 with the Philippine Revolution, the U.S. government regarded
it as an insurrection. The conflict arose when the First Philippine Republic objected to the terms
of the Treaty of Paris under which the United States took possession of the Philippines from
Spain, ending the short Spanish–American War. Fighting erupted between forces of the United
States and those of the Philippine Republic on February 4, 1899, in what became known as the
1899 Battle of Manila. On June 2, 1899, the First Philippine Republic officially declared war
against the United States. The war officially ended on July 2, 1902, with a victory for the United
States. However, some Philippine groups—led by veterans of the Katipunan, a Philippine
revolutionary society continued to battle the American forces for several more years. Among
those leaders was General Macario Sakay, a veteran Katipunan member who assumed the
presidency of the proclaimed Tagalog Republic, formed in 1902 after the capture of President
Emilio Aguinaldo. Other groups, including the Moro and Pulahan peoples, continued hostilities
in remote areas and islands, until their final defeat at the Battle of Bud Bagsak on June 15, 1913.
The war resulted in the deaths of at least 200,000 Filipino civilians, mostly due to famine and
disease.Some estimates for total civilian dead reach up to a million.The war, and especially the
following occupation by the U.S., changed the culture of the islands, leading to the
disestablishment of the Catholic Church in the Philippines as a state religion, and the
introduction of English to the islands as the primary language of government, education,
business, industry, and, in future decades, among upper-class families and educated individuals.

 THE PHILIPPINE–AMERICAN WAR

Battle of Mabitac (Filipino: Labanan sa Mabitac, Spanish: Batalla de Mabitac) was an

engagement in the Philippine–American War, when on September 17, 1900, Filipinos under
General Juan Cailles defeated an American force commanded by Colonel Benjamin F.
Cheatham, Jr.

Mabitac was linked to the garrison town of Siniloan by a causeway which, on the day of
the battle, was flooded with water (in many parts waist-deep). The water in the flanking rice
fields was even deeper, making it impossible to properly deploy off the narrow road. Trenches
occupied by Filipinos under Cailles cut across this causeway, blocking the path into Mabitac.

The battle began when elements of the 37th Infantry Regiment and 15th Infantry
Regiment, advancing from Siniloan, came under intense fire some 400 yards from the enemy
trenches, estimated at 800 in strength. Eight troops sent ahead to scout the enemy positions died
to the last man as they closed to within 50 yards of the Filipinos. One of the last to fall was 2nd
Lieutenant George Cooper. General Cailles, in an honorable gesture, let the defeated Cheatham
recover the bodies of the eight slain soldiers after the battle.
  BATTLE OF MABITAC

Henry Ware Lawton was born on March 17, 1843, in Maumee, Ohio. He was the son of
George W. Lawton, a millwright, and Catherine (née Daley) who had been married in December
1836. Henry had two brothers, George S., and Manley Chapin.

In 1843, Lawton's father moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to work on a mill. The family
followed him the same year. George went to California in 1850 to build shakers for the gold
miners. He returned to Ft. Wayne later in 1853 and shortly after, on January 21, 1854, his wife
Catherine died. She had been living with family members in or near Birmingham and Sandusky,
Ohio during George's absence. According to accounts given by Andrew J. Barney, a resident of
the area and family friend, given years later, Henry attended public school in Florence Twp.,
Ohio 1850 to 1854. Mr. Barney married the sister of Henry's mother in 1856 and for a time,
Henry lived with the Barney family, and with his aunt, Marie Lawton, of Sandusky. He traveled
with his father to Iowa and Missouri in 1857, returning to Ft. Wayne in 1858. He enrolled at the
Methodist Episcopal College in 1858 and was studying there when the Civil War began.

 HENRY WARE LAWTON

 The Taft Commission, also known as Second Philippine Commission (Filipino:
Ikalawang Komisyon ng Pilipinas) was established by United States President William
McKinley on March 16, 1900, following the recommendations of the First Philippine
Commission. The Second Commission was at first the sole legislative body of the Philippines,
then known as the Philippine Islands under the sovereign control of the United States, while still
under the Philippine–American War. After the passage of the Philippine Organic Act in 1902,
the Commission functioned as a House of bicameral legislature until it was supplanted in 1916
by an elected legislature established in 1916 by the Philippine Autonomy Act.

William Howard Taft was the first head of the Philippine Commission, a post he filled
between March 16, 1900, and July 4, 1901, after which the commission head also became the
Civil Governor of the Philippines. He held the post until January 31, 1904, after he was
appointed as the Secretary of War by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt.The Philippine Commission was
subsequently headed by a number of persons, but is often mentioned informally and collectively
as the "Taft Commission.

 TAFT COMMISSION

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942–1945), Laguna was a

center of Filipino resistance despite the presence of Makapili collaborators.

The establishment of the military general headquarters and military camp bases of the Philippine
Commonwealth Army and the Philippine Constabulary is a military unit organization was
founded on January 3, 1942 to June 30, 1946 in the province of Laguna, and aided of the local
military regular units of the Philippine Commonwealth Army 4th and 42nd Infantry Division and
the Philippine Constabulary 4th Constabulary Regiment. Started the engagements of the Anti-
Japanese Military Operations in Southern Luzon, Mindoro and Palawan from 1942 to 1945
against the Japanese Imperial forces.

Beginning in 1945, attacks by the Filipino soldiers of the 4th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 46th
and 47th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, 4th Constabulary Regiment
of the Philippine Constabulary and the recognized guerrillas against Japanese forces in Laguna
increased in anticipation of the Liberation of the Philippines by joint Filipino & American forces.