History of Laguna

 

HISTORY

The province of Laguna in the Philippines was derived its name after Laguna de Bay, the body of water that forms the province's boundaries. Laguna de Bay was named after the town of Bay, which was the first provincial capital during the Spanish period. It is the biggest fresh water lake in the country.

The province became a bloody battleground during the Chinese revolts in 1603 and 1693.The succeeding centuries brought rapid progress in agriculture, education, commerce and cultural pursuits. The province bred a large number of intellectuals, businessmen and landowners who benefited from access to education and liberal ideas led by the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Fanned by his execution in 1896, thousands joined the revolution against Spain.

Laguna was one of the first eight provinces to rise in revolt against the Spanish rule. On January 23, 1899, Laguna expressed its full support for the First Philippine Republic that was proclaimed in Malolos, Bulacan.

After the hostilities, Laguna progressed rapidly. More schools and colleges were established, agricultural production was strengthened, core areas of trade and commerce were established, various public services were instituted and roads were built to link the towns to each other and with the country's capital in Manila.

The abundance of its natural resources, the high literacy rate of its people and the presence of numerous ventures in agriculture, entrepreneurship became the determinant of its eminent position as one of the countries' most developed provinces at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Today, Laguna is a bustling province which hosts major export processing zones, light and medium industries and educational institutions. Its very rich lands produce a lot of income worth of agricultural products. Its tourism assets that dot the province have attracted a multitude of foreign and domestic tourists.