Santa Cruz, Laguna Explained

Santa Cruz, Laguna should not be confused with Santa Cruz La Laguna.

Flag Size:120x80px
Seal Size:100x80px
Image Map1:
Frame-Width:250
Pushpin Map:Philippines
Pushpin Label Position:left
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Philippines
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Province
Nickname:Laguna's Capital, The Heartland of Calabarzon, Santa Cruz the Land of Star
Motto:Bayan natin, Sama-Samang Unahin, Santa Cruz, Kaya natin to! Arriba Kabisera!
("Our town, let's put it first together, Santa Cruz, we can do it! Arriba Capital!")
Anthem:Himno ng Santa Cruz
Subdivision Type3:District
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:September 6, 1602
Parts Type:Barangays
Parts Style:para
P1: (see Barangays)
Leader Name:Edgar S. San Luis (Aksyon)
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Leader Name1:Laarni A. Malibiran (PFP)
Leader Name2:Maria Jamina Katherine B. Agarao (PFP)
Leader Title3:Municipal Council
Leader Title4:Electorate
Leader Name4: voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|)
Elevation Max M:54
Elevation Min M:0
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Households
Population Demonym:Santa Cruzeño (masculine)
Santa Cruzeña (feminine)
Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:+8
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Demographics Type1:Economy
Demographics1 Title2:Poverty incidence
Demographics1 Info2:%
Demographics1 Title3:Revenue
Demographics1 Title4:Revenue rank
Demographics1 Title5:Assets
Demographics1 Title6:Assets rank
Demographics1 Title7:IRA
Demographics1 Title8:IRA rank
Demographics1 Title9:Expenditure
Demographics1 Title10:Liabilities
Demographics Type2:Service provider
Demographics2 Title1:Electricity
Demographics2 Title2:Water
Demographics2 Title3:Telecommunications
Demographics2 Title4:Cable TV
Blank1 Name Sec1:Native languages
Blank2 Name Sec1:Crime index
Blank1 Name Sec2:Major religions
Blank1 Info Sec2:
Blank2 Name Sec2:Feast date
Blank2 Info Sec2:
  • December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)
  • June 4 (Feast of the Our Lady of Maulawin)
Blank3 Name Sec2:Ecclesiastical dioceses
Blank3 Info Sec2:
Blank4 Name Sec2:Patron saints
Blank4 Info Sec2:
  • Immaculate Conception (Catholic)
  • Our Lady of Maulawin (Aglipayan Church)

Santa Cruz, officially the Municipality of Santa Cruz (Tagalog: Bayan ng Santa Cruz), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 123,574 people.

Santa Cruz is situated on the banks of the Santa Cruz River which flows into the eastern part of Laguna de Bay. The town is bounded by the Bay on the north, by Lumban and Pagsanjan towns in the east, Pagsanjan and Magdalena towns in the south, and Pila in the west. It is from Manila via Calamba and Los Baños. It is accessible by land from Metro Manila passing through Rizal Province via Manila East Road or via South Luzon Expressway

Santa Cruz is considered as the service and commercial center on the eastern part of the province. The town is composed of five barangays in the Poblacion area and 21 classified urban barangays. Although relatively far from the immediate urbanizing influence of Metropolitan Manila, Santa Cruz continues to progress. It is now classified as first class municipality. The present administration is headed by the Mayor Egay San Luis Sr.. Santa Cruz is also the seat of the provincial government since 1885, giving the municipality an additional administrative function over the entire province. It also functions as the service center for transportation, commerce, health, education, and other social services for the predominantly rural north-eastern municipalities of the province. Boosting the economy of the municipality are the incipient and fast-growing agribusiness industries such as livestock raising, horticulture and aquaculture. The town is composed of twenty-six (26) urban barangays. All barangays are being classified as urban.

The development of Santa Cruz as the administrative, commercial, and service center of Laguna makes it accessible for all private/public vehicles going to nearby places particularly Pagsanjan, Lake Caliraya, Liliw, Paete and Nagcarlan.

History

During the last decade of the 16th century, Santa Cruz was once a well populated barrio of the present municipality of Lumban, as well as other contemporary towns like Pagsanjan, Cavinti, Paete and Pangil. On September 6, 1602, Santa Cruz separated from Lumban and became a pueblo with its church and local government.

Since its foundation in 1602, the town had been ravaged by calamitous forces such as fires, typhoons, floods and human vandalism during the Philippine Revolution of 1896–1899, the war of the Philippine Independence (1899–1902), Battle of Santa Cruz, the assault of the Tulisanes (bandits) during the Spanish times. The Filipino troops of the pre-war 4th and 42nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and recognized guerrillas also came from the town and was involved in the Second Battle of Santa Cruz on January 26, 1945.

Characterized by fertile flat lands situated along the coastal plains of Laguna de Bay, the economic base of the town had been traditionally anchored on two primary industries, namely agriculture and fishing which still remain up to the present. In view of the strategic location of Santa Cruz relative to the other coastal settlements about the lake, trading activities have likewise rooted on the town during those early settlement days. The town proper which has always been the focal point of activities used to be accessible to the other lake-shore areas due to the navigable Santa Cruz River aside from Laguna de Bay itself. Since those early days, water is the principal mode of transportation.

Today, Santa Cruz serves as the capital of Laguna and is considered as the business and commercial center on the eastern part of the province.

SANTA CRUZ CITYHOOD 2025

Geography

Situated at the central portion of Laguna province along the south-eastern coast of Laguna de Bay, Santa Cruz lies southeast of Metro Manila via Calamba and is geographically located at approximately 14 degrees 17' latitude and 121 degrees 25' longitude. The municipality is bounded on the north and north-west by Laguna de Bay, on the north-east by Lumban, on the east by Pagsanjan, on the southeast by Magdalena, on the south by Liliw, and on the south-west by Pila. It has 26 barangays and covers approximate land area of 3860 hectares which comprises about 2% of the total land area of Laguna Province.

Geology

The two types of rocks found in Santa Cruz are alluvium and clastic rocks. Clastic rocks are located at the eastern portion of the municipality specifically in Barangay Alipit, San Jose, Oogong, Jasaan, San Juan, Palasan, and portions of Barangays Pagsawitan, Patimbao, Bubukal, Labuin and Malinao. These rocks consist of inter-bedded shale and sandstone with occasional thin lenses of limestone, tuff, and reworked sandy tuffs, calcareous sandstone and partly tuffaceous shale.

Climate

Like most areas in the province of Laguna, the climate of Santa Cruz is characterized by two pronounced seasons: dry from January to April and wet during the rest of the year. The municipality has annual temperature of 27.2 degree Celsius and annual rainfall of 1962.7mm. Northeasterly winds with an average wind speed of 9 knots prevail in the municipality.

Barangays

Santa Cruz is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Santa Cruz, Laguna, was 123,574 people, with a density of NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2.

Economy

Commerce

The provincial capital of Laguna, Santa Cruz serves as service center of the province particularly for the municipalities on its north-eastern part.

Trade and commerce remain to be one of the primary economic activities in the locality. The presence of jeepney services plying Lumban, Paete, Siniloan, San Pablo, Pila, Victoria, Cavinti-Caliraya, Luisiana, Majayjay, Calumpang, Nagcarlan, Liliw, Magdalena, Pagsanjan, Lucban, Lucena and Calamba has further enhanced the municipality's role as a commerce and trade center.

The center of business activities is in the poblacion specifically at Barangay V where the four (4) buildings of Public Market is situated.

Santa Cruz has many establishment that contribute to its development. Development in this vicinity has been a quasi-residential commercial type as manifested by the proliferation of structures which are used both for business and residential purposes by the proprietors/owners. There is also a concentration of business establishments at the section of the national highway/expressway especially Barangay Gatid where a Mall is located, and the abandoned PNR Railway (road) while a strip pattern of commercial development is noticeable along the Quezon Avenue and along the old highway and Pedro Guevarra Avenue. Along P Guevarra Avenue, several establishments are also located such as Hospitals, Meralco office, PLDT office, Red Cross, several Banking Institutions, and Executive Eminent Lending Company. There is also SL Agritech Corporation, in Barangay Oogong, Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Tax collection

Annual local government collection:

Points of interest

Santa Cruz may not have natural tourist spots and no wide areas to develop but one thing the townsmen of Santa Cruz are proud of are the local foods available in the town. Santa Cruz boasts of the famous white cheese or kesong puti, freshly made from carabao's milk.

Events

Santa Cruz hosted the Palarong Pambansa from May 4–10, 2014.[1]

Festivals

List of Mayors

NamePartyTerm startTerm endVice mayor
1Rufo de Borja
Liberal1965December 30, 1965June 30, 1980Romeo Ramos
Nacionalista1967Enrique Bautista
1971
KBL
2Enrique Bautista
KBL1980June 30, 1980May 23, 1986[2] Jose Uriarte
Independent
Nacionalista
Oscar Feliciano[3]
IndependentMay 25, 1986February 1, 1988Romeo Ramos[4]
3Rodolfo San Luis
Lakas1988February 2, 1988June 30, 1995Reynaldo Limjuco
LDP1992Ruy Lopez
4Domingo Panganiban
LDP1995June 30, 1995November 20, 1995Narciso Infante
(2)Enrique Bautista
Lakas–CMDNovember 17, 1995June 30, 1998
(4)Domingo Panganiban
LAMMP1998June 30, 1998June 30, 2007Heidi Ciriaco
LDP2001Ariel Magcalas
2004
5Ariel Magcalas
Liberal2007June 30, 2007June 30, 2010Alan Pamatmat
(4)Domingo Panganiban
PMP2010June 30, 2010June 30, 2019Louis de Leon
Liberal2013
2016
6Edgar San Luis
Nacionalista2019June 30, 2019IncumbentLaarni Malibiran
Aksyon2022

Elections

2010 Santa Cruz local elections

Education

Kindergarten schools:
Elementary (primary and intermediate):
High schools:

Colleges:

Vocational:
Number of students:
Partial list of schools:

Hospitals

Private Hospitals: 4Rural Health Units: 2Government Hospital: 1

Health Centers: 26

Notable people

Sister cities

Route Bus

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: SunStar. Laguna wins Palaro hosting bid . October 24, 2013.
  2. At this time, after the 1986 EDSA Revolution, President Corazon Aquino forced the resignation of all local government unit heads and appointed officers in charge in their place
  3. Appointed OIC Mayor
  4. Appointed OIC Vice-Mayor