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.