Santa Cruz, Laguna

Santa Cruz
Municipality
Municipality of Santa Cruz
Municipal Hall
Seal
Nickname(s): Laguna's Capital, The Heartland of Calabarzon
Map of Laguna with Santa Cruz highlighted
Santa Cruz Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°17′N 121°25′E / 14.28°N 121.42°E / 14.28; 121.42Coordinates: 14°17′N 121°25′E / 14.28°N 121.42°E / 14.28; 121.42
Country	Philippines
Region	Calabarzon (Region IV-A)
Province	Laguna
District	4th District
Founded	June 4, 1602
Barangays	26
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Domingo G. Panganiban
• Electorate	63,306 voters (2016)
Area [2]
• Total	38.59 km2 (14.90 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	117,605
• Density	3,000/km2 (7,900/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4009
PSGC	043426000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)49
Climate type	Tropical monsoon climate
Income class	1st municipal income class
Revenue (₱)	275,333,981.36 (2016)
Native languages	Tagalog

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 2015 census, it has a population of 117,605 people.^[3]

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 87 kilometres (54 mi) from Manila via Calamba. It is accessible by land from the nearby 28 municipalities and by water through Laguna de Bay from Manila and some Rizal towns.

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 Denis Panganiban. 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, the premier town of Laguna was once a well populated barrio of the present municipality of Lumban, as well as other contemporary towns like Pagsanjan, Cavinti, Paete and Pangil. In 1602, Santa Cruz separated from Lumban and became a pueblo with its church and local government.

It is a town which since its foundation in 1602, 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, and the beginning to the Filipino troops of the pre-war 4th and 42nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and recognized guerrillas from the Second Battle of Santa Cruz on January 26, 1945. Santa Cruz survived all these disasters.

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 the 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.[1]

Geography

Aerial view with Sta. Cruz in the centre and Pila in the foreground

Situated at the central portion of Laguna province along the south-eastern coast of Laguna de Bay, Santa Cruz lies 87 kilometres (54 mi) 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.

• Land Area: 3,860 hectares
• Residential: 381.97
• Commercial: 35.96
• Institutional: 92.17
• Functional Open Space: 31.27
• Roads: 157.73
• Total Built-up: 696.10
• Agricultural: 3,048.57
• Special Use: 115.33

Demographics

In the 2015 census, the population of Santa Cruz, Laguna, was 117,605 people,^[3] with a density of 3,000 inhabitants per square kilometre or 7,800 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Annual local government tax collection:

• 2008 — ₱ 160,196,679.38
• 2007 — ₱ 135,792,097.46
• 2006 — ₱ 128,812,429.41
• 2005 — ₱ 117,351,293.14

Commerce

Santa Cruz Public Market viewed from Regidor Street near Santisima Elementary School

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,

Points of interest

Pedro Guevara Avenue, in front of the Iglesia ni Cristo church (left).

Pedro Guevara Avenue. At left is the Spanish-era Escuela Pía building. The bell tower of the Church of the Immaculate Conception can be seen at the background.

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.

• Aglipayan Cathedral with our Lady of maulawin shrine.
• Emilio Jacinto Shrine Burial Site
• Villa Valenzuela
• Santa Cruz Town Plaza
• Immaculate Concepcion Parish Church
• Kesong puti Festival — April 4–11
• Anilag Festival — March 8–17
• Camp Allen Training & Development Center
• DyAngelo's Place Resort Bagumbayan

Events

Santa Cruz hosted the Palarong Pambansa from May 4–10, 2014.^[7]

Education

Partial list of schools:

Hospitals

Private Hospitals: 4 Rural Health Units: 2 Government Hospital: 1 Health Centers: 26

• Laguna Medical Center
• Santa Cruz Laguna Polymedic, Inc.
• Laguna Doctors Hospital
• Laguna Holy Family Hospital
• Jesus the Saviour Hospital

Sister cities

• Makati, Philippines

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Santa Cruz, Laguna.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Santa Cruz, Laguna ^{[dead link]}
• Santa Cruz, Laguna (Official Website)^{[dead link]}
• Profile of Santa Cruz, Laguna