Lumban, officially the Municipality of Lumban (), is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in
Laguna,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the
2020 Census, its population numbered 32,330.
Lumban, one of the oldest towns in Laguna, lies approximately from
Santa Cruz, southeast of
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, and north of
Lucena
Lucena (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially known as the City of Lucena (), is a highly urbanized city situated in the Calabarzon region (Region IV-A) of the Philippines. The city is the largest urban center and capital of ...
. It derives its name from
Aleurites moluccanus, a tree locally known as 'Lumbang'.
The province's capital town,
Santa Cruz, as well as
Cavinti and
Pagsanjan
Pagsanjan (pronounced ''PAG-sang-han''), officially the Municipality of Pagsanjan (), is a municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,327 people.
Pagsanjan is the tourist capi ...
, were once part of Lumban. The river where the
Laguna Copperplate Inscription
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is an official acquittance ( debt relief) certificate inscribed onto a copper plate in the Shaka year 822 ( Gregorian A.D. 900). It is the earliest-known, extant, calendar-dated document found within the Phil ...
was found runs through the town.
Lumban is home to
Lake Caliraya, an artificial lake popular with nature lovers and sports enthusiasts. It is known as the "Embroidery Capital of the Philippines,"
where fine
Jusi and
Piña
Piña ( ) is a traditional Philippine fiber made from the leaves of the pineapple plant. Pineapples are indigenous to South America but have been widely cultivated in the Philippines since the 17th century, and used for weaving lustrous lace- ...
cloth are hand-embroidered, with the finished product used for the
barong tagalog
The barong tagalog, more commonly known simply as barong (and occasionally baro), is an Embroidery, embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men and a national dress of the Fashion and clothing in the Philippines, Philippines. Barong tagalog ...
worn by men and the saya (skirt) worn by women in a
baro't saya
The ''baro't saya'' or ''baro at saya'' (literally "blouse and skirt") is a traditional dress ensemble worn by women in the Philippines. It is a national dress of the Philippines and combines elements from both the precolonial native Filipino ...
outfit. Lumban is also known for its diverse range of footwear, like sandals, slippers, and
step-in designs made from local materials.
History
Spanish colonial period
Lumban was founded on September 22, 1578, by
Fray Juan de Plasencia and Fray Diego de Oropesa, who planted a holy cross in the area. The first church, dedicated to San Francisco and made of bamboo and nipa, was burned in 1586. With the collaboration of Governor Don Santiago de Vera and a local Tagalog chief named Burlon, construction began on a new stone church and was completed in 1600. Lumban was formally organized as a town on September 22, 1590.
The Church of Lumban is claimed to be the first Franciscan building in the Philippines outside
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
.
During the early Spanish period, Lumban was a large town that included the modern-day towns
Santa Cruz,
Cavinti, and
Pagsanjan
Pagsanjan (pronounced ''PAG-sang-han''), officially the Municipality of Pagsanjan (), is a municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,327 people.
Pagsanjan is the tourist capi ...
. Santa Cruz was separated from Lumban in 1602, followed by Cavinti in 1619, and Pagsanjan in 1668.
Geography
Barangays
Lumban is politically subdivided into 16
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of
purok
A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s, and some have
sitios
A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.
* Bagong Silang
* Balimbingan (Poblacion)
* Balubad
* Caliraya
* Concepcion
* Lewin
* Maracta (Poblacion)
* Maytalang I
* Maytalang II
* Primera Parang (Poblacion)
* Primera Pulo (Poblacion)
* Salac (Poblacion)
* Santo Niño (Poblacion)
* Segunda Parang (Poblacion)
* Segunda Pulo (Poblacion)
* Wawa
A dispute exists regarding the Caliraya Watershed on the eastern half of Barangay Caliraya between the municipalities of
Kalayaan and
Cavinti.
Lake Caliraya
Lumban is home to
Lake Caliraya, a man-made lake created in 1939 that has become a popular spot for water sports and outdoor recreation, including fishing. The surrounding area features numerous tourist-friendly resorts and vacation homes, which are common due to the local scenery and climate.
Caliraya Dam
Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam in Lumban, Laguna, in the
Sierra Madre range. The reservoir created by the dam,
Lake Caliraya, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the Philippines and later became a recreational area for water sports and fishing. Work on the dam began in 1939, and a small hydroelectric plant was operational by 1942.
Lake Caliraya was later connected to
Lumot Lake, another man-made lake, via a 2.3 km (1.4 mi) underground penstock to increase water supply. Subsequently, the dam and lake were used as the upper reservoir for the Kalayaan Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric plant located west of Lake Caliraya, with Laguna de Bay as the lower reservoir.
Climate
Demographics
According to the 2020 census, the population of Lumban was 32,330, with a density of .
Economy
Culture
The town fiesta is held every January 20 in honor of San Sebastian, the town's patron saint. The Lupi festival is held every last Sunday of January.
Feast of San Sebastian
The San Sebastian Festival features a procession on the Lumban River, where the icon of the patron saint San Sebastian, along with hundreds of devotees, is placed on "Kaskitos", a fleet of large boats.
The San Sebastian Festival originated after the people adopted Saint Sebastian the Martyr as their patron saint in the 18th century. This annual celebration, observed every fourth Sunday of January, includes religious and cultural activities alongside the town fiesta.
The Moro-Moro, a type of “Komedya,” is performed the evening before the festival, showcasing local talents with colorful costumes.
The “Paligong Poon” takes place at the Lumban River, with the icon of San Sebastian and hundreds of devotees on the Kaskitos while holding lit candles and performing rituals across the river, known as “Lupi.”
Civic and religious organizations, as well as local bands, participate in the event. The icon is paraded around the town while locals take turns dousing the saint and devotees with water. Spectators include people from the municipality and neighboring towns.
During the feast, each barangay of Lumban features its icon of the patron saint on a float, accompanied by the nine-day novena of the Hermanas of the town.
Townspeople participate in a water-throwing ritual symbolizing purification and blessings by the ritual ceremony of the patron saint of Lumban.
Burdang Lumban Festival
Lumban hosts the Burdang Lumban Festival, an annual celebration of the local tradition of hand embroidery, during the third week of September. The festival aims to promote tourism in the municipality.
Lumban is known for its barong Tagalog, wedding gowns, and embroidery, and seeks to strengthen its reputation for hand embroidery, establishing itself as the
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile, fabric or other materials using a Sewing needle, needle to stitch Yarn, thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across ...
Capital of the Philippines.
The festival includes a street dancing competition featuring schoolchildren in colorful costumes inspired by the barong Tagalog and embellished with embroidery designs. The dancers start at the multi-purpose covered hall in front of the municipal building, proceed in front of the church, through streets, and end at the entrance of Barangay Wawa with a showdown. Imposing tambors and bastidores serve as props. Their choreography has earned them a prize at the Anilag Festival, Laguna's “festival of festivals."
Gallery
File:PagsanjanLumbanjf4468 11.JPG, Welcome Arch
File:Lumban,Laguna,Church,TownHalljf4615 01.JPG, Poblacion
File:Lagunajf4360 18.JPG, Lumban Town Hall
References
External links
Lumban Web Site*
Philippine Standard Geographic CodePhilippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Laguna (province)
Populated places on Laguna de Bay
Embroidery