Lumban

Etymology

It derives its name from Aleurites moluccanus, a tree locally known as 'Lumbang'.{{cite book | title = Philippine Native Trees 101: Up Close and Personal

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.

During the early Spanish period, Lumban was a large town that included the modern-day towns Santa Cruz, Cavinti, and Pagsanjan. Santa Cruz was separated from Lumban in 1602, followed by Cavinti in 1619, and Pagsanjan in 1668.

Geography

Lumban, one of the oldest towns in Laguna lies approximately 7 km from Santa Cruz, 94 km southeast of Manila and 55 km north of Lucena.

Barangays

Lumban is politically subdivided into 16 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks, and some have sitios.

• 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. The dispute relates to land and water include illegal settlements, land tenure rights, hydropower generation, recreation and tourism, and aquaculture production, among others.

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, located 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

| access-date = 11 May 2020 }}

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, the population of Lumban was 32,793 people, with a density of {{sigfig|32,793/40.53|2}} PD/km2.

Government

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 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 boats 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

The Burdang Lumban Festival is an annual cultural event held in Lumban during the third week of September. It celebrates the town’s traditional craft of hand embroidery, which has long been associated with Lumban’s identity and economy. One of the main highlights of the festival is a street dancing competition featuring schoolchildren dressed in colorful costumes inspired by the barong Tagalog and embellished with intricate embroidery motifs.

Education

The Lumban-Kalayaan Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.

Primary and elementary schools

• Balubad Elementary School
• Caliraya Elementary School
• Concepcion Elementary School (G. Tabia Elementary School)
• Lewin Elementary School
• Lumban Central Elementary School
• Maytalang I Elementary School
• Maytalang II Elementary School
• Santo Niño Elementary School
• St. Lucy Filipini Montessori School
• Wawa Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Little Shepherd Integrated Montessori
• Lumban National High School
• Lumban Senior High School
• Pathlight Integrated School

Gallery

File:PagsanjanLumbanjf4468 11.JPG|Welcome arch File:Lumban,Laguna,Church,TownHalljf4615 01.JPG|Poblacion File:Lagunajf4360 18.JPG|Lumban Town Hall Lumban Heroes Monument, Laguna, Aug 2025.jpg|Alay sa mga Bayaning Lumbeño Monument

References

References

1. "Department of Tourism - The Philippines Ultimate Travel Guide for Tourist".
2. "Provincial Government of Laguna".
3. {{DILG detail
4. Huerta, Felix, de. (1865). "Estado Geografico, Topografico, Estadistico, Historico-Religioso de la Santa y Apostolica Provincia de San Gregorio Magno". Imprenta de M. Sanchez y Compañia.
5. "Laguna Churches - Ofm Philippines".
6. (2024-05-01). ""Resource use conflicts in the Caliraya-Lumot Watershed Forest Reserve, Philippines"". The ECOSYSTEMS & DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL.
7. https://halalanresults.abs-cbn.com/local/laguna/lumban
8. Baraoidan, Kimmy. (2017-01-27). "Be ready to get wet in this Laguna town fest in honor of Patron Saint of cops, soldiers".
9. "Moro-moro {{!}} History, Themes, & Facts {{!}} Britannica".
10. "The Hand Embroidery of Lumban, Laguna".
11. Baraoidan, Kimmy. (2017-03-05). "Legacy embossed in Lumban embroidery".
12. Mariano Sayno. (2024-03-10). "Burdang Lumban Festival: Celebrating Lumban's Legacy as the Embroidery Capital of the Philippines". The Beauty of the Philippines.
13. (January 15, 2021). "Masterlist of Schools".