Remembering the Roots of Our National Hero: Calamba City Tour

Calamba City is one of the most progressive cities in the Southern Tagalog region and it is the center of economic, political, cultural, and educational activities in the province of Laguna. It is located 54 kilometers south of Metro Manila and it is surrounded by the towns of Cabuyao and Los Banos, Laguna; Tagaytay City, Cavite and Tanauan and Santo Tomas, Batangas. 

The Kalan Banga of Calamba City.

The names of barangay in Calamba were written in the huge jar stone.

The woman who answered the question to the Spanish soldiers.

How Calamba got its name? There were two Spanish soldiers who saw a woman in the river bringing a jar stone full of water. Then one of the soldiers asked a question using their language to the woman about the place that they have visited. Then the woman answered the question using her native dialect and she answered "kalan banga" (kalan means "stove" and banga means "jar stone"). As time goes by, the place was called Calamba from the word "kalan banga."

Rizal Shrine with plants and trees surrounded the house.

The facade of Rizal Shrine.

Dining Room at Rizal's house.

Nipa hut 

Calamba is the town where our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal was born. Today, his ancestral house is the most visited tourist spot here in the city. It is made up of stone which reflected their life as ilustrados or Filipinos who belong to the elite society. It was also surrounded by trees and plants and they also have a nipa hut. The reconstruction of the house was planned by Elpidio Quirino for the commemoration of Dr. Jose P. Rizal as our national hero.

Plaza Rizal

The largest Rizal statue in the country.

In front of Calamba City Hall, there's the Plaza Rizal where the largest Rizal monument was located in that place. As you go upstairs to the statue, you can see a closer look to Mt. Makiling and the city hall.

In addition, Calamba is also famous for its numerous resorts and hot springs which can be found in the foothills of Mount Makiling. Therefore, visiting Calamba City is such a great experience where I have a chance to go in their ancestral house in order to get a glimpse of history of our country. Today, it is one of the urbanized cities in our country where there are residential areas, industrial sites, malls and business establishments in the city. However, it remains the home of our national hero.

Date of Travel: June 10, 2012