San Pedro Municipality

Location:

San Pedro is a municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is named after its patron saint, Saint Peter. San Pedro is Laguna's gateway to Metro Manila sharing its boundary with Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila's southernmost city. This position makes San Pedro a popular suburban residential community, where many residents commute daily for work in Metro Manila.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro,_Laguna


Brief History:

San Pedro became a town on January 18, 1725, when the Spanish King, Charles II, decreed that the town, formerly known as “Tabuko”, be a separate town from “Kabullaw”, now known as Cabuyao. By virtue of the last will of Philip V of Spain, Rodriguez de Figueroa or “Don Esteban”, a group of Augustinian Fathers gained the ownership of the Tunasán Estate. Later on, San Pedro became an hacienda of Colegio de San José, a group of Jesuits friars who took over the property which now is known as “San Pedro Tunasán”. “Tunasán” came from “Tunás” a medicinal plant, abundant on shoreline area. During that period, agriculture, fishing, duck raising, fruit trees, sampaguita were the main source of income of its residents. This period was highlighted by the growing tenant/landlord dispute. The tenants of Hacienda San Pedro Tunasán fought for their birthrights over their ancestral lands. This struggle took almost 423 years of unsuccessful resistance to Colegio de San José, and in 1938, the government bought the homesites of the San Pedro Tunasán Hacienda from the Colegio for re-sale to its tenants. This event laid to rest the tenants/landlord problem in the town. From the Spanish time until after the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the scenario did change a bit, when on August 30, 1945 beginning to the Philippine Commonwealth forces against the Japanese, President Ramón Magsaysay signed at the historic town plaza the Land Tenancy Act. By virtue of this law, farm lots of the hacienda were bought by the Philippine Government to be sold at cost to the tenants or occupants of the farm lots in Bayan-Bayanan under the Narra Settlement Project of the Magsaysay Administration 

Sampaguita Festival - February 22 A week long festival which includes various activities ranging from cultural to sports, trade fairs, amateur singing contest, parades, historical exhibits, social & religious gatherings, tribal dance & sports exhibitions. The highlight of the festival is the Coronation Night of the "Hiyas ng San Pedro". The festival aims to promote tourism in San Pedro & to promote & revitalize Sampaguita industry in the locality.

Source: http://sanpedrolaguna.gov.ph/history.html

Physical Features:

San Pedro is a flat land near Laguna de Bay. It has a sandy and clay loam soil that develops into mud when there is heavy rain. Heavy rains are during the months of August till October while dry season begins January until the middle of May.

Source: http://www.fhi.net/fhiphilippines/cdp17L.htm#physical

Prominent Landmarks:

• Centro Pacita
• Sto. Rosario Parish Church
• Diocesan Shrine of Santo Sepulchre

Sources: http://www.wowlaguna.com/news-and-features/destinations/famous-man-made-landmarks-to-visit-in-laguna/

Population:



 According to the latest census, it has a population of 314,231 inhabitants in 48,341 households. With a total land surface area of 24.05km2, San Pedro is the smallest town of the first district of Laguna and the 3rd smallest in the entire province. However, it is the town with the highest population density in the province due to its ranking as the 2nd most populous town after Calamba City


Sources:http://sanpedrolaguna.gov.ph/history.html