Pagsanjan

Etymology

Pagsanjan is located in the riparian delta formed by the confluence of the Balanac and Bumbungan rivers. Originally named Pinagsangahan, meaning "branching" or "juncture", the town was given renamed Pagsanjan by early Spanish colonists, because they found it extremely difficult to pronounce its polysyllabic name.

Geography

Pagsanjan has a land area of 26.4 square kilometres. It is located about 92 kilometres (57 mi) southeast of Manila. It is bounded on the east by the Balubad Mountain; on the west by the capital town of Santa Cruz; on the north by the San Isidro Hill and Laguna de Bay; on the north-east by the town of Lumban; on the southeast by the towns of Cavinti and Luisiana; on the south by Mount Banahaw; and on the south-west by the town of Magdalena.

Baraŋgays

Pagsanjan is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.

History

Pagsanjan was originally a barrio of Lumban. In 1668, eight Japanese and Chinese traders who were highly impressed by the strategic location of the barrio at the juncture of Balanac and Bumbungan rivers founded the town. They established a trading settlement and engaged in the betelnut industry. In time, the barrio became the flourishing trading center of eastern Laguna and attracted families from the surrounding communities of Cavinti and Pila. On December 12, 1668, the then Governor, General Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz, issued a gubernatorial decree elevating its status from barrio to a town. In 1688, Pagsanjan replaced Bay as the capital of the province. It remained such until 1858, during which it bloomed as the cultural and commercial center of the province.

Pagsanjan residents

Like all people in the world, the Pagsanjeños are hospitable and friendly to all visitors, especially the foreigners. They are warmhearted, fiesta-loving and witty. In time of peace, they are amiably peaceful, civic-spirited, and cheerful; in time of war, however, they are brave, intensely patriotic, and fight with fury. They are loyal and proud of their beloved town and ancestral heritage.

The people of Pagsanjan are also fortunate to have a resplendent cultural heritage. This culture is a harmonious blending of the Asian, Hispanic, Mexican, and American civilization influences. It is revealed in their rich folklore, customs and traditions, and colorful fiestas. During colonial times Pagsanjan was a famous center of culture. Her people, according to Fray Felix de la Huerta, Franciscan friar-chronicler, were "muy culto" (highly cultured). The Pagsanjeños then cherished good education. They sent their children to the elementary school to learn the fours R's (reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion). Children of the rich families studied in the homes of private teachers. After acquiring the fundamentals of Spanish and Latin languages, they were sent to Manila to obtain higher education at the Ateneo de Manila, College of San Juan de Letran, and in the University of Santo Tomas. It is a fact that during the Spanish regime Pagsanjan among all towns in Laguna had the highest percentage of illustrados (intellectuals).

This old tradition of acquiring a good education still exists among present-day Pagsanjeños. To them, a college diploma is a status symbol. Today numerous Pagsanjeños study law, medicine, education, nursing, engineering, and other college courses in the colleges and universities in Manila and in foreign countries.

As a cultured people, The Pagsanjeños take pride in their fine homes with beautiful furniture, oil paintings, pianos, and rugs; in their well-groomed lawns, and flower gardens; in their clean, beautiful streets, and sidewalks; and in their attire and personal appearance. But because of the destruction of their ancestral homes in Pagsanjan and the threat of the Huk movement in the towns and barrios of Laguna province, many Pagsanjeño families evacuated their native town and moved permanently to the Greater Manila area. This exodus of Pagsanjeño families mostly represented the elite of the local population, including rich landlords and the talented intellectuals. A few prominent families noted for their lineage and inherited wealth, however, remained in town and cooperated with the common people in the rebuilding of their ruined town.

The rich Pagsanjeño families who left the town resided in Manila, Pasay, Makati, Caloocan City, and San Juan, where they built their homes and reared their families. Some of them sold their ancestral residential lots in Pagsanjan, for they had no intention of restoring their old homes in town. They became absentee landlords, for they simply employed some persons called encargados to manage their family rice farms and coconut plantations.

Notable Pagsanjeños

Pagsanjan March

The official song of the Municipality of Pagsanjan and its people is Pagsanjan March. The anthem was composed by Rogel Taiño, a native of Pagsanjan.

In Popular Culture

Movies and films shot in Pagsanjan

Financial Institutions

Banco Laguna, Inc. - Head Office (A Rural Bank Since 1965)