page_title: Calamba, Laguna
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Calamba, Laguna / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Matang Tubig Cave
context_page_description: Calamba, officially the City of Calamba, is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 454,486 people.
  It is the regional center of the Calabarzon region. It is situated 50 kilometres south of Manila, 37 kilometres west of Santa Cruz, Laguna, 31 kilometres north of San Pablo, Laguna and 23.6 kilometres east of Tagaytay. The city is known as the "Spring Resort Capital of the Philippines" because of its numerous hot spring resorts, which are mostly located in Barangay Pansol, Bucal, Bagong Kalsada and Lingga or Calamba Island.
  According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 454,486 people, making it the most populous local government unit in Laguna. It is the 5th densest city in the province with more than 2,600 people per square kilometer after San Pedro, Biñan, Cabuyao and Santa Rosa. Based on the overall rankings of the 2014 Cities and Municipalities Index, the city ranked 18th in the overall competitiveness and 1st among cities in the Calabarzon region.
context_section_description: The oldest part of Calamba is believed to be Barangay Sucol where its first settlers remained. With the arrival of Spaniards, the whole area was converted into a hacienda, then a part of Tabuco (present-day Cabuyao). Calamba became an independent pueblo on August 28, 1742, and formed into the town of Calamba in 1770. In 1813, Calamba was placed in the hands of "encargados" by the Dominican Brothers, who divided into portions and sold the haciendas to the natives during the American regime.
  During the Japanese occupation in World War II, the city was the location of a massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army, in which at least 2,000 civilians were killed. The St. John the Baptist Church, established in 1859, was burned by the Japanese during World War II. It was reconstructed by Fr. Eliseo Dimaculangan. It was the christening site of José Rizal. The original baptismal font has been preserved and refurbished.
caption: A Matang Tubig Cave, American soldiers hiding at the cave during Japanese-American, World War II since 1932
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