Pagsanjan ( PAG-sang-han), officially the Municipality of Pagsanjan (Tagalog: Bayan ng Pagsanjan), is a municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 45,602 people.
It is known as the tourist capital of Laguna and is the home of the Bangkero Festival held every March. The bangkeros are tour guides who steer boats along the river to Pagsanjan Falls (also called Magdapio Falls), for which the town is well known but is actually in neighboring Cavinti.
The municipality was the capital of the province of Laguna for 170 years (from 1688 to 1858), during which the town prospered as the commercial, cultural and learning center of the province.
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Etymology
Pagsanjan is located in the riparian delta formed by the confluence of the Balanac and Bumbungan rivers. Originally called Pinágsangahán ("branching" or "juncture"), the name was shortened to "Pagsanjan" by early Spanish colonists because they found it very difficult to pronounce.
History
In 1668, eight Japanese and Chinese traders, highly impressed by the barrio's strategic location at the junction of the Balanac and Bumbungan rivers, founded the town. They established a trading settlement and engaged in the betel nut 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, then-Governor-General Juan Manuel de la Peña Bonifaz issued a decree elevating its status to a town. In 1688, Pagsanjan replaced Bay as the capital of the province. It remained such until 1858. The 1818 Spanish census recorded the area as having 1,785 native families and 7 Spanish-Filipino families (newly immigrated from Spain).
List of mayors
Juan L. Fabella
Fidelino C. Agawin (1959–1963)
Quintin Cabrera (1963–1971)
Gregorio F. Zaide (1971–1975)
Adelina Becina Gabatan
Hernando Zaide (1986–1987)
Augusto Kamatoy (1988–1998)
Abner L. Afuang (1998–2001)
Girlie Yulatic Javier-Ejercito (2010-2019)
Peter Casius Trinidad (2019–2022)
Cesar V. Areza (2022–2025)
E. R. Ejercito (2001–2010 and 2025)
Geography
Pagsanjan has a land area of 26.4 square kilometers (10.2 mi2). It is bounded on the east by the Balubad Mountain; on the west by the provincial capital 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.
Situated 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) from Santa Cruz, 91 kilometers (57 mi) southeast of Manila, and 52 kilometers (32 mi) from Lucena, this town is reached via the Manila East Road or SLEX.
Barangays
Pagsanjan is politically subdivided into 16 barangays, as indicated below and in the image herein. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Pagsanjan was 45,602 people, with a density of 1,700 inhabitants per square kilometer or 4,400 inhabitants per square mile.
Economy
Poverty incidence of Pagsanjan (%)
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Culture
Pagsanjan March
The official song of the town is the "Pagsanjan March". The anthem was composed by Rogel Taiño, a native of Pagsanjan.
Bangkero Festival
Also known as the “Pagsanjan Bangkero Festival,” this five-day annual celebration is held every April in honor of the town’s patron saint and its skilled local boatmen, known as bangkeros. The festival features a range of activities, including colorful boat races, street dancing, float parades, trade fairs, concerts, and sporting events. A highlight of the celebration is the boat race along the Bumbungan (Balanac) River leading to the famous Pagsanjan Falls, showcasing the expertise and navigation skills of the bangkeros.
Education
The Pagsanjan Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public schools from the primary to secondary levels.
Notable personalities
Pedro Pelaez – educator and priest, considered the "Father of Filipinization of the Church" and "The Godfather of the Philippine Revolution"
Gelia Tagumpay Castillo – National Scientist of the Philippines for Rural Sociology
Patis Tesoro – National Artist of the Philippines for Fashion Design
Gregorio F. Zaide – historian and author, "Dean of Filipino Historiographers"
Leandro H. Fernandez – educator, author and historian
Conrado Benitez – First Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of the Philippines, educator and author, one of the drafters of the 1935 Constitution
José Fabella – physician and public health advocate, Father of Public Health and Social Welfare in the Philippines
Ernesto Maceda – former councilor of Manila, former senator, Senate president, columnist and lawyer
Mario Montenegro – actor
Louie Ignacio – TV director
Dan Fernandez – Actor, Mayor of Santa Rosa, Laguna, Board Member, 9th Vice Governor of Laguna and Member of the House of Representatives from Laguna's 1st District
E.R. Ejercito – Actor, 17th Governor of Laguna and Mayor of Pagsanjan
Benjo Agarao – politician
Jam Agarao – politician