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DeutschCalamba is a city in Laguna, Philippines, a major economic, transportation, and tourist hub in the Calabarzon region. It is the birthplace and ancestral location of the Philippines' National Hero, Jose Rizal, and one barangay, Pansol, is home to various hot spring resorts near Mount Makiling.
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Understand
[edit | edit source]Calamba is a regional center for Laguna and the Calabarzon region; it lies 50 km (31 mi) from Manila and houses many businesses, tourist attractions, colleges and universities, transport stations, and industries. The city houses the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal's mansion, and Pansol, a barangay with many private hot spring resorts at the foot of Mount Makiling. It is home to about 575,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
The city's history is traced back to the Spanish era. Calamba is formed from the barrio of Sucol of Tabuko (present-day Cabuyao), and in the 1800s, the Dominican friars divided up their hacienda and gave it to locals, including Jose Rizal's family. Calamba was also a scene of a Japanese war crimes during World War II: 2,000 civilians were murdered and raped by Japanese soldiers in the barrio of Real and St. John the Baptist Parish church was burned down. The city gained cityhood in 2001 after president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the Calamba City Charter Act (Republic Act 9024) and locals won a majority in the following plebiscite.
Orientation
[edit | edit source]The city is divided into 54 barangays, including 7 forming the Poblacion. Calamba's Poblacion is the commercial heart of the city; the congested Calamba Crossing between Maharlika Highway (Route 1, also Real Road up to SLEx) and Route 66 (or National Highway locally) lies there. Barangay Pansol, near the boundary of Los Baños is home to many private resorts, both big and small. Canlubang, a large residential barangay, has, the majority of the Nuvali mixed-use development (the remainder lies in Cabuyao and Santa Rosa), Camp Vicente Lim, and two industrial parks.
Get in
[edit | edit source]By bus
[edit | edit source]Calamba is a major stopover for buses headed for South Luzon
- 1 JAM/Philtranco, Maharlika Highway, Turbina, ☏ +63 917 524 6337. A large, covered bus station which primarily serves JAM, Philtranco and Amihan buses. The station is undergoing renovations to add air-conditioned lounges, showers, further retail space, and rooms for overnight stays.
In addition to the JAM/Philtranco bus station, there are also other bus companies with stops at Turbina, all not far away from each other. The terminals themselves are only used for southbound buses, and northbound, buses stop at the Flying V gas station across the highway from the JAM bus terminal
- Bobis Liner/Elavil Tours.
- DLTBCo. (near Shell), ☏ +63 49 520 5582.
- JAC Liner/LLi (directly in front of Angel's Nest). Stop also serves ALPS, Ceres, Dela Rosa, Gold Star, JAPS and P&O Transport buses. Stop has a simple waiting area and restrooms.
- Superlines, Purok 2, Turbina (Beside Petron), ☏ +63 933 942 1373.
If getting down directly at the city proper, around the Calamba Crossing:
- HM Transport, National Hwy cor Carnation St, Barangay 1 Poblacion (directly in front of Joy Hotel).
- JAPS, National Hwy, Real (beside CMC).
- Saint Rose, Km 50 National Hwy, Barangay 1 Poblacion (beside Teodora Building). Has one large shelter with an attached Ministop
- 1 SM City Calamba Transport Terminal, National Highway, Calamba Crossing (part of SM City Calamba (see #Buy).).
By jeepney
[edit | edit source]From Manila, there are both traditional and modern jeepneys from Alabang in Muntinlupa, most taking the South Luzon Expressway but others take the older National Hwy. The jeepneys taking the National Hwy may not necessarily travel up to Calamba requiring you to change jeepneys and the journey is rather slow, so ride the modern jeepney or a bus that takes the expressway to Calamba.
There are also jeepneys from Lipa, San Pedro, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and San Pablo.
By train
[edit | edit source]Train service from Manila is suspended due to the electrified North–South Commuter Railway.
- 2 Calamba station, Rizal St, Poblacion. Served by the PNR Interprovincial Commuter trains from Lucena. It will serve as the future southern terminus of the new electrified North–South Commuter Railway running up to Malolos in Bulacan and Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
By car
[edit | edit source]Calamba is a major crossroads; it serves as an important junction for South Luzon Expressway (SLEX, E2), Maharlika Highway (Route 1), and Route 66 (officially Calamba-Santa Cruz-Famy Road, locally National Highway). SLEx has four exits: Silangan (exit 45), Canlubang/Mayapa (exit 47), Batino (exit 49), and Calamba aka Turbina (exit 50); the section between the Calamba toll plaza and Ayala Greenfield toll plaza has no exit toll gates. Route 66 runs from Pagsanjan at Calamba, while Maharlika Highway (Route 1), the older toll-free highway paralleling SLEx, runs through the centers of the cities in northwestern Laguna (as the National Highway) and enters Batangas at Santo Tomas. SLEx and Maharlika Highway from Turbina form Asian Highway 26.
Get around
[edit | edit source]
By jeepney
[edit | edit source]Jeepneys serve most areas along the Maharlika Hwy and National Hwy, including Crossing and Pansol. There are also jeepneys to Canlubang, but are impractical for travel to Nuvali.
By tricycle
[edit | edit source]There are plenty of tricycles around downtown and the Crossing area. Trips generally cost ₱9 per kilometer, but it can cost ₱60 if you catch one alone (or a "special" trip), for example, on a trip from Crossing to the Rizal mansion.
Anywhere in Pansol can be reached by tricycle, with stands near the subdivision entrances.
By car
[edit | edit source]Traveling by car within the city proper is inadvisable. Traffic jams are common at the Crossing, Pansol and Real, and parking is hard to find at the poblacion. That said, most malls, the City Hall, and the City Park have free parking. The resorts at Pansol are more conveniently accessed by car.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Museo ni Jose Rizal (Bahay ni Rizal), Francisco Mercado corner Jose Rizal Streets, Poblacion 6 (Beside Saint John the Baptist Parish Church), toll-free: (049) 834 1599Country code missing, mjrc@nhcp.gov.ph. 8AM–4PM, closed Mondays and holidays. The birthplace of the Philippine national hero, Jose Rizal. It houses the restored colonial-era mansion of Jose Rizal, which contains his memorabilia. Free, donation optional.
- 2 The Plaza, Chipeco Avenue (in front of the Calamba City Hall). Open 24 hours. A park built to commemorate Rizal's 150th birthday. Opened in 2011, it houses a 6.7 metres (22 ft) statue of Jose Rizal.
- 3 St. John the Baptist Parish, J.P. Rizal Street, Barangay 5 (Poblacion) (across the street from Rizal Shrine), ☏ +63 917 303 9402, sjbp.parishoffice0624@gmail.com. The main Roman Catholic church in Calamba, built in the Baroque style and rebuilt after World War II. This was where Jose Rizal was baptized and attended mass in his early years.
- 4 Calamba Baywalk, Barangay Lingga. This is also the jump-off point for the ferry that goes to Calamba island in Laguna de Bay. There are food stalls here from which you can buy quick meals and refreshments. Free.
- 5 San Pedro Calungsod Parish Church, Phase VII, Villa de Calamba, La Mesa, ☏ +63 945 160 6325, spcparishoffice@gmail.com. 9AM–12NN, 3–6PM.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Republ1c Wakepark, West Diversity Avenue, Canlubang (inside Nuvali). A wakeboarding park inside the Nuvali development in Canlubang
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 SM City Calamba, Maharlika Highway, Real, ☏ +63 49 530-0062, customercare@smsupermalls.com. 10AM-9PM. Huge SM mall, providing a refuge from the cacophony of the Calamba Crossing area.
- 2 Walter Mart Makiling, Km. 54 Maharlika Highway, Makiling, ☏ +63 920 932 8566, toll-free: +63 49 530-0854, wms.operations.makiling@waltermart.com.ph. 9AM–9PM. Has some fast food restaurants and shops, an Uno department store, and supermarket.
- 3 Calamba City Public Market, Public Market Inner Road.
- 4 Novo Department Store - Calamba, J.P. Rizal Street. 8AM–8PM.
- 5 Lianas Supermarket, Manila South Road. 8AM–9PM.
- 6 Olivarez Plaza Mall, Maharlika Highway, Milagrosa. 9AM-8PM.
- 7 iMall Canlubang, Jose Yulo Sr. Avenue corner Cecilia Araneta Avenue, Canlubang. 7AM-9PM.
- 8 Robinsons Easymart Bagong Kalsada, Calamba-Pagsanjan Road, Purok 3, Bagong Kalsada, toll-free: 049 254 0579Country code missing, re4046sm@rsc.com.ph. 7AM-10PM.
- 9 Robinsons Easymart Calamba, 50 P. Burgos Street, Barangay III, toll-free: 049 536 5742Country code missing, re409sm@rsc.com.ph. 7AM-9PM.
- 10 Robinsons Easymart Parian, Manila South Road, Parian, toll-free: 049 258 2356Country code missing, re4050sm@rsc.com.ph. 7AM-10PM.
Eat
[edit | edit source]For the familiar and budget options, fastfood chains and streetfood stalls are scattered across the city and in the malls.
- 1 Ippon Yari, Maharlika Hwy, Turbina, ☏ +63 49 502-0333. Mon-Sat 11AM-2:30PM (lunch) 5-11PM (dinner); Sun 11AM-2:30PM (lunch), 5-9:30PM (dinner). Authentic Japanese dining, including common Japanese fare like bento, ramen, sushi, tempura and shochu. Tables have tatami mats.
- 2 Bulalo sa Banga, 19 San Juan Road. 10AM–9PM.
- 3 Carmi's Kitchen, 381 Ilang-ilang Street. 10AM–9PM.
- 4 Tuding's Original Porkchop, Real Road. 8AM–10PM.
- 5 PAULS dining + kitchen, Ipil-ipil Street. 11AM–9PM.
Drink
[edit | edit source]- 1 Brew and Co. Calamba, 6 San Jose Road, San Jose. Tue-Sun 10AM–10PM, closed Mon. Coffee shop also serving sandwiches and pasta. ₱95-400.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 RedDoorz @ Chipeco Avenue, 3 Chipeco Avenue. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
- 2 RedDoorz near SM City Calamba, Manila South Road. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
- 3 Castle Rock Inn, Manila South Road, ☏ +63 922 407 6303.
Stay safe
[edit | edit source]The southernmost barangays of Calamba are part of an extended 17-kilometer radius danger zone in the event of a severe eruption by the Taal Volcano in neighboring Batangas. The dreaded West Valley Fault extending from Metro Manila also terminates in Calamba.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]The city serves as a tourist hub to other destinations in Laguna like:
- Los Baños - Bordering university and resort town, noted for the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus, the International Rice Research Institute, and hot springs
- Pagsanjan - Home to Pagsanjan Falls
| Routes through Calamba |
| Alabang ← Cabuyao ← | N  S | → END |
| Manila ← Biñan ← | N  S | → Los Baños → Lucena |
| Manila ← Biñan ← | N  S | → Los Baños → Lucena |
| Manila/Alabang ← Cabuyao ← | N   S | → AH26 exits SLEX and follows  → Santo Tomas → Lipa/Batangas City (via  ) |
| Santa Rosa ← Cabuyao ← | N S | → Santo Tomas → Lucena |
Merges with .svg){kind=small} ← | W  E | → Los Baños → Santa Cruz |
