LUMBAN

THE LUMBAN, LAGUNA

                                                                                the lumbang tree

         Lumban, a municipality in the province of Laguna is my hometown. It is one of Laguna's oldest town and even the province's capital town-Sta.Cruz, as well as Cavinti and the famous Pagsanjan were once part of it. However, when I worked in Sta.Rosa and lived in Calamba (towns of Laguna), I learned there were still people who don't even know about it and mistaken it as Lucban,Quezon.

          Lucban, Quezon is known for its Pahiyas festival that showcases a street of houses which are adorned with fruits, vegetables, agricultural products, handicrafts and kiping-a rice-made decor that can be eaten grilled or fried.

           Lumban, on the other hand, is no less known as the "Embroidery Capital of the Philippines". Fine Jusi and Piña cloth are embroidered by hand, the finished product is worn by males (and sometimes even by females) as barong tagalog and saya (Filipiñana)by females.
           Wait, Lumban has a lot more to be proud of! It is the home of Lake Caliraya, a man-made lake often visited by nature lovers and sports people. It was created with the construction of Caliraya Dam, an embankment dam,the reservoir of which initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric power plant in the Philippines that provides hydroelectric power for Southern Luzon.

          Associated with the hydroelectric power plant which was inaugurated in 1953 by the Napocor (National Power Corporation) is the First Laguna Electric Cooperative (FLECO) that serves 11 municipalities in Laguna.

          Aside from that, Lumban also borders the famous Laguna de Bay (lake of Bay) which is the largest lake in the Philippines and the 3rd largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.Its water extends through the Caliraya Lake and the Pagsanjan Falls,all throughout the manila bay and the pasig river.

          Lumban got its name from "Lumbang tree" or otaheite walnut (aleurites trisperma|). The lumbang tress was once the chief source of oil  for lighting and for culinary purposes. Why people of Lumban at present do not even plant and grow the tree is still a nagging question to the present generation.