Pagsanjan


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
Situated about southeast of Manila, this town can reach via Manila East Road or Slex. Pagsanjan is the tourist capital of Laguna and is the home of the Bangkero Festival. The bangkeros are tour guides who steer tourists' boats along the river to Pagsanjan Falls, for which the town is well known but is actually located in the neighboring municipality of Cavinti. The Bangkero Festival is celebrated in the month of March.
Pagsanjan was the capital of the province of Laguna for 170 years during which the town prospered as the commercial, cultural and learning center of the province.

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.

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.
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Geography

Pagsanjan has a land area of 26.4 square kilometres. It is located about 92 kilometres 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.

Barangays

Pagsanjan is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.

Climate

Demographics

In the, the population of Pagsanjan was people, with a density of.

Notable Pagsanjeños

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.