KNOWN as the birthplace and hometown of the national hero JOSE RIZAL, CALAMBA IN THE PROVINCE OF LAGUNA EXEMPLIfiES modernity. Yet, it has preserved Filipino culture well, and it is an exponent of 21st century learning, too.

A first-class component city with an approximate population of 550,000, Calamba — from kalamba, the Tagalog word for a wide-mouthed earthen water jar, which is also called banga — is the regional center of Region 4 or Calabarzon. It is also known as the Spring Resort Capital of the Philippines for its numerous hot springs with water coming from the dormant Mount Makiling, which is actually a volcano.

Located just 50 kilometers south of Metro Manila, Calamba is considered the richest city in the region because of its numerous industries. Its selection as the top winner in The Manila Times Model Cities and Municipalities 2023 awards and forum speaks well of the city’s liveability as well as the excellent governance of the present administration of Mayor Roseller Rizal, a descendant of the national hero.

Calamba is also a haven for industries with its income coming mainly from manufacturing and economic plants, tourism, agriculture and services, particularly business process outsourcing or BPO companies.

Many semiconductor companies are located in the city, namely Samsung Electro-Mechanics Philippines, Toshiba Storage Device Philippines, ST Electronics (formerly Philips Electronics), Fuji Electronics Philippines, NEC Tokin Electronics and Austriamicrosystems Philippines. Calamba also hosts the Suzuki Philippines and Asian Transmission Corp. automobile plants.

Global beauty and personal products company Avon has a manufacturing plant, located at Calamba Premiere International Park.

The city abounds with medical and health centers as well, including Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital, Calamba Medical Center, St. John the Baptist Hospital, San Jose Hospital and Trauma Center, Jose Yulo Foundation Canlubang Industrial Hospital, Calamba Doctors’ Hospital, Pamana Golden Care Hospital and CH Garcia Medical and Diagnostic Center.

Calamba is one of 25 cities touted to be “digital cities” by 2025, and as of 2023, it has already asserted its stature as a smart city.

In fact, the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DoST-SEI) has launched and inaugurated in

November 2022 the 21st Century Learning Environment Model (21st CLEM) in the three school-adopters: Calamba City Science Integrated School, Camp Vicente Lim Integrated School and Looc Integrated school. These schools are replete with various technologydriven features in their classrooms such as a 3D printer, robotics, an interactive projector-smartboard, a drone and a visualizer.

The trapezoid tables, as described by DoSTSEI, make the classrooms more unique and special with their flexibility to be rearranged into individual, pair or group setups. These tables are complemented by other modern furniture such as the mobile laptop caddy and maker space.

These features help make the learning atmosphere more exciting and more adaptable in the honing of students’ skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication, problem-solving and creativity.

Besides being the Best Model City 2023, Calamba has also received the Best Safe Haven City award.

Mayor Rizal, in his message to his constituents about the honors, says that his administration is serious about letting Calambeños feel the reforms being done to their beloved city.

“It’s gratifying that within just a year of being your mayor, we already received a lot of awards and honors recognizing our leadership,” says Rizal.

Rizal manuscript of Calamba leadership

Calamba’s most famous son, Jose Rizal, may have no inkling that a progeny may become the leader of the town when he wrote a manuscript called “Jefes del pueblo de Calamba” or “Leaders of Calamba” since it became a town in the period from Aug. 28, 1742 to 1891. The town used to be a part of Cabuyao until it became independent in the mid-1700s.

The manuscript is being kept at the National Library of the Philippines. Recorded as the first mayor of Calamba was Juan de la Cruz (1742 to 1743). The list showed that mostly the leaders served only 1-year terms, but some served in multiple terms with gaps in their tenure.

The mayor at the time that Rizal was studying — perhaps between 1877 to 1890 — were Francisco Salgado (1877 to 1878), Luis Elásegui (1879 to 1880), Matias Belarmino (1881 to 1882), Lucas Quintero (1884), Luis Habaña (1885 to 1886), Nicolas Llamas (1887), Francisco Elefaño (1888), Eusebio Elefaño (1889) and Matias Belarmino (1889 to 1890).

The manuscript shows that the national hero was already a historian of his hometown even before he became a prominent writer, doctor, linguist and revolutionist.