San Pedro - Laguna's Gateway to Metro Manila

Land Area: 2,660 hectares
Total Population (Y2000): 231,403
Households (Y2000): 48,341
Distance from Manila: 30 kms
Mayor: Felecisimo A. Vierneza
Official Website: www.laguna.gov.ph/Articles/05_25_San_Pedro.htm

San Pedro is a first class urban municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is named after its patron saint, Saint Peter. San Pedro is Laguna's gateway to Metro Manila since it lies on the boundary with Muntinlupà City, Metro Manila's southernmost city. This position makes San Pedro a popular suburban residential community, where many residents commute daily for work in Metro Manila. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 231,403 people in 48,341 households.

Aside from being a primarily suburban community, San Pedro also hosts a large number of factories. Among them include Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Alaska Milk Corporation and General Milling Corporation.

San Pedro is politically subdivided into 20 barangays.
* Bagong Silang
* Cuyab
* Estrella
* G.S.I.S.
* Landayan
* Langgam
* Laram
* Magsaysay
* Nueva
* Población
* Riverside
* San Antonio
* San Roque
* San Vicente
* Santo Niño
* United Bayanihan
* United Better Living
* Sampaguita Village
* Calendola
* Narra
* Pacita Complex

History
San Pedro became a town on January 18, 1725, when the Spanish King, Charles II, decreed that the town, formerly known as "Tabuko", be a separate town from "Kabullaw", now known as Cabuyao. By virtue of the last will of Philip V of Spain, Rodriguez de Figueroa or "Don Esteban", a group of Augustinian Fathers gained the ownership of the Tunasán Estate. Later on, San Pedro became an hacienda of Colegio de San José, a group of Jesuits friars who took over the property which now is known as "San Pedro Tunasán". "Tunasán" came from "Tunás" a medicinal plant, abundant on shoreline area. During that period, agriculture, fishing, duck raising, fruit trees, sampaguita were the main source of income of its residents. This period was highlighted by the growing tenant/landlord dispute. The tenants of Hacienda San Pedro Tunasán fought for their birthrights over their ancestral lands. This struggle took almost 423 years of unsuccessful resistance to Colegio de San José, and in 1938, the government bought the homesites of the San Pedro Tunasán Hacienda from the Colegio for re-sale to its tenants. This event laid to rest the tenants/landlord problem in the town.

From the Spanish time until after the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the scenario did change a bit, when on August 30, 1945, President Ramón Magsaysay signed at the historic town plaza the Land Tenancy Act. By virtue of this law, farm lots of the hacienda were bought by the Philippine Government to be sold at cost to the tenants or occupants of the farm lots in Bayan-Bayanan under the Narra Settlement Project of the Magsaysay Administration.

Sampaguita Festival - February 22
A week long festival which includes various activities ranging from cultural to sports, trade fairs, amateur singing contest, parades, historical exhibits, social & religious gatherings, tribal dance & sports exhibitions. The highlight of the festival is the Coronation Night of the "Hiyas ng San Pedro". The festival aims to promote tourism in San Pedro & to promote & revitalize Sampaguita industry in the locality.