Founding
city of the Philippines in the province of Laguna
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Cabuyao (Tagalog: [kɐˈbujaʊ]), officially the City of Cabuyao (Filipino: Lungsod ng Cabuyao), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2025 census, it has a population of 365,202 people.
It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philippines" due to the large populace of migrants working in the town's industrial estates. Companies such as Nestlé Philippines, Asia Brewery, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, Tanduay Distillers, Inc., Wyeth Philippines, Inc., Procter & Gamble Philippines, Light Industry and Science Park of the Philippines and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna have established factories or are located in Cabuyao.
By virtue of Republic Act No. 10163, the municipality of Cabuyao was converted to a component city after the ratification of a plebiscite held on August 4, 2012.
Cabuyao was once the central part of Tabuco, a large territory that included the modern-day cities of San Pedro, Biñan, Santa Rosa, and Calamba. The name "Cabuyao" came from the kabuyaw tree, Citrus hystrix.
The town of Tabuco was located near the junction of a river and the lake of Ba-i where bancas (rafts) were the common means of transportation. Many kabuyaw trees grew in the area, and their fruit was used as shampoo. When the priest asked for the name of the place, the local women answered "kabuyaw", believing that the priest was asking for the name of the trees growing around the wharf. From then on, the priests and Spanish officials referred to the town as Cabuyao.
One of the biggest villages established in the western portion of the lake was "Tabuko" or "Hangganang Ilog" which means boundary in the native language. Tabuko had no definite boundary except for natural landmarks such as the mountain, hills and the lake. The boundary of Tabuko reached the mountain range of Sungay on the west, Mount Makiling on the south, the lake of Ba-i on the east, and the large track of quicksand at Tunasan on the north.
In the summer of 1896, news spread over Cabuyao that the province of Cavite had revolted against the Spanish government. Anticipating the disorder it would bring to the community, Lt. Isabelo Virtucio organized a volunteer group to fight against the Spanish government. He coordinated with the different leaders of the revolutionary groups, and his group joined the forces of General Paciano Rizal, the brother of the Philippine national hero, José Rizal. The group adopted guerrilla warfare in fighting the Spaniards, ambushing and putting up traps on the roads used by their enemy. It took almost two years before the Spanish armed forces surrendered in 1898.
The next elected mayor of Cabuyao was Nicolas Limcaoco, who served from 1937 to 1940. The original 3-year term was amended by the constitution, which made the new term of the elected mayor four years. His accomplishments included the construction of a road from Poblacion to Marinig, which shortened the travel time going to the different barangays along the coastal area of the town, and the installation of a water line from Matang Tubig at Casile to Poblacion. The project was completed in 1938 under the supervision of Jose L. Acuña who was elected as Mayor in 1941.
In Cabuyao, there was no direct military confrontation between the Japanese soldiers and Filipinos. Confrontation did occur between the Makapili, a pro-Japanese group, and the guerrillas. The known guerrilla leaders of Cabuyao were Col. Nicolas Soriano, Maj. Amado Garcia, Maj. Romulo Alcasabas, Maj. Raymundo Tanchico, Maj. Placido Aragon and Capt. Pablo Garcia.
On the morning of September 21, 1944, the people of Cabuyao were surprised to hear the sound of American airplanes flying to Manila for bombing operations. On January 1, 1941, the American forces, part of the 7th Army Corps under Gen. Krueger, arrived at Cabuyao. The first group of American soldiers were led by Capt. Brown, who made their camp at the church compound (Patio).
Before the arrival of joint American and Philippine Commonwealth army soldiers to Cabuyao, the town was under the control of the guerrilla forces under the leadership of Col. Nicolas Soriano. Thus, no military encounter occurred. The Americans readily established a provisionary government called the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) where Enrique Hemedes was appointed as head. The office was responsible for the distribution of food and clothing to the needy people of Cabuyao but with priority to the evacuees coming from nearby towns.
After the arrival of the local Filipino troops of the 4th, 42nd and 47th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and 4th Constabulary Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary, Cabuyao was taken from the town municipalities and aided by the local guerrillas and the U.S. troops against the Japanese.
Emilio Tanchico replaced Hemedes. Tanchico was responsible for restoring the operations of the municipal government of Cabuyao, such as the Office of the Treasurer, Office of Police, Postal Office and Communication and other offices. Nicolas Limcaoco then replaced him in the middle of 1946 and served until 1947.
The first thing Limcaoco did was to establish peace and order in the locality. There were many loose firearms because of the recent war, which led to robberies, theft, killing and other criminal offenses. He hired 10 "terong" (toughies) coming from the mountainous areas of Cabuyao and appointed them as policemen. Criminality was lessened and peace and order was maintained during that time in Cabuyao.
When the Philippines gained its independence on July 4, 1946, a presidential election preceded it where President Manuel Roxas was elected as the first president of the Third Republic. The president appointed Jose L. Acuña as mayor of Cabuyao.
Acuña restored the organizational set up of the Municipal Government of Cabuyao. He assisted the war veterans of Cabuyao in receiving their back pay, those whose properties were destroyed during the war in receiving war damage, and freed from jail people mistaken as Makapili or collaborators.
In the 1947 local election, Lope B. Diamante was elected as mayor. Mauro H. Alimagno served for three terms: 1952–55, 1956–59 and 1960–63. Antonio Bailon served as mayor during the term 1964–67.
Alimagno again served during the period 1968–71, 1972–79 and 1980. However, he failed to complete his last term as mayor in 1980 as he was gunned down in Calamba. Vice Mayor Nicanor Alcasabas succeeded as mayor and served the remaining term. After the EDSA Revolution, Isidro T. Hildawa was appointed mayor of Cabuyao. However, he was later appointed as member of the Provincial Board of Laguna, so it was Constancio G. Alimagno, Jr. who was appointed as mayor on April 1, 1986.
Proceso Aguillo was elected mayor of Cabuyao in the 1988 local election. Constancio G. Alimagno, Jr. served as mayor in 1992–95. Proceso Aguillo served as mayor from 1995 to 2004. Nila G. Aguillo, wife of Proceso Aguillo, assumed office until 2007. Isidro Hemedes, Jr. a relative of Enrique Hemedes, ascended into office from 2007 to 2016.
On December 6, 2010 Laguna 2nd District Representative Timmy Chipeco filed House Bill No. 03811, or an Act Converting the Municipality of Cabuyao into a Component City of the Province of Laguna. The bill was referred to the Committee on Local Government dated December 13, 2010, and substituted to House Bill No. 4259. The Municipal Mayor as well as the residents of the town fully supported the measure and they looked forward to Cabuyao becoming a city since it was fully deserving and qualified. After the successful readings and committee hearings of the bill, both in the House of Congress and Senate, the bill was approved by the senate on January 16, 2012, the same date as Cabuyao's 441st founding anniversary.
On May 16, 2012, President Benigno Aquino III approved House Bill No. 4259 or the Cabuyao City Charter and signed into law by virtue of Republic Act No. 10163. On August 4, 2012, a plebiscite was held to ratify the conversion of the town into a city. A total of 24,670 Cabuyeños took part; 22,132 voters or 89.71% of the total number of voters voted "Yes" while the remaining 2,538 or 10.29% voted "No". The City of Cabuyao is the 142nd city in the Philippines and 5th component city in Laguna besides San Pablo, Calamba, Santa Rosa and Biñan.
Cabuyao is located 42 kilometers (26 mi) southeast of Metro Manila, at the western portion of Laguna. It is bordered by Santa Rosa City to the north, Laguna de Bay, the country's largest lake, to the east; Calamba to the south, and Silang, Cavite to the east. Cabuyao is 45 kilometers (28 mi) away from Santa Cruz, the provincial capital, and 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from the city center of Calamba, the chartered city and regional center of Calabarzon region.
The only lake found in Cabuyao is Laguna de Bay. Barangays situated along the lake are Bigaa, Butong, Marinig, Gulod, Baclaran and Mamatid. Types of fish found in the lake are kanduli, biya, talapia, ayungin, hito, karpa, mamale, bangus, dalag, papalo, kakasuhet and dulong. The Cabuyao Fishing Port can be found on barangay Marinig where many Cabuyeños and Cabuyeñas undertake zumba every Saturday and Sunday at sunrise.
Cabuyao has the following rivers:
The ricefields or ricelands in Cabuyao are found in barangay Bigaa, Butong, Marinig, Gulod, Baclaran, Mamatid, San Isidro, Pulo, Banay-Banay, Niugan and Sala. As of 2004, the total area of riceland is 940.56 hectares (9.4056 in square kilometers) and 468 farmers as per data of the City Agriculture Office.
Narra Trees are planted along the Poblacion-Marinig Road and besides the compound of the City Hall of Cabuyao. Agricultural crops are palay, squash, garlic, watermelon, pineapple, coffee and other fruit bearing plants.
Cabuyao is politically divided into 18 barangays - as indicated in the matrix below - which are all classified as urban. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
In the 2024 census, Cabuyao had a population of 365,202 people. Thus, the city surpassed San Pedro, making it the 4th largest local government unit and city of Laguna. The city has a population density of 8,200 people/km2 (21,000 people/mi2).
The total number of households in Cabuyao as of 2020 is 100,875. The city has an Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) of +4.3% in the past 10 years (from 2010 to 2020).
Cabuyao is predominantly Christian of whom 93% are Roman Catholics, while the Members Church of God International claims 2%, and the Iglesia ni Cristo 3% of the Cabuyao populace. Evangelical churches are growing, including the prominent evangelical multi-site church, Victory Church Cabuyao and Jesus Is Lord Church (JIL). Other religious groups/sectors with smaller membership include the Methodists, Buddhists, Lutherans, Jesus Is Lord Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Bible Baptist, Four Square Gospel, and the Lamp Christian Fellowship Church.
The St. Polycarp Parish, in barangay Uno, was built in 1763. To this day Cabuyao is the only place in the Philippines where St. Polycarp is the patron saint.
A second church was constructed in Cabuyao after the first church situated in Marinig was destroyed by flood and tidal waves. The records of the church are intact from the 18th century to the present.
The Diocesan Shrine of San Vicente Ferrer, then known as San Vicente Ferrer Parish, was built in 1946. It is located in Mamatid. It was in 2010 when the parish church declared a Diocesan Shrine dedicated to Saint Vincent Ferrer because of its numerous devotees from different towns, cities and provinces. A relic of Saint Vincent Ferrer is displayed in a museum behind the church.
Poor Clare Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament is a monastery of St. Clare of Assisi located in P. Burgos St., Poblacion I, Cabuyao in the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo. It is one of the religious sites of the city, where large number of devotees come to offer eggs as they pray for the birth of a child. The eggs are donated as food for the poor people. It is one of the monasteries visited by the relic of St. Clare during its visit in the country in 2012.
Poverty incidence of Cabuyao (%)
2.5
5
7.5
10
12.5
15
2000 6.94
2003 3.28
2006 2.90
2009 1.67
2012 11.03
Text from the Wikipedia article “Cabuyao”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.