Santa Rosa

About Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa, officially the City of Santa Rosa (Filipino: Lungsod ng Santa Rosa), is a component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 430,920 people.

It is the second largest local government unit in Laguna after Calamba. Located 40 kilometers (25 mi) south of Manila, it was rapidly developed into an urban area as a result of the growing congestion and conurbation of the Manila Metropolitan area. It is also the richest city in Luzon outside of Metro Manila in terms of annual income, which was recorded to be ₱4.99 billion as of 2022.

Santa Rosa is derived from Spanish for Saint Rose of Lima, its patron saint to whom it is consecrated to. The town was initially known for the Coca-Cola, RC Cola, and Toyota manufacturing plants in its industrial estates. It later became popular as the site of the Enchanted Kingdom theme park and several housing and commercial developments.

In 1571, Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo, the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi, founded the town of Biñan which was annexed as a barrio to Tabuco (now Cabuyao) while exploring the region of Laguna de Bay.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.