Calamba, officially the City of Calamba (Filipino: Lungsod ng Calamba), is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 539,671 people.Calamba is the regional center of the Calabarzon region. It is situated 50 kilometers (31 mi) south of Manila and 37 kilometers (23 mi) west of Santa Cruz. The city is known as the "Spring Resort Capital of the Philippines" because of its numerous hot spring resorts, which are mostly located in Barangays Pansol, Bucal, Bagong Kalsada, and Lingga.
According to the 2020 census, Calamba has a population of 539,671 people, making it the most populous local government unit in Laguna. It is the fifth-densest city in the province with more than 2,600 people per square kilometer after San Pedro, Biñan, Cabuyao, and Santa Rosa. Based on the overall rankings of the 2014 Cities and Municipalities Index, the city ranked 18th in the overall competitiveness (cities ranking) and first among cities in the Calabarzon region. Calamba is known to be Calabarzon's richest city because of its numerous industries.Calamba is the hometown of the de facto Philippine national hero, José Rizal.
Calamba City is a regional center for Laguna and the Calabarzon region; it lies from Manila and houses many businesses, tourist attractions, colleges and universities, transport stations, and industries. The city houses the Philippine national hero Jose Rizal's mansion, and Pansol, a barangay with many private hot spring resorts at the foot of Mount Makiling.
The city's history is traced back to the Spanish era. Calamba is formed from the barrio of Sucol of Tabuko (present-day Cabuyao), and in the 1800s, the Dominican friars divided up their hacienda and gave it to locals, including Jose Rizal's family. Calamba was also a scene of a Japanese war crimes during World War II: 2,000 civilians were murdered and raped by Japanese soldiers in the barrio of Real and St. John the Baptist Parish church was burned down. The city gained cityhood in 2001 after president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the Calamba City Charter Act (Republic Act 9024) and locals won a majority in the following plebiscite.
