Lumban, Laguna Etymology

Jack Maico
3 days ago
3 min read

It derives its name from Aleurites moluccanus, a tree locally known as 'lumbang'. The province's capital town, Santa Cruz, as well as Cavinti and Pagsanjan, were once part of the municipality of Lumban. The river where the Laguna Copperplate Inscription was found runs through the town. Lumban is home to Lake Caliraya, an artificial lake popular with nature lovers and sports enthusiasts. It is known as the "Embroidery Capital of the Philippines," where fine Jusi and Piña cloth are hand-embroidered, with the finished product used for the barong tagalog worn by men and the saya (skirt) worn by women in a baro't saya outfit. Lumban is also known for its diverse range of shoes, sandals, slippers, and step-in designs made from local materials.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumban

Special credits: https://lumbanfacts.blogspot.com/.../biggest-marker-in...

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Church in town: 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 (𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧)

San Sebastian Parish Church, commonly known as Lumban Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Lumban, Laguna, Philippines. Its titular is St. Sebastian, and its feast is celebrated every January 20. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of San Pablo. The first tabernacle outside Manila was inaugurated in Lumban, including the first Eucharistic Procession outside of Manila. The Franciscans established the first School for Church Music in the country in this town under Juan de Santa Maria. Today, the church is under the pastoral care of the Clerical Congregation of the Missionaries of Faith.

When the Franciscans first arrived in the Philippines in 1578, Father Juán Portocarrero de Plasencia and Father Diego de Oropesa de San José started the evangelization of the province of Laguna. Lumban, together with Pila, became the first Spanish town of the province and the heart of the Franciscan missionary activities in Laguna. Father Juán de Plasencia served as parish priest of Lumban in 1578, with St. Francis of Assisi as its original patron. A church made of nipa and bamboo was first built on a site called Entablado, in the northern portion of the town. The first church was destroyed by flood and later rebuilt in wood. However, the wooden church was burned in 1586. Lumban became the first Franciscan mission settlement in the country. The government allowed San Pedro Bautista to build the church and convent in stone in that same year.

The church of Lumban was finished in 1600. It became the first stone church in Laguna and the first Franciscan building outside Manila made out of stone.

In this church, the first tabernacle outside Manila was built, including the first Eucharistic Procession outside of Manila on October 9, 1600. On October 8, before the eucharistic procession, choirs from Santa Ana de Sapa, Pangil, Nagcarlan, Pila, and Lumban sang in a mass officiated by Father Juan Montes de Oca, provincial of the Augustinians. Based on the records of Felix Huerta, the parish has two chapels dedicated to Saint Sebastian and the Holy Cross. Adjacent to the church is the church convent (convento) built under the term of Father Francisco de Cañaveras.

The first School for Church Music in the country was established by the Franciscans in Lumban under Father Juan de Santa Maria, OFM on 1606. Around 400 boys were taught liturgical hymns and the use of musical instruments. The church also served as infirmary or hospital for the male Franciscan religious from 1606 to 1618 before it was transferred to Pila.

In the 18th century, the town adopted Saint Sebastian Martyr as its patron saint. It was seriously damaged during the 1880 Luzon earthquakes and was restored by Father Manuel Rodriguez in 1889. The massive church of Lumban was completed in its original form during the American occupation and was dubbed as the biggest stone church in Laguna. It was again heavily damaged during the Japanese occupation in 1941 and a storm in 1947

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/.../San_Sebastian_Parish_Church...

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

Lumban was formally organized as a town on September 22, 1590. The Church of Lumban is claimed to be the first Franciscan building in the Philippines outside Manila. During the early Spanish period, Lumban was a large town that included the modern-day towns Santa Cruz, Cavinti and Pagsanjan.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧: