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Santa Cruz, Laguna - Kesong Puti Festival

Santa Cruz, Laguna - Kesong Puti Festival

Kesong puti (white cheese) is a traditional breakfast in Laguna, which is made from the milk of carabaos or water buffaloes and is widely produced in Sta. Cruz. Kesong puti, eaten with hot pandesal and kape or tsokolate became the municipality’s symbol of annual gaiety as it is the most popular food in the town’s culinary history. The festival evolved to include the cultural uniqueness and industrial prowess of the town of Sta. Cruz.

Santa Cruz may not have natural tourist spots and no wide areas to develop but one thing the townsmen of Santa Cruz are proud of are the local foods available in the town. Santa Cruz boasts of the famous white cheese or kesong puti, freshly made from carabao's milk.

Santa Cruz is a first class urban municipality and capital of the province of Laguna in the Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 110,943 people.

Santa Cruz is situated on the banks of the Santa Cruz River which flows into the eastern part of Laguna de Bay. The town is bounded by the Bay on the north, by Lumban and Pagsanjan towns in the east, Pagsanjan and Magdalena towns in the south, and Pila in the west. It is 87 kilometres (54 mi) from Manila via Calamba. It is accessible by land from the nearby 28 municipalities and by water through Laguna de Bay from Manila and some Rizal towns.

Santa Cruz is considered as the service and commercial center on the eastern part of the province. The town is composed of five barangays in the Poblacion area and 21 classified urban barangays. Although relatively far from the immediate urbanizing influence of Metropolitan Manila, Santa Cruz continues to progress. It is now classified as first class municipality. The present administration is headed by the Mayor Denis Panganiban. Santa Cruz is also the seat of the provincial government since 1885, giving the municipality an additional administrative function over the entire province. It also functions as the service center for transportation, commerce, health, education, and other social services for the predominantly rural north-eastern municipalities of the province. Boosting the economy of the municipality are the incipient and fast-growing agribusiness industries such as livestock raising, horticulture and aquaculture. The town is composed of twenty-six (26) urban barangays. All barangays are being classified as urban.

The development of Santa Cruz as the administrative, commercial, and service center of Laguna makes it accessible for all private/public vehicles going to nearby places particularly Pagsanjan, Lake Caliraya, Liliw, Paete and Nagcarlan.

Situated at the central portion of Laguna province along the south-eastern coast of Laguna de Bay, the Municipality of Santa Cruz lies approximately 87 kilometres (54 mi) southeast of Metro Manila via Calamba and is geographically located at approximately 14 degrees 17' latitude and 121 degrees 25' longitude. The municipality is bounded on the north and north-west by Laguna de Bay, on the north-east by Lumban, on the east by Pagsanjan, on the southeast by Magdalena, on the south by Liliw, and on the south-west by Pila. It has 26 barangays and covers approximate land area of 3860 hectares which comprises about 2% of the total land area of Laguna Province.

Santa Cruz, Laguna - Kesong Puti Festival






  

Festivals in the Province of Laguna

Cultural identity is a fundamental source of our social empowerment. With confidence we can nurture and develop the characters, concepts, and ideas that are native to us. There are social and economic benefits that come from the practice of distinct cultural skills. A strong sense of community allows people to be more expressive resulting in the enrichment of arts and crafts, culinary creativity becomes the norm, and celebrations become colorful and enduring. Thus, cultural energy induces positive self-image and becomes the foundation of unity, which is supremely tolerant of cultural diversity.

In tapping our people’s greatest asset for sustainable development, the Provincial Government of Laguna embarks in supporting the holding of festivals to cultivate and harness cultural strengths and resources. This way the Provincial Government will be promoting people participation, local genius and cultural identity, because local communities, not the state, are the ultimate actors in the development process. Provincial governance is most effective and productive if it is culturally rooted. Encouraging celebration of the unique identities of local communities through various activities and various forms can inspire harmony and economic engagement in our society

In Laguna, all cities and municipalities have their own festivals attuned to the uniqueness of their communities.

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