San Pedro, Laguna

San Pedro, officially the City of San Pedro (Lungsod ng San Pedro), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 326,001 people.

It is named after its patron saint, Saint Peter.

San Pedro has been dubbed as “dormitory town” of Metro Manila and migrants from other provinces commuting everyday through its highly efficient road and transport system. Despite being one of the smallest political units in the entire province, with a total land area of only 24.05 km2, San Pedro is the 5th most populous city (out of 6) after the cities of Calamba, Santa Rosa, Biñan and Cabuyao. The city also has the highest population density in the province of Laguna and in the whole Calabarzon region, having 14,000 PD/km2. As a first class municipality, it became a component city of Laguna by virtue of Republic Act No. 10420 dated March 27, 2013.

Etymology
The name of San Pedro originates from its previous name: San Pedro Tunasán. The first part of the name comes from Spanish for its patron saint, Saint Peter the Apostle; while the second part comes from Tunasán, which literally means "a place where there is Tunás" (Nymphaea nouchali), a medicinal plant abundant on the shoreline of Laguna de Bay. In 1914, by virtue of Act No. 2390, the town's name was abbreviated to its current iteration.

Pre-Colonial Period (900-1565)
While there is no archaeological evidence yet that indicate precolonial settlement in the present-day City of San Pedro, the Area where the modern city of San Pedro is believed to be part of the native settlement of the Tagalogs centuries before Spanish contact. It is believed that the Laguna de Bay and the San Isidro River gave livelihood and food to the early settlers. As the Laguna Copperplate Inscription dated back to 900 AD was found in Lumban, Laguna, this gives an idea that the area of San Pedro may had an independent Ancient Barangays headed by their own Datus and was under the influence if not directly under the alliance network of the Lakan of Tondo.

Spanish Colonial Period (1565-1896)
On July 28, 1571, a month after the Spanish conquest of Manila, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi distributed certain parts of Luzon to the members of his expedition who assisted them in securing the Philippines for the King of Spain. Among those given were settlements near Laguna de Bay, with Gaspar Ramirez received 16 villages, with 14 of which located near the river of Calamba, while Francisco de Herrera received four other villages near the lake. Martin Gutierrez and Alonzo Ligero received five villages each, Pedro de Herrera received six villages, including the Indios of the Siniloan River, and Lope Garcia de Herrera received four villages. It is estimated that among these communities was the township of Tabuco, which comprises the modern-day cities of San Pedro, Binan, Santa Rosa, and Cabuyao. By 1591, it was written that the encomienda of Tabuco belonged to Don Luis Enriquez, with four thousand persons.

One member of Legazpi's expedition, the Portuguese-born Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa, also received vast land grants from the King of Spain in recognition of his efforts to conquer the Philippines for Spain. Recognizing that he may die on his upcoming military expedition in Mindanao, he wrote down his last will in Arevalo, Iloilo, where he donated the funds that established the Jesuit-run Colegio de Manila, and naming his wife and daughter as heirs. He likewise wrote that if they die without direct heirs, the Jesuits would use their inheritance for a college. Rodriguez died in 1595, and after almost a decade, in 1604, his daughter perished when the galleon San Antonio sank en route to Mexico. Upon their demise, the endowment of Rodriguez was subsequently applied to Colegio de San Jose (now San Jose Seminary), established three years earlier, in 1601.

Around 1629, the Colegio de San Jose acquired from the Colegio de Manila parcels of land on the southwestern shore of the Laguna de Bay, near the present-day City of Biñan. Years later, in 1634, they also purchased parcels of land within the area owned by the widow of Sergeant Pedro Dominguez Franco. They merged these acquisitions to form the Hacienda San Pedro de Tunasan. However, in November 1639, the Chinese who were working against their will in the neighboring Calamba estate revolted, with the sugarcane fields of the Hacienda Tunasan destroyed in the process. In 1698, Tabuco, together with Biñan and San Pedro Tunasan, underwent pastoral visitation by Manila Archbishop Diego Camacho. In the said inspection, Camacho observed that the parishones are not knowledgable of the Christian faith, prompting him and his assistant Fr. Juan Melendrez to meet the residents individually and test them on their knowledge on the basic Christian (i.e. Catholic) doctrines. Afterwards, he commanded the priests-in-charge of the area, Rev. Frs. Manuel de Leon (Tabuco), Nicolas Godiño (Biñan), and Jesuit Miguel de Salas (San Pedro Tunasan) to instruct their people on the fundamental Christian doctrines. Camacho likewise ordered that the priests and their successors should not to oblige their parishoners to offer anything for the administration of the sacrament of penance, with major excommunication as penalty for non-compliance.

It is claimed that San Pedro de Tunasán became a town on January 18, 1725, upon the request of a group of San Pedrense Principalía led by Alonzo Magtibay, Francisco Santiago, and Ignacio de Guevarra and subsequently approved by the Governor-General and Manila Archbishop Francisco de la Cuesta. King Philip V of Spain was said to have decreed that the town be separated from Tabuco. Francisco Santiago subsequently became the first mayor of the newly formed town. However, another author, Agustin de la Cavada wrote that San Pedro Tunasan became a town in 1712.



Agriculture, especially livestock raising, farming, and fishing, during that period, was its residents' primary income source. Manuel Buzeta and Felipe Bravo described the town in 1851 as having 613 houses, with a town hall and jail, and a primary school that caters to the young learners. Its parish was constructed using mixed materials and managed by a native secular priest. The crops that are said to be grown by the residents at this time were rice, sugar cane, corn, coconuts, mangoes, and other fruits and vegetables. The Rector of the Colegio de San Jose, in support of the Sociedad Economica de los Amigos del Pais, introduced mulberry planting in Hacienda San Pedro Tunasan to compete with the Chinese silk-making industry. Initially successful, the farmers eventually abandoned it, with the Spaniards blaming what they perceived as laziness of the Filipinos. Despite this, San Pedro Tunasan was among the towns that frequently experience banditry and cattle-rustling, leading to the reputation that the town itself is not safe.

The Revolutionary Struggle (1896-98)
During the early months of the revolution, siblings Antonino and Jose Guevara led the residents of San Pedro Tunasan in joining the nationalist cause. Due to its proximity to Cavite and to the Manila area, the local residents were advised by General Emilio Aguinaldo to discreetly sympathize with the revolutionaries as not to compromise the role of San Pedro as a rearguard of the revolutionary struggle. San Pedrenses followed this advise and secretly provided food and provisions to the Revolutionaries in Cavite. When the Spaniards launched their counteroffensive in Cavite, the people of San Pedro sheltered refugees from Cavite, including General Mariano Alvarez, and Andres Bonifacio’s widow Gregoria de Jesus.

San Pedro eventually became under the command of Katipunero General Paciano Rizal, brother of Jose. With the help of Guevara, they finally organized a municipal government led by mayor Gregorio Alvarez, who welcomed de Jesus and others to the town in 1897. De Jesus lived in the residence of Almario Ilmedo in San Roque village during her stay. Upon the resumption of the Philippine Revolution on May of 1898, San Pedro was among the towns liberated by Filipino revolutionary forces on the offensive in Laguna. Some San Pedrense revolutionaries even helped in the liberation of other towns in the province from Spanish control.

First Republic and the Philippine-American War (1898-1901)
San Pedro was among the towns controlled by Filipino forces when the Philippine Declaration of Independence was promulgated on June 12, 1898. As a result, its presidente municipal, Gregorio Alvarez was among those who participated in the Bacoor Assembly of August 1, 1898. In this meeting held at Bacoor's Cuenca Mansion, about 200 municipal presidents ratified the Philippine Declaration of Independence. Months later, on December 30, 1898, San Pedro was among the towns who commemorated the first Rizal Day in accordance with the decree issued by President Aguinaldo. The Parish Priest of the San Pedro Apostol Parish, Fr. Victor Enrile, presided a Requiem Mass in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal inside the church, which was followed by a program where patriotic residents praised Rizal and rebuked the Americans due to the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1898).

When the Philippine-American War broke out, San Pedro Tunasan initially served as one of the rearguards for the forces of the First Philippine Republic. Some residents even formed a militia that joined the fight against the Americans. However, on January 6, 1900, during their military expedition of Brigadier General Theodore Schwan, the Americans entered San Pedro Tunasan without any resistance. Some residents who were suspected of sympathizing with the First Philippine Republic were arrested by the Americans and severely tortured. When President Aguinaldo ordered the Filipino forces to shift to guerrilla warfare, the politico-military governor of Laguna, General Juan Cailles placed San Pedro, together with Biñan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao, and Calamba under the leadership of Colonel Severino Taiño. When Taiño was killed somewhere between San Pedro and Biñan, he was replaced by Colonel Julio Infante.

After the surrender of the First Republic in March 1901, General Miguel Malvar made San Pedro Tunasan part of his guerrilla area of operations, prompting the Americans to subject the town to hamletting tactics to force the remaining Filipino guerrillas to surrender. Later, Filipino resistance forces led by General Macario Sakay operated in San Pedro until his execution in 1907.

American Colonial Period (1898-1946)
Once the Americans seized control of San Pedro on January 6, 1900, they appointed Benito Almendrala as Municipal President, and Arcadio Morando as Chief of Police. A year later, Toribio Almeida became the first elected Municipal President of San Pedro. As an austerity measure of the American Colonial Government, in 1903, by virtue of Act No. 939, San Pedro Tunasan’s township status was dissolved becoming part of the then town of Biñan. In the same year, Muntinlupa was joined to the aforementioned under Act No. 1008. The local residents requested the Insular Government to reinstate San Pedro as a town, which succeeded upon the enactment of Act No. 1553 in 1906. Pascual Mindo became the municipal president of the revived Municipality of San Pedro Tunasan in 1907. It was also around this time that the Hacienda San Pedro de Tunasan was reverted to Jesuit control, following the orders of the Holy See that the Colegio de San Jose, together with the Hacienda Tunasan be returned by the Dominican friars to the Jesuit fathers. Eventually, an American businessman, Carlos Young, leased the Hacienda from the Jesuits.

Despite the town’s development under the Americans, San Pedro also experienced conflicts and upheavals during the American Period. This period saw the tense agrarian conflict between the local residents and the administration of the Hacienda San Pedro Tunasan. Young, as the lessor of the Hacienda, was alleged to impose rent hikes to the point that the tenants were not able to pay it. This resulted to the expulsion of some tenants and demolition of their houses in the hacienda property. The residents, asserting their right to the Hacienda lands that they cultivate, organized various agrarian movements in San Pedro, such as the Katipunang Laban sa Hacienda (KALASAHA), the JAMAT, and Samahang Oras Na. The conflict swung to a violent turn when in 1935, a demolition attempt by the Hacienda administration in Barangay Cuyab resulted in a riot that resulted to the death of a young resident, Generoso "Ka Osong" Garcia. This prompted the Philippine Constabulary to deploy troops in San Pedro Tunasan in order to restore peace and order. While the conflict was ongoing, the town also witnessed the peasant-led Sakdal Uprising in the mid-1930s, with reports indicate that an attack by Sakdalistas in San Pedro was averted by the Constabulary.

With these issues at hand, the Commonwealth government under President Manuel Quezon were compelled to resolve the conflict as soon as possible. In 1936, the National Assembly passed Commonwealth Act No. 20, which authorized President Quezon to initiate expropriation proceedings or negotiate for the acquisition of landed estates and sell them to qualified individuals. President Quezon even invited the leaders of Samahang Oras Na and San Pedro municipal officials led by Mayor Ciriaco Limpiahoy to personally witness the signing of the said law. Three years later, the Commonwealth acquired the 215 hectares of the Hacienda, and through the Rural Progress Administration, planned to sell it to the residents. This led to the division of the Samahang Oras Na to two factions: those who favored the government's solution, composed of the local intelligentsia and town elites, were called as "No Parking," while the San Pedrense masses who were advised by Atty. Juan Rustia and opposed the government's plan out of belief that the lands of the Hacienda should be automatically be owned by them were called as the "Yapak." This difference in beliefs led to tense relations between the two groups, with the Yapak members refusing to interact nor do business with the No Parking members. The refusal of the Yapaks to recognize the ownership of the Colegio de San Jose to the Hacienda lands forced the government to sell their lands to other interested individuals. The municipal officials, led by Mayor Benedicto Austria, sided with the Yapak, prompting Quezon to suspend him and the Municipal Council in 1941, and replace them with a new set of municipal officials led by Jose L. Amante.

World War II and Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)
During World War II, the Japanese entered San Pedro on January 1, 1942 and conquered the town for the next three years. San Pedro was among the routes used by the Imperial Japanese Army forces to reach Manila and occupy the national capital.

Out of fear from the advancing Japanese forces, the municipal officials at that time hurriedly evacuated to other towns, leaving their townmates behind. The Japanese then ordered the residents to elect their local officials, with former mayor Ciriaco Limpiajoy winning the polls. Despite this, the town was virtually controlled by a Japanese resident, Fujiwara Itizi, who acted as interpreter for the Japanese forces. During the Occupation, there were incidents of atrocities that occurred in the town, among them was a zonification ("sona") inflicted by the Japanese against the male residents in July 1944. In this event, the Japanese announced that the male residents, who were members of the Japanese-organized "bamboo army," would have a practice drill in the town plaza. Instead they were arrested and locked inside the San Pedro Apostol Parish for three days.

Some residents of San Pedro joined the guerilla movement and commanded units in Laguna. Among the guerrilla units who operated in San Pedro are the Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT) led by Capt. Felipe Alviar, and a branch of the Blue Lake Battalion, Hunters ROTC Guerrillas led by Lieutenant Antonio Partoza. One of the local residents, Abelardo Remoquillo, became a Hunters ROTC guerrilla commander in Eastern Laguna, and died during the liberation campaigns in Bay, Laguna on March 8, 1945. He was honored with a monument and his death anniversary declared as the San Pedro Veterans’ Day. Eventually, the FAIT and Hunters, together with the President Quezon’s Own Guerrillas (PQOG), liberated San Pedro from Japanese control on February 7, 1945. Subsequently, Lt. Partoza, a lawyer by profession, was appointed by the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) as military mayor of San Pedro.

Post-War and Martial Law Period (1946-1986)
The post-war years saw the prominence of San Pedro's sampaguita industry, with it becoming the country’s leading producer of Sampaguita buds. However, the conflict over the lands of the Hacienda San Pedro Tunasan resumed once the war had ended. Because of their sheer numbers, the Yapaks continued to dominate the municipal leadership in the years after the war. They filed several cases against the Colegio de San Jose in the Court of First Instance, but these cases were eventually dismissed by the court. Their assertions continued despite the five-year suspension imposed by the Supreme Court of the Philippines against Rustia, and his subsequent death in 1951. In 1948, the Hacienda's administrator, N.V. Sinclair, gradually sold the remaining Hacienda lands to other individuals, even to non-San Pedrenses.

This forced the Yapaks, who were already called then as the Anak ng Bayan, to sought the help of the newly-elected President Ramon Magsaysay. Magsaysay advised them to follow the court's decision, while at the same time ordering the government to investigate the case of Hacienda San Pedro Tunasan. Eventually, the Magsaysay administration decided to acquire the remaining 850 hectares of the Hacienda. On August 30, 1954, President Magsaysay visited San Pedro and witnessed at the town plaza the sale of the Hacienda San Pedro Tunasan to the government. He likewise signed there the Agricultural Tenancy Act (Republic Act No. 1199), which codified the different tenancy laws in the Philippines. The farm lots of the hacienda were bought by the Philippine government to be sold at cost to the tenants or occupants of the farm lots in Bayan-Bayanan under the Narra Settlement Project of the Magsaysay Administration. These resettlement areas are the present-day barangays Magsaysay, Riverside, United Bayanihan, United Better Living, Estrella, Langgam, Laram, and Bagong Silang.



San Pedro likewise benefited from the postwar commercialization and industrialization boom of Mega Manila as some companies and real estate developers established their factories and subdivisions within the town. The 1960s saw the gradual emergence of industrial estates and subdivisions in San Pedro. Among those who made San Pedro as their base of operations are Holland Milk Products Inc. (now Alaska Milk Corporation), Cosmos Bottling Corporation, ACLEM Paper Mills, Kimberly-Clark Philippines, Philippine Tobacco Flu Curing Corporation, Berbacs Chemicals, US Tobacco Corporation, and Trinity Lodge Mining Corporation. It was also in the 1960s when the Holiday Hills Golf Club (now Filipinas Golf Hallow Ridge) was built in Barangay San Antonio. Between 1964 and 1971, the National Government commenced the San Pedro Resettlement Project, with parcels of land that was part of the 850-hectare acquisition made in 1954 by President Magsaysay distributed to landless San Pedrenses and other settlers. To further boost the urbanization of San Pedro, in 1973, the Carmona Line of the Philippine National Railways was inaugurated. It was a spur line from San Pedro going to Carmona, Cavite (now General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite), passing thru Pacita Complex. In 1978, under Presidential Decree No. 1474, the Department of Agrarian Reform was ordered to convert the San Pedro Tunasan Estate to a commercial, industrial, and residential site, and transfer it afterwards to the National Housing Authority. These chain of events occurred under the administrations of Mayors Mario Brigola (1960-1963), Jose L. Amante (1964-1971), and Felicisimo Vierneza (1972-1986).

Contemporary History (1986-present)
Following the 1986 EDSA Revolution, President Corazon Aquino appointed the local leader of the anti-dictatorship movement, Calixto Cataquiz, as OIC-Mayor of San Pedro. Known as "Calex," it was during his administration that San Pedro's annual income increased, leading it to achieve the status as a first-class municipality in 1992. It was during his administration that the iconic San Pedro Welcome Arch was built, as well as the Jose L. Amante Emergency Hospital and the Gavino Alvarez Lying-in Clinic. In 1998, former mayor Vierneza was re-elected, thereby continuing the progress that was started by Mayor Calex, as manifested by the further establishment of subdivisions, business establishments, and the opening of the San Pedro Exit of the South Luzon Expressway. In 2007, at the end of Mayor Vierneza's term, Mayor Calex was re-elected as Municipal Mayor, ending in 2013 following his dismissal by the Sandiganbayan. He was succeeded by Vice Mayor Norvic Solidum, who served as Mayor for a week until the assumption of office of the newly-elected Municipal Mayor of San Pedro, Mayor Calex's spouse and former Vice Mayor Lourdes "Baby" Cataquiz.

On March 27, 2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed the Republic Act No. 10420 converting the municipality into a new component city of the province of Laguna. The cityhood of San Pedro was ratified through a plebiscite scheduled by the Commission on Elections (Philippines) (COMELEC). The date for the ratification is December 28, 2013, after the National Barangay Elections. It became the sixth city of Laguna after the cities of Biñan, Cabuyao, Calamba, San Pablo, and Santa Rosa, and also the third to be a city in the 1st congressional District Laguna - making it the first city district in the province.

The COMELEC officially proclaimed the first-class municipality of San Pedro as a component city of Laguna on December 29, 2013. Juanito Icarro, regional director of Calabarzon and Mimaropa, and Marianne Marfori, provincial election supervisor, made the proclamation at the municipal hall after San Pedro residents voted for the cityhood in a plebiscite held on December 28, 2013. "Yes" votes for cityhood totaled 16,996 (which is an additional 50 votes added in some precincts mostly in the San Vicente area to win the "yes" vote), and "no" votes, only 869, in 501 clustered precincts in San Pedro. Only 11% of 165,777 registered voters in San Pedro's 27 barangays took part in the plebiscite.

Once it achieved its cityhood status, there had been proposals to make San Pedro part of the National Capital Region. Former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino is pushing for the inclusion of the city in the National Capital Region, and eventually become its 18th member city. Tolentino said that in the first meeting of the MMDA Council of mayors in January 2015, he would push for the inclusion of the city to the MMDA.

In 2015, due to its large population, San Pedro's Barangay San Vicente was split to eight barangays, namely San Vicente, Pacita I, Pacita II, Chrysanthemum, Rosario, Fatima, San Lorenzo Ruiz, and Maharlika. This increased the number of San Pedro's barangays to 27. This was approved by the local population through a plebiscite. This was further reinforced when President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11295 in 2019. In the same year, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III sought the separation of the city of San Pedro from the first legislative district of Laguna province to constitute a lone congressional district. In 2015, he filed Senate Bill No. 3029 for the creation of the San Pedro as a separate district to commence in the next national and local elections. After the city of Santa Rosa formally gained its own representation effective 2022, San Pedro remained as the only local government unit in the first district. Hence, the 1st District may be also referred as the Lone District of San Pedro.

In 2022, as Mayor Baby reached her last term as City Mayor, San Pedrenses had elected a new mayor in the person of former Vice Mayor Art Joseph Francis Mercado.

Geography
San Pedro is located in Region IV-A or Calabarzon. San Pedro is the boundary between Laguna and Metro Manila, so San Pedro is known as "Laguna's Gateway to Metro Manila". San Pedro shares boundaries with Metro Manila's southernmost city, Muntinlupa (North) bounded with Tunasan River, Biñan (South), Dasmariñas (West), Carmona and Gen. Mariano Alvarez (Southwest) bound with San Isidro River. Its position makes San Pedro a popular suburban residential community, where many residents commute daily to Metro Manila for work.

San Pedro is 58 km from Santa Cruz and 29 km from Manila.

Barangays


San Pedro is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. Barangay San Antonio is the largest barangay, which has a total of 780 ha, while Barangay San Vicente is the most populous with a total population of 92,092.

Demographics
San Pedro is the 37th most populous city in the Philippines. As of 2020, the population is 326,001, up from 294,310 in 2010, or an increase of almost 11%. Its area is 24.05 km2 with a density of.

Religion
Majority of the people living in San Pedro are Roman Catholics. The oldest Roman Catholic parish in San Pedro, the San Pedro Apostol Parish, was believed to be established in 1725. It served as the sole Catholic parish in San Pedro until its rapid urbanization prompted the establishment of other Catholic parishes. At present, there are 15 Roman Catholic parishes in San Pedro, under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo.

Other religious groups include are the Members Church of God International (MCGI), Lighthouse Apostolic Ministry of Pentecost (LAMP), Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry (JMCIM), United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Jesus Is Lord Church (JIL), Jesus Christ the Lifegiver Ministries (JCLM), Christ Lord of Zion (CLOZ), and other full gospel churches under Christian Leaders Association of San Pedro (CLASP), Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), The United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Churches, Christian Bible Baptist Church, other Baptist and Bible Fundamental churches. Islam is also practiced within the community. There are 15 Catholic parishes in the city, full gospel churches, and one mosque.

Sampaguita Festival
The annual City Festival is celebrated in the second week of February. This week-long festival includes various activities ranging from cultural to sports, trade fairs, amateur singing contests, parades, historical exhibits, social and religious gatherings, tribal dances, street dances, cheering and sport exhibitions. The highlight of the festival is the coronation night of the "Hiyas ng San Pedro". The festival aims to promote tourism in San Pedro and to revitalize Sampaguita industry in the community. The celebration was formerly known as "Manok ni San Pedro Festival", which started in 1999 and was renamed to "Sampaguita Festival" in 2002. The celebration kicked off with a grand parade.

From 2009 up to 2012, the record of laying the longest flower lei line was held by San Pedro. Spanning 3.6 km, from Biñan–San Pedro boundary to San Pedro–Muntinlupa boundary on the National Highway, the flower lei was made from sampaguita buds. This was held during the celebration of the 2009 Sampaguita Festival.

Paskuhan sa San Pedro
Paskuhan Sa San Pedro is an annually celebrated festival in San Pedro City. It starts at the beginning of December and runs to the end of the month. The opening is a grand parade which is participated in by public and private schools in the city, local government and other socio-civic organizations. The main event of the opening is the lighting of the whole plaza, fireworks display, and various school performances. Every night a variety of shows are performed by the participants, which last up to midnight. On December 29 of every year the cityhood anniversary of San Pedro is celebrated.

Aw-Aw Festival
The Aw-Aw Festival is being celebrated by Barangay San Roque every August 15. This coincides with the feast day of St. Roche, the patron saint of the barangay. The festival alludes to the dog that accompanies St. Roche in his images, as well as the alleged dog-eating industry that persisted before in the said area.

Lolo Uweng Image
Enshrined in Barangay Landayan's Diocesan Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre, this image of the dead Jesus Christ was formally known in the Philippines as the Santo Sepulcro. The locals refer to it as Lolo Uweng, after the image's formal title, Emmanuel Salvador del Mundo. It is claimed that the image was found floating in Laguna de Bay by the locals, and once retrieved, was placed in the then-Barrio Landayan Chapel. It is approximated that Barangay Landayan's devotion to Lolo Uweng started on or before 1836, based on the inscriptions found at the church's old bell.

Said to be miraculous, the image is frequently visited by several pilgrims, especially during Fridays. It is also one of the known pilgrimage areas in San Pedro during Holy Week. Numerous stories of its alleged miracles were also published by the Shrine in different books.

Lolo Uweng's Well
Located a few meters away from the Diocesan Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre, this well was said to be built on or before 1917, based on the inscriptions found underneath the cistern. It is believed that the water from this well is miraculous, making it also a tourist destination in Barangay Landayan.

Krus ng San Pedro Tunasan
Enshrined inside the San Pedro Apostol Parish, the Krus ng San Pedro Tunasan is one of the most renowned cultural properties in the City of San Pedro. It is also known for its alleged miraculous attributes, and was among the known devotional practices done during the Spanish Colonial Period. Proof of its popularity during the Spanish period was its inclusion in Jose Rizal's Noli me Tangere. In Chapter 42, Capitan Tiago ordered Tia Isabel to give donations to this Cross and to the Krus ng Matahong in Malabon for Maria Clara's speedy recovery from illness.

Salvador Laurel Museum and Library
The museum preserves and celebrates the insurmountable professional and political achievements of former Vice President Salvador Laurel, located at Holiday Hills.

Economy
Most economic activity in San Pedro is concentrated at San Antonio, also the city's largest and most populous barangay. Barangay Nueva, the city center, is home to a central public market (palengke) as well as clothing and homeware stores, and some supermarkets. San Pedro also has a large number of factories, most notably the Alaska Milk Corporation factory in San Antonio.

Agriculture
Agricultural lands now account for only thirteen hectares of the total land area due to residential, commercial and industrial conversions. There are lands with slope ranging from 8%-15% of the total land area located in parts of barangays San Antonio and San Vicente planted with mangoes and siniguelas trees. Livestock and poultry businesses operate in the area.

Commerce and industry
There are more than 4,700 total business establishments, 40+ commercial, savings and rural banks, 110+ restaurant, cafeteria, and other refreshment parlor, and two public and five private markets and supermarkets. There are 40 banks, over 60 pawnshops, over 30 lending institutions and 11 insurance companies operating in the city. Commercial and business establishments are mostly concentrated at Pacita Complex and Rosario. A large percentage of industrial and manufacturing establishments of San Pedro is located on the adjacent barangays of San Vicente and San Antonio; E&E Industrial Complex is located in San Antonio where some of the city's factories are situated. City of San Pedro had its metal companies such as machine shops, tool and die/die and mold, stamping firms, welding companies, foundry, heat treatment and electroplating service companies, and allied engineering firms as cited in the Metal Products Directory of the Metals Industry Research and Development Center and also some registered with the BPLO of San Pedro City. Here are some of the metal companies operating in this city: 1. Stamp Form Metalworks Inc. in Bgy. San Antonio 2. Grasco Allied Metalworks Specialist Inc. in San Antonio 3. Rollmaster Machinery and Industrial Services Corporation in Bgy. Landayan 4. FVC Philippines in San Antonio 5. VJF Precision Toolings Corporation in Bgy. Magsaysay 6. Iron Lady Design and Engineering Works in Bgy. United Better Living 7. Unimachine Metal Fabrication Corporation in Pacita Complex 2 8. United Parens Manufacturing Corporation in San Pedro Coliseum, National Road, Pacita1 9. Saluna Steel Fabrication in San Vicente Road 10. Nogalos Enterprises in Bgy. Nueva

Malls
San Pedro has two major malls such as Robinsons Galleria South (located in Barangay Nueva, opened in 2019) and SM Center San Pedro (located in Barangay United Bayanihan, opened in 2023).

Transportation


San Pedro is traversed by the South Luzon Expressway, which roughly cuts through the middle of town, and the older National Highway (Route 1), an at-grade route mostly used by public transportation.

San Pedro is at the terminus of numerous city bus routes, and the central bus terminal is at Pacita Complex. Jeepneys ply the highway, and there are also jeepneys that connects the barangays to the west. Most of the city is served by tricycles, while barangay Landayan and some subdivisions (gated communities) have pedicabs as well.

The PNR Metro Commuter Line serves the city, with two stations: San Pedro (at barangay San Vicente) and Pacita Main Gate (at Nueva). urrently, These two station is closed to give way for the development of North-South Commuter Railway that will connect The provinces of Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac and Metro Manila in one railway system. It will eventually reconnect to Quezon and Bicol through the PNR South Long Haul Project.

San Pedro also once served as the terminus station for the San Pedro-Carmona Resettlement, named Carmona Line. The stations in this line includes San Pedro and Carmona station, both located inside the jurisdiction of San Pedro. It was opened in 1973, and the last train arrived in 2010. Presently, this line is filled with informal settlers, and the rail tracks can still be seen along Pacita Avenue.

Healthcare
Throughout the city, healthcare is primarily provided at the Barangay Health Centers in every barangay. Also, several medical missions are operated and provided by local and international organizations. The major hospitals in the city are:


 * Jose L. Amante Emergency Hospital (Barangay Santo Niño)
 * Gavino Alvarez Lying-In Center (Barangay Narra)
 * San Pedro Doctors Hospital (Manila South Road-Landayan)
 * Divine Mercy Hospital (Guevara Subd.)
 * Westlake Medical Center (Manila South Road-Pacita Complex)
 * Evangelista Medical Specialty Hospital (Macaria Ave.-Pacita Complex)
 * Family Care Hospital (Macaria Ave.-Pacita Complex)

Resorts/Swimming Pools

 * Legaspi Swimming Pool
 * Villa Lim Resort
 * Dona Marciana Resort

Housing
Most people in San Pedro live in over 59 subdivisions, that are either gated communities or open residential areas. The city is also a location of several government-led relocation projects. Squatters, or informal settlers, are scattered over the city.

Education
The Department of Education Region IV-A - Division of San Pedro supervises the operation of over 12 public elementary schools and 7 public high schools and provides permits to over 35 private schools, including Catholic schools. Private schools are scattered throughout the city, especially on the subdivisions. With the implementation of the K-12 program, some private schools added senior high schools, and many public high schools still have limited facilities for senior high schools. Tertiary education and technical education are provided by several institutions scattered across the city. Saint Louis Anne Colleges has three campuses. The campus on the Old National Highway is for college students. The campus in Elvinda Village is for Pre School, Elementary High School and TESDA Courses. The Saint Louis Anne Annex campus near Harmony Mall is for students living at UB, Sampaguita, Langgam, etc. Our Lady of Assumption College is located in Barangay Maharlika, beside Harmony Village Mall and McDonalds Restaurant. It offers the K + 12 Program of the Department of Education with the Senior High School level under full academic scholarship and a number of different college courses for Education, Business, Hospitality, etc, and TESDA courses. The Laguna Northwestern College has two campuses in San Pedro, one being a branch in Pacita Complex and the other one at A. Mabini Street. Polytechnic University of the Philippines has one campus in the city. San Pedro College of Business Administration in Barangay Nueva provides courses related to business administration. San Pedro City Polytechnic College, located at Barangay Narra, opened in 2017.

San Pedro Relocation Center National High School is categorized as a super school; offering junior high school education as well as senior high school and has Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL program), STEM-Program, and Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS-Program). The Pacita Complex National High School has a STEM-Program as well as the Basic Education Curriculum.

List of schools

 * Adelina 1 Complex Elementary School, San Antonio
 * Adelina 1 National High School, San Antonio
 * Holiday Hills, Sisters of Mary Immaculate School, San Antonio
 * Amazing Grace School, Inc., San Vicente
 * Bagong Silang Elementary School, Bagong Silang
 * Casa del Niño Montessori School, Pacita 1
 * Casa del Niño Science High School, Pacita 2
 * Chrysanthemum Elementary School, Chrysanthemum
 * Cuyab Elementary School, Cuyab
 * Cuyab Integrated National High School, Cuyab
 * Cittadini School, San Antonio
 * Collegio de San Pedro, Pacita 1
 * Golden Lampstand School, San Lorenzo Ruiz
 * Greatland school of San Pedro, San Antonio
 * Doña Pilar M. Alberto Integrated High School, Landayan San Pedro Relocation Center NHS, Landayan
 * Estrella Elementary School, Estrella
 * Jesus the Risen Savior School, San Antonio
 * Laguna Northwestern College (Formerly Laguna Northwestern Institute)
 * Laguna Resettlement Community School, United Bayanihan
 * Landayan Elementary School, Landayan
 * Langgam Elementary School, Langgam
 * Living Waters Christian School, Fatima
 * Magsaysay Elementary School, Magsaysay
 * Maranatha Christian Academy, Landayan
 * Mater Ecclesiae School, Maharlika
 * Our Lady of Assumption College, Maharlika
 * Pacita Complex 1 Elementary School, Pacita 1
 * Pacita Complex 2 Elementary School, Pacita 2
 * Pacita Complex National High School, Pacita 1 and Pacita 2
 * Pacita Complex Senior High School, Pacita 1
 * Rosario Complex Elementary School, Rosario
 * Sampaguita Village Elementary School, Calendola
 * Sampaguita Village National High School, Calendola
 * San Antonio Elementary School, San Antonio
 * San Isidro Elementary School, Bayan-bayanan
 * San Pedro Central Elementary School, Poblacion
 * San Pedro Relocation Center National High School - Main, Langgam
 * San Roque Elementary School, San Roque
 * San Vicente Elementary School, San Vicente
 * Santo Niño Elementary School, Santo Niño
 * Southville 3A Elementary School, San Antonio
 * Southville 3A National High School, San Antonio
 * San Lorenzo School Pre-elementary bldg, San Antonio
 * San Lorenzo School, San Antonio
 * Upper Villages Christian Academy, United Bayanihan

List of former chief executives
Municipal mayors: City mayors:
 * Francisco Santiago (1725)
 * Turibio Almieda (1901-1902)
 * Jose Guevarra (1908-1910)
 * Apolonio Morando (1910-1912)
 * Jose H. Guevarra (1921-1922)
 * Tiburcio Morando (1916-1921; 1922-1925)
 * Victor Vergara (1925-1926)
 * Jose Martinez (1928-1934)
 * Ciriaco M. Limpiahoy (1934–1942)
 * Antonio Partoza (1945)
 * Benedictio Austria
 * Gavino Y. Alvarez
 * Mario M. Brigola (1960-1963)
 * Jose L. Amante (1941; 1946-1947)
 * Felicisimo "Fely" Almendrala Vierneza (1972–1986; 1998–2007)
 * Ernesto Climaco (1988)
 * Calixto Cataquiz (1986–1988, 1988–1998; 2007–June 24, 2013)
 * Norvic D. Solidum (June 24–30, 2013)
 * Lourdes S. Catáquiz (June 30–December 28, 2013)
 * Lourdes S. Catáquiz (December 28, 2013 – June 30, 2022)
 * Art Joseph Francis Mercado (June 30, 2022 – present)

Entertainment

 * Cacai Bautista, comedian
 * Julia Clarete, TV host, actress
 * John Lloyd Cruz, actor, model
 * Jane De Leon, actress
 * Ogie Diaz, comedian, columnist and TV host
 * Paw Diaz, actress
 * Marlann Flores, actress
 * Kristine Hermosa, actress
 * Michael Angelo Kyle Sayson, MLBB Pro Player, MLBB World Champion
 * Jan Manual, actor
 * Rocco Nacino, actor
 * Jamilla Obispo, actress
 * Gladys Reyes, actress
 * Christopher Roxas, actor
 * Nathalie Hart, actress
 * Nikki Valdez, actress
 * Jiggly Caliente, actress, drag queen
 * Jake Zyrus, singer, songwriter
 * Patricia Layug, host, social media influencer, CHAM

Music

 * Rico Blanco, singer, former vocalist of Rivermaya
 * J. Rey Soul, singer, member of the Black Eye Peas

Pageants

 * Stephanie Retuya, contestant and runner-up in Asia's Next Top Model (cycle 1)
 * Desiree Verdadero, Miss Universe 1984 3rd runner-up

Politics

 * Salvador Laurel, 8th Vice President of the Philippines (under Corazon C. Aquino), 5th Prime Minister of the Philippines

Journalism and Broadcasting

 * Tony Calvento, print/broadcast journalist for The Calvento Files
 * Rene Alviar, journalist

Sports

 * Jema Galanza, PVL MVP, UAAP Beach Volleyball champion for Adamson University Lady Falcons
 * Kyla Atienza, volleyball player
 * Maoi Roca, basketball player, actor
 * Joshua Retamar, volleyball player
 * Mean Mendrez, volleyball player
 * Mafe Galanza, volleyball player