Majayjay

Majayjay Mahayhay Mayhay
Municipality
Municipality of Majayjay
Clockwise from the top: Taytay Falls, Minor Basilica and Parish of Saint Gregory the Great, Town Proper, Ancestral House, Chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Portería (Ermita)
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  Mahayhay, Mayhay
Motto:  Fly High Majayjay!
Anthem: Himno ng Majayjay
Map of Laguna with Majayjay highlighted
Interactive map of Majayjay
Majayjay Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°08′47″N 121°28′22″E / 14.1463°N 121.4729°E / 14.1463; 121.4729
Country	Philippines
Region	Calabarzon
Province	Laguna
District	4th district
Founded	October 2, 1571
Barangays	40 (see Barangays)
Government  1
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Romeo P. Amorado
• Vice Mayor	Juan Ariel A. Argañosa Jr.
• Representative	Benjamin C. Agarao Jr.
• Municipal Council	Members Felix U. Arnuco Edison S. Reyes Gabriel A. Mentilla Ma. Esperanza Z. Bravante Ma. Fe B. Cabonce Elfredo A. Bicomong Dandred O. Eriga Juancho M. Andaya
• Electorate	21,004 voters (2025)
Area 2
• Total	69.58 km2 (26.86 sq mi)
Elevation	500 m (1,600 ft)
Highest elevation	2,173 m (7,129 ft)
Lowest elevation	27 m (89 ft)
Population  (2024 census)3
• Total	28,504
• Density	409.7/km2 (1,061/sq mi)
• Households	7,026
Economy
• Income class	4th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	12.13 % (2021)4
• Revenue	₱ 157.3 million (2024)
• Assets	₱ 330.5 million (2024)
• Expenditure	₱ 63.68 million (2024)
• Liabilities	₱ 63.66 million (2024)
Service provider
• Electricity	Manila Electric Company (Meralco)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4005, 4006 (Botocan)
PSGC	0403416000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)49
Native languages	Tagalog

Majayjay (Tagalog: [mɐhaɪ̯ˈhaɪ̯]), officially the Municipality of Majayjay (Tagalog: Bayan ng Majayjay), is a municipality in southeastern Laguna bordering the town of Lucban, Quezon. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 28,504 people.⁵

Majayjay was founded at the foot of a mountain, which gave it an abundant supply of fresh spring water. Four rivers flowed through the town: Initian, Oobi, Olla and Balanac (from the falls of Botocan), where all the rivers meet. Botocan Falls and the town's scenery were uniquely famous, attracting wealthy citizens from other towns to become guests at Majayjay. By 1571, Majayjay was one of the most populous towns around Laguna de Bay and near the capital of the Kingdom of Luzon in Manila.

The road to Majayjay was considered to be tough. Guests often had to be ferried from Manila through the Pasig River to Laguna de Bay.

In 1571, Spanish forces, accompanied by Cebuano Visayan reinforcements, advanced toward the town from Liliw after sacking Nagcarlan. Upon reaching the Olla River, they withdrew upon encountering resistance from Majayjay's defenders and instead proceeded through Panglan. They launched a pre-dawn attack using firearms and drums, prompting most of the residents to flee. Only a man named Liraw and a pregnant woman close to giving birth were left behind and subsequently captured. Following the assault, the town came under Spanish control.

The town's popularity grew during Spanish rule. Botocan Falls went on to lead European travellers, besides wealthy Filipinos, to frequently visit the town. Land travel also started to be aided by horses.

After the conversion of the citizens of Majayjay, the Spanish priests ordered the construction of a provisional church near the May-it River, but it was destroyed by a fire in 1578. A new church made of bamboo and cogon thatch was built; however, another fire destroyed it again. A stone church was then built, which was also burned down. Despite the fires, the image of their patron saint, San Gregorio Papa Magno, survived.

Through the efforts of the Spanish priest Padre José de Puertollano, contributions enforced by parishioners, and forced labor of Filipinos, a new church was built in 1730, with construction taking 19 years.

Majayjay is situated in southeastern Laguna. It nestles at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, and due to its higher altitude, the town is a popular summer vacation destination in the Philippines. It was once branded as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines" 300–400 years ago during the Spanish era, when most of the prominent names in the Spanish colonial Philippines visited the area. Other sights along the streets include remnants of Spanish-inspired houses that still stand at periodic key locations, mostly in the town square. Affluent families still maintain their ancestral houses.

Majayjay is situated at the base of Mount Banahaw, approximately 300 meters (980 ft) above sea level. It is 62 kilometers (39 mi) from Santa Cruz, 107 kilometers (66 mi) from Manila and 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) from Lucban, Quezon, which it borders to the southeast. Other bordering towns include Magdalena to the northwest, Luisiana to the northeast and Liliw to the west.

Majayjay is classified as Am (tropical monsoon climate) in the Köppen–Geiger climate classification. There is significant rainfall in most months of the year, with annual rainfall averaging 2,571 mm, and the precipitation difference between the driest and wettest months is 332 mm. The short dry season has little effect on the overall climate. The temperature here averages 25.8 °C, and average temperatures vary by 3.2 °C over the course of the year. The warmest month of the year is May, with an average temperature of 27.4 °C. January has the lowest average temperature of the year, which is 24.2 °C.

Majayjay is politically subdivided into 40 barangays,⁷ the smallest administrative division in the Philippines, as listed in the table below. Each barangay consists of puroks, or unofficial divisions within a barangay, and some barangays also have sitios, which are also unofficial divisions within a barangay.

In the 2024 census, the population of Majayjay was 28,504 people,¹⁴ with a density of 410 inhabitants per square kilometer or 1,100 inhabitants per square mile.

Poverty incidence of Majayjay

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{1516171819202122}

The town boasts a line of shanties of budding small enterprises, mostly selling indigenous farm crops, along its main road.

• Minor Basilica and Parish of Saint Gregory the Great: Majayjay is home to one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in the Philippines, the Minor Basilica and Parish of Saint Gregory the Great. It was built in 1575 through forced labor by the town folks. Inside the church are antique statues of saints brought by the Spaniards during the early era of propagating Christianity. The church underwent fire incidents in 1576, 1606, and 1660, but was subsequently reconstructed and rehabilitated. A view of Laguna de Bay can be seen from the church roof. On January 25, 2025, Pope Francis designated it as a minor basilica, after a petition letter from the Bishop of San Pablo, Marcelino Antonio Maralit, on December 6, 2024; it is the first in the said diocese to be designated as such.

• Taytay Falls: Also known as Majayjay Falls or even Imelda Falls because ex-First Lady Imelda Marcos financed the promotion of tourism in this place. It is a two-story high fall located in a forested area.
• Puente de Capriccio: In José Rizal's El Filibusterismo, he mentioned an old Spanish stone bridge built in 1851. It was a one-arch bridge since it was not finished. Early natives built a bamboo footbridge to connect the opposite sides to make it accessible. Puente de Capriccio was initiated by Spanish Franciscan priest Victoriano del Moral. The priest was cruel and autocratic; anyone who did not labor in the construction would be later punished by whipping the buttocks. The workers were reportedly not paid a single centavo. Because of his cruelty, the workers campaigned against him; thus, the bridge's construction never resumed after 1851. The bridge still stands firm today, crossing the Olla River. It is called Tulay ng Pige (Bridge of Buttocks) by residents. The bridge now symbolizes the defiance of Filipino workers against the oppressive Spanish colonialists during the colonial period.
• Mount Banahaw: Majayjay is located at the foot of this mountain. In the early Spanish era, Mount Banahaw was called Monte de Majayjay, because it was the only way to travel to the mountain. Many European elites visited the town for Mount Banahaw.
• Bukal Falls: Popular among most tourists as the Enchanted Falls.
• Botocan Hydroelectric Power Plant and Dam: It is the first hydroelectric power plant constructed in the Philippines in the 20th century (1930). It is now owned by the CBK Power Company Limited.
• Ermita Church: Then, a tribunal. This holy place houses the image of Nuestra Señora de la Portería.
• Our Lady of the Gate Grotto: Situated along the Olla riverbank is a sacred place where masses are held at times. It is a small tourist destination for religious excursionists.

Majayjay Day is celebrated every year on October 2 as part of the celebration of the town's founding anniversary. It features off-farm and agricultural products produced primarily from the town's 40 barangays. In 2016, this day was revamped as the AniLinang Festival, with the first such festival under this name held on October 2 that year as an initiative of the local government to promote the town's laid-back and peaceful way of life reflected in its agricultural produce and indigenous cuisines.

SaGreMa Festival (from the syllabic abbreviation of San Gregorio Magno Majayjay) is a parochial festivity celebrated on September 3, the day when Saint Gregory, the town's patron saint, became a pope, and March 12, the day he died. In the festival, Majayjayeños honor the saint for the fortunes of their town.

The town can be accessed by four entry points: Magdalena-Majayjay Road to the north, Liliw-Majayjay Road to the west, Luisiana-Majayjay Road to the east, and Lucban-Majayjay Road to the south. Public utility vehicles, such as local jeepneys and tricycles, are modes of public transportation in the municipality.

• UV Express

• San Pablo
• Liliw
• Rizal
• Nagcarlan
• Magdalena
• Luisiana
• Santa Cruz (via Nagcarlan, Laguna)
• Lucban

The town of Majayjay has different communication lines, including PLDT, and cellular communications such as Globe, Smart, and DITO.

The Majayjay Schools District Office, led by PSDS Dr. Ginalyn B. Freo, governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.²³

• Gustavo Tobler (1834-1875), merchant and coffee planter from Switzerland