The lures of Los Baños

By MARIA CONGEE S. GOMEZ

August 9, 2010, 11:37am

The 8,000-square meter UPLB Alumni Plaza features the Ani sculpture as one of its centrepiece components. (Photo by JANIS IAN SAMIANO)

Mountain resorts, buko pies, and cake houses, a science center, hike areas, historical landmarks---all in the municipality of Los Baños, Laguna. This is the town that never sleeps. Its accessibility to Manila makes it popular among local and foreign tourists looking for a quick weekend getaway. 

The to-do list that one will carry in this town is long and endless and would probably not fit in a day or two. Los Baños has a total land area of 56.5 square kilometers and is bordered on the south and southwest by Mount Makiling, on the north by Laguna de Bay, on the northwest by Calamba City, and on the east by the town of Bay. The town is located 63 kilometers southeast of Manila and is accessible via the South Luzon Expressway.

Vascular flora of Mount Makiling and vicinity (Luzon, Philippines)

The town lies on the northern slopes of the long dormant volcano Mount Makiling and is known among tourists for its hot spring resorts that dot the area. There are approximately 100 resorts in the 14 barangays of Los Banos.

The beginnings of Los Baños date back to the Spanish time, when it was referred to as “mainit” due to the number of hot springs from the tributaries of Mt. Makiling. Townsfolk swore to the curative and therapeutic effects of the water to the body that led the Spaniards, especially the Franciscan friars, to develop the area into public bath places. A certain Fr. Pedro Bautista, also a Franciscan, was said to be instrumental in the building of public baths in 1950. He spearheaded the construction of baths from cogon grass and bamboo. 

Economics of Dominant Forest Based Cropping Systems in Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve: Final Report

“That enterprising move expanded into larger interests mostly commercial operations,” said Jenette Palisoc, the municipality’s tourism officer.  The resorts, she added, are major revenue contributors of the municipality. “The interest to learn by visiting the science center, getting fit by hiking and knowing the past have made Los Baños a fulcrum of both tradition and contemporary setup.” This paved the way for an increase of 20,000 domestic and foreign tourist arrivals last year.  

Here are a few activities that visitors can do at the Mt. Makiling area. You may take your lunch at the Flat Rocks after a brief look-see of the mud spring (just don’t attempt to dip your fingers). Then, on your way down  to the tree-lined campus of UPLB which is mostly that part of Forestry, pass by the Baker Hall, pose in front of the Alumni Plaza or the football field then, and if it still early, try VetMed’s dairy products. But the green landscape has just begun.

On your way to IRRI and with that vagabond attitude, try to figure out a hike route which would end up in Makiling National Arts Center. I could not recall how I and my dorm mate started ours that ended up to the Center.  The pasalubongs are a-plenty — I am sure you have not outgrown Lety’s Buko Pie, or Mer-Nels cake or something minty available at The Herb Republic. The resorts are great too, but Palisoc recommends the best ones in Barangay Lalakay, specifically Splash Mountain Resort Hotel, Inc. with those big waterslides.

Splash, Palisoc said, has been in the business since 1960. It used to be the City of Springs Resort and Hotel then expanded its operations adding four more different types of mini-hotels. Its pools are so far the best, with the huge waterslides popular both with adults and children. Palisoc said Korean nationals are frequent visitors.

But one attraction worth mentioning is The Los Baños Therapeutic Massage Center and Health Spa. This Center was a project of then Mayor Caesar Perez, who wanted to put up a wellness spa not for vanity purpose alone but also to provide livelihood to the unemployed residents.

The spa, located at Gen. Paciano Rizal Park near the Laguna Lake, was constructed from funds provided by Sen. Ed Angara. It offers reflexology, Tuina, Swedish, Thai, and Hydro-massage Therapy. The therapists were extensively trained by the Livelihood Development Program of the Municipality of Los Baños, the Department of Health-Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (DOH-PITAHC) and Tesda.

“We have to organize our sightseeing tours because there are too many things to do here,” Palisoc said. But the must-see are the Makiling Botanical Garden, UPLB, IRRI Rice World, Los Baños Eco-waste Processing Center, the National Arts Center, and the Therapeutic Spa.  Anyone can come at any given time to Los Banos. In September, the municipality will be holding the Banamos Festival which means “Tayo na sa Los Baños.”

To get there: Los Baños is 63 kilometers away from Manila. Take the provincial buses or FX taxis parked at the foot of the LRT station on Taft Avenue and Gil Puyat with the Calamba-Sta. Cruz signage.