Alaminos, Laguna

Alaminos got its name from Capitan-General Juan de Alaminos Nivera, the chief executive of Batangas in which the area the present-day municipality covers was once part of.

Alaminos originated as a barrio of San Pablo, which was then a town in the province of Batangas. It was initially known as Trenchera, a name referring to the presence of long and deep ravines in the area. The early inhabitants of Trenchera were believed to be insurrectionists, and possibly fugitives, who used these natural trenches as hiding places and as defense against Spanish authorities.

Sometime in 1873 when a certain Don Andres Penaloza was the Gobernadorcillo (equivalent to Mayor) of the town of San Pablo, Trenchera was formally separated and became a pueblo or town but remained part of the Batangas. Don Cirilo Baylon, a wealthy resident of Trenchera and with good command of the Spanish language, invited Captain-General Juan de Alaminos Nivera, the Chief Executive of the Batangas. The Captain-General accepted the invitation and came in a colorful carriage drawn by two horses. With Baylon leading, he was warmly received by the residents of Trenchera. Dona Gregoria Baylon, the younger sister of Cirilo presented bouquets of fresh flowers to the Captain-General.

During a program held in honor of the Captain-General and his party, Cirilo Baylon presented a petition from the residents requesting that Trenchera be established as a duly organized and recognized town. The petition was publicly read, and the Captain-General assured them that their request would be favorably considered. Within less than two months, the official proclamation declaring Trenchera a new *pueblo*, or town, arrived from Lipa.

At the same time, Baylon was appointed the first Gobernadorcillo or town mayor in concurrent capacity as Capitan de los Constables de Pueblo or the equivalent of the local police chief. In appreciation of the Capitan-General, the new pueblo was named Alaminos in 1873 and remained part of Batangas until 1903, when it was returned to San Pablo by virtue of Act No. 939.^[7] It was later reconstituted as an independent municipality in 1916.

Alaminos has a land area of 5,476 hectares (13,530 acres) and is situated 46 kilometers (29 mi) from Santa Cruz and 73 kilometers (45 mi) southeast of Manila. The municipalities of Calauan and Bay are located north of Alaminos, the city of San Pablo on the south and east and the city of Santo Tomas in Batangas province on its west.^[8]

There are three main rivers in Alaminos, namely Kaquinkong, Onipa and Tigas.^[9]

The Maharlika Highway passes through the municipality and is connected directly to Manila through the South Luzon Expressway.^[8]

Alaminos is politically subdivided into 15 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Currently, there are 4 barangays which are classified as urban (highlighted in bold).

Brgy. San Gregorio is the biggest barangay measuring 840.6190 hectares followed by Brgy. Santa Rosa measuring 802.28 hectares.^[8]

In the 2024 census, the population of Alaminos, Laguna, was 53,589 people,^[16] with a density of 930 inhabitants per square kilometer or 2,400 inhabitants per square mile.

Poverty incidence of Alaminos

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]}

A 120-MW solar power plant with a 40MW/60MWh grid battery operates near the city.^[25]

The following is the list of mayors of Alaminos since 1873. Hernandez Sr. and Masa were appointed as Mayors. Donato died in office, with Vice Mayor Flores assuming the position of mayor following Donato's death.^[26]

The religious patron of the town of Alaminos is the Our Lady of the Pillar. On October 12 annually, the town fiesta of Alaminos is celebrated.^[27] The town's parish church was founded in 1815 and was initially dedicated to Joachim before being replaced with Our Lady of the Pillar, whose image was found in a well in the town.^[28]

• Town Fiesta, October 12

The Alaminos Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[29]

• Marcelino Fule Memorial College

• Timoteo Ofrasio, S.J. – Filipino Jesuit priest, liturgist and lyricist. He is known for liturgical catholic songs produced under Jesuit Music Ministry such as "Paghahandog ng Sarili", "Isang Bansa", and "Panalangin sa Pagiging Bukas-Palad". This also includes "Alay sa Diyos" used during the 2015 papal visit to the Philippines.
• Ariella Arida – fashion model, television personality, Miss Universe-Philippines 2013, Miss Universe 2013 3rd Runner-up