Лагуна провинциясының Лос-Банос муниципалитеті

Municipality in Laguna, Philippines

Los Baños (IPA: [lɔs bɐˈɲɔs]), officially the Municipality of Los Baños , colloquialy 'elbi' or simply LB, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 115,353 people. It has a total land area of and is bordered on the south and south west by Mount Makiling and Santo Tomas in Batangas, on the north by Laguna de Bay, on the north west by Calamba and on the east by the town of Bay. The town is located southeast of Manila and is easily accessible via the South Luzon Expressway along with Manila South Road and Calamba–Pagsanjan Road. The municipality lies on the northern slopes of the long dormant volcano Mount Makiling and is known among tourists for its hot spring resorts. Los Baños also hosts two constituent universities of the University of the Philippines System: the University of the Philippines Los Baños and University of the Philippines Open University, along with other foreign and local and international research centers, such as the International Rice Research Institute, the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, the Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippine Carabao Center, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture(SEAMEO SEARCA) at UPLB making the town a temporary home for tens of thousands of both local and foreign undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and support staff. Los Baños was declared as the Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines through Presidential Proclamation No. 349. The proclamation, however, does not convert the municipality to a city or give it corporate powers that are accorded to other cities. Aside from its importance in academics, science and research, Los Baños is a well known tourist destination. Because of the town's proximity to Metro Manila, Los Baños's hot spring resorts are frequent weekend or summer getaways for residents of the vast metropolis and tourists from other places in the Philippines and abroad. Tourists who visit Los Baños also come to the several native delicacies stores in the town to buy the town's famous buko pie (coconut meat pie) as well as a home grown brand of chocolate cake. Currently, it is Laguna's richest municipality in terms of assets amounting to as of 2017.

Los Baños is derived from Spanish for "the baths", also referring to the hot springs. It was named as such in 1589 when Fr. Pedro Bautista built public baths in the present day town.

Los Baños started as a settlement, a barrio of Bay called Mainit, the Tagalog term for "hot", alluding to the thermal springs at the foot of Mount Makiling. By 1589, through a Franciscan friar, it became popularly called by its present name, Los Baños. In 1595, a temporary building made of bamboo and cogon was built to serve as shelter for the patients who journeyed to Mainit to seek cures for their ailments. It was on September 17, 1615, when the friars administered Los Baños as a separate town from Bay.

In 1909, the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA) was established. The UPCA became a Japanese prisoner of war camp for nationals of the Allied countries, a target of Kempetai punitive measures, and the headquarters of a secret organization of guerrillas. On February 23, 1945, US forces of the First Battalion, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Eleventh Airborne Division led a combined amphibious and airborne raid against the prison camp, rescuing over 2,000 Allied nationals. They killed the 250 man Japanese garrison. In order to force the prisoners to leave behind their belongings and speed up the evacuation before the Japanese could send reinforcements, US forces and Filipino guerrillas burned the camp. Only Baker Hall, the university gymnasium until 2010, remained intact.

In 1959, the 10th World Scout Jamboree was held in Los Baños, with the theme "Building Tomorrow Today" with an attendance of 12,203 Scouts. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was established in 1960 during the administration of President Carlos P. Garcia, and soon after President Diosdado Macapagal had started his term, IRRI had begun work on the development of the new “Miracle Rice” (IR8) variety, which would later increase Philippine rice production significantly. spread beyond the capital and also triggered protests by students in UP Los Baños, most prominently in the form of a 13 day strike which saw barricades established at the UPLB Gate and Los Baños Highway Junction areas. This unrest coincided with another issue, which was the call for the UP College of Agriculture to become independent from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. In 1979, the evolution and development of academic excellence in Los Baños moved the people of Los Baños to request president Marcos to declare the municipality as "A Special University Zone", granted on June 15, 1982, by virtue of letter of instruction No. 883. Los Baños was further declared as an "Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences Community" on March 17, 1982, by virtue of Executive Order No. 784 (Section 23).

On August 7, 2000, Los Baños was declared a Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 349. It was signed by then President Joseph Estrada.

The 6th Flora Malesiana, a triennial gathering of people with botanical expertise regarding "Malesia", was held from September 20 to 24, 2004. It provided a forum for Flora Malesiana members and encouraged publications on Malesian plants. During the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, Los Baños played host to the aquatics events, with the newly built Trace Aquatic Center at Trace College serving as the venue. The headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Center for Biodiversity was opened on August 8, 2006, having leased office spaces until late 2010s from the DENR Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, located at the College of Forestry, University of the Philippines Los Baños. It coincided with the foundation day celebrations of the organization. The Philippines assumed the Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2006 and played host to the 12th ASEAN and East Asia Summits (held in Metro Cebu, January 2007). In January 2007, the 5th ASEAN Inter Club Age Group Swimming Championships was held in the Trace Aqua Sports Center. Los Baños also plays host to the UAAP, as the Trace Aquatics Center has served as the venue for the league's swimming competitions since UAAP Season 70 until UAAP Season 76. Currently, Los Baños is probably the densest habitat of academicians in South East Asia. Although it is a small town, it has contributed widely through scientific achievements and contributions locally and worldwide particularly on agriculture. On December 3, 2020, firing from outside the perimeter walls, its incumbent mayor Caesar P. Perez was assassinated inside the municipal office premises by an armed assailant, with a former councilor colleague said to be the mastermind.

Los Baños is nestled between two of Southern Luzon's most dominant geographical features – Mount Makiling to the south and south west and Laguna de Bay to the north. In fact, Laguna de Bay's southernmost tip is at Barangay Bambang, and Barangay Bagong Silang is already halfway up Mount Makiling. Both the mountain and the lake are volcanic features – Makiling being a potentially active volcano whose geothermal activities gave birth to the hot springs after which the town was named, and Laguna de Bay being the filled in caldera of a massive prehistoric volcano. Another notable geological feature is Tadlac Lake, a maar lake whose almost perfectly round shape and uncharted waters have led some locals to call it "the enchanted lake". Others call it "alligator lake", a reminder that it served as the last bastion of Laguna de Bay's once plentiful cayman population, which has since been wiped out and is now just another legendary part of Philippine history.

In the 2020 census, the population of Los Baños was 115,353 people, with a density of .

Like other LGUs in Laguna, the town holds election every three years, which will cover from Mayor, Vice Mayor, and up to the councilors. + Los Baños Municipal officials (2022–2025)Name Party House of Representatives Ruth Mariano Hernandez Mayor Anthony F. Genuino Vice Mayor Josephine S. Evangelista Councilors Leren Mae M. Bautista Marlo PJ A. Alipon Jonathan Bryan S. Siytiap Miko C. Pelegrina Mark Lester B. Dizon Julius A. Moliñawe Benedicto S. Alborida Mike Dexter A. Concio