The seven lakes of San Pablo

Coconut, "the tree of life", figures prominently in the life of the city.  So much so that we have an annual Coconut Festival which is different from the annual fiesta.  In both occassions, lambanog is often served and enjoyed.  Sometimes, even when we don't have anything to celebrate and there is no special occassion, we still drink this wonderful organic wine.

Making lambanog begins with the coconut tree.  Just like most fruit-bearing trees, coconut flowers turn into coconut fruit.  Lambanog making trees never produce fruit, because it is the sap from the coconut flower that is the crucial ingredient for this unique coconut wine.  

The fiesta is celebrated in a week-long event with street dancing and general merry-making thru the wee hours of the night.  This video was taken in January of 2007.  The main street - Rizal Avenue, was hardly passable except for a few motorbikes, and even then their riders had to duck-walk their bikes on many portions of the street as the crowds were particularly plentiful that night.

Prior to World War II

The Japanese became part of an alliance which included Germany and Italy in 1937 and it was quickly understood that a buildup of military forces was in the best interest of the Philippines. General Douglas MacArthur was drafted out of retirement and at his request the United States started pouring military equipment into the islands. MacArthur specifically wanted more airplanes especially the latest in the inventory. At first the United States government filled the requests but later on getting a priority in arms shipments was difficult.

Several months prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor a strategic policy was adopted with respect to the United States priority of effort. Should it be forced into war against the Axis powers of Germany and Italy and simultaneously find itself at war with Japan, where would the priorities fall? The policy was that the stronger European enemy would be defeated first.

San Pablo was originally known as Sampaloc, they got the name San Pablo from their patron saint. It was founded by Agustinian Fathers, who in 1794, ceded its administration to this apostolic province of St. Gregory, taking possesion on April 4 (my birthdate) of the same year, being apponted as its first Franciscan Parish Priest Rev. Father Friar Andres Cabrera.