Victoria, officially the Municipality of Victoria (), is a municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people. Large amounts of ducks are reared in the municipality, with an annual festival celebrating the town's founding anniversary dedicated to the animal.

Etymology

The name Victoria, meaning "victory" in English, comes from the Spanish language. It was named after Victoria Quirino, the daughter of former President Elpidio Quirino, under whose presidency the municipality was established. The younger Quirino also served as the First Lady, as her father was a widower.

History

Prominent citizens and civic leaders found new hope to make Nanhaya, then a barrio of Pila, a town when the Americans granted the Philippines independence in 1946. They revived the move to separate from Pila. During this time, citizens proposed to name the town Trinidad, after the young republic's First Lady, the wife of then-President Manuel Roxas. Strong opposition shelved the proposal once more.

After Roxas's death, Elpidio Quirino took over the presidency. Nanhaya's residents remained undaunted. They tried once more, intensifying the campaign. The Fernandez clan, the town's most prominent and wealthiest family, including Judge Jose Fernandez, then Mayor Alejandro Fernandez and Atty. Ramon H. Fernandez Sr., as well as Andres Franco, Dr. Agrifino Oca, Gregorio Herradura, and Leonardo Rebong, stood for the proposal. On November 15, 1949, President Elpidio Quirino signed into effect Executive Order No. 282, segregating barrios Nanhaya, Bancabanca, Daniw, Masapang, San Benito, San Felix, San Francisco and San Roque from Pila and forming a new independent municipality.

After Pateros became highly urbanized and densely populated, Victoria became a destination of balut traders and became the "Duck Raising Center of the Philippines". The town was featured as the detour challenge of Leg 11 of the 5th Season of The Amazing Race. Victoria celebrates the Itik Festival every second week of November.

The municipal seat of Pila was once located in Barangay Pagalangan, now one of Victoria's barangays. The remains of Pila's original parish church can still be found in Pagalangan, which in the past made that community a target of treasure hunters seeking antiques. Pagalangan ceased to be Pila's capital when the town center was relocated due to frequent flooding.

Geography

Victoria is located along the southeastern shore of Laguna de Bay, south of Manila and from Santa Cruz. It is bordered by the municipalities of Calauan to the southwest, Nagcarlan to the southeast and Pila to the northeast.

Barangays

Victoria is politically subdivided into 9 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

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

  • Banca-banca
  • Daniw
  • Masapang
  • Nanhaya (Poblacion)
  • Pagalangan
  • San Benito
  • San Felix
  • San Francisco
  • San Roque (Poblacion)

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Victoria was 45,230 people, with a density of .

Economy

Ducks

The municipality is known as the duck-raising capital of the Philippines. Following the town's nickname, the Itik (duck) Festival is celebrated on the town's founding anniversary. Through Presidential Proclamation 663, October 14, 2024 was declared a special non-working day in celebration of its 75th Founding Anniversary and the 23rd Itik Festival.

Government

thumb|right|Victoria Town Hall

Elected officials

{|class=wikitable

|+ Victoria municipal officials (2022–2025)

|-

!Name !!colspan=2|Party

|-

! colspan=3| Mayor

|-

| Dwight C. Kampitan

|

|-

! colspan=3| Vice Mayor

|-

| RJ Kampitan

|

|-

! colspan=3| Municipal Councilors

|-

| Florencio M. Laraño

|

|-

| Wilfredo Herradura

|

|-

| Ma. Fe B. Tope

|

|-

| Homer Herradura

|

|-

| Sonny Lazaro

|

|-

| Analyn Nava

|

|-

| Jhon Paul D. Pahutan

|

|-

| Joselito D. Corcuera

|

|-

! colspan=4| Ex Officio Municipal Council Members

|-

| ABC President

| colspan=3| Leoncio S. Fajardo (San Francisco)

<!-- | -->

|-

| SK President

| colspan=3| John Patrick S. Cambe (Masapang)

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|-

| SB Secretary

| colspan=3| Caylene T. Fernandez

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|}

Education

The Victoria Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public schools from the primary to the secondary levels.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Banca-Banca Elementary School
  • Daniw Elementary School (Banca-Banca Extension)
  • G. Herradura Elementary School
  • Jesus The Only Messiah SChool of Wisdom
  • Maranatha Christian Academy-Victoria
  • Masapang Elementary School
  • Missionari Della Fede Community Learning Center
  • Pagalangan Elementary School
  • San Benito Elementary School
  • San Felix Elementary School
  • San Francisco Elementary School
  • T. Daguinsin Elementary School
  • Victoria Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Banca-Banca Integrated National High School
  • Masapang National High School
  • Nanhaya National High School
  • San Benito National High School
  • San Francisco Integrated NHS
  • San Roque National High School

Higher educational institution

  • Moreh Global Innovative College

References

  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
  • Philippine Census Information
  • Local Governance Performance Management System
  • History of Pila: A Secular and Spiritual History of the Town 900 A.D. to Present