Cabuyao, officially the City of Cabuyao (), is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 355,330 people.
It used to be known as the "richest municipality in the Philippines" because of the large populace of migrants working in the town's industrial estates. Nestlé Philippines, Asia Brewery, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, Tanduay Distillers, Inc., Wyeth Philippines, Inc., Procter & Gamble Philippines, Light Industry and Science Park of the Philippines and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna have established factories or are located in Cabuyao.
By virtue of Republic Act No. 10163, the municipality of Cabuyao was converted to a component city, after the ratification of a plebiscite held on August 4, 2012.
Etymology
Cabuyao was once the central part of "Tabuco", a large territory which once included the modern-day cities of San Pedro, Biñan, Santa Rosa and Calamba. The name "Cabuyao" came from the kabuyaw tree, Citrus hystrix.
After the colonization of Manila by Miguel López de Legazpi in 1570, he instructed Capt. Juan de Salcedo to conquer all barangays around the lake of Ba-i, which is now called Laguna de Bay. Just like the settlement of Ba-i, Tabuco had large plain area and rich forestry, and the climate was suited to farm crops. On January 16, 1571, it was announced by López de Legazpi that Tabuco be considered as encomienda or a town under Afirni Manlangit.
The town of Tabuco was located near the corner of a river and the lake of Ba-i which was made bancas or raft as the common means of transportation going to the town of Tabuco. There were many trees of kabuyaw growing around the area. The fruit of kabuyaw was used as shampoo. So, when the priest asked for the name of the place, the native women readily answered "kabuyaw", thinking that the priest was asking for the name of the trees growing around the wharf. From then on, the priests and other Spanish officials called the town of Tabuco as Cabuyao.
History
Pre-Spanish Era
It was estimated that 300 years before the arrival of Catholicism, Malays came yearly to the Philippines. These Malays were attracted to the progress of Maynila which was the center of commerce/trade by the natives coming around the lake of Ba-i which is known today as Laguna de Bay. This place was the exchanging point of commerce and trade between the natives and the Chinese, Arabs and other Malay race. These foreign traders established their respective villages around the lake of Ba-i.
One of the biggest villages established in the western portion of the lake was "Tabuko" or "Hangganang Ilog" which means boundary in the native tongue. The natives of this village came from Malay race of Malaysia, Indonesia and Indochina. Tabuko had no definite boundary except for natural landmarks such as the mountain, hills and lake. It can be said that the boundary of "Tabuko" reached the mountain range of Sungay at the west, Mt. Makiling at the south, the lake of Ba-i at the east and the large track of quicksand at Tunasan it the north.
Spanish Era
After the colonization of Manila by Miguel López de Legazpi in 1570, he instructed Captain Juan de Salcedo to conquer all settlements or barangays around the lake of Ba-i (Laguna de Bay). The first settlement conquered by Capt. Juan de Salcedo was on the eastern portion of the lake, known today as Taytay and Cainta in the province of Rizal. Then, he crossed the lake of Ba-i and Acheron at Barangay Pinagsangahan, which is Pagsanjan today, and continued inland and conquered other settlements, known today as Nagcarlan and Majayjay. Because the place was already mountainous, the party of Capt. Juan de Salcedo went back to the Lake of Ba-i and continued to conquer the settlements in the northern portion of Lake Ba-i, now called the town of Bay. In their journey, they anchored at the shore of Tabuko. Just like the settlement of Ba-i, Tabuko had large plain area and rich forestry and the climate was suited to farm crops. On January 16, 1571, it was announced by Miguel López de Legazpi that Tabuko be considered as "encomienda" or a town under Gaspar Ramirez. And that the settlement or barangay Malabanan, Calamba and Santa Rosa be under the administration of Tabuko government. This was the time that Tabuko had a definite boundary. The boundary at the north was Tunasan, south was Ba-i, west was Sungay and at the east was Lake Ba-i.