Sept. 17 a special holiday in Los Baños

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – President Aquino has declared Sept. 17 a special non-working holiday here to give residents the opportunity to participate in the town’s 398th Foundation Day celebration.

The celebration ushers in the Sept. 17-22 Los Baños Banamos Festival 2013, which will showcase the town’s cultural heritage, talents, products, and beauties.

Mayor Caesar Perez has created committees to prepare the activities for the weeklong celebration.

Banamos, the Spanish word for “we bathe,” traces the founding during the Spanish times of this town situated 60 kilometers southeast of Manila.

Historical records show that Franciscan friars, captivated by the hot springs and steam vents in the small settlement of Mainit (which Los Baños was then known), set up public places with spring water believed to have curative effects.

“These baths were so popular that they attracted tourists from Manila and nearby provinces. This convinced the Spanish authorities to officially establish in 1615 a town they called Los Baños or ‘the bath,’” records state.

Today, Los Baños has more than 40 spas and resorts.