Liliw, officially the Municipality of Liliw (), is a municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
It is known for its cold water spring resorts, native homemade sweets and a sizeable shoe industry that rivals that of Marikina. Also, the town is known for its baroque church and its Liliw-style houses.
Founded in 1571 by Gat Tayaw, the small town of Liliw is nestled at the foot of Mount Banahaw, away from Santa Cruz, Laguna's capital.
According to local tradition,Liliw derived its name from a bird. It is said that Gat Tayaw and his followers erected a bamboo pole and agreed to name the settlement after the first bird to alight on it within four days. A crow initially landed on the pole, but as it was considered a bad omen, the group relocated farther south and set up another pole. A more auspicious bird later perched on it and sang âÂÂliw, liw, liw,â from which the townâÂÂs name was derived.
This account is supported by the Tagalog dictionary compiled by Fr. Noceda and Fr. San Lucar, which includes the entry âÂÂlilio,â described as a type of bird from which the town in Laguna, then under Franciscan administration, takes its name.
The spelling of the town's name from Lilio was changed on June 11, 1965, when the municipal council passed Resolution No. 38-S-65 which declared âÂÂLiliwâ as the official name and spelling of the town. This was to avoid confusion in pronouncing and spelling the name of the town.
Liliw has a total land area of . It is bounded on the north-west by Santa Cruz; north-east by Magdalena; on the east by Majayjay; on the west by Nagcarlan; and on the south by Dolores in Quezon Province. It is from Santa Cruz and from Manila.
It is one of the highland towns forming the southern extremity of Laguna. It is situated at the foot of Mt. Banahaw.
Liliw is politically subdivided into 33 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
In the 2024 census, the population of Liliw was 39,976 people, with a density of .
The town's main attraction is its growing footwear industry. It started in 1931 when Casiano Pisueña became interested in making slippers. His first prototype was made from coconut husk and rubber from tire interiors. He soon became successful and many residents of Liliw followed suit. At present there are about 50 stores selling footwear in Liliw. The regular slippers are still the most popular, but many stores are now selling shoes, handbags and other leather goods. Most stores still carry the three-for-P100 slippers. The annual Tsinelas Festival is celebrated every end of April.
The local government is currently undertaking means to conserve its cultural heritage sites and has proposed to enact a legislation that would mandate the usage of the Liliw-style architecture as the only means of construction and re-construction in the town. If the ordinance passes, Liliw will have a greater chance to become a heritage town, and further support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Tricycles and jeepneys are popular modes of transportation in Liliw. Buses are available to Santa Cruz, Calamba, and Metro Manila.
The town's main Roman Catholic church is the Saint John the Baptist Parish Church, whose current structure was built during the 19th century. It is also the burial place of Spanish missionary Juan de Plasencia.
The Liliw Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.