The City of San Pablo, or Lungsod ng San Pablo, is at the southern portion of the Laguna province in the South Luzon region of the Philippines.  Roughly 82 kilometers from Manila, sprawled among the foothills of Mount Cristobal and Mount Banahaw. 

Bordering the city is the municipality of Alaminos in Laguna province to the west, Batangas province to the northwest, the municipality of Calauan in Laguna to the north, the municipalities of Rizal and Nagcarlan in Laguna to the east, the municipalities of Tiaong and Dolores in Quezon province to the southeast, and Lipa City in Batangas province to the southwest.

It is also called the "City of Seven Lakes" as it boasts of the seven crater lakes of Bunot, Calibato , Mohikap, Palakpakin, Pandin, Sampalok, and Yambo.  These lakes figured prominently in the early people’s livelihood, they provided ideal grounds for fresh water fishing and fish-raising.  As a result, San Pablo is a major supplier of tilapia, bangus, carp, and shrimps to Metro Manila and its suburbs.  The city has also encouraged the development of the scenic spots surrounding the lakes for eco-tourism.  

Aside from fishing and tourism industries, San Pablo is also a major industrial center that  primarily manufactures coco-based food products such as buko pie, buko juice, macapuno and nata de coco preserves, desiccated coconut, and coconut cooking oil.  Other industries include the manufacturing of processed meat products, bottled water, coco lumber, stainless kitchenware, and steel bodies for jeepneys.

San Pablo City was originally called Sampalok and had its settlement dating back to pre-Hispanic times when it was part of four large villages at the foothills of Mount Makiling.  In 1571, the first Spanish troops arrived in Sampalok which was led by Captain Juan de Salcedo.  It was converted into a parish in 1586 by Augustinian priests, and later into a town in 1647 renaming it San Pablo de los Montes after St. Paul, the First Hermit.  It was placed under the province of Laguna before placing it under the Batangas province in 1756.  In 1883, before the outbreak of the Philippine revolt against Spain, San Pablo was brought back under the jurisdiction of the Laguna province.  It became a chartered city on May 7, 1940 upon the approval of the Commonwealth Act No. 520 by President Manuel L. Quezon.

(loc. cit. http://www.expatforum.com)