Padre Burgos was formerly known as Laguimanok due to the shape of the town's coastline which resemble the bill of a chicken or "Manok". Another version is that chickens were so abundant in the town that hawks always sweeped down the place to snatch chicken from their mother hens. When a hawk flew overhead, as a warning to the neighborhood, people shouted "Hawk! Manok!".

On January 1, 1917, the village of Laguimanok, which until then was a barrio of Atimonan, became a municipality. Ten years after, the town's council changed the name to Padre Burgos in honor of one of our country's martyrs.

The streets were named after local leaders who rendered valuable services to the community. Because of the physical and topographical conditions of the town, four sitios where clusters of houses were built became the main district of the town namely, Campo, Burgos, Basiao and Bundok-Punta.

The community come to be in this particular spot because of its sea which made this town known as Port of Laguimanok. In the early days, this port offered a good wharf for vessel plying between Manila and Southern Luzon. This was also a port of call for ships exporting lumber to Europe during the Spanish regime. In this town was the residence of the "Alcalde Mar" or port officer. Business and other industries were prospering and people conglomerated in this spot. It has a population of 19,877 as of 2007 census wlth an area of 6,860 hectares. Some of the important events that took place in the history of Padre Burgos were:

1. The coming of English pioneers in 1898 who opened the lumber business in this town and incidentally influenced the social and economic life of the people.
2. The establishment of this town as a port of call of inland and foreign vessels even as early as 1910.
3. The extension of the railroad line in this town bringing American Engineers and other workers who later established their residence here and led in business and civic enterprises.
4. The changing of the municipal site from sition Bundok-Punta to the present.
5. The change of status and name of this town from Port Laguimanok to the town of Padre Burgos in 1917.
6. The influx of many Visayan fisherman, Batangas merchants and farmhands and the consequent increase in population and progress in schools since 1927.
7. At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1941, this town was selected as one of the military stationed which were made camps of Fil-American soldiers. The people extended all possible loyalty and help to the soldiers. First aid lessons were given to the people.
8. The short establishment of Japanese garrison here and fear and hardships encountered by all. During the guerilla days, 1942-1944, this town had the distinct honor of having the Hunter's Guerilla here in the barrios of Marao and Polo. Many people of this town joined the guerilla and participated in various anti-Jap raids and encounters.
9. The first American P.T. Boat landed in this town and the consequent raising of the American and Filipino flags were witnessed amidst joyful teas of the populace.
10. The colorful inauguration of the first appointive municipal officials after the liberation.
11. The Huk depredations which were successfully repulsed by the TP's and PC's in 1948.
12. The raising of the classification of this town from fourth to third class municipality.

The town's present production is basically agricultural, because of the wide range of agricultural land along side of the Sierra Madre mountain that connects the town of Pagbiilao, Padre Burgos, Atimonan, and Agdangan.

Other main sources of living are fishing, poultry and swine raising, commercial industries, transportation business, shop and cottage industries.

Padre Burgos has many beautiful spots, the Tulay-Buhangin which is popularly noted for it's very white sand, the Talabaan Islands a summer resort of the place, the cocky Bagusin or locally known as Mag-asawang Bato, and the beautiful caves in Polo Island which are artistically made by the hands of nature.

Spots of the historical interest are the Wharf - symbol of commercial progress, the old church with the old fashioned "Canyon" markers of the people's religious faith, the Big Cement Slabs and Stone Quarries - Mute testimonies of the effervescent power and grandeur of the early foreign settlers, the Hills near the railroad station where the Japs tortured and massacred civilians in the barrios of Marao and Polo where the Hunters Guerillas built their camps.