Batangas
The
province of thinkers and nationalists straddles a rich and varied
country stretched between the South China Sea on the west and Tayabas
Bay on the east. The coast is highly irregular along the western coast
but gives way to a couple of wide bays, Balayan and Batangas that face
the narrow channel separating Luzon from Mindoro. Islands lie along the
coast, the biggest of which are Maricaban and Verde. The interior is
characteristically rolling plains and highlands except for mountain
ranges that run along the common border with Cavite, and in the
southeast. The beautifully enchanting Lake Bombon lies at the very heart
of Batangas and within its bosom lies the restless Taal Volcano. Cavite
lies to the north, while Laguna and Quezon lie northeast. The province
is dry from November until April and is wet the rest of the year.
Typhoons occasionally visit during the rainy months.
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History
Popular oral
traditions speak of migrants from Borneo who came to settle in the vicinity of
the Pansipit River in present-day Taal town. Excavations at Calatagan have
yielded relics that point to a vibrant trading culture in and around the coast
of southern Batangas during the 14th and 15th centuries.
At the time of Spanish conquest, region around the Bombon Lake and the southern
coast was thickly populated.
Spaniards arrived
in the vicinity of the Pansipit River in 1570 but were met with stiff
resistance. Augustinian missionaries arrived later to bring the residents to
Catholicism. The province was founded in 1581 and originally extended, not only
to present-day Batangas province, but also included the islands of Mindoro and
Marinduque, as well as portions of Laguna and Quezon. The province was
originally known as Bombon, Balayan or Comintan.
In the 17th
Century, both Mindoro and Marinduque were separated from Batangas and formed
into a separate corregimiento. In 1732, the capital was transferred to
Taal and the province was renamed after its new capital. In 1754, the capital
was again transferred to Batangas and the province acquired its present name.
During the
Spanish period, the coastal settlements were ravaged by Moro raids. The town of
Balayan was captured and razed by raiders in 1675 and in 1754, a large flotilla
of raiders appeared off the coast of Batangas. Watchtowers were built at
strategic points to warn the people of impending raids and the condition
continued until the second half of the 19th century. Diminutive Taal
Volcano also posed a serious threat to the towns around the lake. In 1716 and
1754, major eruptions destroyed a number of towns around the lake. Several
lakeshore towns, like Taal, Tanauan and Lipa were forced to relocate to sites
farther away from the volcano.
During the 19th
century, the cultivation of cash crops like sugar and coffee propelled the
province's economic growth. The towns of Lipa and Taal were the centers of
coffee production producing as much as 70,000 piculs of the bean in 1887.
Batangas was one
of the first eight provinces to join the Revolution of 1896 and one of the last
provinces to accept American rule. During the Filipino-American War, the
province was a major theater of guerrilla warfare. The Americans instituted
highly repressive measures, like hamletting and retricting civilian mobility to
end revolutionary resistance. During the Japanese occupation, Batangas was also
a strategic point through which the contending powers landed their troops. The
Japanese landed here in 1941 and the Americans poured in troops in 1945. As a
result, many towns were heavily damaged and the population displaced by the
fighting.
The province is
the birthplace of prominent and influential revolutionary leaders such as
military general Miguel Malvar, eminent political thinker Apolinario Mabini, and
diplomat Felipe Agoncillo. The province is also the home of the nationalist
politicians like Jose P. Laurel, president of the wartime Republic and Claro M.
Recto, senator and civil liberties advocate.
People, Culture and the Arts
Fan blades are
said to be part of the Batangueño garb and without the trusted knife, no
self-respecting Batangas man or woman feels at ease. This is the popular image
that the people of the province have been attributed, perhaps because they are
ardent advocates of their causes. Men of national standing, like Mabini, Laurel
and Recto attest to the passion with which the Batangueño fight.
The people of
Batangas are Tagalogs, but they speak the language with a distinctive inflection
that is livelier than the Tagalog spoken elsewhere. Sentences are punctuated
with the expressions 'ga' and 'ala eh'. Most of the people are farmers and
fishermen but the province has carved a niche as a producer of high quality
traditional crafts.
Batangas is noted
for balisong-making, which originated in a barrio in Taal town bearing
the same name. Its birth as a Batangas icon is attributed to Perfecto de Leon,
who, in 1905, made the first fan blade. Its manufacture is a thriving industry.
The town of Taal is also a noted embroidery center. Piña, jusi
and other muslins are embroidered using the callado technique, which was
first used and perfected in Taal. The province is also known for its bagoong
balayan and patis (fish sauce) produced in Balayan, its sweets made
of panutsa (caked brown sugar).
The feasts and
celebrations of Batangas draw tourists and visitors to the province. Balayan
holds the Parada ng mga Lechon to honor Saint John the Baptist on June
24. The lechons (roast pig) which come from different barangays, are
paraded and displayed at the town plaza. After the parade, the townspeople and
guests partake in the feast. Every July 23, in Batangas City, the Sublian
Festival is held. It revives the centuries-old tradition of dancing the Subli,
a dance indigenous to Batangas. The festival has evolved to include street
dancing. The town of Alitagtag hold the Tapusan Festival in May. On the 1st of
the month, floral offerings are laid down during the afternoon ceremonies before
the old cross in the town church. On the 31st, the observance peaks
with a colorful procession where the cross is mounted on a finely-decorated
float leading a procession of other flower-decked floats carrying other holy
images. The floats are drawn by participants and paraded along the principal
streets of the town. The town of Taal holds a unique tradition of shuttling the
image of the Virgin of Caysasay from a hermitage near the Pansipit River to the
Taal Church. The town celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Conception on
December 8 when the image is brought to the river where it was found.
Trade and Investments
Batangas is the
vibrant new access point for industries locating in the dynamic CALABARZON
region and plays a very significant role in the industrial development of the
Southern Tagalog region. The prime agricultural lands of the province provide an
abundance of rice, sugar, coffee, coconut and rootcrops. The seas around
Batangas are rich sources of fish. Excellent pasture land have made the province
a leading dairy and cattle provider. Batangas is also endowed with large
quantities of mineral deposits such as limestone, gyspsum, clay, bentonite,
copper and iron ores.
The International
Port in Batangas City, which is in the process of upgrading its facilities,
provide an excellent alternative port that links Batangas and the Southern
Tagalog region with other countries. The province is linked with Metro Manila
via the Southern Luzon Access Road. A good network of roads link all the
province's municipalities. Telecommunications is reliable with both land-based
and cellular phone services. Power and water resources are adequate to meet
industrial demands. Almost 1.5 million Filipinos reside in the province and
provincial literacy rate (96.5%) is above the national figure. This provides the
province a diligent and well-educated workforce for industrial pursuits.
The access
provided by the Batangas International Port makes investments in the Batangas
Regional Agro-Industrial Center (BRAIC) very attractive. At present, some of the
country's industrial giants, such as Pilipinas Shell, JG Summit Petrochemical
Corporation and General Milling Corporation, are located in the center.
Investing in resource utilizing industries, such as food processing, beverage
manufacture, feeds manufacture, and cement processing, are profitable ventures.
Easy access to and from foreign countries, and the existence of a large labor
pool also make the province a prime site for export processing activities. The
province's proximity to Manila and the excellent recreational potentials, for
diving, water sports, golf, eco-tourism and cultural visits make investments in
developing these potentials attractive.
Region
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Southern Tagalog
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Province
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Batangas
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Capital
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Batangas City
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Governor
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Hermilando I. Mandanas
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Income/Financial
Resources (1999)
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P939 M
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Income classification
(1996)
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1st
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Expenditure (1998)
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P575.7 M
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Population (2000
projection)
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1,786,119
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Voting Population (1994)
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879,784
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Labor Force (1998)
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707,000
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Land area
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3,195 sq. kms.
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Major Dialects/ Languages
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Tagalog and English
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No. of Barangays
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1,076
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No. of Towns/ Cities/
Municipalities
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BATANGAS, LIPA
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Municipalities/ Towns
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27 (Balayan, Calaca,
Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, Nasugbu, Taal, Tuy, Bauan, Lobo, Mabini, San
Luis, San Pascual, Talisay, Tanauan, Tingloy, Agoncillo, Alitagtag, Balete, Cuenca,
Laurel, Malvar, M. na Kahoy, Ibaan, Padre Garcia, Rosario, San Jose, San
Juan, Taysan)
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Infrastructure Facilities
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Well-paved road network,
Transportation served by major bus lines, feeder airport and ferry/
ships; Telecommunications ( telephone services, telegraph services,
radio and TV stations); Adequate power/ water supply;
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Major Products
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Agricultural (rice, corn,
fruits/ vegetables, coffee, coconut, sugarcane, black pepper); Poultry/
livestock (cattle, carabao, goat, swine, horses); fishery products
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Major Industries
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Petrochemical; fuel
refineries; feed milling; garments; tourism; shipping services; bulk/
terminal handling; steel/ metal, power plant, textile, cement/ mineral,
electronics assembly, etc.
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Natural Resources
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Agricultural lands; grass
lands, seas, mineral deposits
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Indigenous People
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Development Initiative
Highlights:
- To become a major
international gateway to the country’s main industrial growth center
collectively known as CALABARZON
- To encourage industrial growth
- To maintain peace and order
conducive to economic activity
- To ensure efficient and
effective management in the province