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.

 

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

Southern Tagalog

Province

Batangas

Capital

Batangas City

Governor

Hermilando I. Mandanas

Income/Financial Resources (1999)

P939 M

Income classification (1996)

1st

Expenditure (1998)

P575.7 M

Population (2000 projection)

1,786,119

Voting Population (1994)

879,784

Labor Force (1998)

707,000

Land area

3,195 sq. kms.

Major Dialects/ Languages

Tagalog and English

No. of Barangays

1,076

No. of Towns/ Cities/ Municipalities

BATANGAS, LIPA

Municipalities/ Towns

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)

Infrastructure Facilities

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;

Major Products

Agricultural (rice, corn, fruits/ vegetables, coffee, coconut, sugarcane, black pepper); Poultry/ livestock (cattle, carabao, goat, swine, horses); fishery products

Major Industries

Petrochemical; fuel refineries; feed milling; garments; tourism; shipping services; bulk/ terminal handling; steel/ metal, power plant, textile, cement/ mineral, electronics assembly, etc.

Natural Resources

Agricultural lands; grass lands, seas, mineral deposits

Indigenous People

 

 

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
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