BATANGAS - The birthplace of the country's notable nationalist

Historical places are the legacies of the old colonial era. The province is also famous as the home of baraco coffee (rich, robust-tasting coffee beans) and dedicate embroidery crafts on locally woven jusi and piña fibers.

Nature has endowed Batangas with natural resources and picturesque sceneries. Coconut, orchids and mango trees lie alongside smooth sand beaches and their submarine gardens. Just a few kilometers from the shore will bring you to diverse dive sites - from the ones fit for novices (relatively shallow, constant water current), up to those which can pose a big challenge to experts. Without question, the most popular attraction is the Taal Volcano and Lake.

 

The proximity of Batangas to Manila and the good quality of most of the main roads make the province very accessible thereby fueling the local tourism industry and the provincial economy.

Brief History

Founded in 1581, Batangas used to be a bigger province composed of the present Batangas, Mindoro, Marinduque, and the southeastern portion of Laguna. It used to be called Balayan, with this town as the capital. In the beginning of the 17th century, Marinduque and the Mindoro were made into separate provinces. In 1732, the capital was transferred to Taal. Finally, in 1754, the capital was transferred to Batangas and the province was thereafter named after the new capital town.

Climate

Batangas has a natural cool climate. It experiences two types of seasons: dry from November to April and wet for the rest of the year. Mean annual rainful is at
maximum during July at 1.5 to 2.5 meters. March is the driest month. February is the coldest month averaging 69 degrees Fahrenheit while May is the hottest at 96.1 degrees Fahrenheit.zz

Language / Dialect

Batangueños are bilingual, with Tagalog and English as the basic languages used in business, government, schools and everyday communication.

Special Interest

I. Diving

Ligpo Island
Corals of different types and huge gorgonians in the area. The locations is on the west side of the island.

Cathedral
Approximately 75 feet south of the Dive 7000 Resort area and about 450 feet, lies a giant rock formation that looks like an underwater amphitheater. Originally virtually barren, the cathedral has been seeded with coral from other sites. Throngs of eager fish around visiting divers waiting to be fed.

II. Golf

Calatagan Golf Club
Lauded as one of the best international championship courses in Southeast Asia, this golf club holds another unique distinction: it is located in an arboretum where over 3,000 trees of local and foreign tree species are planted.

III. Mountain Climbing / Volcano Trekking

Taal Volcano
The lowest volcano in the world is surrounded by a lake. It is accessible by boat from at least seven towns surrounding tha lake. Tour agencies as well as some Tagaytay rresorts offer tour packages to the lake. Jump off point is Agoncillo, Batangas.

IV. Shopping
Department stores in the heart of the Batangas City offer a myriad of goods ranging from kitchen ware and household appliances to fruits and handicrafts. The shops that litter the province showcase the artistry of Batangueños. In Taal town, the Barong Tagalog (local embroidered dress shirts for men made from jusi and piña or pineapple fibers) features intricate cutwork and crochet insertions. Balisong (Philippine Hand-made fan-knife) as well as rattan, bamboo and wood crafts are also excellent buys

V. Night life
In Lipa and Batangas City, business establishment open after sundown offering an array of activities to include dining, ballroom dancing, live shows, piano bar and karaoke singing and other forms of after-dinner entertainment.

VI. Aquasports
The many Barradas Air Strip is the official jump-off point of the Parachutist
Association of the Philippines.