BATANGAS - FROM THE LOWEST VOLCANO TO DEEPER DIVES

A province that is famous for excellent dive sites and the world’s lowest volcano, Batangas is going nowhere but up. It is a thriving tourist destination replete with open beaches and sheltered coves, subterranean caves and deep harbors, a preserved heritage and brave men in history.

Found in the province is world-known Anilao and its many dive sites that are ideal for poking around and observing marine life, and outstanding for macro photography. Multi-hued crinoids are prolific. The variety of nudibranchs is unmatched. Night dives are especially nice and often reveal unusual creatures like sea hares, sea goblins, catfish eels, ghost pipe fishes, blue-ringed octopuses, mandarin fishes, and snake eels. The area’s best known dive site, coral-covered Cathedral is spectacular at night. One of the prettiest dives in the area, Sepok has nice coral gardens and a vertical wall.

Taal Lake and Volcano in Batangas is Southern Luzon’s centerpiece attraction. Known to be the smallest in the world, it is a volcano within an islet within a lake within a crater within a volcano. The town of Taal reigns as one of the two most culturally preserved sites of the Spanish colonial era; the other is Vigan in Ilocos Sur. The village in Taal conforms to the old town layout combining the municipal hall, school, church, and houses.

Among the multitude of popular tourism activities to be had in the province are heritage tours, pilgrimage tours, scuba diving, shopping, mountain climbing and trekking, swimming, and snorkeling. Batangas is located only 110 kilometers south of Metropolitan Manila, and is very accessible from the national capital by land.

HISTORY

Founded in 1581, Batangas used to be a bigger province, which was composed of the present Batangas, Mindoro, Marinduque, and the present southeastern portion of Laguna. It used to be called Balayan, with the town of Balayan as the capital.

In the beginning of the 17th century, Marinduque and 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.

Batangueños are known for being adventurous, business-minded, industrious, friendly, and hospitable. They also happen to have a long-standing reputation for bravery, owing to the Balisong, a Philippine handmade fan-knife native to the province. To add to the perception, Lipa in Batangas, known as Coffee Granary of the Philippines, produces the popular Kapeng Barako, strong coffee considered fit only for strong men.

BATANGAS IS FAMOUS FOR:

Anilao

It is not only ideal for poking around and observing marine life but also outstanding for macro photography. Multi-hued crinoids are prolific. The variety of nudibranchs is unmatched. Night dives are especially nice and often reveal unusual creatures like sea hares, sea goblins, catfish eels, ghost pipe fishes, blue-ringed octopuses, mandarin fishes, and snake eels.

Apolinario Mabini Shrine
The national shrine is a memorial to the nationalism of Philippine hero Apolinario Mabini, known as the Sublime Paralytic, whose moral convictions and political principles illuminated the Filipinos in their search for national identity. It houses the remains and personal belongings of the late revolutionary hero who is also considered as the Brains of the Katipunan, the 1896 Filipino revolutionary movement against Spain. The shrine is located in Barrio Talaga, Tanauan, Batangas.

Taal Lake and Volcano

Southern Luzon’s centerpiece attraction is Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in Batangas. The gateway for most visitors is through Tagaytay City, from the ridge where a panoramic view of Volcano Island can be seen. The volcano is known to be the smallest in the world. Surrounded by a lake, it is situated on an 8.8-kilometer islet, lapped by the 27-kilometer-long lake. Both the lake and the volcano are situated on the crater of an extinct volcano. Volcano Island is also ideal for trekking.

Taal Heritage

Taal reigns as one of the two most culturally preserved sites of the Spanish colonial era; the other is Vigan in Ilocos sur. The village conforms to the old town layout combining municipal hall-school-church-houses. It consists of a number of tourist attractions, namely, the Leon Apacible Historical Landmark, Marcela Mariño Agoncilio Museum and Monument, Basilica of San Martin de Tours, Escuela Pia, and Church of Our Lady of Caysasay.

Basilica of San Martin de Tours / Taal Church

San Martin de Tours is the patron of Taal, in whose honor a fest is celebrated every November 11. The church was first built by Father Diego Espina in 1575 in San Nicolas. It was destroyed when Taal volcano erupted in 1754, rebuilt at the present site in 1755, and once more destroyed by an earthquake in 1849. Construction of the present church was started in 1856. Once noted to be the biggest in South East Asia, the church is unique in its combined patriotic, religious, and artistic influence. Writers point to its theatrical exuberance. Its façade is baroque and consists of a single mass of stone shaped into rich complex designs. The church, however, is a fusion of styles with arched openings, alternating segmental canopies and arches of assymmetric shapes.

Church of Our Lady of Caysasay
This church is one of the province’s distinct cultural artifacts for some of the priceless relics of the Spanish colonial period. Among the relics are the 27-centimeter image of the Virgin which was fished out of the waters in 1603, the Augustinian emblems engraved on the communion rails, the ornately carved holy water receptacle, and the few baroque motifs which remain on the external frieze. The church has been renovated but many interesting details of period art can still be appreciated.

Mt. Maculot
One of the highest and most prominent mountains in the province, Mt. Maculot is one of the favorite sites of mountain trekkers. It is said that the mountain was the last stronghold of the Japanese in the province before they were defeated. Several tunnels built by the Japanese soldiers are present in the area. The name Maculot, meaning kinky, was derived from the curly-haired aborigines found in the place.

Parada ng Lechon
The celebration held every June 24 in the town of Balayan coincides with the feast of St. John the Baptist. Lechons, or roast suckling pigs, coming from each barangay of the town are paraded, dressed in accordance with the theme of the fiesta. The parade is capped with a grand viewing of the lechons at the plaza. After the parade, the townspeople and guests partake of the fare as well as engage in water dousing.

Punta Baluarte, Calatagan
A nature resort set on the rolling hills of Hacienda Bigaa, Punta Baluarte offers first-rate accommodations, world-class golf course and facilities.

Balisong
Batangueños have a long-standing reputation for bravery, owing to the Balisong, a Philippine handmade fan-knife native to the province. Balisongs are an excellent buy from the myriad of shops that litter the province, showcasing the artistry of Batangueños.

Tanauan Aerial Sports
Accessible in less than two hours south of Manila, the small town of Tanauan is the skydiving capital of the Philippines. The drop zone, between Mt. Makiling and Taal Volcano, showcases some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. The Skydiving Center in Tanauan has a 1200m airstrip with several aircraft available to take you aloft for jumping. The standard equipment is state-of-the-art square parachutes, which all have Cypress automatic activation devices fitted for maximum safety.