Batangas province is one of the most balanced provinces of the country. Agriculture, fishing, industry and tourism each contribute their share to the economy of Batangas. Juan de Salcedo and Martin de Goiti were the first Spanish conquistadores to discover Batangas in 1570. The Spaniards were very much delighted with the abundance of rivers and pastures. Good cattle country, no doubt, and it still is. The province is also well known for its fine racehorses.

The introduction of the coffee bean, somewhere around 1750, originating from Africa but introduced via Mexico, was a great success here. Most of the rich and powerful in Batangas made their fortunes in the coffee business.

But also other crops, such as corn, sugar and coconut, flourish on the province's rich volcanic soil.

        The province is also the only one in the country with two oil refineries: Caltex (Philippines) Inc. and Pilipinas Shell. The first one, Caltex, was built as early as in 1954. The refineries are not only important for the country's fuel supply, but their presence in Batangas has also spurred the development of petrochemical industries in the province. Recently Shell launched a huge investment program (US$ 5 billion) centered on its Batangas refinery. Natural gas is now being piped in from the island of Palawan to the Shell Batangas refinery.

    Another activity that is fast being developed is modular steel fabrication. A number of large international firms are manufacturing part of their steel construction work for international projects in modules in Batangas

From the tourism point of view the province has two assets hard to beat: first, and foremost, Lake Taal, with its ferocious small Taal volcano, and, secondly, its beautiful beaches. Apart from this Batangas Port is the access to Puerto Galera, the fast developing resort town of Mindoro Island.

Archeologists have traced human habitation in Batangas province to 250,000 years ago. In later times it was especially the Borneans who had a special interest in the Philippines. In pre-Spanish times they controlled large parts of the central Philippines, including the Batangas area.

Capital of Batangas province is Batangas City, a city of around 200,000 inhabitants. Batangas City is also an important port for sea­going and coastal vessels.

How to get there

There are several ways to reach Batangas. First there is the South Super Highway, which enters the province near Santo Tomas. Another possibility is via Tagaytay. From this town a road runs through the Batulao Mountains to Nasugbu on the South China Sea coast. Another road leads from Tagaytay to Talisay and then to Sto. Tomas. From the south and the east the province is easily reachable via the Maharlika Highway and the provincial road via Lipa City.

What to see

First of all of course, Lake Taal with its small Taal volcano. We have already discussed it in the previous chapter. Boats and guides can be hired to visit the small volcano island. Taal town, on the shore of Balayan Bay, has an interesting old church. Once was Taal the capital of the province.

Another area that is certainly worth visiting is the Calatagan Peninsula. The rich Spanish mestizo family Zobel de Ayala owns most of this area. It is an area with secluded beaches, quiet spots and endless coconut plantations. There is a beautiful resort named Punta Baluarte there. Matabungkay is a popular weekend beach for Manila people. For Nasugbu, north of Matabungkay, the same applies. From these places it is also possible to take a boat trip to Fortune Island, the island where, four hundred years ago, the Dutch Admiraal Olivier van Noort destroyed a Spanish fleet under Admiral Antonio de Morga. A few years ago the sunken flagship of the Morga, the San Diego, was salvaged and is now on display in the National Museum in Manila.

Diving. For divers the best location in Batangas province is Anilao. The town can be found on the west side of Calumpan Peninsula, about 20 km. West of Batangas City. The dive sites are concentrated on the southwest side of the peninsula and the northwest point of Maricaban Island. The strong current can be a problem in these waters

Where to stay

Batangas province has a wide range of hotels and resorts to choose from. In the coastal towns visitors can choose from simple cottages along the beach up to reasonable pension houses for prices of P 100 - 800 per night. For those who want a certain amount of luxury there are the plush resorts such as Punta Baluarte in Calatagan, Evercrest Batulao in Nasugbu and Anilao Sea-sport Center in Anilao. Prices for these luxury places are in the range of P 2,000 - 5,000 per night.

Batangas City has two suitable hotels, Days Hotel and the Alpha Asia Hotel, with prices in the range of P 2,000 per night. There are also a number of cheap hotels and pension houses, but the quality is questionable. Around Lake Taal are a number of good places to stay, such as for instance in Tagaytay, Talisay and San Nicolas. There are two hotels accredited by DOT: La Corona de Lipa, an "economy" hotel in Lipa City, and Alpha Asia.

Where to dine

All the hotels mentioned have good restaurants with usually an international cuisine. Batangas City and Lipa City have a wide range of fast-food restaurants such as McDonald's, Jollibee, Kenny Rodgers, Chow King and Wendy's. There is also a Japanese restaurant in Batangas City

 

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Del Monte Golf Club
Misamis Oriental
Apo Golf & Country Club, Inc. and Bukidnon
Lanang Country Club and Zamboanga Golf Course & Beach Park
Davao Del Sur
Zamboanga Del Sur