Batangas City

Understand

The name "Batangas" can be ambiguous; it can refer to the city, to the minor metropolitan area, Metro Batangas, or to the province. The term is far more used to refer to the province, but "Batangas" is also the original name of the town before it became the city it is today. Media will use "Batangas City" to disambiguate it from the province, but in ordinary speech, the city is just referred to as "Batangas", the same as the eponymous province. The city is an important seaport, both an important entry point to Luzon and the rest of the Philippines and a jumping-off point for trips to other islands. Batangas City also serves as the provincial educational center, having seven colleges and universities, with the three major ones being Batangas State University, Lyceum Philippines University and University of Batangas. Being a port city, Batangas is a fast-growing commercial and industrial center, being developed to become the regional center of the Calabarzon region. See also the city government website.

History The area served as the center of the ancient barangay of Comintang (Kumintang) long before Spanish colonization. Spanish settlement began in 1572 and the original town center was founded in 1581, on the present-day area of sitio Hilltop in barangay Kumintang Ibaba. After the destructive eruption of Taal Volcano in 1755 destroyed the original capital at Bonbon (present-day Taal), the settlement became the new administrative center and capital of Batangas, then called the province of Bonbon. The current local government was set up by the American military in 1901. During World War II, the town served as a landing point by the Japanese, and dive bombers devastated most of the original town and its air field. The town was rebuilt after the war. The current city, originally intended to be named Laurel City after Philippine president Jose P. Laurel, was chartered in July 14, 1969. The completion of STAR Tollway in 2007 further boosted Batangas City's status as an international port, alongside the expansion of it port complex. In 2017, the city was affected by an earthquake swarm that originated off Balayan Bay to the west.

People Batangas City has a population of 330,000 as of 2015. The locals are mostly Tagalogs, with a large Visayan (especially Cebuano) and Chinese minority. There is also a small Muslim minority as well, mostly settled in Cuta and Malitam. The city also has a growing African, especially Nigerian, community, mostly living to study in the universities, and a few have formed their families in the city. There are a few who leave for M

Getting there

Batangas's nearest airport is in Manila, but the city is a major sea transport hub, with good connections to the rest of the archipelago through frequent ferry and boat services. You will most likely to have a layover in Batangas if traveling from Manila to Mindoro and/or Visayas through a combination of land and sea travel; most travelers from either way stop at Batangas before continuing onward in either direction.

By bus

Most travelers come to Batangas City by bus; most buses come from Manila, but there are services within the province and from nearby Quezon province.

1 Batangas City Grand Terminal (Batangas Central Terminal), Diversion Road, Alangilan. Central bus station, serving trips to and from Metro Manila and Lucena. Buses boarding RoRo ferries also stop here to drop off passengers. Jeepneys and UV Express are available from there. (updated Jun 2019) 2 Batangas Port Bus Terminal (Batangas Pier Terminal) (Take the Batangas-Pier jeepney from downtown). Terminal for southbound buses from Manila, and stopover for buses taking ferries. (updated Jun 2019) From about 2013, all bus services terminating at Batangas City share a common terminal at Diversion Road, with connections to local jeepney services to downtown. Bus companies used to have their own terminal within the urbanized area, rather like the situation in Manila until today. Southbound buses, however only stop at the Central Terminal to drop off some passengers, and head for the port (where they terminate, or take the ferry). Jeepneys to downtown or Mabini are available from the Grand Terminal; there are convenience stores, food stalls, pasalubong shops, a Shopwise supermarket, and a two-story strip mall, Transit Point. Nearby, along Diversion Road, are some fast food restaurants and some mid-range dining. Public restrooms are available inside. The terminal at Batangas Port has good connections with boat services and one local jeepney route to downtown (BP-01 Batangas-Pier). There are some food stalls, but food prices are often high.

Companies Between Manila and Batangas City, there are multiple operators, the most prominent being ALPS, Ceres Transport, DLTBCo and JAM Liner. All these companies provide frequent bus service from Manila, either on standard air-conditioned or luxury buses. Other companies with service from Manila are N. Dela Rosa Liner and RRCG Transport, with basic air-conditioned buses. From other points:

Batman Starexpress runs buses from Nasugbu every hour, stopping along towns along the way. JAPS runs air-conditioned buses from Crossing in Calamba. ALPS also runs

Getting around

By jeepney

The traditional way to get around Batangas City is by jeepney, which follow a numbered network divided into 5 color-coded sector arranged by direction and destinations they serve:

BE (eastbound routes. color code: orange) - Routes run from the poblacion or Pallocan to eastern barangays, as well as Taysan and Lobo; however, little of the routes are of use to the visitor, except for routes BE-01 (Batangas-Lobo) and BE-05 (Batangas-Dagatan) which can be used to reach Mount Banoy. BN (northbound routes. color code: red) - Serves northerly barangays, but most routes run onto the towns of San Jose, Ibaan and Rosario and the city of Lipa via the highways. Some useful routes are BN-01 Batangas-Balete, which provides a shorter alternate route to routes BP-01 and BP-05 between Poblacion and the Grand Terminal. BP (routes within poblacion, as well those serving major urban barangays, color code: yellow, white (for BP-03 Batangas-Capitolio-Hospital)) - Routes connect the poblacion with suburban barangays. Four of its five routes are the routes most useful to visitors: BP-01 Batangas-Alangilan, BP-02 Batangas-Pier, BP-03 Batangas-Capitolio-Hospital (color-coded white) and BP-05 Batangas-Balagtas. Routes BP-01 (southbound via National Highway, northbound via Evangelista and P. Herrera streets) and BP-05 (southbound via Hilltop, northbound via Bay Mall/UB) connects the poblacion with the central bus station, BP-02 with the port, and BP-03 with Pallocan via a longer route through Gulod (around Pontefino) and Kumintang (around the provincial capitol and the LPU campus). BS (southbound routes. color code: green) - Routes serve the southern barangays. Useful routes are BS-01 Batangas-Libjo and BS-05 Batangas-San Isidro (both practically the same route), which directly connects the poblacion with barangay Pallocan, and the BS-09 Batangas-Pagkilatan, which can be used to reach Monte Maria without a car. BW (westbound routes. color code: blue) - Routes links the poblacion or Grand Terminal with western barangays, and the towns of San Pascual, Bauan, Mabini, and Lemery. One useful route is BW-05 Batangas-Caltex, which provides a connection between downtown and the Calicanto commercial area (though it is possible to just walk along P. Burgos instead). Routes have numbers, being in the form of network sector-number (e.g. BP-01), but are rarely used by residents, and instead, routes are referred to their primary destination. Nonetheless, visitors can easily find their route without asking by looking on the painted route name signs on the front and sides. Jeepneys a

See

While it is often viewed as a mere layover point for travelers between Manila and the Visayas by land and by sea, Batangas City is rich in historical heritage, from religious sites to heritage buildings.

1 Acosta-Pastor House, C. Tirona Street. Built in 1883, it is the ancestral home of Don Alejo Acosta, who served as a capitan de barrio. It remains the property of Acosta's descendants, and has been turned into a museum (updated Dec 2018) 2 Assemblyman Rafael Recto People's Park (Batangas Provincial Community Park), Tolentino Road, Kumintang Ibaba (behind the Provincial Capitol complex and beside Lyceum Philippines University Batangas). Provincially-maintained park, with wide grassy spaces and mini-amphitheatre (updated Nov 2018) 3 Bahay Pamahalaan, Lungsod ng Batangas (Batangas City Hall), P. Burgos Street (Near Plaza Mabini). The historic city hall which has been renovated in 2009 with a newer facade. (updated Dec 2018) 4 Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Basilica de la Immaculada Concepcion, Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception), M.H. del Pilar Street (In front of Plaza Mabini). The historical Roman Catholic church at the downtown, it has a Baroque façade and interior, and houses both the images of the Infant Jesus (Santo Niño) and the Immaculate Conception. (updated Aug 2018) 5 Batangas Provincial Capitol Building, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Kumintang Ibaba (Past Telecom Road). A Neoclassical capitol building housing the office of the governor of Batangas. First built in 1926, it was destroyed by bombing twice, during World War II and in 1950. Around the façade is a tall flagpole, the provincial seal of Batangas, a marble terrace, and two fountains (updated Oct 2018) 6 Borbon-Rosales House, P. Panganiban Street. Dating back to 1870, it was the ancestral home of the Borbon family, as well as the Rosales family, where the former archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Godofredo Rosales, is part of (updated Jul 2020) 7 Laurel Park, National Highway cor. Telecom Road, Kumintang Ibaba. A fenced circular park dedicated to the historical contributions of the Batangueños (people of Batangas). Inside the park is sculptures representing the five Batangueño virtues of nobility, bravery, industriousness, wisdom, and beauty, as well as (updated Nov 2018) 8 Monte Maria Batangas (Half-hour travel by car). Constructed in 2013, this Catholic pilgrimage site includes the Santo Niño Chapel (a replica of the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague) and the 90 m (300 ft) statue of the Virgin Mary, the Mary, Mother of All Asia, which will become the largest in Asia. The

Do

Travelers to the rest of Batangas Province use Batangas City as a jumping off point, but the city serves also as a starting point for travelers to Puerto Galera. There are few any unpolluted beach areas around the city, and one beach in the Santa Rita area near the port complex, while popular with some locals, is badly littered with waste from seaside residential areas. In-city beach resorts can be found in Pagkilatan, just south of the Monte Maria pilgrimage site. Nearby seaside resorts are found in Mabini and San Juan. Inland resorts are also numerous, but access is mostly poor in many of them.

Festivals

Feast of the Holy Child (Santo Niño) - Held every January 16, and dedicated to the Santo Niño ng Batangan. The festivities start with the fluvial parade of the Santo Niño on Calumpang River. Residents invite everyone into lavish feasts they prepared for that day. Major streets in the Poblacion are closed, causing traffic jams outside. The city is heavily packed, making the local festivities an alternative to Sinulog in Cebu or Dinagyang in Iloilo, but not as lively. Good Friday procession - A solemn procession where various Catholic religious images are paraded through the Poblacion and are returned to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Devotees hold candles throughout the parade. Major streets are closed to traffic. Sublian Festival - A week-long festival reviving the old Batangas Tagalog tradition of subli, a rain-making dance. Festivities last a week, culminating with the Batangas City Founding Day. Various schools and companies send groups to compete in dance competitions, with winning groups parading in Batangas City Founding Day. Batangas City Founding Day - July 23 - The most colorful of the local festivities in Batangas City, commemorating its cityhood since 1969. Various local businesses are also promoted in the festival.

Sports 1 Batangas City Sports Complex (Beside Batangas State University. Accessible by jeepney from Bago.). Has a 20- by 50-meter 8-lane swimming pool, running track and basketball courts. (updated Nov 2018) 2 Batangas Coliseum, DJPMM Access Road (Beside Batangas State University. Accessible by jeepney from Bago.). 7AM–9:30PM. Multi-purpose arena, sometimes hosts professional league games held in Batangas, as well as local sports events and concerts. (updated Nov 2018)

Buy

The major shopping area is found on the area in Poblacion approximately bordered by P. Burgos to the east, Rizal Avenue to the south, and P. Genato, Evangelista and D. Silang to the west and northwest.

Poblacion 1 Bay City Mall. 10AM-9PM daily. Owned by a local retail company, it is a local favorite. It houses a Citimart department store and supermarket, a National Book Store, numerous ukay-ukay outlets, Jollibee and Chowking, and other local businesses. (updated Oct 2018) 2 Citimart, Rizal Avenue (Beside Jollibee). 10AM-9PM daily. Owned also by the retailer owning Bay Mall, this is a large department store building with a supermarket below. The department store remains closed, but it hosts a Greenwich and a Chowking restaurant. (updated Nov 2018) 3 Nuciti Central. 9AM-10PM daily. A more upscale shopping mall, owned by the same retailer running Bay Mall, with mid-range restaurants and several food kiosks, with a Citimart Supermarket (opened 2023) that replaced the Robinsons Supermarket. Has a PNB ATM. (updated Dec 2024) 4 Unitop, A. Evangelista Street (Beside Novo.). A local favorite, with its own supermarket, in the basement. It sells household items, clothes, and groceries. (updated Nov 2018)

Outside Poblacion 5NOT EXISTING IMAGE SM City Batangas, National Highway, Pallocan West (Behind Days Hotel), ☏ +63 43 722-0276. 10AM-8PM. Opened in 2005, it hosts a large department store, hundreds of shops, and movie theaters. It underwent expansion that added more restaurants, and a Kidzoona children's play area. Also has a SM Supermarket. The rear parking lots hosts terminals for jeepneys headed south to as far as Ilijan. (updated Oct 2018) 6 Xentro Mall Batangas, Diversion Road, Alangilan (Beside the Grand Terminal). 10AM-9PM. Opened May 2018. Single-story mall with some shops and restaurants. The Savemore supermarket that used to be here has been closed as of December 17, 2024. (updated Dec 2024) 7 WalterMart, Lawas, Calicanto (Near Caedo Commercial Center). (updated Dec 2018)

Public markets and talipapas There are also public markets and talipapas (wet markets) in the downtowns and some major barangays, and are good for local fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. Batangas City has two major public markets, with a number of talipapas in key barangays.

8 Batangas City Public Market (Lumang Palengke), D. Silang Street (reachable by jeepney from almost all routes on Poblacion). 5AM-7PM daily. An important marketplace for the city for years since the 1900s, it hosts small services, clothing stalls, and local meat, fish and produce. It also has some small

Eat

Batangas City has a lot of restaurants, but a more local experience is to eat at the plainer restaurants selling homemade dishes or Batangas specialties. The city abounds in places catering to local tastes, and better locations for local specialties are not hard to find. For a mid-size city like this, items are in overall, moderately priced. Budget-friendly options are mostly found downtown, but upscale local dining is mostly in suburban locations like Alangilan.

Poblacion The downtown has many restaurants, not limited to fast food chains, and you can also find the Filipino-style eateries, which are plain but they can provide cheap and local food.

West of P. Burgos 1 Bafoo's (B & A Foods), Ricardo Building, Rizal Avenue (near the traffic light with DJPMM Access Road 2). Specializes in the Batangueño favorite, lomi, but also serves other regional dishes. It now has branches in Pallocan West (near Calumpang Bridge) and Kumintang Ibaba (near University of Batangas). (updated Nov 2018) 2 Batangas City Restaurant formerly known as Canton Restaurant, 190 Evangelista St (across Lumang Palengke), ☏ +63 917 504 0155, +63 43 7231609. 7AM-8PM. Best noted for their affordable pancit and chop chicken. Location is also not too far from downtown shopping areas. (updated Dec 2018) 3 Johanna's Grill, ☏ +63 43-723-2289. 10AM-9:30PM. Retro-themed restaurant specializing in baby-back ribs. (updated Dec 2018)

East of P. Burgos 4 Eat n' Be Well Vegetarian Haven, 25 C. Tirona Street (near the corner with P. Canlapan). 7AM-7PM. Cooperative-owned restaurant serving vegetarian dishes. (updated Dec 2018) 5 Ho Tsai, A. Evangelista Street (at the corner with P. Dandan). 8AM-8PM. One of the first Filipino-Chinese restaurants in the city. Serves Filipino-Chinese fast food like pansit, lomi and mami, as well as common Filipino favourites, like Filipino-style spaghetti, fried rice and pulutan dishes. From ₱50. (updated Dec 2018) 6 Hungry Hippo, National Highway (on commercial building outside University of Batangas). Small hamburger restaurant with stall below and tables above. Another branch exists in SM Batangas. (updated Nov 2018) 7 Mirellis Diner, Lt. Col. D. Atienza Street (beside Golden Gate Colleges Integrated School), ☏ +63 43 984-3846. 8AM-8PM. Little sit-in restaurant serving Filipino and Western meals, including burgers, sandwiches, pancit, silog, and others. (updated Dec 2018) 8 Nung Ru Thai, M.H. Del Pilar Street (beside Zenaida Arcade), ☏ +63 943 335-5079. 5PM-midnight. Owned by a Filipino who lived in Thailand, this is only one of a few restaurants that serve Tha

Drink & nightlife

There are rather a few bars found in town, in contrast of Lipa, but if you are seeking a drink for the night, you can find some bars scattered around the city proper.

1 D' Brothers Sports Bar, G.C. Berberabe Subdivision, (between F. Baylosis Crispy Pata and St. Therese of the Child Jesus Multiple Intelligence School annex). 10AM-2AM. Sports-themed restaurant and bar, perfect place to talk, drink, and watch sports. Popular among locals and foreigners alike (updated Dec 2018)

Sleep

Batangas City hosts many hotels and guest houses, many of which are not listed. Guest houses and apartments are increasing in demand as both local and foreign students flock the city. DJPMM Access Road near the port is home to hotels popular for travellers who will stay in the city for the night before going to board. Many of the available accommodations are found in Cuta, Santa Clara, and Sorosoro Karsada.

Budget Avenue Pension House 1, now the PGR Travelers Inn, 30 JP Rizal Avenue Batangas city. +63 43 300-1964. from ₱490 per night. 1 City Star Travel Lodge, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Sorosoro Karsada (near SIDC Feed Mill), ☏ +63-43-702-1467. (updated Oct 2018) 2 Yellowbell Country Inn, P. Panganiban Street, ☏ +63 917 446 8441, [email protected]. Clean, has parking, cold water shower, TV, free Wi-Fi, generator. They also have some 2-bedroom 2-storey apartments with kitchen at ₱2000 a night. Tricycles can usually be found parked right outside. double ₱900. (updated Feb 2019) 3 Mac-Ro Lodge, P. Panganiban Street (at the corner with Lt. Col. D. Atienza Street), ☏ +63 43 722 1038. Air-conditioned rooms with cable TV and backup generator. from ₱650 for 12 hours. (updated Dec 2018) Mac-Ro and Yellowbell are on the same street a short block apart, and their signs are visible from the other, so if one is full it will be convenient to try the other. 4 RGR Traveller's Inn, DJPMM Access Road, ☏ +63 43 723-6021. Air-conditioned rooms, but without cable TV or Wi-Fi. You can board a jeepney if you are going to Mabini once you check out. (updated Dec 2018) 5 Hotel Quinio, P. Burgos Street, ☏ +63 43 723-8395. Cheaper option downtown, but lacks most frills. Has no Wi-Fi or elevator (updated Dec 2018) 6 La Tropicana Motorists' Lodge, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Sorosoro Karsada. (updated Oct 2018) 7 RLR Travellers Inn, DJPMM Access Road, ☏ +63 43 723-2309. AC rooms with cable TV, hot water shower and free Wi-Fi. No free breakfast and swimming pool. ₱950. (updated Dec 2018) 8 Meaco Royal Hotel Batangas City, 7 A. Evangelista Street (at top of Novo Department Store). Relatively new mid-range choice not far from cheap shopping spots at Poblacion. You can either stay in a single or twin room, or family rooms, all with air-conditioning, cable TV, and Wi-Fi. Refreshments are available just on the third floor. Free parking available. ₱950. (updated Dec 2018)

Mid-range 9 D' Mariners' Hotel, Arceo Road, Kumintang Ibaba (turn left from National Highway before Kainan sa Sawali), ☏ +63 925 853-7928. Air-conditioned rooms, with an option of Deluxe (single or twin) and Fam

Go next

Most travellers use Batangas City as a stopover to visit the other destinations in the province, such as the diving spots in Mabini, or as a stop en route to the white sand beaches in Puerto Galera in Mindoro, half hour away by boat.