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This article is about the province. For the city, see Batangas City . For the bay, see Batangas Bay . For the knife, see Balisong (knife) . Batangas is a Province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON Region . Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the island of Mindoro and to the west lies the South China Sea . Batangas is one of the most popular tourist destinations near Metro Manila . The province has many beaches and famous for excellent diving spots only a few hours away from Manila . Some of the more notable ones are Anilao in the Municipality of Mabini, Matabungkay and Punta Fuego in the Municipality of Nasugbu , the Municipality of Calatagan and Laiya in the Municipality of San Juan. Found in the province is world-known Anilao (Mabini) and its many dive sites that are ideal for observing marine life, and outstanding for macro photography. Located only 110 kilometers south of Metropolitan Manila, it is very accessible by land or by sea. Batangas is also where Taal Volcano , one of the Decade Volcanoes is located. The volcano has a water-filled crater and sits on an island in the center of Taal Lake , which Geologist s believe is an ancient Caldera . The town of Taal is famous for its hand embroideries, knives, and sausages; and it reigns as one of the two most culturally preserved sites of the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. Batangas is also generally accepted by linguists as the 'Heart of the Tagalog Language '. Poetically, Batangas is often referred to by its ancient name Kumintang . NAME The first recorded name of the Province was Kumintang. Later, the Spaniards went to settle the present day Balayan , then the most progressive town of the Province. The name of the Province was changed into '''Bonbon''' The capital of the province was transferred to Taal , since being near the lake, it is an easy commercial centre. The Spaniards chose to transfer the capital, now in its present capital the Town of Batangan. Later Batangas City, and the Province changed its name once more after the Capital. in 1889, Batangas City became the country's 8th city. The term ''batangan'' means a raft, the people used so that they could fish in the nearby Taal Lake. The name "Batangas" was derived from the word "batang," which is a term of the natives for the numerous Log s found in the Calumpang River , the body of water that runs through the northeastern portion of the town and assumes the shape of a tuning fork. PEOPLE Batangas is the 'Heart of the Tagalog Language' as the dialect of Tagalog spoken here closely resembles the Tagalog spoken before the arrival of the Spanish. Therefore, a strong presence of the Tagalog Culture is clearly visible until now. Linguistically Batangueños are also known for their unique affectation of often placing the particles ''eh'' or ''ga'' (equivalent of particle ''ba'' Filipino ), usually as a marker of stress on the sentence, at the end of their spoken sentences or speech; for example: "Ay, oo, eh!" ("Aye, yes, indeed!"). Some even prolong the particle 'eh' into 'ala eh', though it really has no meaning in itself. In the recent years, waves of migration from the Visayas had brought significant number of Visayans to the province. There are also a few who can speak Spanish, since Batangas was an important centre during the colonial period. The province of Batangas also has one of the highest literacy rates in the country at 96.5%, wherein the males have a little higher literacy rate at 97.1% than females with 95.9%. CULTURE Maria Kalaw Katigbak , a Filipino Historian , was quoted to call the Batangueños the ''Super- Tagalog s''. This is because these group of people belonging to the Tagalog stock is the paramount example of what one can expect from this Ethnolinguistic group. And indeed, when you ask someone to overact a Tagalog, they would imitate the Batangueños. One particular custom in the Batangan culture is the so called ''Matanda sa Dugo'' (lit. ''older by blood'') practice wherein one gives respect not because of age but of consanguinity. During the early times, the custom of having very large families are very common. Thus, it may be expected that the someone's uncle could be of the same age, or even younger than himself. In this case, the older one would call the younger one in an honorary title (such as ''tiyo'' or simply ''kuya'' if they can no longer establish the relationship), not the other way around. This often draws confusion to those from other provinces who are not accustomed to such practices. Batangueños are very regionalistic. When one learns that a person in the room is also from Batangas, expect them to be together until the end of the event. It is also expected that those in office would favour their fellow Batangueños as long as the rules could allow it. Thus the running joke, the ''Batangas Mafia '' came to existence. They also tend to live in a large extended family. It is but common that a piece of land remains undivided until the family connection becomes to far-off related. Marriages between relatives of the fifth generation is still restrained in the Batangan culture even if Philippine laws allow it. Most Batangueños are either farmers or fishers who sell their own products in the market. Although most of them has also finished a degree, a lot of the people not to use what they have studied and put up their own small businesses instead. This is perhaps due to the subconscious idea that he who has no land to cultivate or trade to make is a lazy person. Since Batangas has long been declared a tourism area by late President Ferdinand Marcos , people from other places could find a very hospitable culture in the Batangueños. They will feed you more than the usual with the food they eat. Actually, these folks would appreciate it greatly if they see that you are trying to be one of them. Batangueños are heavy drinkers. Men, and sometimes women, could spend long hours of drinking sessions as if there would be no more work the next day. This is specially true if you are to visit the far-flung Barangay s. Aside from drinking too much liquor, Batangueños like sweet food. Perhaps this is because there has never been a shortage of sugar in the province due to the presence of the Central Azucarera Don Pedro, the current largest producer of sugar in the whole archipelago. And if they like their liquors strong and their foods sweet, Batangueños also like their coffee strong. During the early 1900s, Batangas was the largest producer of Coffee in the whole of Asia . In the barrios, the people would drink brewed coffee, which the locals call ''kapeng barako'', translated as the ''stud's coffee''. At present, steps are being made, especially in the city of Lipa to regain the title of having the largest coffee production in Asia . LANGUAGE See Also: Batangas Tagalog Perhaps, there is no better way to describe a Batangueño than the language he or she speaks. Batangueños, being mainly descendants of the ancient Tagalogs, speak a dialect of the language with a very strong accent. Indeed, one can easily recognize a Batangueño the moment he opens his mouth. Though generally intelligible to speakers of other dialects, such as the Manila and Tayabas dialects, the vocabulary of the Batangan Dialect is more closely related to the ancient Tagalog. Rarely do Batangueños use Taglish, as the custom in Manila. In fact, when you ask someone from the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino to describe the Tagalog spoken in Batangas, it will easily be labelled 'makaluma' (old style.) Although much can be said about the way a Batangueño speaks his or her Tagalog, the high literacy of the locals means English is also widely spoken in the province. Spanish is also understood up to some extent. In fact, some towns like Nasugbu , Taal and Lemery still have a significant minority of Spanish speakers. Visayan is also spoken by a significant minority due to the infulx of migration from the Southern Philippines. MYTHOLOGY AND LITERATURE According to scholars, the mythology of Batangas is closely related to the mythology of the Oaxaca n Tribe of Mexico. A clear proof is the presence of story 'Why the Firefly is Noisy?' and ''''The Race of the Carabao and Tortoise'''', both having their counterparts in Mexico. Scholars also identified that the ancient Batangueños, like the rest of the Tagalog Tribe, worship the Supreme Creator, known as Bathala . Lesser gods like Mayari , the goddess of the Moon and her brother Apolake, god of the sun, were also present. And although people would not easily connect it with mythology, the Northeast Monsoon is still called Amihan, while the Southwest Monsoon is called Habagat. For literature, Padre Vicente Garcia came to be known when he wrote an essay to defend José Rizal 's Noli Me Tangere . In 2004, the Province of Batangas gave its Son Domingo Landicho (familiarly called Inggo be Batangueños) the Dangal ng Batangas Award (Pride of Batangas) for being the ''''Peoples' Poet''''. He, together with Ambassador Lauro Baja , former Executive secretary Renato De Villa , Current Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita , Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona , and Transport Secretary Leandro Mendoza received the award in a ceremony which highlighted the celebration of the 423rd year of the founding of the Province. MUSIC See Filipino Folk Music for full discussion. When a foreigner visits the Philippines, he or she always remark on how musical the Filipinos are. The Batangueños are no exception. Batangueños have always been visible in the Philippine music scene, whether it is in the field of traditional music, popular music or even popular music. Musicologists identified Batangas as the origin of the kumintang, and ancient war song, which later evolved to become the signature of Filipino love songs the '''kundiman'''. From the ancient kumintang, another vocal music emerged, identified as the '''awit'''. The '''huluna''', a psalm-like lullaby, is also famous in some towns, especially Bauan. And during the Lenten Season, the Christian passion-narrative, called '''Pasyon''' by the natives, is but expected in every corners of the province. Debates may also be done while singing. While those from the Province of Bulacan are known for their Balagatasan (a form of debate done in poetry), Batangueños are famous for the '''duplo''' (a sung debate where each lines of the verse must be octosyllabic) and the '''karagatan''' (a sung dabate where each lines of the verse must be dodecasyllabic.) The latter, whose literal meaning is the '''ocean''', got its name from the opening lines. Always, the karagatan is opened by saying some verses that alludes the depth of the sea and comparing it to the difficulty of joining the debate. And as mentioned above, the debate must be sung. Batangas is also the origin of the Balitao (although Cebuanos may argue.) Aside from being a form of vocal music, the Balitao is also a form of dance music. The Balitao, together with the '''Subli''' is the most famous form of dance native to Batangas. In the field of serious music, no one can underestimate the contribution of Batangas. Batangas is the birthplace of the famous Filipino Soprano Conching Rosal, dubbed as the First Lady of the Philippine Operatic Stage. '''Lorenzo Ilustre''', a local composer, also became famous for his wide array of religious and liturgical music. On the other hand, the Maestro of Philippine Music, Ryan Cayabyab is no less than a Batangueño, whose mother Celerina Pujante was in her own right a well sought operatic Soprano in the 1950s, about the same time as Rosal. Ogie Alcasid , known to fans as Mr. Composer, also hails from this province. The famous Musical Family Of the Laurels are also one of Batangas' finest musical and political family. Check http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/filipino_folk_music/ for some soundclips. THE BATANGUEñA The Batangueña is the subject of numerous traditional songs from Batangas. Perhaps the most famous of all is the 'Princesa ng Kumintang', which tells about the pursuit of a very beautiful woman. The singer sings: :Kay ganda mo hirang, Princesa ng Kumintang! : (''How lovely art thou, my Dear, Princess of the Kumintang'') :Sa ala-ala ko ay di ka mapaparam. : (''In my memory, thou canst be effaced.'') :Sa kalungkutan ko'y tanglaw ka ng aking buhay, : (''To my sorrow, thou art the guiding life of life,'') :Ang iyong pagsinta'y langit ko, Princesa ng Kumintang! : (''Thine love is my heaven, Princess of the Kumintang!'') Another song, the 'Mutyang Batangas', says that she is a pearl that is as beautiful as the and whose love is pure. However, she hates a lazy man, who always gambles and drinks because this would mean that she will be a battered wife. In the second part of the song, the singer says that you cannot easily fool her. She may appear dainty but she's fearless if she would need to protect her purity. The lyrics go like this: :Ang Mutyang Batangas, sing-ganda ng Rosas : (''The Pearl of Batangas, as lovely as the Rose'') :Pag-ibig sa puso niya ay wagas : (''The love of her heart is pure.'') Then the lady replies what she hates from a man: :Ayaw na ayaw ko sa lalaking tamad, sugarol at lasinggero at nambubugbog : (''Oh! Indeed I detest a man who is lazy, a gambler, a drunkard and a batterer'') :Pagdating sa kanila, pabalibaligtad, ang pobreng asawa ang siyang binababag : (''When he comes home, he justs lies on the floor, and the poor wife is being battered'') Then the singer sings of her virtues again saying: :Ngunit ang mga Mutyang Taga-Batangas, di maloloko ng ganyan : (''However, the Pearl from Batangas is not easiliy fooled'') :Mahinhin ngunit Ay! Matapang sa pagtatanggol sa karangalan. : (''She is dainty by she is also fearles when she's to defend her honour'') On the other hand, the song simply entitled 'Batangueña' says that should someone want to find happiness, he would simply has to choose a Batangueña for a wife. This is because she always is dainty and would be with you no matter how hard life would become. The song progresses by saying that her smiles would bring you hope. she's a beautiful pearl, who loves purely. she is likened to a bright star, even though her heart is breaking. However, the common warning is that you must be careful not to make a fool of her or you'll end up with trouble. :Batangueña, Mutyang Marilag, sa pagsuyo ang puso'y tapat : (''Batangueña, a Beautiful Pearl, her Heart is true for the one she loves'') :Katulad niya'y talang nagniningning, kahit na ang puso ay naninimdim : (''she is like a star shining brightly even though her heart is breaking'') :Lagi nang may panghalina sa pagsinta : (''Always has she a charm for lovers'') :Kung ang hanap mo ay ligaya umibig na sa Babaeng Batangueña : (''If it is bliss that you are searching for, go on be a lover to the Batangueña'') :Ngunit huwag kang magkakasala, magsalawahan at mapapahamak ka : (''However, don't you dare sin against her, be an adulterer and you will soon be in trouble'') :May taglay na hinhin sa twina at matiisin kahit na nagdurusa : (''Forever is she sweet-mannered and she'll not complain even if she's having pain in her heart'') :May ngiti ng sigla at pag-asa, yan ang Dalagang Batangueña : (''A smile and hope she'll have forever, that is the Batangueña Maiden'') Until now, the role of the Batangueña is never secondary. While the men are the ones in charge of governance and other related matters, the women are the queen of the homes. She will always have the final say on all domestic matter. And no one would dare revoke the woman's words. During the ancient times, a form of government called gynecocracy was believed to be prevalent in Batangas. Women had equal rights to succession should there be no male to lead the clan. This practice is clearly seen until now, wherein strong family clans tend to be more matriarchal in character. Today, the wife of the town or city mayor is called the ''Mayora''. And whenever the mayor is not around, the mayora is expected to do his duties. ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE As shown in its ancient churches, Batangas is home to some of the best architectures of the country. Along with Vigan City , Ilocos Sur , Batangas has the best preserved colonial architectures. This is very evident when one visits the Municipality of Taal. Though not as popular as the carving industry of Laguna, Batangas is still famous for the sculptures engraved on the countless furniture that came from their Province. Often, altar tables coming from Batangas was called the friars' choice because of its delicate beauty. According to Milagros Covvarubias-Jamir, another Filipino scholar, the furniture that came from Batangas during the colonial times was comparable to the beautiful furniture from China. The built of the furniture was so exquisite, nails of glues was never used. Still, the Batangueños knew how to maximize the use of hardwoods. As a result, furniture made about a hundred years ago are still found in many old churches and houses even today. MUSEUMS
:Marcela Agoncillo Historical Landmark, :Barangay Talaga, Tanauan City, Batangas
:Leon Apacible Historical Landmark, :Sto. Tomas, Batangas
:Dr. Jose P. Laurel Library, :Tanauan City, Batangas Tourist Information and Assistance
:Batangas Museum and Provincial Library Bldg., :Batangas City 4200, Tel. No.: (63-43) 723-0130
:2nd Floor, Provincial Capitol Bldg., Batangas City 4200 :Tel. No.: (63-43) 723-1905, Fax (63-43) 723-1338 PRODUCTS from batangas.]] Aside from tourism, Batangas also has other industries that makes it famous not only in the country but also in the world. More than anything else, Batangas is known for its fan knife, called Balisong by the natives. This industry has become so famous that an Urban Legend exists about every Batangueño carrying a ''balisong'' everywhere they go. This is also the reason why most Filipinos would warn never to mess with a Batangueño. Pineapples are also common in the province. Aside from the fruit, the leaves are also useful that it becomes an industry of its own. In the Municipality of Taal, pineapple leaves are being processed to be a kind of cloth known as the gusi. This is further processed to become the ''' Barong Tagalog ''', the National Costume of the Philippines . In fact, the Barong Tagalog that was used by the heads of states in the last Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation in 1995 was from Batangas. Princess Diana Spencer was also known to posses a scarf made of gusi. Batangas is also known for its livestock industry. Cattle from Batangas is widely sought throughout the country. In fact, the term Bakang Batangas (Batangas Cow) is actually synonymous to the country's best species of cattle. Indeed, the cattle industry in Batangas is so famous, that every Saturday is an auction day in the Municipalities of San Juan and Bauan. Being near the sea, it is only expected that fishing plays a very important part of the Batangan Economy. Although the Tuna industry in the country is mainly centred in General Santos City , Batangas is also known for the smaller species of the said fish. The locals even have their own names for the said fish. Some of them include the term, Tambakol , Tulingan , Bonito and another spicies also called Bonito but actually the Gymnosarda Unicolor . There is also an important industry for the Tanigue . Aside from the South China Sea , Taal Lake also provides a source of Fresh Water Fishes to the country. The lake is home to '' Sardinella Tawilis '' or simply Tawilis , a species of freshwater sardine that is endemic to the lake. Taal Lake also provides farmed '' Chanos Chanos '' or '''bangus'''. There is also a good volume of '' Oreochromis Niloticus Niloticus '' and '' Oreochromis Aureus '', both locally called '''tilapia'''. It is ecologically important to note that neither '''bangus''' nor '''tilapia''' are native to the lake. Thus they are considered Invasive Species to the lake. As mentioned in the section of culture, Batangueños are indeed fond of drinking. This is of no surprise as it lies in what is called the coconut belt that is the raw material for the local Liqueur s, the Lambanog (with 90% proof) and the Tuba (which is mae of 5.68% Alcohol and 13% Sugar ). Sugar is also a major industry. As a matter of fact, after the Hacienda Luisita , the country's former largest sugar producer, was broken-up for land reform, the Municipality of Nasugbu has been the home of the current largest sugar producing company, the Central Azucarera Don Pedro . This also means that Batangas is also a home for a wide industry of sweets. Rice cakes are also a strong industry. Although Batangas has already lost its distinction as Asia 's largest producer of Coffee , this industry is still thriving, especially with the boost of coffee shops all over the country. Blankets and mosquito nets are also widely available anywhere in the province. If you are lucky enough, you can buy it from peddlers. And as the mythology of the Philippines say that from the Bamboo came men and women, Batangueños learned to make a living out of it. Some towns (those that are adjacent to Laguna ) have a very prosperous bamoo based industry. Here, you can see houses that are made of bamboos, furnitures made of bamboos, and even food cooked in bamboos. Natvies say that food cooked in bamboo have an added scent and flavour. But if the locals cook in bamboos, some also eat bamboos. Baby bamboos to be exact. In these towns also, ''labong'' or the baby bamboo is cooked with coconut milk or even with other ingredients to make a truly Batangas delicacy. One must also remember that the Capital City of Batangas hosts the second most important international seaport in the Island of Luzon. Next only to that of Manila International Port, Batangas International Port is a primary entry point of goods not only coming from the Southern part of the country but from everywhere in the world. GEOGRAPHY Political Together with the provinces in the Island of Panay , Ilocos Sur and Pampanga , Batangas was one of the earliest encomiendas made by the Spaniards who settled in the country. It was headed by Martin De Goiti and since then it became one of the most important centres of the Philippines, not only the Tagalogs. Batangas first came to be known as Bonbon. It was named after the mystical and fascinating Taal Lake, which was also originally called Bonbon. Some of the earliest settlements in Batangas were established at the vicinity of Taal Lake. In 1534, Batangas became the first practically organized province in Luzon. Balayan was the capital of the province for 135 years from 1597-1732. In 1732, it was moved to Taal, then the flourishing and most progressive town in the province. It was in 1889 that the capital was moved to the present, Batangas City. Batangas is also known in the Philippine History as the Cradle of Noble Heroes, giving homage not only to the heroes it produced but the statesmen the came to lead the country. Among the luminaries of Batangas politics are Apolinario Mabini , Jose Laurel , Claro M. Recto , Felipe Agoncillo and Don Apolinario Apacible . Key Officials The current governor of Batangas is fmr. Lipa City Mayor and movie/television actress Vilma Santos-Recto , who toke oath on June 30th , 2007 as the first lady governor of the province. She replaced the controversial Arman Sanchez . It was under Sanchez's watch that the Provincial Capitol has undergone numerous reconstruction and evident beautification. For the third time, Eduardo "Eddie" Dimacuha is once again elected as Mayor of Batangas' Capital City, while Lipa City , the province's religious center, chose their out-going 4th District Representative, Oscar 'Oca' Gozos, to take-over the post of Governor Santos-Recto after serving three terms. Current Officials
''1st District:'' Benjamin Bausas & Manny Calingasan ''2nd District:'' Godofredo Berberabe Jr., Florencio De Loyola & Joel Atienza ''3rd District:'' Rodolfo Balba & Chona Maloles-Dimayuga ''4th District:'' Marieta Igarta, Amado Carlos Bolilia & Mabelle Virtusio Elected Representatives ''1st District:'' Elenita Ermita-Buhain ''2nd District:'' Hermilando Mandanas ''3rd district:'' Victoria Hernandez-Reyes ''4th District:'' Mark Leandro Mendoza Cities and Municipalities Batangas is subdivided into 31 Municipalities and 3 Cities . Physical Batangas is a combination of plains and mountains. Not to mention the wide shoreline, being at the Southwest of the Philippines' biggest island. It is very just fitting that the writers of yore called it the Land of the Rolling Hills and Wide Shorelands(anu un saan un????) Some the most famous mountain in the province is the world's smallest volcano, Mt. Taal with an elevation of 600 meters. It is at the centre of the Taal Lake , famous for its endemic fish, the ''tawilis''. Other important peaks are Mt. Makulot with an elevation of 609.6 m, Mt. Talamitan with 700 m, Mt. Pico de Loro with 664 m, Mt. Batulao with 811 m, Mt. Manabo with 830 m, and Mt. Daguldol with 672 m. All of these mountains are considered level 1 mountains, meaning one can easily climb them with little training. The Municipality of Nasugbu is the home of the plantation of Central Azucarera Don Pedro, the Philippines' largest producer of sugar and other sugarcane products. Batangas is also known for its many islands, which include the municipality of Tingloy, Fortune Island of the Municipality of Nasugbu, and Sombrero Island in the Province of Mabini. And of course, Mt. Taal itself is an island. Being at the southwest of Luzon , a lot of Sea Turtles visit the place. but due to the massive hunting that takes place, the Provincial Government has passed a law prohibiting the killing of this marine reptile. Flora and Fauna Although attached to the big Island of Luzon , Batangas boasts of Flora and Fauna that is distinctively theirs. The local tree malabayabas is endemic to the province alone while the endangered Flying Fox thrives there without fear. Batangas is also home to the '''kabag''', one of the world's smallest Fruit Bat . In the Municipality of Nasugbu , wild deers are still inhabiting the remote areas of Baranggay Looc. But although Batangas has these land flying Mammal s, Marine Wildlife remains to be the province's crowning glory. In fact, in the second half of 2006, scientists from the United States discovered that the Sulu - Sulawesi Triangle has its centre at the Isla Verde Passage , a part of the province. According to this study, made by the American Marine Biologist Dr. Kent Carpentier, Batangas Seas host more than half of the world's species of coral reefs. It is also home to Dolphin s and once in a while, a passage of the world's biggest fish the Whale Shark or the butanding, as the locals call it. The Municipality of San Juan , as a matter of fact, has a resident Marine Turtle or '''pawikan'''. Pawikan s were also prevalent in the Municipality of Nasugbu during the 1970s. HISTORY The Prehistoric Batangan Long before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines, large centers of population already thrived in Batangas. Native settlements lined the Pansipit River , a major waterway. The province had been trading with the Chinese since Yuan Dynasty until first phase of Ming Dynasty in the 13th and 15th century. Inhabitants of the province were also trading with Japan and India . The present Batangueños are descendants of the Bornean datus, Datu Dumangsil and Datu Balensusa, who sailed from Borneo to Panay Island as far as Taal Lake . They organized the first Malay settlement at the mouth of Taal River. They eventually set up their own settlement in the place and founded the town of Taal in 1572 . The towns of Balayan, Lipa, and Batangas were founded later. Archeological findings, show that even before the settlement of the Spaniards in the country, the Tagalog s, especially the Batangueños, had a very high level of civilization. This was shown by some jewelry, made from a chambered nautilus' shell, where some tiny holes were drilled by some tube. The way it was drilled shows that early Batangueños had an idea of what is beautiful. |
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