For many of our KUBO readers and kababayans, summer during our younger days meant an excursion or an outing, usually to the beaches of Matabungkay, Lemery, or Nasugbu in Batangas. But now, locals and tourists alike know there’s more to Batangas. From stunning beaches and diving spots to sumptuous food and delicacies, religious shrines, heritage sites, wellness destinations, and the famous Taal Volcano, Batangas has a lot of interesting spots to explore on your next visit to the Philippines—not just during summer, but all year round.
To guide you around Batangas, KUBO asked someone who knows the province by heart: Star for All Seasons and former Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, who shares at least 10 places in Batangas that she finds beautiful and would recommend to balikbayans who want to explore the province. She served Batangas province as governor for three consecutive terms. Check out her list below, with headers in Ate Vi’s own words.
1. Lipa City, the “Little Rome of the Philippines”
The first item in Ate Vi’s Batangas itinerary is Lipa City—her heart and home since she married Senator Ralph Recto in the early ‘90s. She also served as Lipa City’s mayor for nine years. Founded in 1702, Lipa City is a first-class city in Batangas with a long and colorful history. According to Ate Vi, Lipa is the “Little Rome of the Philippines,” as it is home to many beautiful and miraculous churches that reflect the city’s strong Catholic heritage.
2. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church
Lipa City, Batangas
One of the famous and miraculous churches in Lipa City is the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Founded in 1946, it served as the monastery of the Carmelite nuns from Manila after World War II. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is also known for the miraculous apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Our Lady of Mary the Mediatrix of All Grace or Our Lady of Lipa; as well as the rose petal showers—wherein rose petals with images of Jesus reportedly fell from heaven. These incidents supposedly happened in 1948 and 1991 inside the convent. However, to date, the Vatican has yet to verify these apparitions as supernatural. This did not stop devout Catholics and Marian legionaries from continuing to flock to Our Lady of Lipa.
3. Cathedral de Lipa
Lipa City, Batangas
Another must-visit church in Lipa is the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Sebastian. This awe-inspiring cathedral founded in 1605 is the seat of the Archdiocese of Lipa, covering the churches in Batangas and nearby provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Quezon. Cathedral de Lipa showcases the grandeur of Romanesque architecture, a design evident in its facade and interiors, including its altar, columns, arches, ceiling, and most especially its dome. Lipa Cathedral is definitely on Ate Vi’s list because that’s where she got married (watch her grand wedding here)!
4. National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio
Santo Tomas, Batangas
“Padre Pio Shrine in Santo Tomas, Batangas is the way to go when it comes to spiritual solace and healing,” says Ate Vi. A 30-minute drive from the Lipa Cathedral, the pilgrimage site houses the first-class and second-class relics of the miraculous Italian saint known for his stigmata and gift of healing. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.
Admission is free and open to all at the Padre Pio Shrine, which is currently aiming for an international shrine status. It holds regular daily Mass and a scheduled Healing Liturgy every the 23rd of the month, commemorating the day of Padre Pio’s death (September 23, 1968).
5. San Juan, Batangas for the white sand beaches
From churches and pilgrim sites, the list moves up to the other side of Batangas as Vilma, who also served as Batangas 6th District representative, cites San Juan’s “wonderful beaches” on her list of recommendations.
If you want to go on quick weekend beach break from Metro Manila, the white sand strip of beach in San Juan, which covers five barangays and not just Laiya, is among the nearest and best you can drive to. For a more chill stay even in this scorching heat, we recommend Virgin Resort, which offers a serene island life-like experience at an affordable rate. Other recommended Laiya resorts are Acuaverde Beach Resort and Hotel, Acuatico Beach Resort, The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya, Blue Coral, or the Laiya White Cove. You can also visit the San Juan government website for tourist information and a list of more white sand beach resorts.
6. Amazing Anilao and Marvelous Mabini
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Anilao in Mabini takes the next spot among the recommended tourist destinations in Batangas because it’s “known for its wonderful diving spots,” according to showbiz’s Grand Slam Queen Vilma Santos.
Touted as the birthplace of scuba diving in the country, the barangay of Anilao and the municipality of Mabini are popular for being home to more than 40 dive sites. With depths ranging from 5m/16ft to more than 30m/100ft, the waters of Anilao and Mabini boast stunning underwater landscapes that you can explore when you snorkel, free dive, or scuba dive. Here you can find wreck sites; rich and colorful coral reefs; and a variety of fish and other marine life like nudibranchs, rhinopias, turtles, seahorses, and stingrays.
Great for muck diving and underwater photography, diving sites most often visited are the Cathedral, Koala, Anilao Pier, Twin Rocks, Arthur’s Rock, Secret Bay, Sammy’s Garden, and Eagle Point, among others. While it’s always a plus to have a dive license, beginners are always welcome in several diving resorts in Mabini, which offer lessons, guides, and even diving gear so you can still enjoy a cool, relaxing, exhilarating yet beginner-friendly Batangas underwater experience.
7. Food tourism in Lipa, especially for the lomi, goto, and kapeng barako
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Every city or town in the Philippines has its unique gastronomic culture, and for Batangas, Ate Vi believes the highlights are the famous Batangas Lomi, Gotong Batangas, and Kapeng Barako, among others.
Best served during merienda (snack), especially on rainy days, Batangas Lomi is a rich soup dish with thick, sauce-like broth and Japanese udon-like noodles. The original recipe of Batangas Lomi is topped with pork belly strips, kikiam, hard-boiled egg, fishballs, and chicharon. Created by Lipa restaurateur To Kim Eng for his mahjong buddies in 1968, Batangas Lomi has since become part of the province’s food culture. If you want to taste an authentic bowl of Batangas Lomi, check out Liam’s Lomi House in Lipa City or AA’s Lomi with branches in Lipa City, Taal, San Pascual, and Padre Garcia.
Gotong Batangas, on the other hand, came from the arroz caldo de goto served during the Spanish era. However, the Gotong Batangas version is a rice-less soup filled with beef tripe, beef innards, beef shanks, garlic, and ginger. Drop by for a sumptuous bowl at Aling Tessie’s Goto and Bulalo Since 1980 located along Lipa Road and is a stone’s throw away from SM Lipa.
Kapeng Barako has also been part of Batangas culture for centuries. As stated in the historical marker at the Lipa Cathedral, the Augustinian friars who arrived in Batangas in 1605 encouraged townsfolk to extensively cultivate coffee. Kapeng Barako has been part of Batangueños’ lives since. Vilma even recently led the opening of Batangas’ annual three-day coffee festival, the BarakoFest 2024, held last March 14-16 at the Manila Batangas Bypass Road in Lipa City. If you want to bring home fresh Kapeng Barako beans, visit Garing Milling Station inside the Lipa City Market, Cesar and Auring Solis Kapeng Barako, or any Kapeng Barako store inside Batangas Public Market.
8. The heritage town of Taal, known for its old Spanish houses
Another must-see Batangas destination for Vilma is the municipality of Taal, a quaint and quiet historic town, which is home to a hundred heritage structures. While Taal may be more popular for being one of the municipalities of the smallest active volcano in the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taal Volcano—which lies in the middle of Taal Lake that is home to the Tawilis, the world’s only freshwater sardine that’s endemic to this town—the town is definitely more than just its natural wonders.
Named Batangas’ Heritage Town and declared a national historical landmark, Taal boasts of a glorious past, rich culture, and the undeniable contributions of Taaleños to the town and the Philippines. You don’t need to drive for more than seven hours to Vigan just to see ancestral homes; it only takes two to three hours from Metro Manila to reach Taal’s poblacion or town proper filled with centuries-old ancestral Spanish houses, museums, and even churches. Visiting the four-centuries-old town of Taal will give you a glimpse at what life was like during the Spanish era.
Start exploring Taal from the San Lorenzo Ruiz Steps, and then visit the miraculous Our Lady Of Caysasay Shrine, Well of Sta. Lucia, and the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours—the largest church in Asia and another national historical landmark of the town. And then appreciate the architectural beauty of heritage homes built with cobbled stone garages, wide staircases and floors made of wood, intricately designed tiles and ceilings, vintage capiz windows, and more. It’s like stepping into the Spanish era as you walk to the Goco Ancestral House, Casa Villavicencio, Casa Regalo de Boda, Don Gregorio Agoncillo Mansion, Villa Tortuga, and Paradores del Castillo. Don’t forget to check out museums like Galleria Taal, Don Leon Apacible Museum, and the Museo nina Marcela Marino and Felipe Agoncillo.
Its welcome arch also states that the town is the Balisong and Barong Tagalog Capital of the Philippines. You can make your Taal visit more memorable by wearing a Barong Tagalog (for men) or a Filipiniana attire for women and imagining you’re a don or doña for a day, as you tour the two-storey bahay na bato or ancestral homes of affluent families during the Spanish colonial period. Preview some of these ancestral homes in the movie Sa Muli, starring Xian Lim and Ryza Cenon (watch it on Prime Video).
9. The Farm at San Benito, known for being a sanctuary of wellness
119 Barangay Tipacan 4217 Lipa City, Batangas
Do you want to relax during your visit to the Philippines and need a quick respite from the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila? Vilma suggests you visit The Farm at San Benito. Famous for being the wedding venue of showbiz couples like Luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola and KZ Tandingan and husband TJ Monterde, as well as the favorite quick getaway haven of celebrities like Iza Calzado, Dingdong Dantes, and Marian Rivera, The Farm at San Benito is a 52-hectare healing and wellness sanctuary that offers a unique healing, wellness, and holistic medical experience.
While it has become a popular destination wedding venue for its picturesque surroundings, the eco-luxury wellness resort also offers numerous accommodation options for couples, families, and groups of friends. Each villa here has at least four rooms, a swimming pool, a living and dining area, a kitchenette, and more. The Farm at San Benito boasts of a nurturing spa, hydrotherapy water wellness, holistic integrative medical services, plant-based wellness cuisine, and more. The Farm’s three restaurants—Alive!, Prana, and Pesce—serve food to complement your wellness journey. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or pescetarian, you’re sure to find options here. Also try the farm-fresh dining experience at their newly opened restaurant, Upperdeck, which you can visit even if you’re not an in-house guest.
10. Explore the whole province to experience the warmth of Batangueños
“Batangueños are the pride of Batangas, they are brave but warm people,” noted multi-awarded actress turned public servant Vilma Santos. That said, Ate Vi wants you to experience first-hand the patriotism, as well as the warm and caring personality of Batangueños by exploring different parts of Batangas.
There are lots of famous Batangueños, apart from the Star for All Seasons. From one of our national heroes Apolinario Mabini, former president Jose Laurel, the country’s first diplomat Felipe Agoncillo and his wife and national flag seamstress Marcela Agoncillo, General Miguel Malvar, author Jose Villa Panganiban, journalist Teodoro Kalaw of Lipa, historian Teodoro Agoncillo, horticulturist and banker Pablo Tapia, national artist Bienvenido Lumbera, and banana ketchup inventor Maria Orosa; to more recent familiar names like that of PBA basketball star LA Tenorio, volleyball star player Alyssa Valdez, showbiz luminaries like Christopher de Leon and Ogie Alcasid, and Chef Nora Daza, among so many others, the list of bold, brave, creative, and wise Batangueños continues to grow longer as more people from the province try to make a name and make a difference in the country and the world.
