Charmed by Batangas’ rustic vibe, developer infuses unique trademark

Just a few hour’s drive from Manila and you will surely feel the difference. A breath of fresh air, a more picturesque scenery sans the crowd of towering concrete structures, pristine beaches, and a rich history well preserved throughout the centuries.

Batangas, as a province, may not be too far behind Manila when it comes to technology and other modern conveniences. But it has managed to retain an old world rustic charm with its rich tradition and culture, providing the weary urbanite the perfect place for a quick getaway.

Indeed, the capacity of the province and its people to preserve much of its rural flavor without having to veer away from the benefits of what the modern world can offer was something that made the province truly special and unique.

Batangas is what many see as their own sanctuary, where expectations are surpassed and imaginations are often turned into reality.

To give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of the province, here are some of the things that make Batangas a favored destination not only among tourists, but for investors as well.

Landmark houses

Blessed with a rich culture and heritage, Batangas allows one to travel back in time through its heritage sites and landmark houses, which served as home to some of the country’s most significant national leaders who each played a role in shaping the country’s colourful history.

Over the years, Batangas and its people nurtured and preserved its roots while at the same time allowing urban centers of culture and business to rise and thrive.

This is what made the province truly endearing as it managed to preserve historical buildings and ancestral houses like that of Borbon-Rosales, Acosta-Pastor, and the Gamab house, some of which are even located right within the town proper.

Famed Kapeng Barako

Who doesn’t know the famous Kapeng Barako? Batangas has been considered as every coffee connoisseur’s haven as the province is home to one of the country’s best tasting, most aromatic and truly strong coffee variety-the Kapeng Barako.

As the name itself connotes, Barako (which loosely means strong or extreme manliness) is a strong coffee variety that is rare and exotic and grown only in Lipa and other high areas of Batangas. It is kind of liberica coffee, which for decades now, has served as a major source of income for many Batanguenos. Lipa even became the sole provider of the said beans for the global market.

This particular coffee variety is famous locally and is a favorite among many coffee drinkers because of its rich and intense taste that is more on the dark chocolatey side with a hint of a fruity taste. The Kapeng Barako is best served black and with only brown sugar or honey as sweetener.

The Basilicas and festivities

Batangas is much like a live museum where almost everything is a treasure to behold and to be kept. Tourists can’t help but simply gape in awe as they visit and pass by some of the province famed Basilicas that are highly revered for their intricate details and timeless beauty.

One of the oldest churches in the province is the Basilica de la Immaculada Concepcion which was built in 1581. Batangas also has the San Isidro Labrador Parish, and the St. Rita of Cascia Church, among others.

Meanwhile, the Batanguenos also know how to celebrate and party. There are currently two major festivities wherein the people of the province truly prepare-the Sublian Festival and the annual City Fiesta in honor of its patron, the Sto. Nino.

The Sublian is a two-week long celebration which culminates every year on the 23rd of July and is rooted in the Batanguenos devotion to the town’s patron: the Holy Cross in Bauan and Agoncillo, and the Sto. Nino in Batangas City.

The city fiesta of the Sto. Nino, which is held every 7th of January, is celebrated through a fluvial procession reenacting the patron saint’s entrance into the city through the Calumpang River.

Pristine beaches, gastronomic delights

Batangas is a preferred destination of those who just want to enjoy the calming view of the sea and the soothing sound of the waves. For some weary urbanites, the province even serves as a therapeutic site, given its pristine beaches and scenic surroundings, where one can just laze around.

Among its famous beaches are located in San Juan, Anilao, and Nasugbu. On another note, while Batangas is mostly famous for its lomi, there is more to the province than this delicious noodle soup.

Batangas is in fact considered by many as a foodie’s haven with its many eateries and hole-in-the wall types of restaurants that serve some of the most appetizing and exotic dishes to satisfy all kinds of palate: from Bulalo, crispy tawilis, sinaing na tulingan and tapang taalamong other dishes.

Industrial rea, investors’ haven

Batangas City, which is currently home to many agricultural and cottage industry businesses, has been classified as a regional growth center in the Calabarzon region and was identified as a Regional Agro-Industrial Center under the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan.

Also making it more attractive to investors is the fact that infrastructure is not entirely lacking in this province as Batangas City likewise serves as an alternative commercial hub for Southern Luzon and Metro Manila given its own port harbor.

The completion of the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road and the South Luzon Expressway Calamba Interlink has made traveling to Batangas City even safer and more convenient, especially for businesses that would need to go back and forth Metro Manila.

Apart from the industrial businesses, property developers are among the investors that Batangas, as a province, has attracted over the years. And long before many real estate firms had set up their respective developments in the area, one developer has long seen the potential of the province.

Trusted property developer Sta. Lucia Land Inc. has entered the scene in Batangas as early as 1985, during which it started to put up developments that have helped improved the lives of Filipino families and the economy of the province as well. One of its first projects was Lipa Royale.

“Lipa Royale was our first venture in the province. It was owned by the Dolor family, the previous owners of Philippine Savings Bank, and they were the ones who asked me to partner with them and do a joint venture. And seeing the positive response of the people, I continued introducing other developments in the area which included the Summit, a residential and golf course development,” Sta. Lucia Land president Exequiel Robles recalled.

After seeing the huge potential of doing good business in Batangas and its people, Sta. Lucia decided to expand further its foothold in the area and thus moved to other parts of the province including Batangas City where it developed Greenwoods; and then Bauan, where it had put up the Grand Villa, among other projects like Summit Point Residential with Golf Course & Country Club in Lipa, Batangas, Ponte Verde in Sto. Tomas, Batangas and Cambridge Place in Tanauan City, Batangas.

Robles said they intend to tap the continued economic growth in Batangas and expand their presence to better service the Batanguenos’ need for quality homes and leisure developments.

“Batangas has a consistently growing economy. It has its own port and so the industrial area in the south is becoming progressive because of this port. After Manila, I think it’s the Batangas port that is really popular. Add to that the fact that the province has adequate infrastructure especially with its new highway, the Star Toll thus making it easier to go from one place to another,” he explained.

Robles believes that there remains a huge market waiting to be served in the area as they sought not only the expanding middle class in the province, but also the families of overseas Filipino workers.

“Batangas is one of our priority areas. We are really looking at expanding our footprint there because we see that there really is a market. Most of the people there have work and the capacity to invest. Apart from that, there is a huge number of businesses there that are already in existence and a lot more are being added. In turn, this translates to people having more jobs thus increasing their capacity to eventually invest in a home,” Robles explained.

Sta. Lucia Land has all types of developments in Batangas ranging from lots, house-and-lots, to condominium projects. Currently, the company is trying to pattern its developments in the provinces to the ones that it built in Iloilo.

“We are trying to pattern our Batangas developments to the ones that we already have in Iloilo. We also intend to do a lake residential project in Batangas, because currently, that is one of Sta. Lucia’s unique trademark and selling propositions. The lake residential developments will be Catalina Lake Development in Bauan and South Coast with Lake Development in Lian. We also have Nasa Costa in Nasugbu, which is a joint venture with the Jaka group,” Robles said.

Sta. Lucia Land has long been present in the province and thus, it already knows what the market wants. But the company is not one to rest on its laurels, as to date, the company continues to come up with innovative offerings to ensure that the Batanguenos get only the best out of their hard earned money.