Taal Basilica, Villavicencio Wedding Gift House and Marcela Agoncillo Museum are just some of the few must-visits in Taal’s heritage rich town.
Can’t decide whether you want to head somewhere a bit nippy and cool, or to a sweet nature escape where you can get that gorgeous summer tan while stretched out lazily on the sand? No problem.
In the Philippines, you need not travel too far to get the best of both worlds. You may even cover both destinations over a three-day weekend.
Wake up to a view of endless greenery at Taal Vista Hotel’s newly renovated wing. —Photos by Din M. Villafuerte
From Manila, we first headed to Tagaytay City, an easy 90-minute drive from the metro, where we stopped at Taal Vista Hotel to spend the night.
The Tudor mansion-style hotel has been making every moment count for generations of Filipino families for nearly 80 years now, having been around since 1939. Staying here gives one the closest, most spectacular views of Taal Lake and Volcano.
After a refreshing and relaxing night in Tagaytay, we drove to Taal in Batangas for a tour of its heritage houses. We swung by Ona’s Batangas Blades Store in Barangay Balisong, where store owner Diosdado Ona himself showed our group the different types of butterfly knives, more commonly called “balisong.” He even indulged us when the group asked for a demo on how to handle a balisong like a pro.
Inside the majestic and storied Taal Basilica
A visit at the town of Taal would not be complete, of course, without dropping by Taal Basilica, or Minor Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours.
Considered the largest church in the country and in Asia, it was first built in 1575 in San Nicolas until a volcanic eruption left it in ruins in 1754. The basilica was transferred to its present location and rebuilt in 1755. A major earthquake in 1849 caused great damage to church, which was built seven years later, in 1856, featuring its present Baroque architecture and trompe l’oeil ceilings.
A quick drive from Taal Basilica is the Marcela Agoncillo Museum. One of Taal’s earliest bahay na bato, the house was built by Agoncillo’s grandfather, Don Andres Mariño, and was the birthplace and childhood home of Agoncillo. An imposing sculpture of the Mother of the Philippine Flag by artist Francisco Caedo greets everyone at the base of the grand staircase before going up to the house’s foyer.
Diosdado Ona’s Batangas Blades Store
From Marcela Agoncillo’s childhood home, we went to the Villavicencio Gift House. Its exteriors painted yellow and light blue, the house on Calle Gliceria Marella looks as charming as the story behind it. It was built by Eulalio Villavicencio as a wedding gift (which explains the name) to his wife, Gliceria Marella. There used to be a bridge which connects the house to Eulalio’s parents’ home next door, but it had to be removed for safety reasons.
Guests at Villavicencio Gift House are also given the chance to watch some of Taal’s burdaderas at work. As Taal is also known for its embroidery, these women have been painstakingly keeping the town’s long-standing tradition of artistic and intricate needlework alive.
From Taal town, it was time to go to another much awaited part of the trip: the beach!
Rosalyn Reyes, one of Taal’s remaining burdaderas, shows tourists how “Burdang Taal” is done.
An hour’s drive from Taal is Nasugbu, home to Pico de Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast’s lush tropical seaside sanctuary which is also a 40-ha residential resort community. At Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, we rest our tired legs while sipping sangrias and watching the sky turn from pink to orange and purple as the sun had set.
We spent the night at Pico Sands Hotel, a contemporary seven-storey hotel with spacious rooms and relaxing views of the lush mountains and tranquil lagoon. In the morning, we were given the option to either hike or take a quick speedboat ride to Santelmo Cove, where white sand and clear blue waters await. It would be the icing on the cake of this three-day trip.
It may have been a tight, jam-packed itinerary, but it was fun and stimulating nonetheless. It is, indeed, more fun in the Philippines.