Taal, Batangas

Updated on Jan 27, 2024

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Country Philippines Founded April 26, 1572 Time zone PST (UTC+8) Mayor Fulgencio I. Mercado		District 1st District Barangays 42 (see Barangays) Province Batangas

Region Calabarzon (Region IV-A) Weather 29°C, Wind NE at 16 km/h, 57% Humidity Points of interest Basilica of Saint Martin of, Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady, Casa Punzalan, Casa Villavicencio, Galleria Taal

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Taal, officially the Municipality of Taal (Filipino: Bayan ng Taal), is a municipality in the province of Batangas in the Calabarzon (Region IV-A) of the Philippines. The population was 56,327 at the 2015 census. In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 32,998 registered voters.

Map of Taal, Batangas, Philippines

Taal is famous for its old ancestral houses. Its poblacion (central business district) is designated as a National Historical Landmark. The municipality is known as the Balisong and Barong Tagalog Capital of the Philippines.

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History

The town of Taal was founded by Augustinian friars in 1572. In 1575, the town transferred later to the edge of Bombon lake, now Taal Lake in 1575. In 1754, Taal Volcano erupted endangering the town of Taal which stood at present day San Nicolas. Threatened by the new danger, the townspeople, together with the Augustinian Francisco Benchucillo, sought refuge in the sanctuary of Caysasay.

In 1955 the northern barrios of San Nicolas, Gipit, Bangin, Pansipit, Calangay, Sinturisan, Talang, Abilo, Balete, Bancora, Saimsim, Maabud, Mulawin, Tambo, Calumala, Alasas, Calawit, and Pulangbato were separated from Taal and formed into the municipality of San Nicolas.

Geography

Taal is located at 13°53′N 120°56′E.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 29.76 square kilometres (11.49 sq mi) constituting 0.95% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometre- (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.

A dominant feature of the province of Batangas is Taal Lake. It covers an area of 270 square kilometres (100 sq mi) and is drained by Pansipit River down into Balayan Bay. Pansipit is one of the major ecological highways that allow migration of two fish species: maliputo (Cranx ignobilis) and muslo (Cranx marginalis) which are unique to lake Taal. Adult fish migrate to the sea from Taal Lake via Pansipit River and Palanas River in Lemery. The tawilis (Harengula tawilis) is a freshwater sardine also endemic to Taal lake.

Climate

Taal has two seasons: dry from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year. The lowest minimum temperature does not drop below 20 °C (68 °F) while the highest maximum temperature of 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) occurs from March to July of each year.

Barangays

Taal is politically subdivided into 42 barangays.

Demographics

In the 2015 census, Taal had a population of 56,327. The population density was 1,900 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,900/sq mi).

In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 32,998 registered voters.

The first census in 1903 recorded a total population of 17,525. The 2007 population was 51,459 growing at 2.44% annually over the previous 7 years, with 7,961 households. By 2010, the population slightly increased to 51,503.

Cultural events

The EL PASUBAT Festival, celebrated annually during the month of April, is the conglomeration of the trademarks of Taal. "EL PASUBAT" stands for Empanada, Longganisa, Panutsa, Suman, Balisong, Barong Tagalog, Tapa, Tamales, Tawilis, Tulingan — the delicacies and crafts that Taal is known for.

The Feast of St. Martin of Tours is held November 11 every year. Celebrations are in the form of prayer, hymns, declamation, flower offerings and big religious processions. Most houses celebrate with food and drinks for visitors right after.

The Feast of Our Lady of Caysasay, the well known miraculous image of the Immaculate Conception, is celebrated every December 8. A joint town fiesta celebrated on December 9 honoring both Our Lady of Caysasay and Saint Martin of Tours.

Lua is a traditional declamation in the vernacular recited by a maiden to honor the Virgin Mary or a boy in praise of a male saint like Saint Martin of Tours. In the procession, young girls and ladies in their pretty gowns make up the hila (pull), so called because they are supposed to pull the cord of lights originating from the Virgin’s karosa (procession carriage) bedecked with flowers.

Local products and delicacies

Since the Spanish period, the people of Taal lived by farming and commerce. The main produce are cotton, cacao and sugar which are made through the use of crude sugar mill called trapeche. Weaving and embroidery of barong and camisa (blouses) made from piña are popular home industries. Local embroidery businesses later expanded their products to include curtains, piano covers, pillow cases, table cloth, table napkins and bed covers, adding more fame already earned by Taal embroidery.

Other products produced in the town are: balisong (fan knife) and various food treats such as the panocha (peanut brittle candy) and suman salehiya (a sweet suman), tapa (cured pork product) and the local longganisa, all of which are available at the public market. Popular Filipino dishes that originated from Taal are Adobo sa Dilaw (Yellow Adobo) and Sinaing na Tulingan (Bonita Fish Soup).

Notable people

Gliceria de Villavicencio was named as the “godmother of the revolutionary forces” by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. She supported the revolution against the Spaniards, and later the Americans inflamed by the death of her husband, Eulalio Villavicencio, in February 1898.

Felipe Agoncillo is a revolutionary hero, statesman, and diplomat Philippine Republic to the United States and to the Treaty of Paris in 1898.

Marcela Agoncillo, Don Felipe Agoncillo, is best known as the maker of the present flag of the Philippines, first unfurled at the declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite.

Vicente Ilustre was associated with other Filipino patriots like Rizal, Plaridel, Naning Ponce, Galicano Apacible and others in Madrid. He later became a member of the Philippine Commission under Gov. Gen. Francis Burton Harrison where he served as president of the Committee for Mindanao and Sulu. Thereafter, he became a Senator in the First Senate of the Philippines. He was also instrumental in the installation of public light and water utilities in Taal.

Ananias Diokno was the only Tagalog general to lead a full-scale military expedition to the Visayas against the Spanish forces.

Galicano Apacible, a cousin of Jose Rizal, was a co-founder of La Solidaridad. He later became a politician and co-founded the Nacionalista Party.

Father Fernando Suarez, a Catholic priest known worldwide for faith healing, was born here in 1967.