Batangas City

About

Batangas City was founded by the Spanish in the 16th century, though it had been a center for indigenous people for centuries before their arrival. Since its inception, the city’s lifeblood has been its port, which had seen trade with locales as far-flung as India and Japan, and today, Batangas’ port is one of the largest in the Philippines. The downtown area developed rapidly in the 20th century, but this is where you’ll find one of the city’s oldest landmarks: the late 16th century Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. To learn more about the city’s heritage and history, you can head to the Museo Puntong Batangan, which a range of cultural artefacts and installations from different periods.