When heading out of Metro Manila in the direction of the seaside resorts on the japanese aspect of Batangas, many guests overlook the cultural gems of San Juan Batangas Poblacion. As a substitute of taking the same old route alongside the San Juan-Laiya Highway, why not flip left from Common Luna St onto Corridor St and uncover the younger but culturally wealthy heritage of San Juan city?
The Transition from Spanish to American Affect
Even throughout our drive into the municipality, we couldn’t assist however discover the spectacular outdated homes alongside the principle freeway. As soon as within the city correct, you’ll discover over a dozen homes and buildings that maintain cultural significance. The American interval homes, Neoclassical-style, and Artwork Deco types resemble the heritage buildings present in close by cities like Candelaria and Sariaya in Quezon province. I used to be curious to know the story behind this connection, and by chance, our birding information, Professor De Villa, an environmental advocate, had some insights to share.
Thriving Coconut Plantation Trade
Throughout the early 1900s and all through the American interval, San Juan Batangas and its neighboring provinces thrived in agriculture. The land benefited from glorious irrigation as a result of presence of two rivers, Malaking Tubig River and Lawaye River, in addition to an enormous watershed spanning over 900 sq. kilometers.
Coconut farming served as the first livelihood for these cities. At one level, San Juan and its close by areas boasted the very best variety of coconut timber planted per sq. meter on the planet. These timber have been cultivated for a wide range of merchandise, starting from culinary substances to coconut oil, copra, and different coconut-based items.
With prosperity got here wealth for the coconut plantation homeowners, who started developing opulent mansions within the cities. They departed from the normal Spanish-style “bahay na bato” homes and embraced the “Artwork Deco-inspired” structure, a development that was sweeping throughout America and Europe within the mid-1900s.
San Juan Nepomuceno Parish
The best place to begin for the heritage tour in San Juan Batangas Poblacion is the San Juan Nepomuceno Parish. Identical to the city itself, the church is comparatively younger, having been established within the Eighteen Nineties. Initially located in Barangay Pinagbayanan, the church, and the city have been relocated to increased elevated grounds to keep away from flooding and volcanic exercise. The primary church construction in Barangay Pinagbayanan, previously often known as San Juan de Bocboc, was product of bamboo and coconut timber, using ample native sources. Ultimately, a extra sturdy stone construction changed it, though it too was not spared from floods.
The present San Juan Nepomuceno Parish gained some fame when common actors Judy Anne Santos and Ryan Agoncillo had a “quiet” marriage ceremony right here in April 2009. The spectacular baroque church underwent renovations through the years, notably on its interiors to reinforce sturdiness. Whereas efforts have been made to protect the facade, you’ll discover a definite distinction within the design of the bell tower. It was a later addition to the church, constructed between the Nineteen Twenties and Thirties through the Artwork Deco-inspired motion on the town, thus showcasing a extra trendy type. Inside the church, a relic believed to be from St. John Nepomucene himself is rigorously preserved.
Simply in entrance of the church stands an arch, the place one of many three authentic bells from the church’s early days hangs. Regardless of its worn look, it’s a important image of how rich households just like the Mercado and Marisigan clans actively supported the church.
Batangas Japanese Schools Grounds
Behind the church, inside the campus grounds of Batangas Japanese Schools, you’ll discover centuries-old acacia timber which have witnessed important occasions within the city’s historical past. It was right here that Batangueño revolutionary Common Miguel Malvar handed his sword to Kapitan Leon Mercado. Each figures performed distinguished roles within the revolution in opposition to the Spaniards and later in opposition to the Individuals through the warfare.
Benito Marasigan Ruins and Museum
Simply three blocks away from the church lie the remnants of what was as soon as a grand neoclassical-style mansion, constructed between 1929 and 1930. Right this moment, it is called the Benito Marasigan Ruins and Museum. Initially a three-story mansion, the higher flooring have been tragically destroyed in 2009 as a result of a fireplace brought on by daylight passing by the glass home windows and igniting the picket frames. The bottom flooring, nonetheless, stays intact. In 2015, a rehabilitated exhibit area was opened, showcasing the mansion’s elegant chandelier, ornate chairs, and a large 20-seater desk created from a single large tree trunk. The everlasting show tells the story of how the Marasigan household contributed to preserving the pure setting by stopping the institution of a Copper Smelter in San Juan Batangas.
As a enjoyable truth, Zig Marasigan, one of many writers for the hit Netflix animation “Trese,” is a part of the Marasigan household.
Casa Louella
Nearer to the church stands one other charming American-era mansion known as Casa Louella, named after the daughter of its present homeowners, Custodio Marasigan Ona and Guadalupe Ona. The mansion was initially constructed by the Treviño-Magtibay household within the early 1900s. The second proprietor was Vicente Lecaroz, a former mayor of San Juan, and a nephew of Benito Marasigan, proprietor of the Benito Marasigan Mansion. His household occupied the home throughout his time period as mayor. When his kids grew up, the home was typically empty, and determined to promote it in 1994.
Though most of the furnishings inside the home are new, the lavish areas have been superbly maintained. The second flooring boasts excessive ceilings, spacious bedrooms, and a rest room with a bathtub that opens onto a balcony resulting in a courtyard. The mansion is open to the general public, and a number of the rooms are provided as lodging.
Casa Soledad
Discovered on the nook of Mojica St and De Villa St, Casa Soledad is among the grand heritage homes that has retained its conventional “bahay na bato” Spanish structure. The home is called after Soledad, one of many 4 kids of the unique homeowners, Santos Lopez and Maria Mercado (a relative of the nationwide hero, Jose Rizal). Soledad Lopez’s siblings have been Don Miguel Lopez (a former mayor of San Juan), Arsenio Lopez, and Leonor Lopez. The home initially belonged to Leonor, the youngest of the siblings, however Soledad finally acquired it after getting married.
Casa Soledad nonetheless proudly shows its huge picket pillars and ceiling beams. Noteworthy amongst its treasures is a life-size foto-oleo (oil-paint enhanced {photograph} by Solar Studios) of Leonor sporting a Filipiñiana gown adorned with precise sequins. Moreover, maintain a watch out for precolonial jars excavated from an archaeological web site in Calubcub Segundo.
The fourth-generation Lopez-Tioseco siblings now handle the mansion.
White Home San Juan
Located on the nook of Marasigan St and Kalayaan St, The White Home San Juan is one other well-preserved Neoclassical Artwork Deco home often known as the Aguedo Mercado Mansion. Inbuilt 1936, the home miraculously survived the destruction of warfare. Right this moment, this two-story mansion has been rebranded as The White Home San Juan since its acquisition by Neil and Pleasure Marundan in 2021.
The White Home San Juan now serves as an occasions venue. Whereas it has been well-maintained and partially modernized with additions like a contemporary kitchen, and air con. Some outdated items of furnishings have been refurbished to retain their authentic appeal. The unique macuha tiles, intricate decorative particulars, and spectacular octagonal corners on one aspect of the home are nonetheless intact.
The Outdated World Appeal of San Juan Batangas Poblacion
What units San Juan Batangas Poblacion aside is that a lot of its heritage within the core areas stay untouched by in depth commercialization. Merely strolling alongside the streets permits guests to find extra ancestral homes and buildings, though those talked about above are open to the general public.
Whereas most growth is concentrated close to the municipal space and extends past the city to leisure dwelling developments like Solmera Coast by DMCI Houses, the place you’ll find leisure residences in growth, if you wish to expertise San Juan’s old-world appeal, you want solely journey 12 km from Barangay Subukin and Calubcub. Moreover, in case you are staying on the seaside resorts in Laiya, that are about 20 km away (roughly a half-hour journey), you may simply discover the wealthy cultural and heritage aspect of San Juan, Batangas.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning journey photographer, author and blogger. His works has discovered print in publications akin to Singapore Airways’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airways’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has additionally lent his experience to varied organizations just like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Basis, Save the Kids and World Imaginative and prescient, contributing high quality photographs for his or her advertising supplies.
