It took just one wedding, but of two of the country's most popular showbiz celebs, for my father's hometown to land on the front pages, and on prime time news on TV.
Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo got married recently in the San Juan Nepomuceno Church, town of San Juan, in Batangas, and that's all it took. The town is not yet quite Taal, or Batangas City, in terms of popularity, but people at least have taken notice. Where Juday and Ryan could choose to get married must have something about it.
And does San Juan have it. It has Laiya, that beautiful coast of scores of beach resorts, of white sands, a marine life sanctuary, facilities for boating, diving and snorkeling, and excursions and family outings. Laiya is not one barrio, but several, that promise to develop into a full fledged tourism complex. Investors have been coming in, attracted by a new road that leads out of the town hall through villages, rice fields and coconut plantations, and a host of economic development projects recently launched by the national government.
And does San Juan have it. It has Laiya, that beautiful coast of scores of beach resorts, of white sands, a marine life sanctuary, facilities for boating, diving and snorkeling, and excursions and family outings. Laiya is not one barrio, but several, that promise to develop into a full fledged tourism complex. Investors have been coming in, attracted by a new road that leads out of the town hall through villages, rice fields and coconut plantations, and a host of economic development projects recently launched by the national government.
Its biggest school, Batangas Eastern Academy, which everybody affectionately calls BEA, was founded by the late
And unbeknownst to many are the splendid old mansions of San Juan. I don't know if these are as numerous as those in Taal or Vigan, or as old, but they are to be seen, and reflected on. They are stately and beautiful, and locked up. They are not tourist attractions open to the public. A friend was so kind to accompany us on a visit to one of them, and it was true to its promise: old law books, for the owner was a distinguished lawyer, antique furniture, old jars, and wide, hard-wood floors, wide windows and a great sala which hosted grand parties in the old glorious times.
At the outskirts of town is a place where they sell earthen pots (palayok), vases, and jars, which families around have been making for generations. And they still make lambanog (fermented coconut juice). All around are farms and orchards. The big families that made the town still have property in San Juan, but no longer live there. An institution that has stayed and grown is the 70-year old Batangas Eastern Academy, founded by the late Mercedes S. de Villa.
San Juan used to be part of what used to be the bigger town of Rosario. Now San Juan is the second largest town of Batangas, a first-class municipality that hopes to be a city some day. It has some way to go (it has one Mercury Drug Store, but no McDonalds nor Jollibee), but it will get there.
And unbeknownst to many are the splendid old mansions of San Juan. I don't know if these are as numerous as those in Taal or Vigan, or as old, but they are to be seen, and reflected on. They are stately and beautiful, and locked up. They are not tourist attractions open to the public. A friend was so kind to accompany us on a visit to one of them, and it was true to its promise: old law books, for the owner was a distinguished lawyer, antique furniture, old jars, and wide, hard-wood floors, wide windows and a great sala which hosted grand parties in the old glorious times.
At the outskirts of town is a place where they sell earthen pots (palayok), vases, and jars, which families around have been making for generations. And they still make lambanog (fermented coconut juice). All around are farms and orchards. The big families that made the town still have property in San Juan, but no longer live there. An institution that has stayed and grown is the 70-year old Batangas Eastern Academy, founded by the late Mercedes S. de Villa.
San Juan used to be part of what used to be the bigger town of Rosario. Now San Juan is the second largest town of Batangas, a first-class municipality that hopes to be a city some day. It has some way to go (it has one Mercury Drug Store, but no McDonalds nor Jollibee), but it will get there.
(Photo above of San Juan de Nepomuceno Church is from Recoletos Communications, Inc.)
1 comment:
Ang ganda talaga ng church sa San Juan. sana meron din dito sa
Talisay
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