Southern Luzon’s Heritage Village (Taal, Batangas)

Posted on 28 October, 1999 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Jandy and I checked out of Villalobos Lodge in Lemery by 6 AM, had an early breakfast at the town and drove beyond the small bridge (Lemery’s boundary with Taal) over the Pansipit River to Taal’s poblacion (town center) which was zoned and patterned by Spanish architects after the town of Albuquerque in Spain.

Taal Park

Our first stop was the town’s stately municipal hall, the former Spanish-era Casa Real. It was built from 1846 to 1850 by Augustinian Fr. Celestino Mayordomo. Directly in front is the wide, landscaped Taal Park with its mercury lights and statues of Jose Rizal (installed by Banaag Nang Tagumpay), Apolinario Mabini (installed by the Malvarian Society on December 1928), A Los Heroes Nacional (installed by La Sociedad La Patria on May 20, 1929) and the newer one of Marcela Agoncillo (installed January 20, 1979). This central area was restored in 1976 during the administration of Mayor Corazon A. Caniza.

Taal Municipal Hall (Casa Real)

To the left of the basilica is the former Escuela Pia, now Taal’s Cultural Center. It was built by Fr. Aniceto Aparicio in 1885 and was restored by the Taal Arts and Culture Movement in cooperation with the National Historical Institute. It was made into a National Historical Monument by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260 (August 1, 1973), Executive Order No. 375 (January 14, 1974) and Executive Order No. 1505 (June 11, 1978)

Taal Cultural Center (Escuela Pia)

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is an avid reader, traveler and free-lance travel writer in his spare time, contributing articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day, Bluprint and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.