Taal Background

Taal is a third class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines, with a

population of 51,503 people, according to the 2010 census. It has a total land area of 2,976
hectares, which is about 131 kilometers from Manila via Tagaytay City. It is situated in the
north-western part of the province of Batangas (with geographic coordinates: Latitude
13°53’00”N and Longitude 120°56’00”E), along the Pansipit River, which is the main outlet
of Taal Lake to Balayan Bay.

The heritage town of Taal was founded by the Spanish Augustinian friars in 1572.
Presently, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations near Metro Manila — home to the
famous Taal Volcano and steeped in rich history, including a collection of well-preserved
“Bahay Na Bato” (adobe stone houses) dating back to the 19th century, which is characterized
by grand architectural structures with Filipino-Hispanic lines. As a basket of culture, Taal is
also famed for its unique hand-woven textiles, metal crafts, and a variety of native delicacies.
Due to the iconic objects produced by the municipality, it is also known as the “Balisong” (fan
knife) and “Barong Tagalog” (national Filipino apparel) capital of the Philippines.

Recognized as a heritage landmark by the National Historical Institute (NHI) of the

Philippines, it was declared as a “Heritage Village” by virtue of a National Historical Institute
(NHI) Resolution No. 02 dated September 30, 1987. Taal has at least seven structures that have
been designated as National Historical Landmarks, such as the Basilica of San Martin de
Tours, which is the largest Catholic Church in Asia, measuring at 95 meters by 45 meters wide;
the Escuela Pia, which was built as a temporary church in 1853 but later utilized as a school;
the ancestral home of Doña Marcela Agoncillo, where the “Mother of the Philippine Flag”
grew up, now converted into museum; the Galleria Taal, a Spanish-era house that has also
been turned into a museum, which houses rare cameras from as early as the late 1800s, and
vintage photographs from the Spanish and American times; the Villa Tortuga is another
ancestral home that has been repurposed into a fine dining restaurant; the Shrine of Our Lady
of Caysasay houses a miraculous 17th century image of the Virgin Mary; as well as, the Sta.
Lucia Well, which allegedly marks the spot where two women have claimed to have seen an
apparition of the Virgin Mary in the water.

The municipality of Taal together with the municipalities of Balayan, Calaca,

Calatagan, Lemery, Lian, Nasugbu, and Tuy comprise the First (1st) Legislative District of the
province of Batangas. It is politically subdivided into 42 barangays spread along a mixture of
hills and slopes. Incidentally, Barangay Butong is the only barangay located along the coast
of Balayan Bay. The barangays are enumerated below:

1. Apacay 12. Gahol 23. Poblacion 2

2. Balisong 13. Halang 24. Poblacion 3
3. Bihis 14. Iba 25. Poblacion 4
4. Bolbok 15. Ilog 26. Poblacion 5
5. Buli 16. Imamawo 27. Poblacion 6
6. Butong 17. Ipil 28. Poblacion 7
7. Carasuche 18. Luntal 29. Poblacion 8
8. Cawit 19. Mahabang Lodlod 30. Poblacion 9
9. Caysasay 20. Niogan 31. Poblacion 10
10. Cubamba 21. Pansol 32. Poblacion 11
11. Cultihan 22. Poblacion 1 33. Poblacion 12
 34. Poblacion 13 37. Seiran 40. Tierra Alta
35. Poblacion 14 38. Laguile 41. Tulo
36. Pook 39. Latag 42. Tatlong Maria

The elected officials of the local government unit, whose term of office will be from
June 30, 2013 to June 30, 2016, are as follows:

Municipal Mayor: Hon. Michael D. Montenegro

Municipal Vice Mayor: Hon. Fulgencio I. Mercado

Hon. Edward E. Alvarez

Hon. Randy V. Baleros
Hon. Rafael Cuento
Hon. Ronnel M. Dawis
Municipal Councilors:
Hon. Federico B. Legaspi
Hon. June C. Manimtim
Hon. Emerson B. Reyes
Hon. Ricky B. Villanueva

Association of Barangay
Hon. Teresita D. Noble
Councils (ABC) President: