San Juan, Batangas

San Juan
Municipality

Gen. Luna Street, the town proper's main thoroughfare

Seal
Nickname(s): Bolbok
Motto: San Juan ang bayan ko, Mahal ko ito!

Map of Batangas showing the location of San Juan
San Juan

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 13°50′N 121°24′E / 13.833°N 121.400°E / 13.833; 121.400Coordinates: 13°50′N 121°24′E / 13.833°N 121.400°E / 13.833; 121.400
Country Philippines
Region CALABARZON (Region IV-A)
Province Batangas
District 4th District
Founded December 12, 1848
Barangays 42
Government[1]
 • Mayor Rodolfo H. Manalo (Liberal Party)
Area[2]
 • Total 273.40 km2 (105.56 sq mi)
Population (1 May 2010)[3]
 • Total 94,291
 • Density 340/km2 (890/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 4226
Dialing code +63 (0)43
Income class 1st class; partly urban
Website www.sanjuanbatangas.gov.ph

San Juan is a first class municipality on the Philippines in the province of Batangas. It is 43 kilometres (27 mi) east of Batangas City, also the same distance south-west of Lucena City, the capital of Quezon Province, and 115 kilometres (71 mi) south of Manila. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 94,291.[3]

Considered today as the second largest municipality (land area) in Batangas, San Juan is located at the easternmost part of Batangas province. North of San Juan is the neighboring town of Candelaria, Quezon, with Malaking River defining its geographical boundary. Tayabas Bay lies east and the hills on the eastern portion separate it from the towns of Lobo and Rosario.

History

San Juan Nepomuceno Church

Located at the south-eastern tip of the province of Batangas, San Juan is approximately 120 kilometers from Metro Manila and 43 kilometers from the provincial capital of Batangas City. It is accessible by land transportation from National Roads coming from the West (through Lipa City and the town of Rosario), and from the East (through the Quezon route). San Juan is bounded on the North by the Quezon towns of Candelaria and Tiaong with the Malaking Ilog river defining the geographical boundary between Batangas and Quezon; on the South by the Verde Island Passage; on the East by the Quezon town of Sariaya and by Tayabas Bay; and on the West by the mountain ranges of the Batangas towns of Rosario and Lobo.

San Juan has a total land area of about 29,500 hectares. As of Year 2000 Census, the town has a population of 78,169. It has 42 barangays including the town center which is the Poblacion. North of the Poblacion along the Malaking Ilog River that divides Batangas and Quezon are the Barangays of Muzon; Palahanan I; Palahanan 2; Sico I; Sico 2; Janao-janao; Calicanto; Maraykit; Lipahan and Tipaz. The other Barangays are all south of the Poblacion. Those that abut Batangas towns (Rosario, Taysan and Lobo) to the West are Libato; Sapangan; Quipot; Pulang Bato; Bulsa; Laiya Aplaya and Hugom. The Barangays with a coast fronting Tayabas Bay are Poctol; Catmon; Pinagbayanan; Ticalan; Putting Buhangin; Abung; Calubcub I; Calubcub II; Subukin; Nagsaulay; Bataan; Imelda; Barualte; Laiya Ibabaw; Laiya Aplaya and Hugom. The Laiya and Hugom white sand beaches nearer to the Verde Island Passage contain San Juan’s more popular resorts today. The interior Barangays southwards of the National Road are Barangays Poblacion and Calitcalit (that actually straddle the National Road); Mabalanoy, Palingowak; Talahiban I; Talahiban II; Balagbag; Escribano; Sampiro; Buhay na Sapa and Coloconto.

San Juan is predominantly an agricultural economy with about 72% of its total land area devoted to agriculture. In the province of Batangas, San Juan has the largest area planted to rice and coconuts. It has one of the longest shorelines in the country with areas in Barangays Hugom, Laiya Aplaya, Laiya Ibabao, Imelda and Barualte designated by the Department of Tourism as areas for coastal resort development under the CALABARZON master plan scheme. Except for natural coral reefs near parts of the coast that have been classified as protected sanctuary by DENR, all other coastal areas from a portion of Barangay Barualte down to Barangay Catmon are suitable for aqua-culture industry or farming.

The village between two rivers

Based on the Mapa de las Yslas Filipinas (1744) by P. Murillo Velarde, San Juan lies southeast of the parish of Rosailo (or Rosario) and was originally a coastal village. The origin of early people in San Juan is unclear although in 1979, 16th century burial urns discovered in Barangay Calubcub of San Juan were authenticated by the National Museum. This finding reinforces the thinking² that Batangueños are descendants of ancient Malays who sailed from Borneo to Panay Island and from there went on to Taal Lake. Correspondingly, if indeed pre-Hispanic Bornean explorers launched their boats from Panay Island to reach Taal in Luzon, San Juan’s coast to the East (instead of West to Taal) might have been an alternative for some to explore as well. The recorded detailed history of San Juan unfortunately only starts in the early 1800s thus for much of the historical data in this study, a chronology of 19th Century town affairs described in the Aklat ng San Juan³ is liberally quoted.

In the Aklat I, it is said that San Juan possessed three attributes as a territory. Firstly, San Juan had two rivers that is the source of irrigation for its fertile fields. Crops were so abundant then that it led to the description that “masaganang-masagana ang balatong, sitaw, kakawate at kawayang inaabot bukbukin” (loosely, this translates to: so plentiful were the produce that even hardy useful mangrove trees and bamboos were not harvested and just left to deteriorate in dry rot). Bukbukin is the vernacular for ‘subject to dry rot’ and which may have given San Juan its archaic name of Bocboc. Secondly, San Juan had a friendly coast that was ideal for docking boats. Thirdly, the town territory was vast and unsettled, perceived as comparatively insulated from typhoons and earthquakes which attracted early settlers who were educated, experienced and of means.

For a long time from 1698 to 1836, San Juan was a barrio (or nayon) of Rosario. Records starting in 1837 indicate that the government then of San Juan had Tinientes (deputies) who served out their one to two-year term as administrative leaders of the place. When the village was recognized as a separate municipality in 1843, however, Cabezas de Barangay (one for each new barrio) replaced the position of Tinientes. Probably due to administrative considerations,the independence of San Juan from Rosario became official only later in 1848 when the Spanish administration gave the town its name of San Juan de Bocboc⁴. By 1864, the town progressed enough to be headed by Gubernadorcillos. The first Gubernadorcillo was Don Camilo Perez, a prominent citizen of the town who even earlier on was credited with helping detach San Juan from Rosario. With this role, and considering his later contribution to public works and his efforts in maintaining peace and order in the town, Don Camilo Perez was recognized as the founder of the town.

The Relocation

Rivers of San Juan

The two major rivers of San Juan are the Malaking Ilog and the Lawaye rivers. “Malaking Ilog has the largest watershed area among the rivers of Batangas. It drains an area of about eight hundred twenty (820) square kilometers that includes most of Malepunyo Volcano, two-thirds of San Cristobal Volcano and the south-west quadrant of Banahaw Volcano. Because of its extensive watershed, the lower reaches of Malaking Ilog are prone to flooding and flash floods which early settlers might have experienced perennially.” (Raymundo Punongbayan, Batangas Forged in Fire. P.7). Punongbayan further describes the other river as the smaller river “whose watershed is about one hundred (100) square kilometers”. According to the map in Fedor Jagor’s book Reisen in den Philippinen (1873), San Juan was once termed as plain Nayon. Nayon (as in Nayon ng Rosario), is another term for barrio and might have been given to San Juan in the absence of a name for the area at that time. In another book Dictionario Geografico Estadistico Historico de las Islas Filipinas 1850 (p. 361), Fray Manuel Buzeta wrote: “to the east, the Malaquing Ilog of Rosario discharges on the sands of the Nayon that also receives the outfall of Lawaye river”. The significance of this description of the rivers is that indeed the outfall catchment of the Malaking Ilog and the Lawaye rivers includes, if not is, the coastal flood plains of old San Juan. On October 28, 1883, San Juan experienced a catastrophe due to continuous high winds and storm rain. “Water in the town rose to a height of three meters; houses were destroyed, livestock drowned and planted crops were washed away.”

The Floods and the Flight

From the chronicles of Aklat I, there was a description of old San Juan: “the Town is located on the banks of Tayabas Look near Rio Grande. The Bancoro Creek is right beside the village which is surrounded by a moat where the cemetery is on the other side. Only six families have stone houses with metal roof. Others were made of wood, nipa and bamboo. There were small stores, a boat dock and the past time was drinking lambanog.” Based on this description and the traces of the old town layout in what is now Barangay Pinagbayanan (including the partly buried church), an image of San Juan then as a typical one street village located some distance away from the Malaking Ilog and the sea is easy to imagine. The town’s margin to the sea is clearly the low lying flood plain that justifies this margin’s traditional role as natural rice lands and fish ponds. This was the setting in San Juan at the time of the big flood that left the town in ruins. “By 1886, the floods which had menaced the town had become worse and the parish priest had erected a provisional church and convento in a site seven kilometers further inland called Calitcalit.” (Regalado Trota Jose, Batangas Forged in Fire. P.109). Following this lead, the parishioners also moved their residence to Calitcalit where according to the research of Regalado Trota Jose, “it remained the task of Fray Celestino Yoldi, who took over as parish priest in 1892 to definitely resettle the town. Fray Yoldi had arranged for the swap of the old church site in what is now known as Pinagbayanan with the new site in Calitcalit. Fray Yoldi was responsible for the construction of the present church, convento, and schools; he also helped prepare the street plan”.

Life in Bagumbayan

In agreement with the thinking of parish authorities, the town officials initiated the petition for the transfer of the lumang bayan upstream to a new site on January 18, 1886. On December 12, 1890 the bagong bayan or new town location in Calitcalit was formally approved by the Government. Two years later by 1893, the Maura Law was passed and all the town heads under the new set up were formally designated and given the title of Capitan Municipal. Four Tinientes (deputies) would make up the Tribuna Municipal or Municipal Council. Given all the events and reorganization that was going through in that period, the agricultural economy of the town thrived and where among other produce and markets, it was said to be “producing sugar for Mindoro and Tayabas.” In line with the agricultural trend in the region, San Juan hacienderos eventually shifted away from sugar cane and heavily invested in coconut plantations going into the 1900s. “The first decades of the 20th century brought prosperity (to the town). The French opened coconut mills in Manila in the 1890s which started to export copra to France. The industry grew such that by the 1920s and 1930s, many of the town’s landed families began building the large houses that line the San Juan streets today.”[4]

War years

The Katipuneros of San Juan

Despite the town’s affluence under the existing Spanish order, the last decades of the 19th Century was also the age of enlightenment and nationalism. Patriotic leading citizens of the town took Batangas bravado to task and heeded the call for revolution by Filipino leaders. Overnight, gentlemen farmers whose families were in the process of moving to the bagong bayan site turned into military officers. They represented the town in the Katipunero (rebel militia) cause and used their plantations in the rural area to assemble and quarter their troops. In August 26, 1896, the San Juan Katipuneros were organized under General Miguel Malvar to participate in the revolution against the Spanish government. The militia had hardly mobilized against the Spaniards when the war effort shifted: they now faced a front against American colonialist invaders who wrested the Philippines from waning Spanish rule at the turn of the century. During those turbulent years, the San Juan government came to be under town leaders who were appointed by consensus and whose main task was to bring order and system to a chaotic situation.

American occupation

Led by General Malvar, Batangueños readily joined the Katipunan inspired by the organization’s idealism in the uprising against a faltering Spanish administration. The Batangas provincial militia thus refused to readily give up the cause to the Aves de Rapina (in reference to the Eagle symbol of the American invading forces). “The Filipino Generals who resisted - Miguel Malvar of Sto. Tomas, Nicolas Gonzales of Tanauan and Braulio de Villa of San Juan - were great men. It was in Calamba where the great battle was fought to prevent the Americans from entering Batangas province”. “Among the other towns in the province of Batangas, San Juan fought harder against the Americans that it necessitated an order from Gen. Franklin Bell to activate the repressive zona system in the town. This caused hardship to San Juan where perhaps in the whole Tagalog region, San Juan lost the most number of people (from disease, if not from battle wounds).” (Aklat II, p. 5). In an account of the Philippine–American War obtained from the Internet⁵, it was written that “one (zona) camp 2 miles wide by one mile long housed 8,000 Filipinos and sometimes over 200 were confined to one building. In camps in Lobo and San Juan, over 20% of the population died.” The 1903 census declared mortality rates in Batangas Province as follows:

Town Population Mortality
San Juan 11,853 3,276
Taal 17,525 1,971
San Jose 8,996 1,061
Rosario 8,326 864
Lobo 5,781 805

Despite the gallant stand of the Batangueños, the American military machine was formidable. On February 4, 1900, the Americans took over the town government of San Juan, the easternmost town of the province. In describing the stubborn and ill-fated resistance of Batangueños against the American army, American observer Claude E. Sawyer disparagingly wrote in his journal: They are little; they all fight; they are all Christians, devout fanatical Roman Catholics - everybody from the cradle to the grave.” (Aklat II, p.5).

On February 2, 1902, the areas of Batangas (including San Juan) that was under military rule were demilitarized by the Americans and on April 2, 1902 General Miguel Malvar (General Emilio Aguinaldo’s military officer for the province of Batangas) finally surrendered to the Americans. In 1935, the Philippine Commonwealth was established under the Tydings- McDuffie Act where among other changes, the title of town executive was changed from Presidente Municipal to Municipal Mayor – the American title for town executive that we use up to today.

Second World War

From 1941 to 1944, the town experienced another occupation. Second World War was underway and the Japanese military had taken over the country. When the American military presence was pulled out of Batangas (to fortify the ongoing Bataan resistance then), “the first Japanese soldiers began occupying the towns of Batangas. Militarily, Batangas was important to the Japanese because of its controlling position over the Verde Island Passage, its economic potential and airfields. Thus, the number of occupation troops (there) was relatively large.” (Ricardo Jose, Batangas Forged in Fire. p. 230). As Japanese forces were sent to places and defense fortifications were built, the same author cites that in response, “an anti-Japanese guerrilla resistance movement quickly came into existence.”

During the World War II, the commanders of Imperial Japanese Army were Captain Takano and Lt. Shirakawa. They were the officers who occupied San Juan until Takano was killed by Pancho Quizon, a guerilla soldier on April 1945.

Apart from many residents who were enlisted in the official army, San Juan’s contribution to the resistance was nationalistic locals who moved to the mountains to become area guerrilla leaders. “From October 1944 to May 1945, over twenty five thousand people were killed by the (retreating) Japanese. Particularly hard hit were Bauan, Cuenca, Lipa, Mataas na Kahoy, San Jose, Santo Tomas, Taal and Tanauan.” (Ricardo Jose, Batangas Forged in Fire, p. 236). San Juan was more fortunate this time. Despite the enemy edict to punish all those who had fought the Japanese, the town was spared from the infamous massacre and razing of towns in Batangas. Lore has it that the resourceful area guerillas dynamited a bridge in the night whereupon the enemy platoon designated to implement the massacre in San Juan plunged to their death in the dark as they made their way from Lipa to San Juan in a truck. Since the fortuitous event involved a ‘bridge’, the townspeople like to believe that it was the handiwork of their patron saint San Juan Nepomuceno. To the faithful, this saint was the ultimate confessor – a bridge between penitents and God – who was martyred a long time ago for his steadfastness in maintaining the seal of the confessional. [4]

Through a series of popularly known stories, anecdotes and reminiscenes handed down from generations to generations, it was believed that San Juan at the beginning was a small village which was an integral part of the town of Rosario. It was known as "Bolbok" because of the bubbling spring located in the old town.

As the village grew in population as well as in economic activities, it developed its own status and was soon recognized as a separate municipality in 1843 with its own seventeen (17) separate barrios that paid tribute to the Spanish government. San Juan de Bolboc, however, was not officially separated from its mother town, Rosario until 1848.

The original 17 barrios of San Juan were:

It was only in 1864 that additional barrios were carved out of the existing barrios.

The government of the town, for eight years, was entrusted to the appointed "tinientes" and their successors. These "tinientes" were:

St. John Nepomucene is the patron saint of San Juan, Batangas.

For a while, the town was also officially known as the San Juan de Bocboc for the simple reason that the Spaniards find it hard to pronounce "bolboc". And in later years, it became known as San Juan after its patron saint, San Juan Nepomuceno.

Formerly led by the "tinientes", the town was later headed by "gobernadorcillos". The first gobernadorcillo was Don Camilo Perez who, during his administration made all the efforts to have the town separated from Rosario and recognized as a separate municipality, thus he became known as the founder of the town. Don Camilo's administration was marked with many accomplishments in public works and in maintaining peace and order in the town.

On October 1883, the whole town was flooded and washed out by the strong current of water from the rivers, Rio Bancoro and Rio Grande. Schools and houses were completely destroyed while the convent and church were massively damaged. A majority of the residents transferred to Calitcalit, a barrio which was considered suitable to seat a new town by many residents. Don Camilo Perez initiated the petition for the transfer of the town to Calitcalit on January 18, 1886.

Life was not kind to the residents who were trying to eat a fresh start in a harsh and severe terrain. Locusts invaded their agricultural crops. Epidemic of intermittent fever broke out that killed members of families and friends and sapped their resources and strength. Bandits came from nowhere, looting and slaughtering. But our forefathers stayed on, creating reality out of their dreams until a new town came to be. All through these years, Don Camilo was there, a steady spirit motivating, challenging, provoking, until May 24, 1889. At 79, he bowed out to meet his creator.

One year and seven months, on December 12, 1890, the new town was formally approved. In 1893, the Maura Law was passed and all town was formally designated and given the title of Capitan Municipal" with four "tinientes" or deputies who made up the "tribuna municipal" of Municipal Council.

During the revolutions

In August 26, 1896, people of San Juan de Bolboc raised arms against the Spanish government. General Emilio Aguinaldo organized revolutionary forces in the town. Some of these leaders were Col. Mariano Castillo, Major Tomas Ruedas, Major Santos Lopez, Capt. Innocente Mercado, Captain Tomas Quijano, and Capt. Leon Mercado. There were other countless men and women, who fought beside them but remained nameless for there were just too many names. They fought the Spaniards and then the Americans for they believed in the cause, freedom from the tyranny of a foreign power.

General Emilio Aguinaldo organized the revolutionary forces of San Juan to fight the Spaniards.

During those turbulent years, the government under Simon Guevarra in 1886-1888, Don Angel Maralit in 1889 and Don Esteban de Villa in 1889-1900 was inexistent as these men tried to bring order and peace to a chaotic situation. On February 4, 1900, when the first Americans arrived in San Juan, Esteban de Villa brought the government to the mountains. It was not, however, clear in the documents when it was brought back to town.

The Americans tried to encircle certain areas with soldiers to isolate them from the rest of the town. Included in these areas was the town proper. They tried to maintain a status quo by making no radical changes in the system of government. They tried to foster better understanding and mutual cooperation through a "Commissionado de Paz" / "Peace Commission". The Commissionado de Paz of San Juan was headed by Señor Arsenio Guzman who was instrumental in bringing the San Juan patriots back from the mountains.

In 1900, an election was held "vice voice" orally and Don Esteban de Villa was elected. On February 22, 1902, the areas that were under the military rule were given freedom. On April 2, 1902, General Miguel Malvar, the last revolutionary Filipino surrendered. It was in 1905 that Don Gregorio De Villa was elected as municipal president by popular votes. 1906 saw the birth of political parties in San Juan and Don Benedicto de Villa, President of the Committee of the Independent Party, won the popular election. Term of office at that time was only for a year. The first two decades of the 20th century saw the infant town in San Juan eking out a place among the community of self-dependent municipalities from the debris of the one mighty Spanish colonial administration. The Tydings McDuffie Act of 1934 which established the Philippine Commonwealth also changed the title of the town executive from Presidente Municipal to Municipal Mayor, 1941-1944 were the war years. Guillermo de Villa, the town mayor, prevented Japanese atrocities in the town when he stood his ground against the many demands and threats of the Japanese government.

Once again the people of San Juan stood together to fight foreign domination. Guerrilla groups were organized. While guerrilla leaders like Dr. Emilio Bolaños and sons, Cesar and Victor, Fernando de Villa and Vicente Lecaroz went to the mountains, the town leaders like Mayor Guillermo de Villa, Arsenio Lopez, Vicente Castillo, Jose Salud, Ciriaco Coronel, among many others stayed in the town to be the eyes and ears who sent important information to the guerillas and to the Americans in Australia.

Shortly after the liberation of the town from the Japanese by the Americans, Mayor Guillermo de Villa voluntarily retired. Vicente Castillo was appointed mayor by the American military government and was formally elected mayor in 1950 and remained until 1955. He organized the Municipal Police Force into the famous Garrison which broke the backbone of criminality in the post-war years of San Juan.

Barangays

View of Tayabas Bay and the Lobo Mountain Range

San Juan is politically subdivided into 42 barangays:[2]

  • Abung
  • Balagbag
  • Bataan
  • Barualte
  • Buhaynasapa
  • Bulsa
  • Calicanto
  • Calitcalit
  • Calubcub I
  • Calubcub II
  • Catmon
  • Coloconto
  • Escribano
  • Hugom
  • Imelda
  • Janaojanao
  • Laiya Aplaya
  • Laiya Ibabao
  • Libato
  • Lipahan
  • Mabalanoy
  • Maraykit
  • Muzon
  • Nagsaulay
  • Palahanan I
  • Palahanan II
  • Palingowak
  • Pinagbayanan
  • Poblacion
  • Poctol
  • Pulangbato
  • Putingbuhangin
  • Quipot
  • Sampiro
  • Sapangan
  • Sico I
  • Sico II
  • Subukin
  • Talahiban I
  • Talahiban II
  • Ticalan
  • Tipaz

Laiya Aplaya

A barangay within the shores of Verde Island. This is where different white sand beach resorts are located and a famous tourist destination.

Palahanan II

This is where pottery is the primary industry. Several pottery stores are situated along the National Highway.

Pinagbayanan

This was usually the old name of San Juan. This is where the old ruins of San Juan Church and the site of the Pinagbayanan Excavation are located.

Poctol

This barangay is located at the north-eastern part of San Juan. It is bounded with the barangays of Tipas, Palingowak, Pinagbayanan, and Catmon. Poctol has a large mangrove area along a river. There are Siniguelas trees (Spondias purpurea) planted in Pontor, one of its sitios. These trees bear fruits during summer, and are being sold largely in Lucena City, Sta. Cruz, Laguna, and other neighboring towns of San Juan.

Calitcalit

It was a largest populated barangay of San Juan, Batangas while it is more than 6900 people. It is bounded with barangays of Lipahan, Palingowak, Poblacion, and Mabalanoy. It is the place of hospital in Calitcalit was San Juan Doctors Hospital.

Subukin

Located along the shorelines of Tayabas Bay. Where fish markets are located. This is where the Subukin Port is located.

Demographics

Population census of San Juan
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 67,741—    
1995 71,913+1.13%
2000 78,169+1.80%
2007 87,276+1.53%
2010 94,291+2.85%
Source: National Statistics Office[3]

Local government

San Juan Municipal Hall

Local officials were elected during the 2013 National and Local Elections and their term is set to expire on 2016.[1]

Barangay officials

Barangay Punong Barangay
Abung Romeo A. Manalo
Balagbag Rogelio M. Sanchez
Barualte Ruben A. Dala
Bataan Alex C. Robledo
Buhaynasapa Alex V. Salapare
Bulsa Regalado A. Luistro
Calicanto Nestor M. Barrion
Calitcalit Florencio M. De Chavez 1
Calubcub I Jose R. Salagubang
Calubcub II Victorino P. Espino, Sr.
Catmon June C. Perez
Coloconto Marcelino A. Manalo
Escribano Bernardo J. Sulit
Hugom Mario V. Sulit
Imelda San Juan P. Bico
Janaojanao Editha O. Sagaral
Laiya Aplaya Wivin R. Llana
Laiya Ibabao Wenilo G. Ada
Libato Melchor C. Burog
Lipahan Mario M. Magpantay
Mabalanoy Rolando R. Castillo
Maraykit Leon P. Atienza
Muzon Jaime P. Alas-as
Nagsaulay Pablito R. Rosales
Palahanan I Juanito A. Hernandez
Palahanan II Ernesto A. Carandang
Palingowak Alvin R. Quiñones
Pinagbayanan Richard C. Manjares
Poblacion Juanito I. Sayat
Poctol Ronel B. Sinag
Pulangbato Genaro Alfredo A. Cueto
Putingbuhangin Carmelita M. Cueto
Quipot Owen B. Manimtim
Sampiro Ricardo O. Badillo
Sapangan Quintin M. Hernandez
Sico I Benedicto D. Aguila
Sico II Ruel S. Maralit
Subukin Rodel C. Tatlonghari
Talahiban I Romeo D. Garcia
Talahiban II Merlita S. Mendoza
Ticalan Dorotea O. Dy
Tipaz Lordinio L. Mendoza

1 - Association of Barangay Captains President

List of former municipal mayors

Order Name Year in Office Achievement
1 Don Esteban de Villa 1900-1905; 1916-1919 Built the town's public market
2 Don Gregorio de Villa 1905-1906; 1913-1916 Constructed the town's elementary school (Gabaldon)
3 Don Benedicto de Villa 1906-1907 Pioneered the town's sugar industry that brought prosperity to the town
4 Don Raymundo Balinos 1907-1910 Encouraged the education of the town's people
4 Don Florencio Perez 1910-1913 Built a public cemetery for the poor and the non-Catholics
5 Don Juan R. Quizon 1919-1922; 1925-1928 Constructed the municipal building and acquired the site for the town plaza
6 Don Nicolas Virrey 1922-1925
7 Don Filemon Malabanan 1928-1934 Built the water reservoir and worked for the electrification of the town
8 Don Miguel Lopez 1934-1942 Instrumental in the building of San Juan East Central School
9 Hon. Guillermo de Villa 1942-1945 Maintained peaceful relationship with the Japanese government while working secretly with the guerillas
10 Hon. Vicente Castillo 1945; 1946-1955 Built the Lawaye River Dike, and organized the town's police force
11 Hon. Jose Garcia 1956-1963 Built the Sampiro-Quipot feeder road
12 Hon. Estelito Castillo 1964-1967 Repaired municipal building, implemented the minimum wage law, and managed to acquire fire trucks from the national government
13 Hon. Vicente Lecaroz 1968-1986

Built feeder roads and bridges; responsible for the construction of additional school buildings; he also eradicated cattle-rustling

14 Hon. Abelardo de Villa 1986-1998 Electrification of barrios; built new feeder roads, new bridges and cemented road to Laiya.
15 Hon. Rodolfo H. Manalo 1998-2007; 2010–present Constructed barangay roads; beautification of San Juan; Scholarships for the San Juaneño students; Built the new town's public market
16 Hon. Danilo S. Mindanao 2007-2010

Asphalting of roads; he envisioned the cityhood of San Juan

Official seal

Economy

San Juan is a first class municipality in the province of Batangas. According to the Local Government Performance Management System 2012 of the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Financial Profile of San Juan:

San Juan is a tourist destination in the province of Batangas for its world class white-sand beaches. The tourism and aquaculture industries provide jobs and earnings to the town's people and of course, income to the town economy.

Because of its large fertile land, the town with an agricultural economy making the municipality to be one of the top suppliers of agriculture products in the province.

The town has also a coconut wine and pottery industry which it is proud of.

Tourism

Laiya Beach.
A resort in Laiya

Education

Joseph Marello Institute, founded in 1947, and Batangas Eastern Colleges, founded in 1940, are private schools that have prided themselves in producing some of the town's more successful natives.

San Juan has also a campus of Batangas State University located at Barangay Talahiban II.

Almost all barangays have their own elementary and high schools, where tuition fees are relatively low.

Despite improvements of the town's education system, parents of some students from well-off families send their children to Metro Manila for college.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 "Official City/Municipal 2013 Election Results". Intramuros, Manila, Philippines: Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 11 September 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Province: BATANGAS". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 http://minerdescent.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/3-san-juan-batangas-leon-mayo-paper.pdf/
  5. ↑ http://www.blgs.gov.ph

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