Culture and Heritage

Exploring the Cultural Heritage of San Juan, Batangas

San Juan, Batangas, boasts picturesque and pristine beaches that attract tourists to visit the town year-round to experience its natural beauty and exciting activities. The town’s beautiful beaches are well-known for their crystal-clear waters, numerous water sports activities, and comfortable beachfront accommodations that offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape. 

There are also nature parks and reserves in San Juan, such as the Mangrove Forest in Brgy. Pinagbayan & Poctol and mountain adventure activities offer various activities such as trekking, bird watching, and camping. These nature parks are perfect escapes for visitors who want to experience the lush beauty of the town’s flora and fauna. Aside from its natural wonders, San Juan, Batangas has a rich cultural heritage reflecting the town’s history, traditions, and customs. The town’s cultural heritage is deeply ingrained in the lives of its people, with many of their practices and beliefs passed down from generation to generation. 

The Municipality of San Juan (previously known as San Juan de Bolboc) is a first-class municipality of Batangas, Philippines. It is located on the eastern coast of Batangas, facing Tayabas Bay. The town has both an agricultural and fishing economy with a particular focus on coconut & pottery production. Originally, San Juan de Bolboc was a barrio of Pueblo of Rosario. The administration was assigned tenientes or deputies’ rulers of the village with 17 barrios that paid tributes to the Spanish government starting in 1837, that record indicates. It developed its status, was soon recognized as a separate municipality in 1843, and officially became independent in 1848.   

San Juan is a melting pot of different cultures and traditions. One of the most important cultural landmarks in San Juan Batangas is the Pinagbayanan Ruins. This site is once the fatherland of San Juan. In 1843, previously called San Juan de Bocboc, whose ruins are still present today, the church named after the town’s patron saint, Saint John Nepomucene, with the municipal hall was constructed on this site. The church was mostly made of raw materials such as bamboo and palm and was refurbished into a stone church under Father Damaso Mojica in 1855. As stated in original Spanish documents, due to persistent flooding starting from 1883 that washed off the site leaving only ruins, the town was transferred to its present location under Fr. Celestino Yoldi. In 1957 and 1995, renovations were done to preserve the architectural design; the facade and the bell tower that was appended to the building between 1928 and 1935 were left as they were. As an acknowledged “National Historical Site” by the National Historical Institute, the Pinagbayanan Ruins with San Juan Nepomuceno Parish Church and Municipal of San Juan, Batangas, is listed as Historical Markers in the Philippines. 

Agriculture is essential to San Juan’s heritage since it is known for its coconut and pottery production. In honor of this tradition, San Juan celebrates the vibrant Lambayok Festival. The deeply rooted cultural heritage celebrates creativity, ingenuity, and the hard work of the people of San Juan, Batangas. Lambayok is the acronym for Lambanog (Coconut Wine), Palayok (Clay Pot), and Karagatan (Sea) – the three (3) significant products that contributed much to the economic growth of San Juan. This annual celebration coincides with the foundation day of San Juan, Batangas, held every December 12. This festival is celebrated with lively street dancing, colorful parades, and exciting festivities. Another important event in the municipality is the cultural and religious celebration of the Feast of San Juan Nepomuceno in honor town’s patron saint. The celebration’s highlight involves a procession of decorated boats that carries the saint’s image around the town’s coastline. This annual event takes place every May 16, one of the most anticipated festivals in the municipality. 

San Juan also has a rich culinary heritage that features some of the town’s most famous dishes, such as Goto, Lomi, Kakanin (Sticky Rice Cakes), and Adobo. These dishes are a testament to the town’s culinary traditions and a symbol of San Juan’s creativity and resourcefulness in using local ingredients. These full of rich cultural and religious traditions and landmarks are integral to San Juan’s identity and heritage. With careful preservation and promotion, the town continues to thrive while staying true to its roots and heritage and can continue to celebrate its cultural identity for generations to come. Overall, the Municipality of San Juan in Batangas is a perfect destination for travelers who want to experience the best of both worlds – stunning natural scenery and rich cultural heritage. 

Cultural and Heritage Landmarks of San Juan, Batangas 

PINAGBAYANAN RUINS 

The Barangay Pinagbayan was the former town proper of San Juan, Batangas, during the Early Spanish Colonies in 1848. Following the design of the Early Spanish Colonies, Pinagbayanan once had a church and a municipal hall, whose ruins are still present today; the old church is acknowledge as a National Historic Site by the National Historic Institute.


In 1890, the town of San Juan was relocated 7 kilometers inland due to flooding. The are they left behind was called Pinagbayanan.

PUTING KRUS

A historic white cross and place located in Brgy. Escribano, San Juan, Bathngas near Brgy. Libato boundary. A perfect place to visit during holy week and an excellent place for mountain climbers. This is an underveloped area where most of the residents of Escribano and other nearby locations in San Juan visit this place for its quiet environment. Visitors may also enjoy its panoramic view as they can view the Poblacion area and Mount Makiling from above.

OLD MUNICIPAL

The Municipal Building is located along General Luna Street. It is a two storey edifice that stands majestically on approximately 10,000 square meters more or less. It has a wide lawn along its front yard and in both sides of the building. These vacant spaces serves as a parking lots for vehicles. Its construction was initiated by Don Juan Quizon, the 9th President of the Municipality, during his incumbency from 1919 to 1922. It is to be mentioned that the word “President” is synonymous to the word/title Mayor in its literal sense.The building was established as the center of the municipal’s political affairs or government, the official seat of the head of the town where he exercises his powers for the benefit and welfare of his government. It is common knowledge that during the Japanese Era, from 1940 to 1942, the building served as prison cells for the enemies of the Japanese. In 1928, It was claimed that the completion of the Municipal Building as a component structure was when Don Juan Quizon was re-elected as the 11th President of the Municipality. A historical marker posted at the rear entrance of the building is an authentic attestation on it.

SAN JUAN NEPOMUCENO CHURCH

The San Juan Nepomuceno Church, standing on Padre Burgos Street, traces its origins to San Juan de Bolboc, which separated from Rosario, Batangas, in 1874 due to flooding in its original location. The present church, inaugurated on January 24, 1894, has undergone renovations, with support from affluent families and parishioners, and was dedicated in 1996 by the National Historical Commission. A legend tells of St. John Nepomucene’s image being found in a bubbling spring, which stopped bubbling when the icon was retrieved, while wartime stories recall divine interventions, including an attempt by Japanese soldiers to burn the church, which miraculously failed. Captain Takano, a Japanese officer, reportedly saw the saint walking through their camp and later became a regular churchgoer, convinced of the saint’s presence.

THE BENITO MARASIGAN RUINS

The ancestral home of Don Benito M. Marasigan and Doña Soledad Villapondo-Marasigan was a grand two-story European-style mansion. With its distinctive brick roofing and Spanish tile-painted façade in red and flesh tones, the house stood as a striking landmark in San Juan, Batangas. Nestled on a sprawling 30,000-square-meter residential lot, the property extended southward, where the Marasigan family later established the Bolbok Rural Bank, Inc., the oldest bank in San Juan, after World War II.

THE MARALIT HOUSE

The Maralit House, also known as House of the Señor, is a hundred and sixty-seven (67) years old. One of the two houses left standing was transferred to the present población from seaside Pinagbayanan, the old site of the original town proper of the San Juan. The transfer was made during the 1880’s. 

The Maralit House hosts the chapel of Mahal na Señor, the statue of El Señor or JesusChrist was found in a shipwreck off Tayabas Bay. This modest chapel, which houses the icon, is open on Fridays. Devotees believe that El Señor answers their prayers. During a dry spell, the icon is paraded to invoke rain. Beside the chapel of Mahal na Señor is the

famous Liloy’s Restaurant in the area.

CUSTODIO MARASIGAN ONA AND MRS. LOURDES

MARASIGAN ONA RESIDENCE


The two-storey mansion was inspired by Neo-European architecture, which stands majestically along Rizal Street and is painted white on the renovated ancestral house of the late Don Emilio Trivino and Doña Corazon Trivino.


It was believed to have been constructed in the 1930’s when Doña Corazon was widowed by her first husband, Don Emilio. She remarried Mr. Catalino Baustista, a former Treasurer of San Juan. For an unknown reason, the property belonged to the former Mayor of San Juan, Marasigan Lecaroz, in 1970. During the Japanese Regime, Mr. Vicente Regime, Mr. Vicente M. Lecaroz, popularly known as “Mayor Alapaap”, had it renovated and became its residence.

ANG MUSEO NI SAN JUAN

NEPOMUCENO

This San Juan Museum was inaugurated on October 2, 2015. It is located on the second floor of the parish convent built in 1984 by Recollect Father Celestino Yoldi.

It also lodges a collection of old church artifacts, epispocal paraphernalia, ecclesiastical vestments (chasubles, stoles, etc.), altar silver utensils ( censer & boat, chalices, altar candlesticks, etc.), altar balusters, nails used in the building of the old convent as well as benches and bars, and photographs of Saints ( St. Mary Magdalene, St. Veronica, St. Martha,St. Salome, St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist, etc.), as well as statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Virgin of Sorrows, the Pieta, Christ Entry into Jerusalem, the Crowning of Thorns and the Risen Christ.

MERCADO'S ANCESTRAL HOUSE

The Mercado House, built in 1936 during American colonization, was owned by Aguedo Mercado and his wife, Pilar, and became a favored place for Japanese officials during World War II; it featured a mix of Neo-classical and Art Nouveau styles, with floral decorations, Corinthian and Ionic columns, curving grillwork, and 98% French furniture. Elevated for air circulation and storage, the house had hardwood interiors, Machuka tiles, a white plastered cement exterior, and a "Tejas" roof, which was renovated in 1998.

FORMER APOLONIO  V. MARASIGAN HOUSE (CAFEÑO)

The Former Apolonio V. Marasigan is a heritage house that can be photographed only from the outside. It shows its owner Congressman Apolonio “Ka Poli” Marasigan’s mid-century lifestyle and his wife, Araceli or Celi. The balcony served aas the coffee place of Ka Poli, overlooking the street, garden and his gasoline station. The silong or basement is now an art gallery called A Gallery which promotes local artists.


DON LEON Q. MERCADO’S ANCESTRAL HOUSE

Don Leon Q. Mercado, who is popularly known as “Kapitan Leon” or the “Katipunero of San Juan” among the San Juaneses, married Emiliana Nitro Sales.

Their ancestral house depicts the European Colonial architecture majestically reflecting the personality and character of the family’s patriarch, Kapitan Leon. The house has been renovated, white-washed on subdued pink, and a newly installed enclosure of framed iron bars painted black.

DON EUSEBIO ANCESTRAL HOUSE

The Ancestral House of Don Eusebio and Doña Soledad Lopez, built in the 1930s, is a grand two-story mansion on Mojica and De Villa Street, featuring five large bedrooms and a 1,500-square-meter lawn with ornamental plants. Known for its elegance, it was lavishly decorated for grand social gatherings, with imported drapes, carpets, and intricately carved narra furniture, creating a palatial atmosphere.

Don Eusebio, or Ka Eboy, was a brilliant lawyer, a delegate to the Malolos Convention, and later a Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeals in the 1960s. Today, the house belongs to their youngest son, architect Jose L. Lopez, who converted it into the Lopez Museum, preserving Don Eusebio’s writings and memorabilia for future generations.

TRIVIÑO ANCESTRAL HOUSE

This house belongs to Augusto “Boy” Salud, son of Jose De Villa Salud and Soccorro Quizon. It is built by Julio Salud and Pia De Villa. Julio Salud, son of Luciano T. Perez and Fidel Salud. Luciana T. Perez, the third child of Don Camilo Perez and Petra Triviño. Pia De Villa is the daughter of Baltazar De Villa and Severin delos Santos. Baltazar De Villa is the son of Jose De Villa, the Gobernadorcillo of San Jose, Batangas in 1841. Paula Mercardo is one of the first migrants of San Juan from San Jose, Batangas.


FESTIVAL , PRODUCTS AND DELICACIES TOURISM

LAMBAYOK FESTIVAL

Agriculture is essential to San Juan’s heritage since it is known for its coconut and pottery production. In honour of this tradition, San Juan celebrates the vibrant Lambayok Festival. The deeply rooted cultural heritage celebrates creativity, ingenuity, and the hard work of the people of San Juan, Batangas. Lambayok is the acronym for Lambanog (Coconut Wine), Palayok (Clay Pot) and Karagatan (Sea) – the three (3) significant products that contributed much to the economic growth of San Juan. This annual celebration coincides with the foundation day of San Juan, Batangas, held every 12th of December. This festival is celebrated with lively street dancing, colourful parades, and exciting festivities.


FLUVIAL PARADE

Celebrating the feast of Saint John Nepomucene  with a vibrant fluvial parade. 

A fluvial parade is a ceremonial water-based procession featuring boats adorned with decorations, often carrying religious icons, community leaders, or participants. It is commonly held during festivals or religious celebrations to honor a patron saint or significant cultural event. The parade takes place along rivers, lakes, or coastal waters, accompanied by prayers, music, and festive activities. This tradition symbolizes faith, unity, and the maritime heritage of a community.

PANUTSA

LAMBANOG

KAPENG BARAKO

POTTERY

NATURE PARKS

MANGROVE FOREST (BAKAWAN)

WATER SPORTS

SCUBA DIVING

BIRD WATCHING