San Jose is a rural, agricultural municipality between Lipa and Batangas City, in Batangas.
Understand
San Jose lies between the province's two largest cities, Batangas City and Lipa. It a common stopover for travellers on the Jose P. Laurel Highway, the major route between those locations until the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway) bypassed it. The town has many poultry farms, producing most eggs and chickens sold in Manila, so it is nicknamed the "Egg Basket of the Philippines".
The municipality used to be part of a larger municipality of Bauan, today a suburb of Batangas City. San Jose was created in 1765 as the town of San José de Malaquing Tubig, since shortened into the present name. It is named after Saint Joseph the Patriarch, its patron.
Get in
By jeepney
San Jose is served by the BN-02 jeepney route between Batangas City and Lipa. It costs around from Batangas City bus terminal, and from Lipa.
By bus
Frequent provincial bus services ply the highway, and they make the usual stop near the intersection at Taysan, but is hardly possible from Batangas City. A bus ticket on standard air-conditioned costs from Pasay (1 hr, 30 min), from Cubao (1 hr, 45 min), from Alabang (1 hr, 15 min), and (45 min) from Calamba.
By car
The town lies along the highway between Lipa and Batangas City, locally called National Highway (Route 4), which bypasses the town proper to the east
STAR Tollway does not directly serve San Jose, but you can either exit at Lipa Exit or Ibaan Exit. Travel through Lipa Exit is far the most suggested, as the route via Ibaan Exit runs through forest, not best to travel through at night.
By train
Train service ended around the 1960s, but is proposed to be restored by the 2020s once the line between Calamba and Batangas City is rebuilt.
Get around
Tricycles are the common transport mode through the town and surrounding area composing the larger municipality; most corners of town are reachable by tricycle.
See
- Giant egg marker, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Banaybanay 1 (Near San Jose District Hospital), 13.8867825°, 121.1046077°. Welcome monument showcasing the town's egg production industry. 2018-12-07
- Saint Joseph the Patriarch Church, 13.87998°, 121.10414°. Baroque-styled church in the middle of town, dedicated to its patron saint and forming the Spanish-era Poblacion. 2018-12-07
Do
The town is not much frequently visited, but if you want to see the local economy, you can arrange visits to many egg and poultry farms around the rural areas of the town.
San Jose holds a local festival in April 25, dedicated to the town's founding and its patron saint, St. Joseph the Patriarch (San Jose Patriarca).
Buy
Eat
- Lando and Lorie's Banay-banay Eatery, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Banay-banay 2.0, 13.92005°, 121.10623°, +63 43 757-1252. Popular roadside eatery serving inexpensive lutong bahay. From ₱75 2018-12-07
- Sarap Ala-eh!, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Palanca, 13.8758340°, 121.0991099°, +63 947 339-3865. 24/7. Cheap Batangueño dishes, such as lomi and crispy pata, as well as cultural experience through Batangas Tagalog words. 2018-12-07
- Corcolon Lomi House, Pinagtung-ulan, 13.9146524°, 121.0841663°, +63 995 642-1584. 6AM-8PM. Inland food destination visited for its cheap bowl of lomi. From ₱75 2018-12-07
Drink
Sleep
- Valentino's Resort and Spa, Pinagtung-ulan, 13.9203894°, 121.0817677°. Mediterranean-themed resort not far from Mount Maculot. 2018-12-07
- Villa Rozaida Events and Resort, Jose P. Laurel Highway, Aguila. From 2019-07-11
Connect
Go next
Cuenca just lies to the northwest; you can arrange treks to Mount Maculot, which provides wide views of the province. Tricycles can bring you to town.