Memories: Ala Eh Festival

Who would forget the most celebrated festival in Batangas during the time when Congresswoman Vilma Santos-Recto was the Governor of Batangas?

Ala Eh Festival with tagline "All Here... So Near" was considered as the mother of all festivals in Batangas. It was no doubt the most grandiose festival in Batangas celebrated every first week of December along with Batangas Foundation Day. The festival was being participated by 32 municipalities and 3 cities of Batangas and every year a city or municipality was being chosen to host the event.

Lipa City hosted the event in 2010 followed by Calaca, Tanauan, Batangas City, Sto Tomas etc until it was discontinued by the current provincial administration.

During the week long festival, cities and municipalities were participating and competing in different activities like street dancing, "parol" making, trade fair, beauty pageant, and more highlighting the culture, tradition, and local festival of each towns in Batangas.

Free Tablets for Senior High Students

Mayor Eric Africa personally handed the free tablets for Senior High students in public schools of Lipa. First batch of tablets was given to Integrated National Highschools of San Celestino, San Isidro, Lodlod and Bolbok. Twelve more public schools will be visited until Saturday for distribution.

Few days ago, more than 2,000 free laptops were distributed to public school teachers of Lipa. These projects are the city's assistance for advancement of teachers and students in public schools given the current set up in Philippine schooling.

Photos: Roldan Laygo of BINHS

Free Laptops for Public School Teachers of Lipa

A priority project of Mayor Eric Africa in coordination with Department of Education, laptops were recently distributed for free by the city government to public school teachers of Lipa City.

Not only the teachers will receive the unit but it has been bundled with Maximum Security care of Rotary Club of Lipa West headed by Gina Sy to sustain the project.

The project will serve as advancement for public school teachers on the current set up of Philippine schooling due to pandemic.

Taal Volcano Alert Tracker

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or PHIVOLCS-DOST has reminded that Taal Volcano is still under Alert Level 1 since March 19 of the current year.

It can be recalled that Taal volcano has escalated to Alert Level 4 last Jan 12 and eventually lowered back to level 1 after more than 2 months.

Alert Level 1 is interpreted to have low level volcanic unrest and no eruption imminent. Activity of volcano maybe hydrothermal, magmatic or tectonic in origin.

PHIVOLCS-DOST is monitoring the activities of all active volcanoes in the country 24/7.

source: PHIVOLCS-DOST

New Attraction soon at Community Park

Playpoint Philippines Inc released in their FB page a design of fresh themed Playground and Outdoor Gym for Community Park. It will feature a “Giant Stallion” which is a common icon of Lipa for having good horses in the city aside from lomi and kapeng barako.

Project is headed by Councilor Nicole Ronquillo, Chairwoman on Committee on Beautification in partnership with Senator Ralph G. Recto, Congresswoman Vilma Santos Recto, Mayor Eric Africa and the Sangguniang Panglungsod headed by Vice Mayor Makmak Luansing.

The new attraction is soon to be enjoyed and photographed before end of this year.

credit: Playpoint Philippines Inc

Lipa City's Inauguration Day

Lipa celebrated its inauguration as the first City of Batangas province last August 31 1948. The celebration came late after Lipa became a chartered City on June 20 1947.

This should not be confused with Foundation of Lipa which was when the Augustinian Fathers made Tagbakin the first settlement of the Lipeños and a mission center with the name of San Sebastian, perhaps after the installed Patron Saint, which continued to the present. The settlement was made a regular municipality in 1702 (according to Lipa written history).

It is not correct to use Foundation Day on June 20 instead Inauguration or Charter Day should be used.

photo: Lipa City Tourism

Lipa reached 2B Revenue in 2019

According to Commission on Audit or COA published 2019 Annual Audit Reports, Lipa City's revenue increased by more than 203M from 2018 which pulled up its 2019 revenue to 2.12B pesos from local taxes, permits and licenses, services and business income, and internal revenue allotment. City's Asset has increased to almost 5B pesos while Liabilities is also up to more than 1.5B.

Lipa City ranked #9 in CALABARZON for 2018 with highest revenue out of 19 cities. Ranking for 2019 is not yet definite due to reports yet to be posted for the rest of the cities.

While every places in the country is having the most challenging period of the year, 2020 financial reports will be a good indicator on how the administration of each cities and municipalities will be fair in managing its revenues and liabilities.

Lipa’s Interesting Trivia Facts

 

We have updated the 25 interesting trivia facts of the city as follows:
1. Last Villa of Spanish regime in the Philippines.
2. First city of Batangas approved on June 20 1947.
3. Most populated city of Batangas as of Aug 2015 according to Philippine Statistics Authority.
4. Top Ten Next Wave Cities or top locations for information technology business (BPO).
5. Little Rome of the Philippines attributed by Department of Tourism.
6. First coffee tree in the Philippines was planted in Lipa in 19th century and became one of the top coffee bean producers in the world & labeled as the coffee capital of the Philippines that time.
7. Home of the world famous and multi awarded health spa and resort, The Farm at San Benito.
8. Lipa’s highest elevation is 1225 ft above sea level and the city is nestled between two mountains making its temperature 3-5 degrees Celsius lower than average Philippine temperature all year round.
9. Lipa has the most number of shops and restaurants in Batangas making the city as the Lifestyle capital of Batangas. Most of the international and local brands branching in Batangas have first opened or can only be found in Lipa.
10. Epson plant in Lipa City (LIMA) is the biggest manufacturing plant of this Japan based company.
11. Lomi can be originated in Lipa when To Kim Eng from China who came to live in Lipa first introduced lomi in 1968. Everywhere you go in Lipa, there will always be a lomi store to eat.
12. First elected governor of Batangas was from Lipa, Simeon M. Luz, who served in 1903.
13. Aisa Mijeno, world famous and multi awarded SALt (alternative lamp that runs on saltwater) inventor is from Lipa.
14. Bishop Alfredo Obviar who was declared Servant of God of the Catholic Church in 2005 with saint protocol number 2398 was from Lipa City.
15. Lipa’s Miracle and Marian Apparitions of 1948 became known worldwide among Catholics until 1990s.
16. Bienvenido Lumbera, a National Artist of the Philippines and recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award is from Lipa.
17. Mikaela Dimaano Fudolig, former child prodigy who entered college at 11, graduated summa cum laude in Physics at 16, and took her master’s and Ph.D. degrees shortly after is from Lipa City.
18. Vilma Santos-Recto, famous and multi awarded actress, is the first woman Mayor of Lipa, first woman Governor of Batangas and now the first Representative of Lipa district in Congress.
19. Mataas na Kahoy, Luta Sur of Malvar and Balete were once part of Lipa.
20. Lipa is in the text of Acta de la Proclamacion de Independence del Pueblo de Filipino, also known as the Philippine Declaration of Independence, as read by Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898 in Kawit.
21. Evangeline Reyes is the first and only Lipena so far to compete in Big Four pageants specifically Miss World and entered in semi finals.
22. Gregorio Y. Zara, a well-known Filipino scientist with 30 devices and equipment patented to his name, was from Lipa City.
23. Dr. Candido Macasaet Africa; doctor of medicine, scholar and researcher was from Lipa. His contribution to medical science made him internationally known and won “for the first time recognition of the Filipino Scientist abroad, thus reflecting glory and honor upon his calling and country.”
24. Darwin Laylo, 2008 Grand Master and World Chess Olympiad is from Lipa.
25. After WW II, a place in Lipa now called “Anilao” became a community of women, children and widows. Their male population was thoroughly wiped out.

Do you have other significant informational items that can be added in the list?
research and compilation: Lipa Status
photo background: Arthur Chicky Mijeno