“Ala Eh!” Things to Learn About Batangas and Its People
Known as the perfect destination with white sand beaches, the capital of butterfly knives or balisong, and as a place with a distinct dialect. Batangas is more than a picturesque vacation spot, it’s a home with diverse characteristics and unique individuals.
“Ala Eh!” Things to Learn About Batangas and Its People
The province of Batangas is a first-class province in the Philippines. It is mostly composed of lands, hills, and mountains near the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, and Quezon. With more than a thousand barangays, it is a province possessing countless festivals and well-off resources.
Rich History
Long before the colonization eras, the province of Batangas already owned its rich history of civilization. With the archeological findings, the province certainly proved its prosperous assets and early appreciation of art. Ancient Batangueños learned how to make potteries, stone figures, and more major discoveries.
Batangas Tagalog
The locals from the province of Batangas are called Batangueños. Have you ever heard someone talking with a strong Tagalog dialect? “Ala eh, taga-Batangas ka ga?” or “Aba’y dine sa Batangas ay simple lamang.” People hear Batangas Tagalog as a distinct dialect that shows a fit of anger thrown in every word, but it is a sweet and classical local accent today.
Literature and Music
Prominent individuals from the province’s history introduced the wisdom and talent of their place. For example, Padre Vicente Garcia has an essay to defend José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, and they have the “People’s Poet”. In addition, the province is famous for a sung debate where each line of the verse must include equal syllables.
Batangas is identified as the origin of an ancient war song called kumintang, which eventually became the signature of Filipino love songs, the kundiman.
Culture and traditions
Batangueños believe in supernatural creatures. Like other locals in the Philippines, they take opinions from folk healers for herbal and spiritual treatments. On the flip side, the province celebrates numerous festivals for its patron saints. Its people are fans of celebrations, and tourists from around the world are visiting the province to experience their parties and exciting activities.
General Characteristics
Batangueños have bright personalities. They usually have wide smiles, trying to make funny facial expressions, and love to remark with humorous lines. What’s more in Batangueños? Leaving powerful impressions of having the Kapeng Barako, a rare coffee fully grown in the province, and Balisong, called butterfly or fan knife used for the locals’ utilities and self-defense.
Dishes and Delicacies
Trying Batangas’ best delicacies is a must when you want to visit the province. At the top of the list, Lomi is the prime comfort food of Batangueños, it is a soup with thick and chewy egg noodles that you can eat at any time of the day. Secondly, Sinaing na Tulingan, a slow-cooked tuna in a pot. Bulalo is also a top-rated dish, it is a bone marrow soup with cabbage, corn, and seasonings.
Variants of suman or rice cakes are famous treats from Batangas. Apart from this, there are pure and fresh tablea, a roasted ground cocoa seeds that serves as chocolate pieces.
The Philippines have many provinces that are world-class and Batangas is a great example of a place to visit, from its vacation spots to its people and remarkable delicacies.
Have fun!
