Introduction
On surface level, Lipa does not seem like a city with many cultural things to offer. Like Manila, it sustained heavy damage during World War II and its stock of palatial homes of concrete and wood has decreased significantly. Dig a little bit deeper and its cultural heritage, one that’s strongly connected to its glorious, golden years as the center of the coffee industry in the Philippines – and for a short period, the world – will reveal itself.
But while one has to make an effort to seek Lipa’s colorful history through the city museum, its grand Catholic cathedral, and a handful of extant old houses, understanding why locals say Lipa is the premier lifestyle hub of Southern Luzon is not very difficult. Its inventory of food parks, coffee shops, dining establishments, and watering holes can rival those of any city in Metro Manila in both quantity and quality. Its malls are equally massive and small businesses thrive at its downtown area.
Lipeños are inherently cosmopolitan in nature, but this wasn’t always the case. Before the early 1800s, one could say that since the Augustinians set up a mission in 1604 to convert the locals, it was just one of the many towns in Batangas. Local historian RR Torrecampo recounts that “in 1808, Galo de los Reyes began the widespread cultivation of the coffee trees by compelling the people to plant the same and thus brought about the wealth, splendor and fame that Lipa had after this time.” [A] Its fertile soil and cool climate made coffee growing a profitable industry and eventually, the entire province of Batangas “rose to fame as the leading cultivator of coffee in the country.” [B]
Things to See and Do
Casa De Segunda/Luz-Katigbak Ancestral House
Philippine Cultural Property (PH-40-0001) [C]
Built in 1880 by Don Norberto Kalaw Katigbak, Lipa Gobernadorcillo from 1862 to 1883, and Dona Justa Metra Solis, this typical, 19th Century bahay na bato is named after Segunda Solis Katigbak, also known as national hero Jose Rizal’s first love.
Segunda eventually married Manuel Metra Luz, a man from a prominent Lipa family of artists and scholars, in 1886. They lived in this house with their nine children, as well as their descendants.
Repairs to the damages sustained by the house in World War II in 1942 was initiated by Paz Luz Dimayuga, one of Segunda’s children. Full restoration of the house and the garden was undertaken by Paz’s grandchildren. [D] Memorabilia from the Luz-Katigbak clan is prominently displayed throughout the house.
198 Jose Rizal Street
Admission: Php 20 [E], Photography Php 100 [F]
De La Salle Lipa
President Laurel National Highway
Fidel A. Reyes Bust and Historical Marker
P. Torres Street corner G. Solis Street
Fidel A. Reyes is a prominent Lipa-born nationalist writer. His 1908 editorial ‘Aves de Rapina’ (Birds of Prey) in Spanish language publication El Renacimiento exposed the misdeeds of Dean C. Worcester, an American zoologist and then Secretary of the Interior of the United States colonial government. He is also notable for being an assemblyman in 1912, and the first Filipino director of Trade and Industry. In 1967, he donated property to Lipa for the establishment of the Philippines’ first ever SOS Children’s Village. [G]
The bust and historical marker is erected in front of the Reyes family home at the corner of P. Torres and G. Solis Streets. It is created by National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao upon the commission of the National Historical Institute. [H] Currently, the lot is occupied by the Lipa location of Don Juan BBQ Boodle House.
Luz-Librea-Bautista House
P. Torres Street
This Babylonian-inspired stone mansion is built by the patriarch of the Luz clan, Don Jose de San Miguel Luz for his daughter Maria Luz, who is married to Leon Librea. Drying the lumber, sawing the wood, and transporting it from Mindoro to Lipa took time and it was completed in 1881, 10 years after construction commenced. [I]
Construction materials include molave (posts and frames), narra (flooring), santol wood (ceiling and partitions); adobe, lime, and sand (walls and columns); and galvanized iron (roofing). A cloth painted with designs copied from famous European paintings covers its ceilings. [I]
Don Jose decorated the house with the finest pieces of furniture from both Europe and the Philippines. Additional bedrooms and a bathroom were constructed in 1917. It served as a Japanese headquarters between 1941 and 1944, and as a hospital in 1945. [I]
Private property, no walk-ins or scheduled tours
Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace Parish
P. Torres Street
Old Houses
San Sebastian Metropolitan Cathedral
Philippine Cultural Property PH-40-0013 [C]
Claro Mayo Recto Avenue
The present building’s construction began in 1779 under Fray Ignacio Vasquez Pallares. Sections were added through the years until it was completed some time during the administration of Fray Benito Baras, between 1865 to 1894. It became a cathedral in 1910, when Lipa became a diocese. [J]
Where to Eat and Drink
Cafe de Lipa
Renfel
Kamotecue and Bananacue
Metro Events Zone
Ayala Highway
Lipa Grill
Fast Food Chains in Lipa
Where to Shop
B. Morada Avenue
Big Ben Complex
Ayala Highway
SM City Lipa
Ayala Hightway
Notes
[A] Torrecampo, RR. “The Life and Culture in the Town of Lipa, Batangas in the 1800s.” Batangas History. https://www.batangashistory.date/2018/03/lifelipa.html (published 1 March 2018, retrieved 20 August 2018)
[B] Dimen, Yoshke. “Cafe de Lipa: Reviving Kapeng Barako Glory in Batangas, Philippines.” https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2012/04/cafe-de-lipa-kapeng-barako-batangas-history/ (published 9 April 2012, retrieved 13 August 2018)
[C] Wikipedia. “List of Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Calabarzon.” Wikipedia.com. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cultural_Properties_of_the_Philippines_in_Calabarzon (page last updated 20 April 2018, retrieved 19 August 2018)
[D] Dimen, Yoshke. “Casa de Segunda: Meeting Jose Rizal’s First Love in Lipa City, Batangas.” The Poor Traveler. https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2012/04/love-casa-de-segunda-lipa-city-batangas/ (published 19 April 2012, retrieved 13 August 2018)
[E] Jaya, Jherson. “Casa de Segunda: Home of Pepe’s First Love.” Lonely Travelogue. http://www.lonelytravelogue.com/2012/12/casa-segunda-home-of-pepes-first-love.html (published 20 December 2012, retrieved 18 August 2018)
[F] This is what the caretaker charged for photography on my 31 July 2018 visit.
[G] Torrecampo, RR. “Fidel A. Reyes, the Lipa-born Nationalist Writer of the Early American Era, and the Case of the Bust to Honor His Memory.” Batangas History. https://www.batangashistory.date/2018/03/fidel.html (published 1 March 2018, retrieved 19 August 2018)
[H] Now National Historical Commission
[I] Lipa City Tourism and Museum Council. “The Luz-Librea-Bautista Ancestral House.” Lipa Tourism. https://lipatourism.wordpress.com/attractions/the-bautista-ancestral-house/ (no published date, retrieved 19 August 2018)
[J] Lipa City Tourism and Museum Council. “San Sebastian Cathedral.” Lipa Tourism. https://lipatourism.wordpress.com/attractions/san-sebastian-cathedral/ (no published date, retrieved 19 August 2018)
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