MALVAR, BATANGAS – Great food, art, music, and a lot more cultural extravaganza await Batangueños and visitors as the Province of Batangas kicks off its 437th Founding Anniversary celebration on December 8-9 inside the master-planned Lima Technology Center in Malvar, Batangas.

With the theme “Live, Study, Work and Have Fun in Rich Batangas,” this year’s foundation anniversary aims to highlight Batangas as the land of people who strived to be both prosperous and dignified Filipinos for close to half a millennium of existence.

The details were announced at the press conference held today at the LIMA Park Hotel.

Land of the brave

For the first time, Batangueños will commemorate their foundation day in the town of Malvar, named after the Filipino hero General Miguel Malvar. “For this year, we chose the town Malvar as the site of the celebration to give tribute to the heroes who dedicated their lives to defend the freedom and democracy for the Filipino people against Spanish and American soldiers,” explained Atty. Sylvia Marasigan of the Batangas Provincial Tourism, Culture and Arts Office (PTCAO). Offering more of history, Atty. Marasigan added that it was Gen. Malvar’s guerilla force who moved against the Americans from its command post in the mountains of Batangas with the help of local residents who supported the soldiers and provided intelligence.

Batangas Tourism Council president Juan P. Lozano said that by making the event more accessible, he hopes to attract more tourists to join the celebrations as Malvar is only a mere 90 minutes away from Mega Manila via the South Luzon Expressway and Star Tollways.

A party of music, arts, and good food

This year’s celebration will include an outdoor Music and Arts Festival at The Outlets at Lipa to showcase the abundance of young talented artists in the field of music and other arts; an outdoor Art Walk displaying Batangueño art pieces curated by Gruopo Sining Batangas; and a Batangas Fair that will showcase different products from all over the province, including organic produce of the farm tourism groups.

A celebration for the, culture, and environment

On the morning of Dec. 8, Batangas Provincial Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas will lead the awarding ceremony to recognize the outstanding sons and daughters of Batangas in the fields of arts and culture. The governor will also be conferring the BRAVO Awards–Batangas Recognition Award for Verde Passage’s Outstanding Marine/Mangrove Protected Areas and Bantay Dagat.

The afternoon shall see hourly street and stage performances by different Batangueño solo artists and performing groups. And from sundown to midnight, international DJs Tom Taus and Jennifer Lee will turn the heat up for BRAVE–the Batangas Rave Party–at the Lima Park Hotel Open Grounds.

Here’s the schedule for that weekend:

08-09 December 2018

Lima Technology Center, Malvar, Batangas

07 Dec FRI

Venue: The Outlets at Lipa

  • SOFT OPENING OF BATANGAS FAIR 2018

08 Dec SAT

               PART I

               EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION (9:00 AM)

               Venue: The Outlets at Lipa

               PART II

CULTURE AND ARTS AWARDS (10:30 AM)

Venue: The Outlets at Lipa

  1. National Anthem
  2. Batangas Hymn
  3. Introduction
  4. Reading of the Declaration of Batangas Province Foundation Day
  • Vice Gov. Sofronio Leonardo “Nas” Ona, Jr.
  1. Message by Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas
  2. Culture and Arts Awards
  3. Bravo Awards — Batangas Recognition Award for Verde Passage’s Outstanding Marine/ Mangrove Protected Areas and Bantay Dagat

PART III

OPENING OF THE ART WALK AND BATANGAS BOOTHS

Venue: The Outlets at Lipa

  1. Performance by Batangas Drum Beaters
  2. Ribbon Cutting
  3. Grupo Sining Batangueño (GSB) Art Walk & Art Booth
  4. Batangas Clusters’ Booths & Batangas Farm Tourism Group
  5. Association of Tour and Travel Agencies in CALABARZON Region (ATTA-CALABARZON)
  6. PTCAO/ENRO
  7. Receptionist at the Art Booth at GSB Booth
  8. VIP Luncheon — Occasions Garden House, Lima Park Hotel

PART IV

FESTIVAL OF ARTS: HOURLY STREET/STAGE PERFORMANCES (1:00 PM)

Venue: The Outlets at Lipa

1:00 – 2:00 PM

  • Calacatchara Festival by Calaca

2:00 – 5:00 PM

  • BPHSCA – Christmas Theme Production
  • Malvar
  • Marian Gel Pasigan (PCLEDO)
  • Chrisma Joy Ramos (PCLEDO)
  • GRM Scholars (Lobo)
  • Spendio Triplets
  • Antonio Bathan
  • Lyceum Dance Machine
  • Sunshine De Castro
  • Jiah Diamaano (Singer)
  • Ultimate Hiphop
  • UB Dance Company
  • Luke James Alford

5:00 – 6:00 PM

  • Rosario – Batangas Dream Beaters
  • Lobo – Anihan Festival

6:00 – 7:00 PM

  • FAITH Minstrels
  • FAITH Symphonic Orchestra
  • UB Chorale
  • Lipa Chorale
  • BSU Ad Libitum Chorale

PART V

BRAVE — BATANGAS RAVE Party (6pm to 12 MN)

               Venue: Lima Park Hotel Open Grounds

               Hosted by FAITH COLLEGES (First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities)

  • Launching of Batangas Jingle with Crazy Al and Parisukat Band
  • The Blanc
  • DJ Jennifer Lee
  • DJ TOM TAUS

09 Dec SUN         Batangas Fair booths remain open to the public

The 437th Batangas Province Founding Anniversary celebration is organized by the Batangas Provincial Tourism, Culture, and Arts Office (PTCAO), Batangas Tourism Council, FAITH Colleges, Lima Park Hotel, and The Outlets of Lipa. This is also made possible with the support of Steel Asia Manufacturing Corporation, Science Park of the Philippines, Universal Robina Corporation, Mary Mediatrix Medical Center, Hamilo Coast, Liberty Builders and Development Corporation, and Central Azucarera Don Pedro Inc.

For more information, please call the 437th Batangas Foundation Day secretariat: FAITH Colleges at +63 43 778.8328.