Lipa City Guide

The City of Lipa, or Lungsod ng Lipa, is a first-class city found at the center of Batangas province in the Southern Tagalog Region of the Philippines.  The city stands on a valley between the mountains of Malarayat and Makulot.  Bordering it are the municipalities of Sto. Tomas to the northeast, Padre Garcia and Rosario to the southeast, Ibaan and San Jose in the southwest, Cuenca, Mataas Na Kahoy, and Taal Lake to the west, Balete and Malvar in the northwest, and to the east by San Pablo City in Laguna and the municipality of San Antonio in Quezon province.  Lipa City lies 78 kilometers south of Manila, with a travel time of approximately 90 minutes accessed by the South Luzon Expressway and the Southern Tagalog Access Road Tollway (STAR Tollway).

Lipa City was largely an agricultural city, with the famous Batangas coffee bean as one of its major products.  However, in its bid to become an urbanized city, Lipa has moved away from an agri-based economy to become one of the province’s important economic and institutional centers.

The presence of LIMA Industrial Estate (economic zone), Nestle Philippines, and other multi-national companies have set Lipa as a major industrial center in Central Batangas.  The increasing number of banks, lending investors, credit cooperatives, and large shopping centers has contributed to the city’s growing financial and commercial importance.  The presence of numerous national government agencies, such as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Commission on Audit (COA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue District Office are evidence of Lipa City’s importance as an institutional centre.

History of Lipa

Lipa’s important and influential status dates back to the Spanish colonialization era due to a flourishing coffee industry.  This made Lipa the riches municipality in the Philippines that in October 21, 1887, the Queen Regent Maria Christina who was acting in behalf of King Alfonso XIII elevated it into a city.  It was given the name Villa de Lipa.  It had been returned into a municipality in 1895, only to be once again declared a city on June 20, 1947 under the young Republic of the Philippines.

Lipa had also figured prominently during the Philippine Revolution against Spain.  In 1894, the brother of Andres Bonifacio, Procopio Bonifacio, established a chapter of the Katipunan in the city.  The secret Philippine revolutionary movement was joined by 32 Lipeños, from which many revolutionary leaders have emerged.  Famous Hispanists Lipeños during the American occupation include Teodoro Kalaw and Claro M. Recto.

Residential Places in Lipa

All of Lipa City’s 73 barangays have residential neighborhoods, some of which may be clustered in gated communities locally referred to as subdivisions or villages.  These gated communities are the preferred residence of most middle and upper class families.  Some of these features a walled perimeter with guarded gates and 24-hour security, while others do not and is simply marked by a demarcation to define its encompassed area.  The most common amenities featured in these gated communities are lighted streets, garbage management, and a water distribution system.

One of the city’s most affluent gated communities is the Mt. Malarayat Residential Estate.  It is a prime residential subdivision within the world-class golf course-resort, the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club.  It features a concrete perimeter fence with three guarded entrances and located about 90 minutes away from Metro Manila.

Another affluent gated community in Lipa City is the Summit Point Golf and Residential Estates.  Developed by Sta. Lucia Realty and Development, Inc., this residential estate is a first-class subdivision found with in the Summit Point Golf and Country club.  It also features a perimeter wall with guarded entrances and located approximately 90 minutes away from Metro Manila.

Hospitals and Universities of Lipa

Found in the city are several hospitals that are not only capable of addressing any medical emergencies, but are also at par with Metro   Manila hospitals in terms of modern medical and diagnostic facilities.  They are staffed with and qualified health practitioners that are well versed in English.  Filipino doctors are graduates of the many reputable medical schools in the Philippines, and most of them have pursued further studies and training in the United States.  Similarly, the nurses are the products of many creditable nursing schools in the country.  These same institutions have produced the many Filipino nurses working in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and other parts of the world.

Listed below are the hospitals and clinics found in Lipa City:

Lipa City Hospitals and Clinics

Name    Address    Telephone
Lipa Medix Medical Center    National Highway, Balintawak    726-3008
N.L. Villa Memorial Medical Center    Gatpolintan Street    756-4871
Mary Mediatrix Medical Center    Pres. JP Laurel Highway    756-1416;
San Antonio General Hospital    2 CM Recto, Avenue    312-2003
Divine Love General Hospital    Sinagtala Granja    756-1338 or 312-2075
Metro Lipa Medical Center    Pres. JP Laurel Highway, Barangay Marawoy     312-2668 or 756-0549
Lipa City District Hospital    Lipa City    -
Dr. Elizabeth Javillo’s Clinic    Banay-Banay    756-3062
San Sebastian Medical Clinic    CM Recto Avenue    756-4384
THE MEDICAL CITY LIPA CLINIC    G/F SM city Lipa, Ayala Highway    784-0280

Educational Facilities

Lipa City is also an important center for education with the numerous institutions for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.  One of its most prominent tertiary educational institutions is the De La Salle-Lipa (DLSL), which is a constituent school of the De La Salle Philippines, Inc.  The De La Salle Brothers established this private Catholic college in 1962 on a 5.9-hectare plot of land along the Pres. JP Laurel Highway in Mataas Na Lupa.  It offers undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields of study, including the arts & sciences, communication, business & economics, tourism & hospitality management, engineering, computer science, education, and nursing.  DLSL also offers non-degree courses in culinary arts, medical transcription, entrepreneurship, hotel & restaurant management, and information technology.  Aside from the college level, DLSL also provides programs for preschool, elementary, and highschool levels.

Another notable tertiary educational institution in the city is the Lipa City colleges that stand on G.A. Solis Street.  This private non-sectarian college was established in 1947 as the Lipa business School that provides secondary education.  The LCC currently offers bachelor degrees in nursing, elementary & secondary education, criminology, accountancy, commerce, hospitality management, and computer science.  It also offers associate degrees in computer technology, computer secretarial, health science education, and other short courses.  Aside from college levels, LCC also has preschool, elementary, and highschool levels.

Other tertiary educational institutions in the city are ABE International College of Business and Economics, along the Ayala Highway in Mataas na Lupa, AMA Computer College along Ayala Highway, Philippine State College of Aeronautics in the Fernando Air Base, and STI College on CMRecto Avenue.

Commercial Places in Lipa

The presence of SM City Lipa along Ayala Highway, Robinsons Place Lipa on JP Laurel Highway in Mataas na Lupa, Fiesta World Mall in Maraowoy, and Waltermart Lipa have all made the city an important commercial center in Batangas. The SM City Lipa and Robinsons Place Lipa are large, modern retail centers that are part of two of the country’s largest chain of shopping malls.  All these commercial centers, with the exception of Waltermart, which primarily is a supermarket, all carry retail and service shops, entertainment halls, cinemas, supermarkets, and eating establishments that may range from casual sit-down restaurants to prominent fastfood chains.

Aside from the several bars and restaurants found in the above-mentioned commercial centers, Lipa does not have a designated nightlife district featuring a cluster of leisure and entertainment establishments.  This does not however, diminish the city’s eminence as a center   for recreation in Central Batangas.
Found in the city are an abundance of hotels and resorts that have not only been frequented by the locals, but also by tourists from Metro Manila and other nearby regions.  Some of the city’s prominent hotels and resorts are The Farm at San Benito in Tipakan, Shercon Resorts in Mataas na Kahoy, and Hotel La Corona de Lipa in Sabang.

In addition to these resorts, Lipa boasts of two world-class golf courses, which is a definitive demonstration of the city’s affluence and status as a leisure capital of the province.  One of these is the Mt. Malarayat Golf and country Club in Dagatan, which boasts of a 27-hole golf course, a hotel, and themed restaurants.  The other is the Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Plaridel, which is an 18-hole golf course, designed by the famed golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.  It features a Golfer’s Lounge that caters to its patrons’ dining pleasures, a Pro-shop that carries a wide array of golf items, and complimentary men and women’s locker rooms equipped with a Jacuzzi, sauna, and massage rooms.

Service Establishments of Lipa

Electricity in Lipa is provided by the Batangas electric Cooperative II (BATELEC II).  Its main office is located in Barangay Antipolo del Norte.

The telecommunication companies servicing Lipa City are the Philippine Long distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Digitel Telecommunications, and Globelines of Globe Telecom.  All companies provide traditional fixed telephony and internet connection. PLDT and Digitel provide internet connection via dial-up and digital subscriber line (DSL), while Globelines offers wireless internet connection via broadband.

Cellular telephone providers in the city are Globe Telecom, Smart Communications of PLDT, Sun Cellular of Digitel Telecommunications, Mobiline, and Express Telecom (EXTELCOM).  These companies provide a wide range of selection for service features and subscription packages.

The Lipa City Police Station is part of the Philippine National Police Region IV-A (CALABARZON) District.  It is located along B. Morada Avenue in Barangay 1I, and may be reached through the numbers 756-2114 and 756-6984.  Police sub-stations and police community precincts are located in every barangay.

Embassies in Lipa

Lipa City has no foreign embassies or consular offices found in its locality.  The bulk of these diplomatic missions to the Philippines have their offices located in the cities of Makati and Manila in the National Capital Region.  Makati, from the province is about 60 minutes away.

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