San Jose (Batangas)

San Jose is a rural, agricultural municipality between Lipa and Batangas City, in Batangas.

Understand
San Jose lies between the province's two largest cities, Batangas City and Lipa. It a common stopover for travellers on the Jose P. Laurel Highway, the major route between those locations until the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway) bypassed it. The town has many poultry farms, producing most eggs and chickens sold in Manila, so it is nicknamed the "Egg Basket of the Philippines".

The municipality used to be part of a larger municipality of Bauan, today a suburb of Batangas City. San Jose was created in 1765 as the town of San José de Malaquing Tubig, since shortened into the present name. It is named after Saint Joseph the Patriarch, its patron.

By jeepney
San Jose is served by the BN-02 jeepney route between Batangas City and Lipa. It costs around from Batangas City bus terminal, and  from Lipa.

By bus
Frequent provincial bus services ply the highway, and they make the usual stop near the intersection at Taysan, but is hardly possible from Batangas City. A bus ticket on standard air-conditioned costs from Pasay (1 hr, 30 min),  from Cubao (1 hr, 45 min),  from Alabang (1 hr, 15 min), and  (45 min) from Calamba.

By car
The town lies along the highway between Lipa and Batangas City, locally called National Highway (Route 4), which bypasses the town proper to the east

STAR Tollway does not directly serve San Jose, but you can either exit at Lipa Exit or Ibaan Exit. Travel through Lipa Exit is far the most suggested, as the route via Ibaan Exit runs through forest, not best to travel through at night.

By train
Train service ended around the 1960s, but is proposed to be restored by the 2020s once the line between Calamba and Batangas City is rebuilt.

Get around
Tricycles are the common transport mode through the town and surrounding area composing the larger municipality; most corners of town are reachable by tricycle.

Do
The town is not much frequently visited, but if you want to see the local economy, you can arrange visits to many egg and poultry farms around the rural areas of the town.

San Jose holds a local festival in April 25, dedicated to the town's founding and its patron saint, St. Joseph the Patriarch (San Jose Patriarca).

Go next
Cuenca just lies to the northwest; you can arrange treks to Mount Maculot, which provides wide views of the province. Tricycles can bring you to town.