CHARIOTS ROLL TOWARDS CALATAGAN, BATANGAS

An announced birthday ride invitation guarantees a multitude of attendees! This happened when one of the riders celebrated his birthday at his rest house in Calatagan. Riders totaling 36 attended.

The feast was fit for road warriors.

  

Lechon a popular main dish during very special celebrations and Fiesta

Condiments for counterpoint flavor

Par-boiled shrimps

Grilled pork belly

Grilled Cuttle fish

Grilled Tilapia

 Calatagan is a municipality in the Province of Batangas, Philippines. The town comprises the Calatagan Peninsula between the West Philippine Sea and Balayan Bay. The peninsula's near white sand beaches are popular vacation and leisure sites for Manila's rich and famous. 

There are several beach resorts including the art-filled guesthouse called Banak House Calatagan, others like the Ronco Beach Resort in Brgy. Bagong Silang, Playa Calatagan in Brgy. Sta. Ana, the Golden Sunset Resort in Brgy Uno, and Lago de Oro Resort where one can go wakeboarding, Villa Agustina, Nacua.  

Calatagan was formerly titled as the Forbes Park of the South, because of the rich families who owns their estates here not minding the bad road condition before since they have their helipads for their helicopters to land on.

A glimpse from the past
An extremely rare example of pre-Spanish Philippine script was found in Calatagan. The script is called Baybayin in Tagalog, and was derived from Javanese writing, which in turn is derived from Brahmi. This writing survives on an earthenware burial jar dated 13th century or 14th century.

 The town is the site of the historically and archeologically famous “Calatagan Excavation” whose antique pottery and other utensils contributed important facts about the culture and activities of the Filipinas before the coming of the Spaniards. 

Calatagan ritual pot

 Archeologists find mostly pottery of Chinese Origin, dug from six large cemeteries and unearthed by archeologists, Prof. Olov; T.R Jones and Prof. Robert B. Fox, as well as the conclusion made by Prof. K. Otley Bayer which points out the existence of a sizeable pre-Spanish population in the town. 

The same studies suggest that there was direct Chinese trade by water in Calatagan and this trade could have centered at a place called Balong-Bato, where an entrance thru the reef, which surrounds Calatagan, is still presently used by vessels coming from Mindoro and Manila.

1. "Municipalities". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
2. "Province: Batangas". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical
3. "Brief Description of LGU". Calatagan LGU Website. Retrieved 14 June 2014.