Santo Tomas (Batangas)

Santo Tomas is a municipality in Batangas.

. . . Santo Tomas (Batangas) . . .

Santo Tomas lies just south of Batangas’s boundary with Laguna, and is a major road junction, serving the Maharlika Highway (Route 1 and Asian Highway 26) and Jose P. Laurel Highway (Route 4). The town takes its name from its patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinas, also the patron saint of Catholic schools. Santo Tomas is also the hometown of the Filipino general Miguel Malvar, who led the soldiers of the Tagalog Republic during the Philippine–American War, and also the last general to surrender to the Americans.

Santo Tomas forms part the vast sprawl along the transport corridor between Manila and Batangas City. The town has significantly grown enough to become eligible for city status, just awaiting a plebiscite to officially upgrade it into a chartered city. Santo Tomas’s economy is largely based on manufacturing, agriculture and real estate development. Suburbanization have resulted in most agricultural land becoming part of the sprawl.

Santo Tomas is served well by bus services from Manila, and many buses stop at the town. Jeepneys from Calamba, Lipa, and San Pablo also serve the town. If travelling by car, taking the South Luzon Expressway is advisable.

The town is served by jeepneys in major thoughfares , and tricycles in all other nooks and crannies not served by jeepneys. Car travel is advisable, especially when visiting the Padre Pio Shrine, but prepare for traffic jams in feast days.

• 14.11022121.142521 General Miguel Malvar Shrine, Malvar Street (Near the Municipal Hall). Houses a statue and a museum on Miguel Malvar, Filipino general of the Tagalog Republic during the Philippine-American War. (updated Nov 2018)

. . . Santo Tomas (Batangas) . . .

. . . Santo Tomas (Batangas) . . .