Taal is a decent-sized coastal town in southern Luzon, the northernmost major island of the Philippines.
Overview[]
A three- to four-hour drive away from the capital of Manila, the province of Batangas entices tourists with the natural wonder that is Taal Volcano, coffee strong enough to wake the dead, and bulalo, a clear broth prominently featuring beef shank and bone marrow. The heritage town of Taal offers sightseeing among the ancestral houses of old-money clans that bankrolled the Katipunan Revolution against the Spanish. Taal Basilica, the oldest Catholic Church in Asia, stands proudly on a high hill overlooking Taal itself. Locals gladly take every opportunity to tell outsiders about the Wandering Lady of Caysasay, an idol of the Virgin Mary that fishers reputedly netted from the sea. She’s kept in a box under lock and chain because her caretakers know she walks through the town at night.
What those proud locals probably won’t tell you about is that Batangas, much like every other area in the Philippines, suffered during World War II. In particular, the provinces beyond Manila were the top places to which people fled in order to escape the Japanese.
Locations[]
References[]
- HTR: Hunter: The Reckoning 5th Edition, p. 202-204