“The Premiere City of CALABARZON”
History
The town of Tanauan was established in 1754. However, it was not located on its present location. History says that the place was among the settlements which was organized by the Augustinian missionaries in 1572. The town was located before at the shore of the Taal Volcano lake. During its eruption in 1754, the town was totally destroyed. Together with the people in the town of Sala, the residents transferred to safer places. The people of Tanauan went to Bañadero and then to its present location. Sala, on the other hand, transferred from its original site to where it is now located. Sala subsequently became a barangay of Tanauan.
In 1996, Tanauan became a first class municipality and five years after it became a city. A plebiscite was conducted on March 10, 2001 which duly ratified an approved the cityhood of Tanauan.
Population/ Language/ Area
The 2007 population census of the city shows that it has a total population of 142,537 reflecting a 17.54% increase from the 2000 census at an annual growth rate of 2.69%. This total population constitutes the 6.35% population of the whole Batangas province.
The city has a total land area of 10.716 hectares, covering the 3.38% of the total land area of the province. Much of the areas in the city belong to 0 to 15 percent slope that are undulating to rolling. Most of the areas with steep slope of more than 65 percent are located in Barangays Sulpoc, Montana, San Jose, Maugat, Ambolong, Bañadero, Talaga, Banjo West, portions of Daraga and Poblacion 3.
Since the city is located in between the two volcanoes, Mt. Makiling and Taal Volcano, its geologic structure makes it prone to volcanic activities. Because of this, the city is mostly composed of Piliocene to Quarternary volcanic rocks of agglomorate, tuffs, cinders, andeside, dacite and pyroclastic layers.
Products and Services
Due to the grazing pasture in the whole province, the city is also one of the great producer of meat products such as beef. Meat dishes include beef caldereta, which is like a spicy thick stew; Tapang Taal, which are choice beef or pork parts marinated in soy sauce, calamansi and garlic. Aside from meat products, they are also known for their fish products. These include kilawin, a fresh fish soaked in vinegar or calamansi juice mixed with chopped onions, garlic and hot peppers; pinangat na maliputo, steamed fish atop rock salt and cooked in an earthn pot known as palayok; and grilled tilapia cooked in coconut husks.
Tourist Spots
Like most lakeshore towns in Batangas, Tanauan has taken advantage of its picturesque surroundings and have invested in its tourism industry. The city is blessed with fresh water beaches and lush farmlands that several notable hotels and resorts have been established in the city. These establishments have attracted tourists and serve as the city’s premiere venues for leisure and recreation. Some of these prominent establishments found in the city are Vieux Chalet, Darasa Fiesta Resort, and las haciendas resort farms.