San Juan, officially the Municipality of San Juan (), is a municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
It is recognized for its baroque church, ancestral houses, the Pinagbayanan excavation—considered the most significant archeological site in the municipality, and the popular Laiya Beach.
History
In the years 1698 until 1836, it was just a barrio of the large town of Rosario located in the eastern part of Batangas. From 1837, the barrio was governed by tinientes or deputies with a term of one to two years. However, when the barrio was recognized as a separate town in 1843, the position of tinientes was replaced by cabezas de barangay serving one for each new barrio. It was only in 1848 when the Spanish government officially recognized the independence of San Juan from its mother town of Rosario and was given the name San Juan de Bocboc.
San Juan was headed by a Gobernadorcillo in 1864. The first Gobernadorcillo was Don Camilo Perez, a prominent citizen who initiated the separation of San Juan from Rosario. He is considered as the founder of the town, and was honored for his contribution in public works and peace and order in the newly created town.
On October 28, 1883, San Juan experienced a major disaster due to continuous winds and intense storm rain. Huge flood from the Bancoro and Bangbang Rivers hit the town resulting to the destruction of houses, drowning of livestocks and planted crops, and the devastation of the church and its convent. In 1886, the flooding become worse in the town. The parish priest had to erect a temporary church and convent in a site seven kilometers away from the town.
On January 18, 1886, the officials of the town initiated the transfer of the new town to Calitcalit. The transfer of the Lumang Bayan to its present location was approved by Governor General Valeriano Weyler on December 12, 1890, during the administration of Gobernadorcillo Benedicto De Villa. San Juan de Bocboc was renamed to Bolbok by virtue of Act No. 2390 dated February 28, 1914. On November 29, 1933, Act No. 4082 was approved renaming Bolbok to San Juan, in honor of San Juan Nepomuceno, the town's patron saint.
On April 4, 1945, the town was liberated from Japanese occupation by the F Company, 188th Infantry of the United States Army as part of their clearing operations to liberate the Bicol peninsula from the hands of the Japanese.
Geography San Juan is located at , at the easternmost part of Batangas province. North of San Juan is the neighboring town of Candelaria in Quezon province, with Malaking Ilog River defining its geographical boundary. Tayabas Bay lies east and the hills on the eastern portion separate it from the towns of Lobo and Rosario. It is from Batangas City and from Manila.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Batangas.
Barangays
San Juan is politically subdivided into 42 barangays, as indicated in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Climate
Demographics
In the 2024 census, San Juan had a population of 115,118 people. The population density was .
Economy
San Juan is a first class municipality in the province of Batangas. It is initially identified as one of the Special Economic Zones (ecozones). According to RA 7916 or the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, ecozones are selected areas with highly developed or which have the potential to be developed into agro-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers.
San Juan is a tourist destination known for its white-sand beaches. The tourism and aquaculture industries provide jobs to the town's people and income to the town economy.
Because of its fertile land, the municipality is one of the top suppliers of agricultural products in the province.
The town has also a coconut wine and pottery industry.
Income Here's the list of the total annual income, assets, expenses and equity of San Juan since 2015, according to the Annual Audit Reports of the Commission on Audit: Year Total Annual Income Assets Expenses Equity 2020 ₱527,484,244.43 ₱888,024,559.64 ₱431,318,667.12 ₱771,087,559.47 2019 ₱359,577,041.16 ₱777,617,737.52 ₱314,756,691.59 ₱679,909,608.45 2018 ₱326,581,854.00 ₱714,378,369.54 ₱290,098,959.77 ₱616,441,566.44 2017 ₱307,359,289.40 ₱631,222,065.04 ₱250,243,204.16 ₱522,162,348.18 2016 ₱258,671,588.66 ₱634,400,575.24 ₱208,687,514.58 ₱532,424,224.13 2015 ₱237,642,431.61 ₱310,971,370.24 ₱180,286,101.48 ₱232,961,446.48
Government
Government officials
The 2025 local elections in San Juan was held on May 12, 2025. Six municipal councilors, elected on May 9, 2022, were re-elected while the two others will serve their first term. The following are the elected government officials of San Juan. Their term will expire on June 30, 2028.
Municipal Government of San Juan(2025-2028) Mayor Ildebrando D. Salud Vice Mayor Octavio Antonio L. Marasigan Sangguniang Bayan Members Wenilo G. Ada Miljun E. Magadia Angelo Luis T. Marasigan Gerardo R. Tantay, Jr. Florencio M. De Chavez Grenalyn V. Virtusio, Ll. B. Shalimar D. Salud Owen B. ManimtimABC president Liwelyndo A. VergaraSK Federation President Jeryk Dwight Rafhael R. Bait
List of former Municipal Mayors
Order Name Years in Office Achievement 1 Don Esteban de Villa 1900-1905 Built the town's public market 2 Don Gregorio de Villa 1905-1906 Constructed the town's elementary school (Gabaldon) 3 Don Benedicto de Villa 1906-1907 Pioneered the town's sugar industry that brought prosperity to the town 4 Don Raymundo Balinos 1907-1910 Encouraged the education of the town's people 5 Don Florencio Perez 1910-1913 Built a public cemetery for the poor and the non-Catholics 6 Don Gregorio de Villa 1913-1916 7 Don Esteban de Villa 1916-1919 8 Don Juan R. Quizon 1919-1922 Constructed the municipal building and acquired the site for the town plaza 9 Don Nicolas Virrey 1922-1925 10 Don Juan R. Quizon 1925-1928 11 Don Filemon Malabanan 1928-1934 Built the water reservoir and worked for the electrification of the town 12 Don Miguel Lopez 1934-1942 Instrumental in the building of San Juan East Central School 13 Guillermo de Villa 1942-1945 Maintained peaceful relationship with the Japanese government while working secretly with the guerillas 14 Vicente Castillo 1945; 1946-1955 Built the Lawaye River Dike, and organized the town's police force 15 Jose Garcia 1956-1963 Built the Sampiro-Quipot feeder road 16 Estelito Castillo 1964-1967 Repaired municipal building, implemented the minimum wage law, and managed to acquire fire trucks from the national government 17 Vicente Lecaroz 1968-1986 Built feeder roads and bridges; responsible for the construction of additional school buildings; he also eradicated cattle-rustling 18 Abelardo de Villa 1986-1998 Electrification of barrios; built new feeder roads, new bridges and cemented road to Laiya. 19 Rodolfo Hernandez Manalo 1998-2007 a) Carried out the Computerization of Real Property Tax Administration and Business Permit and Licensing System. b) Built Farm to Market Roads and Bridges. 20 Danilo Salapare Mindanao 2007-2010 Asphalting of roads; he envisioned the cityhood of San Juan 21 Rodolfo Hernandez Manalo 20102019 Establishment of 13 national high schools, opening of barangay roads and massive concreting of Farm To Market Roads, construction of hanging and foot bridge in various barangays, scholarships to indigent constituents from elementary to college, massive mangrove rehabilitation, tree planting, no to mining, no to plastics, regulated cutting of trees. 22 Ildebrando Dañas Salud 2019present Installation of solar street lights; Development of the new government center including the completion of the 3-storey Municipal Hall in Brgy. Buhaynasapa
Official seal
Horse – The municipality is known for its horses and other farm animals like cows, pigs, and goats. Tuba Container – locally known as batang, a container in which tuba is gathered from the coconut tree. Fruits – Fruits such as mangoes, citrus, atis and tamarind which are grown abundantly in the town. Roundels – signifies the number of barangays (42) comprising the municipality
Tourism
On June 29, 2010, then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed the Executive Order No. 904, series of 2010 designating the Municipality of San Juan, Batangas as a priority area for Tourism Development.
Attractions include: San Juan Nepomuceno Parish Church – The church was built during the Spanish colonial period. Laiya Beach – San Juan has a coastline with several beach resorts for swimming, diving and other outdoor activities Mount Daguldol – The highest mountain in San Juan, high Mangrove Forest at Barangay Poctol – One of the largest mangrove areas in San Juan; located in Sitio Pontor Ancestral houses – Built during Spanish and American colonial periods in the town. Old Municipal Hall – Erected in 1928 under the administration of Juan R. Quizon, the then Presidente Municipal. It has a simple yet enticing architectural style Malaking River at Barangay Poctol – This river serves as a boundary between Batangas and Quezon Province. Naambon Falls - A secluded, undisturbed series of falls and small pools. It has several look-out points with views of dense forest and Tayabas Bay.
Education There are two schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. These are the San Juan East Schools District Office, and San Juan West Schools District Office.
Private schools in town include Joseph Marello Institute, Batangas Eastern Colleges, CCFI Christian Academy, South Ridge Asian Integrated Montessori School, and San Juan Institute of Technology founded in 1947, 1940, 1991, 2011, and 2018 respectively. San Juan has also a campus of Batangas State University located at Barangay Talahiban II.
Almost all barangays have their own elementary and high schools, where tuition fees are relatively low or nonexistent.
Despite improvements in the town's education system, parents of some students from well-off families send their children to other cities, such as Lipa and Batangas, as well as to the National Capital Region (NCR), for college.
Primary and elementary schools
Abung Elementary School Aplaya Elementary School Balagbag Elementary School Barualte Elementary School Bataan Elementary School Batangas Eastern Colleges (Elementary) Calabasahan Elementary School Calitcalit Elementary School CCFI Christian Academy Don Eulogio Luistro Elementary School Paaralang Elementarya ng Buhaynasapa Paaralang Elementarya ng Calubcub 1 Paaralang Elementarya ng Escribano Paaralang Elementarya Ng Janaojanao Paaralang Elementarya ng Mabalanoy Paaralang Elementarya ng Marcal Paaralang Elementarya ng Muzon Paaralang Elementarya ng Palahanan Paaralang Elementarya ng Pal-Sico Paaralang Elementarya ng Pulangbato Paaralang Elementarya ng Putingbuhangin Paaralang Elementarya ng Quipot Paaralang Elementarya ng Sampiro Paaralang Elementarya ng Talahiban 1 Paaralang Elementarya ng Tipas Calubcub II Elementary School Catmon Elementary School Coloconto Elementary School Grounds of Hope Christian Learning Schools Hugom Elementary School Imelda Elementary School Joseph Marello Institute (Elementary) Laiya Elementary School Libato Elementary School Libjo Sapangan Elementary School Paaralang Elementarya ng Nagsaula Palingowak Elementary School Pinagbayanan Elementary School Paaralang Elementarya ng Poctol Quipot Adventist Elementary School San Juan East Central School San Juan West Central School Sapangan Elementary School Subukin Elementary School Talahiban II Elementary School Ticalan Elementary School Wenceslao I Llana Memorial School
Secondary schools