Lipa City: A City for All Seasons

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The city named after a tree called “Dendrocnide meyeniana”, which is now commonly known as the lipa tree, is one of the emerging thoughtfully-planned commercial and industrial cities in the Southern Tagalog region. Recently, Lipa’s nickname as the “City of All Seasons” came about because of the locale’s cool weather, environmental consciousness, and because of the city’s 3-time mayor, now governor of Batangas province. Lipa City’s important and influential status dates back to the Spanish colonial era due to a flourishing coffee industry. This made Lipa the richest municipality in the Philippines. On October 21, 1887, the Queen Regent Maria Christina, who was acting in behalf of King Alfonso XIII, elevated it into a city. It was given the name Villa de Lipa. It was returned into a municipality in 1895, only to be once again declared a city on June 20, 1947 under the young Republic of the Philippines.

Now, Lipa City is a fast emerging key city in the province, becoming a major institutional/administrative center, medical center, commercial center, financial center, agro-industrial center and residential center.

Recently, the influx of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, such as call centers, has contributed much to the growth of the local economy. BPO sites are scattered throughout the city, which ranked 6th out of 10 in the Top 10 next wave cities of 2010 named by the Commission of Information and Communication Technology (ICCT). This earned Lipa another nickname as the “Next Wave City.”

As a residential location, Lipa has much to offer to young urbanites and executives, starting and expanding families, leisure farmers, horticultural hobbyists, retirees and balikbayans.

• Cool Climate- Lipa City has an invigorating year-round climate, with an annual average temperature of 23 degrees centigrade. Contributing to this cool weather is the city’s high altitude, with an elevation of about 335 meters (1,100 feet) above sea level.
• Accessible from major cities in Metro Manila via the South Luzon Expressway and the STAR Tollway. The expansion of SLEX and its connection to the STAR Tollway has reduced travel time to less than an hour and a half drive from Manila.
• Protected Valley - Located in a valley between two mountains, Mount Malarayat and Mount Makulot which serve as a windbreak during typhoons. Mount Makulot, in the west, also serves as the residents’ protective shield when Taal Volcano is active. These natural topographical features make Lipa City a low-risk area for natural disasters.
• Lipa, aside from being blessed with a naturally cooler climate, has rich, fertile clay loam soil suitable for a wide range of crops. Among the plants suited to the place are banana, eggplant, tomato, cabbage, lettuce, madre de cacao, corn, coffee, lanzones, mangosteen, durian, tamarind, santol and ornamental plants like orchids and anthuriums.

Lipa City, as a bastion of the Catholic faith, is also often referred to as the “Little Vatican” or “Little Rome” of the Philippines, and is home to several Catholic churches, convents, seminaries, Catholic schools, and retreat houses. Lipa hosts an annual national Marian Pilgrimage at Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Grace Parish, which is now a year-round destination for Catholics and other pilgrims.

The Archdiocese of Lipa, whose seat is at the landmark San Sebastian Cathedral, serves the faithful in the province of Batangas.

Tierra Maria Estates is a sprawling 33-hectare residential farming estate in Lipa that offers a distinct concept of living in a serene community located within reach of the metropolis. Beautifully designed around a natural orchard terrain and bird sanctuary, the residential subdivision maintains a soothing and close-to-nature ambience with exceptionally luxuriant flora and fauna, with indigenous flowers and plants adorning the pathways around the community.

Residents of Tierra Maria Estates can enjoy weekend and leisure farming at their very own backyards blessed with fertile soil perfect for organic farming. A landscaped Meditation Garden and Marian Park beckons one to quiet reflection, prayer and communing with Mother Nature. Tierra Maria Estates is a unique subdivision-community that offers available, affordable and true spacious countryside living within reach of urban amenities and city centers.

To know more about Lipa City and Tierra Maria Estates, visit www.tierramaria.com and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tierra.estates.

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