Sta. Rosa: The Lion City of the South

The City of Santa Rosa (Filipino: Lungsod ng Santa Rosa) is a first class city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is also known as "The Lion City of the South" since 1994. The city lies 38 kilometers south of Manila via the South Luzon Expressway, making it a suburban residential community of Metro Manila.


Santa Rosa was originally called "Barrio Bukol" of the Municipality of Binan, when the latter was discovered by the Spanish Conquistador Juan de Salcedo while exploring the Laguna Lake Region in 1571. Binan was later annexed to the town of Cabuyao to be separated from it in 1688. Barrio Bukol was then taken out of Binan and set up as a new political entity named Santa Rosa. It derived its name from its patron saint Santa Rosa de Lima of Peru which was reputed to have generously given material and spiritual blessings and favors to its devotees for the past 207 years.

Composed of 18 barangays and 117 residential subdivisions (as of 2006), with a land area of 54.1 square kilometers, Santa Rosa is located in the south corridor of Luzon, about 45 kilometers south of Metro Manila, along the coastline of Laguna Lake. 

It serves as a major gateway to the provinces of Batangas, Quezon, and Cavite via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Its proximity to Metro Manila makes it a strategic site for domestic and international business, with Metro Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Manila International Container Port just an hour or two away. It is also within commuting distance from Makati, the country’s main business and financial center. 

From a population of 41,335 in 1970, its number increased by 348 percent in a thirty-year period. Between the years 1991 and 2000, population increase was 200 percent. In 2000, Santa Rosa’s population was 185,000, with a population density of 4,427.6 persons per square kilometer (note: population stands at 266,943 per NSO’s latest survey of August 1, 2007). These increases are due to the high rate of in-migration from neighboring provinces and the spread of population caused by the urban sprawl of Metro Manila.

The City of Santa Rosa (In Tagalog, Lungsod ng Santa Rosa) is a 1st class city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. It is also known as "The Investment Capital of South Luzon" since 1994. The city lies 38 kilometers south of Manila via the South Luzon Expressway, making it a suburban residential community of Metro Manila. This quiet town of Laguna started its progress initially from the establishment of Filsyn, CIGI and couple of other small multinational companies there when the government BOI provided for incentives to companies located at not less than 40 kilometers away from Manila. According to the 2000 census, City of Santa Rosa has a population of 185,633 people in 43,625 households but in 2005, it surpassed San Pablo City in terms of population, making it the fourth largest town or city in Laguna after Calamba City, San Pedro and Biñan.

Highly Progressive - Home of Enchanted Kingdom,SM City,Robinsons,Ford Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Coke, Computer chip makers, Subdivisions(Ayala,Empire East, Brittany, StaLuciaRealty, Greenfield)

 OFFICIAL DETAILS:

City Head:

City Population:

City Land Area:

City Classification:

Website: http://www.santarosacity.gov.ph

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa,_Laguna

AWARDS & CITATIONS:

MONIKER/NICKNAMES:

"The Lion City of the South"

LINKS FOR MORE ABOUT THE CITY HERE:

@ http://www.elcielito-starosa.com/

@ http://www.santarosacity.info/

MORE OF THE CITY’S PIC HERE:

Lipa: The Little Rome of the Philippines

The Lipa City (Filipino: Lungsod ng Lipa) is a city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. It is one of the three component cities of Batangas province . It is the renowned Little Rome of the Philippines and the seat of the Archdiocese.[1] It is situated 78 kilometers south of Manila, and according to the latest census, it has a population of 260,558 inhabitants in 41,962 households.

Lipa City is a major recreational, religious, commercial, industrial and educational center in central Batangas province, as shown with the presence in the city of entities like Hotel la Corona de Lipa, Nestle Philippines, Lipa City Science High School, Canossa Academy, De La Salle Lipa, Lipa City Colleges, AMA Lipa, The Nazareth School, the San Sebastian Cathedral (seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa), The Mabini Academy which was founded in 1922 and the oldest school in Lipa City, the Carmelite Convent, Robinson's Place Lipa Mall, Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club, Summit Point Golf and Country Club and SM City Lipa Mall. The City is also home to the Fernando Air Base, the former headquarters of the Philippine Air Force's 100th Training Wing and Air Education and Training Command (AETC) which is known in military circles as the Baguio of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.  The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) provide convenient access to Batangas City and Metro Manila.[2]  This is where the so-called Marian apparition took place in 1948 to a Carmelite novice, Teresita Castillo at the Lipa Carmel Monastery.

OFFICIAL DETAILS:

Website: http://www.lipa.gov.ph

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipa,_Batangas

MORE LINKS FOR LIPA:

http://lipacitytourismcouncil.blogspot.com

http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/lipacity/Interesting

Tagaytay: The Second Summer Capital of the Philippines

Tagaytay is as close to paradise as one can find. We present this web site in the spirit of fostering this exceptional city and country. For the first time both Filipino's and visitors alike, using Tagaytay.com as your guide, can enjoy the wonders that Tagaytay and the Philippines offers at very affordable prices, offering exceptional value for the money.

In our opinion the Philippines best chance of economic recovery is through international and domestic tourism. At today's prices most Filipino's can't afford to enjoy the treasures the Philippines has to offer like Tagaytay. First time visitors from abroad may be put off by prices that don't reflect value for the money.

If you can get a deluxe room in Bangkok from US$50 per night, why shouldn't they be able to do the same thing in the Philippines? Intuitive entrepreneurs decided to do something about this, and in fact go one better! They were determined to offer deluxe rooms, at a brand new inn, with spectacular views overlooking Taal volcano from Php 2,750 per night and they did it! This is arguably The BEST HOTEL DEAL in the PHILIPPINES!

The idea started more than 14 years ago when a small family of entrepreneurs first visited Tagaytay and fell in love with the serene surroundings and astonishing views all characterized by the absence of emotional agitation and free from disturbance. Add in the cool clean air and a sparsely populated city and one has practically found paradise! There are so many sights, places and things to do in Tagaytay its hard to know where to start. Click here for things to do .

The first obstacle to overcome was the outrageous land prices at the time, around US$400 and UP per square meter for a decent size lot overlooking the beautiful Taal Lake and volcano. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 solved that problem when the peso halved in value in relation to the US dollar. That made land acquisition affordable, though we still feel that land and property prices in general (in the more desirable locations throughout the Philippines) are still too high.

However as with all real estate, it's always, location, location, location. Like the great American humorist and actor Will Rogers said about land decades ago, "They ain't making anymore of it!"

After more than seven years and countess trips to Tagaytay, searching, haggling, researching and looking at more than 100 properties, this small family of entrepreneurs hit the jackpot. They located a large parcel of land overlooking Taal Lake and volcano at a fair price. Their location, admittedly, has one of the most inspirational and uplifting views I've seen in all my travels, and I've been to nearly a hundred countries during the last 42 years!

To wake up in the morning or see the sunset overlooking Taal volcano was an experience I'll never forget. You won't either if you make the time and effort to participate in such an experience.

There is a cornucopia of hotels, inns, apartelles and bed and breakfast rooms to rent in Tagaytay and throughout the Philippines, with prices ranging from a few dollars per night to an outrageous US$400 per night for the luxury resorts. Conduct a search for "Philippines hotels" at www.google.com the world famous search engine, and you'll find more offers than you can shake a stick at.

However the Royal Taal Inn stands heads and shoulders above all the rest. Why? Because the Royal Taal Inn offers the best value for the money I've come across in a very long time indeed! They offer the least expensive overlooking rooms in Tagaytay I've discovered ... PERIOD! Starting from Php 2,750 each and every room at the Royal Taal has a spectacular view overlooking the Taal Volcano.

Enjoying a cup of coffee on a crisp morning, or a cup of tea overlooking Taal volcano during a speculator sunset on your own private porch, will become one of your more memorable travel treasures.

In order for this family run business to offer overlooking rooms at knock down prices, they had to limit the number of guest rooms available. So it's strictly first come, first served on availability and from just Php 2,750 per night the rooms go very fast.

The secret in getting these knock down low rates is much like the airlines. The earlier you reserve and pay for your room, the cheaper your rate! I like that and it's saves you a lot of money.

Though there is a limited supply of rooms, they spared no expense in building and furnishing each room.

Each guest room has all the modern conveniences, i.e. telephone, TV and your own private comfort room , which is the local lingo for "rest or bath room." Each comfort room comes with a shower, toilet and sink with very impressive tiles. Each room has air cond, as the locals call it (better known as air conditioning,) but you'll rarely if ever use it. The large windows and doors, all screened, offers a breeze during the night, which at times requires a blanket to keep you warm.

The surprisingly large rooms, for the money, sleeps two adults and two children, a rare event in today's holiday industry. There's even Internet access available if required.

Though the Royal Taal doesn't have a restaurant, (another way they keep the cost down,) you can have morning breakfast ( small additional cost, ) in the special roof top dining area, and order snacks and sandwich's until late evening time. Soda's, long distance telephone calling cards, DVD player and DVD movies are also available (at a small extra cost,) along with other miscellaneous but at times, essential utilities. Internet access is available from each room so everything is well thought out and planned for both visiting Filipino's and especially overseas guests.

Probably the best perk of all is the friendly, efficient and warm hospitality this family run business offers. You feel more like you're at home or your best friends house, rather than staying at an Inn. The family goes way beyond being helpful offering to arrange transportation, reservations and suggesting "to do" recommendations during your stay. What a refreshing change from the run of the mill business establishments nowadays.

The family running the Royal Taal Inn , trusts that by offering excellent value for money, they will encourage other Tagaytay establishments to lower their prices accordingly. Who knows, maybe this idea of bringing prices into parity with other Asian nations will spread across the Philippines and help attract a greater number of visitors to this friendly and marvelously beautiful country. At least this is the idea behind this site. Therefore it may be a good idea to bookmark or save this site as one of your favorites as we will endeavor to continually update and bring you the very best deals in Tagaytay and the Philippines we can muster up.

OFFICIAL DETAILS:

City Head:

City Population:

City Land Area:

City Classification:

Website: http://www.tagaytay.gov.ph/

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagaytay

AWARDS & CITATIONS:

MONIKER/NICKNAMES:

LINKS FOR MORE ABOUT THE CITY HERE:

  @ http://www.tagaytay.com

MORE OF THE CITY’S PIC HERE: