San Juan Nepomuceno Church
San Juan, having one of the longest shorelines in the country, has been always welcoming visitors who look for an adoring weekend escape without really snatching their budget.
It is at the easternmost municipality in Batangas and easily reached via land and has direct access from Manila; tourists who are coming from neighboring towns can take the PUJ’s and they too will be lead to the city proper. Firstly, it was called San Juan de Bocnoc which later on took the name of its patron saint – San Juan Nepomuceno.
How to get to San Juan
This is a continuation of my first blog entry of Batangas - Lipa City. As mentioned to my previous post, each municipality is very reachable via public land transfers. If you are coming from Lipa City, ( just near Lipa Market/ Lipa Cathedral ) grab a PUJ en route to San Juan.
Fare : php 50-60
Travel Time : 1 ½ - 2 Hours
** Upon paying your fare, ask the driver that you need to get off in San Juan City. Travel time is usually two hours but due to good road condition, time is chopped by a few minutes. **
As soon as I arrived, it thrilled me to go and see what it has to offer. I had been here thrice but little did I realize that maybe I missed an opportunity to really enjoy the deal. The main purpose of my extended Batangas retreat is to revisit the beach of Laiya, but I made sure to allot a few hours in the city prior Laiya so I could take a look at the church and try their version of Batangas Lomi.
San Juan, as transcribed in history, was originally a coastal community encircled by a few primitive houses. It has big rivers – the Lawaye River and Malaking Ilog; as the latter is known to detach Batangas and Cavite. At present, it is recognizable that San Juan has become a profit-oriented city; visible markings are its semi-modern to modern structures, trades and convenient freeway.
An unhurried stroll on Burgos Street from San Juan PUJ terminal leads you to San Juan Nepomuceno Church. The patron saint of the said parish is the renowned John of Nepomuk or John Nepomucene, the saint of the Czech Republic. Saint John Nepomucene, according to writing, was drowned in the Vltava River as a consequence of his refusal to disclose the secrets of the confessional; thus, making him the patron saint against flood and drowning. Choosing him as the patron of the city can be traced back on how the people of San Juan suffered from a major flooding in the past.
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My stay in San Juan won’t be complete without trying their version of lomi – Lomi de San Juan. After asking around some locals on where to find the best lomi house in town, I found myself skating with ease along Mabini Street headed for my yet another noodle challenge.
ABCJ Lomi House
Lomi de San Juan, like Lomi de Lipa, uses a variety of ingredients to come up with an extraordinary thick and tasty consistency. It is topped with ground pork instead of pork cracklings (chicharon) and condiments are mainly similar with Lomi de Lipa except that they use red onion instead of white. Calamansi and chillies are still present to keep your experience on fire. And a separate soup is given along with the bowl to balance the flavour.
ABCJ Lomi House, just 2 blocks away from San Juan Nepomuceno Church, bids reasonably priced menu to guests and neighbors without detaching the quality of old Batangas Lomi. It is modestly sited a few steps away at the back of the church. You have the option to walk or rent a tricycle, charge is twenty five to thirty pesos (php 25-30).
Solo : fifty pesos (php 50)
Shared : Seventy five pesos (php 75)
Overall, my stopover in San Juan was enjoyable. Considering the little amount of time I have, it still allowed me to celebrate the missed opportunity in the past.
By some means, present circumstances give us the feeling of openness for a second or third chance or what not. If it’s something that rouses your mind whether it’s from the past or the now and you think it’s cool, then maybe, it’s worth a try.
Thank you San Juan and see you again!
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