 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mataasnakahoy" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Mataasnakahoy | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Mataasnakahoy | |
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nicknames: MK, Kahoy | |
 Map of Batangas with Mataasnakahoy highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Mataasnakahoy | |
.svg)  Mataasnakahoy Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:13°57′33″N121°06′45″E / 13.959217°N 121.112617°E /13.959217; 121.112617 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Calabarzon |
| Province | Batangas |
| District | 3rd district |
| Founded | January 2, 1932 |
| Barangays | 16 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Lucia Ellery L. Gardiola-Silva |
| • Vice Mayor | Earel Benedicto L. Gardiola |
| • Representative | King George Leandro Antonio V. Collantes |
| • Municipal Council | Members
|
| • Electorate | 22,311 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 22.10 km2 (8.53 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 201 m (659 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 410 m (1,350 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 31,912 |
| • Density | 1,444/km2 (3,740/sq mi) |
| • Households | 7,685 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 4th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 7.67 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 166.7 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 433.8 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 135.2 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 70.32 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Batangas 2 Electric Cooperative (BATELEC 2) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 4223 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)43 |
| Native languages | Tagalog |
| Website | lgumataasnakahoy |
Mataasnakahoy, officially theMunicipality of Mataasnakahoy (Tagalog:Bayan ng Mataasnakahoy), is amunicipality in theprovince ofBatangas,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 31,912 people.[5]
Although the town's name is always written as one word, it comes from theTagalog phrasemataás na kahoy, meaning "tall wood."[6][7] The town’s report for the Historical Data Papers, released in May 1953 by a commission comprising local schoolteachers,[8] dates the name "mataás na kahoy" to 1862. The then-Capitán Municipal (equivalent of a mayor) inLipa decided to found a settlement in that particular place as abarrio of his town, and the head of the new village recalled a tall tree ("mataás na kahoy") in the area. Additional folklore links the tall tree to a fruit that had cured an old woman of illness.[8]
Mataasnakahoy was originally abarrio ofLipa, then at its second site 1724 until 1754, when it was relocated toBalete. This is now thebarangay of Lumang Lipa (lit. transl. Old Lipa).[9]
Mataasnakahoy was created as a municipality through Executive Order No. 308 signed by actingGovernor-General of the PhilippinesGeorge C. Butte on March 27, 1931, effective on January 2, 1932.[7][10]
DuringWorld War II, theEmpire of Japan expandedLipa Air Base a kilometre away from Mataasnakahoy'spoblación. TheImperial Japanese Army Air Service occupied the town, burning many homes and massacring male residents. After the war, the town was rapidly rehabilitated.[8]
According to thePhilippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 22.10 square kilometers (8.53 sq mi) [11] constituting0.71% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometer (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.
Mataasnakahoy has 16barangays and its total land area is 22.10 square kilometers (8.53 sq mi). It is bounded byBalete andLipa withTaal Lake on its western edge. The town is known for its cool climate due to its high elevation of 379 meters (1,243 ft).
Mataasnakahoy is politically subdivided into 16barangays, as indicated in the matrix below.[12] Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
| PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024[13] | 2010[14] | |||||
| 041018001 | District I (Poblacion) | 7.3% | 2,324 | 2,153 | ▴ | 0.56% |
| 041018002 | District II (Poblacion) | 7.3% | 2,314 | 2,222 | ▴ | 0.29% |
| 041018003 | District III (Poblacion) | 9.9% | 3,158 | 3,099 | ▴ | 0.14% |
| 041018004 | District IV (Poblacion) | 5.3% | 1,699 | 1,698 | ▴ | 0.00% |
| 041018006 | Bayorbor | 3.4% | 1,076 | 966 | ▴ | 0.79% |
| 041018008 | Bubuyan | 4.4% | 1,412 | 1,204 | ▴ | 1.16% |
| 041018009 | Calingatan | 9.6% | 3,067 | 2,550 | ▴ | 1.35% |
| 041018010 | Kinalaglagan | 7.7% | 2,446 | 2,377 | ▴ | 0.21% |
| 041018011 | Loob | 3.4% | 1,093 | 1,007 | ▴ | 0.60% |
| 041018012 | Lumang Lipa | 6.5% | 2,088 | 1,974 | ▴ | 0.41% |
| 041018013 | Manggahan | 2.6% | 819 | 740 | ▴ | 0.74% |
| 041018014 | Nangkaan | 7.4% | 2,374 | 2,217 | ▴ | 0.50% |
| 041018015 | San Sebastian | 2.5% | 809 | 748 | ▴ | 0.57% |
| 041018016 | Santol | 5.8% | 1,837 | 1,749 | ▴ | 0.36% |
| 041018017 | Upa | 5.3% | 1,685 | 1,483 | ▴ | 0.93% |
| 041018018 | Barangay II‑A (Poblacion) | 3.1% | 986 | 990 | ▾ | −0.03% |
| Total | 31,912 | 27,177 | ▴ | 1.17% | ||
| Climate data for Mataasnakahoy | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26 (79) | 28 (82) | 29 (84) | 31 (88) | 29 (84) | 28 (82) | 27 (81) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 27 (81) | 27 (81) | 26 (79) | 28 (82) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17 (63) | 17 (63) | 18 (64) | 20 (68) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 19 (66) | 18 (64) | 20 (68) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 11 (0.4) | 13 (0.5) | 14 (0.6) | 32 (1.3) | 101 (4.0) | 142 (5.6) | 208 (8.2) | 187 (7.4) | 175 (6.9) | 131 (5.2) | 68 (2.7) | 39 (1.5) | 1,121 (44.3) |
| Average rainy days | 5.2 | 5.0 | 7.4 | 11.5 | 19.8 | 23.5 | 27.0 | 25.9 | 25.2 | 23.2 | 15.5 | 8.3 | 197.5 |
| Source: Meteoblue(modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[15] | |||||||||||||
Population census of Mataasnakahoy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17][14][18][19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the 2024 census, Mataasnakahoy had a population of 31,912 people.[20] The population density was 1,400 inhabitants per square kilometer (3,600/sq mi).
The townsfolk are predominantlyRoman Catholic, with minorities belonging to other religious groups like theIglesia ni Cristo,United Methodist Church, Baptist denominations,Jehovah's Witnesses,Jesus is Lord Church andMembers Church of God International.
ThePatroness of Mataasnakahoy is theBlessed Virgin Mary of theImmaculate Conception. The devotion to her started in 1874 which later grew significantly through its episcopal coronation on December 8, 2022. Following this, theSangguniang Bayan ng Mataasnakahoy declared her patronage through the Resolution No. 31-039-S-2025, released on October 7, 2025, recognizing her as the "Mother, Queen and Patroness of the Town of Mataasnakahoy." This declaration, officially proclaimed on November 29, 2025, recognizes the "Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción" as "Ang Birhen ng Mataasnakahoy."[21]
Poverty incidence of Mataasnakahoy
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]
Its economy is primarily agricultural withcoffee,coconut andbanana as the major crops. Fish culture, withmilkfish andtilapia being the major culture species, is also practiced in the coastalbarangays of Nangkaan, Lumang Lipa and Kinalaglagan.Piggery andpoultry farms from backyard to large scale operation represent a big part of the town's economy. Supporting the town's agribusiness are two feed mills namely, MAGICORP and AICOM.
Several banks (Mataasnakahoy Rural Bank, Lipa Development Bank, Savings and Loan Association of Mataasnakahoy) serve the townspeople. Small businesses like stores and groceries abound and the town center has aflea market (talipapa ortiangge) wherefresh fish,meat andvegetables are available daily and a pharmacy,Generika Drugstore. Several smallgarment factories partly fuel the town's business activity.Telephone service andinternet access are available.
Residential subdivisions (Victomar, Crisanta Homes, Immaculate Conception Village, Sinforosa and Monte Vista, among others) have started real estate development in the town.Gawad Kalinga, a free house and lot project for the poor sponsored by the religious organizationCouples for Christ, is also established in Barangay Bubuyan.
Municipal council (2025-2028):
The town is easily accessible viaLipa City though passengerjeepneys plying the route from dawn (3:00 AM) till night (9:00 PM). It is also accessible via the national road through a two-kilometer (1.2 mi)concrete road along the southern boundary ofBasilio Fernando Air Base.Tricycles are available for going around town and the innermostbarangays.
Several resorts operate in differentbarangays and the town is starting to be known for these resorts. Shercon Resort, the first one which ventured in this line of business, is located in Barangay San Sebastian. Subsequently, El Madero in Barangay II and Galilee Place (Barangay San Sebastian), La Virginia in Barangay Manggahan started operation, Eco Hotel and Honey Bee Farm at Barangay Bayorbor before the arc of Barangay Nangkaan.
Mataasnakahoy celebrates its townfiesta every January 3. The series of activities leading to the celebration starts several days before the actual fiesta and this would consist of sporting events, singing contests, street dancing competitions and the likes. The actual feast would be observed with food and alcoholic drinks in almost every household, the celebrations almost an annual reunion for relatives and friends. Marching bands, usually hired or sponsored by barangay officials, add to the music from rentedvideoke machines in some households. The celebration is usually concluded by a variety show in the town plaza with performers and celebrities, lasting until dawn of the next day.
The town also celebrates various religious feasts with mass and processions.Holy Week is observed solemnly by the townsfolk, with devout families usually sponsoring apabasa, or ritual chanting of thePasyónepic narrative centred onJesus’passion,death, andresurrection. Severalprocessions are also conducted during Holy Week, with all rituals culminating inEaster Sunday celebrations.
All Saints' Day on November 1 andAll Souls' Day on November 2 are observed as in other parts of the country by throngs of people heading to cemeteries to visit ancestral tombs. Flowers, candles, and prayers are offered at the graves by the living relatives who sometimes come even from afar.
The feast ofImmaculate Conception of theBlessed Virgin Mary on December 8 celebrates the town'spatron saint. AMass and procession around town with elaborate fireworks are held, with food in the church grounds for devotees.
As is everywhere in the Philippines, the town celebrates the longChristmas season, with decorations hung as early as November 2 and lasting until early January. OnChristmas Day, children visit relatives andgodparents to ask for blessings, which can also be interpreted as politely requesting for Christmas gifts.
The Mataasnakahoy Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.[30]
The town is home to several secondary schools: La Purisima Concepcion Academy (Barangay II), Holy Trinity School of Padre Garcia, Bats., Mataasnakahoy Branch Inc. (Barangay IV), Mataasnakahoy National High School (Barangay IV), Bayorbor National High School (Bayorbor), Mataasnakahoy Senior High School (Bayorbor) and Mother Chiara Biagiotti School (Santol).
Media related toMataasnakahoy at Wikimedia Commons
 Province ofBatangas | |
|---|---|
| Municipalities | |
| Component cities | |
