Lipa City Batangas is known as top producer of coffee way back during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines. It is this status that made Lipa a city. Coffee is still the major crops planted and traded in the city. Though the production is not as big as before, Lipa still provides quality coffee to its drinking patrons. 

The province is also a home for a wild civet cat, locally know as alamid. Before, farmers used to kill the cat because they eat the coffee beans, especially the ripe one. Until the discovery of the most priced coffee out from the poo of the civet cat. It became known worldwide because of its unique taste. A cup of this coffee even priced as high as $50.

Civet cats are nocturnal animals that use their sense of smell to pick the ripest coffee cherries. They eat the outer shells of the coffee cherries. Their bodies can't fully digest the coffee cherries, but as the beans pass through the civet cat's digestive tract, the enzymes and acids involved in their digestion process affect the beans, giving the coffee beans a distinct new flavor.

 In Brgy. Sto. Nino in Lipa city, there is a cooperative who deals with this lucrative business of gathering civet cat poo, processing them and selling as coffee. They are the Malarayat Coffee Farmers and Consumer Cooperative. They currently have more than 50 members who are helping on their venture.

 They are in partner with Alamid Café Xpress who directly buy their coffee produce which the company sell locally on their shop or export worldwide.

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Cintai Corito's Garden is a Balinese inspired sanctuary in Balete Batangas. It is a place where you can hold your important occassion and make it a memorable one. Either for gathering or just a refreshing getaway, you will be mesmerized by the beauty of the place.

Cintai (pronounced "Chin-tai") is Indonesian for the word LOVE.

The Garden started out as an ordinary private family rest house that the family visited every weekend. In 2005 however, their mother Corito was diagnosed with a terminal disease. To help her recuperate from treatment, the family oftenbrought her to the garden because the place made her relax and temporarily forget her sickness. Two years later, Coritofinally succumbed to her illness.Her husband together with his 4 childrenthen decided to focus all their efforts into making the garden a paradise since she loved the place so much. They wanted the beautiful memories they shared there to live on thus the creation of Cintai… love for their mother and love for his wife.

Cintai Corito’s Garden is an hour drive away from the bustling city. It is a perfect place to unwind, relax and meditate. It offers 2 pavilions that cater to special events such as weddings, debuts, birthdays or corporate parties. The Garden also has 18 villas, each uniquely designed, available for rent. Guests can enjoy the use of 4 swimming pools of different sizes during their stay. There is also a special playground for children too. Lastly, Cintai is a beautiful sanctuary to unique animals such as alpacas, spotted deer, mini horses, peacocks and a whole lot more.

They have various accomodations for individual or group visit. Their biggest pavilion can host up to 200 guests.

Visit their site for more information about rates and location map. http://www.coritosgarden.com

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Bulanglang is truly one of Batanggenyo's favorite food. It is a mix of several vegetables that can be planted in the backyard. These includes various types of beans, leafy vegetables, squash, lady finger, eggplant and other vegetables that they have. Since Batangas is an agricultural province, most of the folks are a true farmer, utilizing the plot of land that they have. Sometimes, beans are even planted along the road side.

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Every 14th of May, the people of Lemery Batangas is celebrating their very own "Tinapa Festival". They dance in the streets in celebration of the feast of the humble smoked fish called the tinapa that fed multitude of peasants and laborers. It is a a three-day affair that showcases a trade fair of agro-industrial products, lectures about livestock raising and food processing, and food demo competition.

The event is held every year to promote the local tinapa industry as well as to boost local tourism industry.

Fishing season in Lemery starts from November to May. Bountiful catch of tulingan, galunggong, tamban, dampilas, milkfish, among many others are unselfishly blessed by the sea. So abundant the harvests are that fishermen usually sell a substantial portion at very low price. With this, the local government introduced the tinapa-making business, a solution to the excess catch.

History

Excited the people were, the Department of Agriculture introduced the skills and proper training for the people in the coastal areas in making tinapa and assisted to start business. Right after, they aimed to create a wide market for the new industry and promotion, thus the birth of the Tinapahan Festival.

Since no town in the Philippines has claimed to be the Tinapa Capital of the Philippines, through continous effort, Lemery has earned the title. They may be the country’s producer of best tinapa.

Compared to the usual reason to celebrate a festival, as commemorating something that has been an integral to the life and culture of a place, the Tinapahan Festival is the reverse, using the festivity to incorporate the celebration to the lives and culture.

Soon, street pageant and group dancing competition were organized. On the morning of May 1, the people of Lemery has celebrated their first festival as the street pageant paraded and danced in the thoroughfares, and converged into a humble court at the back of the municipal hall.

Floats from private sectors populated the streets while contingents of the local governmnent walked in bright yellow peasant costumes.

Main part of the parade was a competition for the court dancing tilt, participated by five schools of the town. The competition began in the court where contestants made good use of any tow of the things used in making tinapa such as fish nets, bilao of fishes, baskets, and round bamboo.

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