Batangas Central is the name of a new town planned at the southern tip of the island of Luzon. The impetus for this new development lies in two major infrastructure projects: the upgrading of existing port facilities in Batangas, and the completion of the South Super-Highway extension which will connect the port with Manila.

Port facilities in Manila have a limited expansion capacity because of their location in central Manila, where land values are very high and existing communities are deeply entrenched. Industrial land uses (which make use of the port) are having to locate on the outskirts of the city because of the lack of land as well as the expense and effort in assembling the large parcels necessary. Thus the port and its associated uses are separated by greater and greater distances. Compounding this problem is the fact that Manila’s roads have a limited capacity for traffic, and this capacity was exceeded long ago.

Recognizing this, the Philippine government began to upgrade the existing facilities of the Port of Batangas in the 1990s. In addition, it began to extend the South Super-Highway to connect the outskirts of Manila with the Port of Batangas. The goal was to establish a fully world-class port facility that will complement and eventually take over as the primary point of exchange for International Sea trade in Southern Luzon. It is the Batangas port, with its large, deep, and protected bay, as well as its lack of silting problems, that was considered to hold the most promise.

Nearby, the existing city of Batangas is both spread out and disorganized. Most of the land is consumed by industrial uses that complement the port’s function. However, these areas are not amenable to residential or civic uses that constitute a community. So there is a need to establish a new center for Batangas, one that is community-centered.

To establish this new community center, as well as capitalize on the growth that will inevitably follow these large investments, Batangas Central was planned near the Port. The site was approximately 836 hectares. Surrounding an existing and stable residential community in a “U-shape”, the town was planned to have a complete mix of uses, from low density residential neighborhoods near golf amenities, to light industrial “tech parks”, and more urban business/commercial areas. The project was never built.

Role: Brian Jennett led the design and production for this effort.