Nasugbu, officially the Municipality of Nasugbu (), is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 136,524 people.
Several bus services provide transportation to and from Nasugbu.
Jeepney
A jeepney (), or simply a jeep (), is a type of Public transport, public utility vehicle (PUV) that serves as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. Known for its crowded seating ...
s from
Tagaytay also enter and leave the town at a scheduled time. Within the town, tricycles are the main mode of transport.
Geography
According to the
Philippine Statistics Authority
The Philippine Statistics Authority (; PSA) is the central statistical authority of the Philippine government that collects, compiles, analyzes, and publishes statistical information on economic, social, demographic, political affairs, and gene ...
, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Batangas. It is from
Batangas City, from
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, and from
Imus
Imus (), officially the City of Imus (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and ''de jure'' Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
.
Topography

Nasugbu is bounded on the north by the municipalities of
Maragondon,
Magallanes and
Alfonso
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. I ...
in the province of
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
; on the east by the Batangas municipalities of
Laurel,
Calaca, and
Balayan
Balayan, officially the Municipality of Balayan (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 95,913 people.
The town ...
; on the south by the Batangas municipalities of
Lian and
Tuy; and on the west by the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
.
Entering the town proper via the national highway, one passes fields of sugar cane, corn, and rice fields; hills and mountains. The terrain slopes downwards to the South China Sea. Because of its rolling terrain and coastline location, agriculture (sugarcane, rice, corn, vegetables, coconut, fruits), and aquaculture are Nasugbu's main industries.
Barangays
Nasugbu is politically subdivided into 42
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, as shown in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of
purok
A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios
A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.
Currently, there are 3 barangays which are classified as urban (highlighted in bold).
Climate
The climate of Nasugbu falls under the first type of classification, Type I, characterized by two pronounced seasons:
Dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
from November to April and
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
for the rest of the year. The annual average temperature in the municipality is . January is the coolest month having an average temperature of , while April is the warmest month registering an average temperature of .
Demographics

In the 2020 census, Nasugbu had a population of 136,524. The population density was .
Most of the people in Nasugbu are
Tagalogs. In recent years, there's been a noticeable increase of
Visayans
Visayans ( Cebuano: ''mga Bisayà'' ) are a Philippine ethnolinguistic family group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, to the southernmost islands south of Luzon, and to a significant portion of Mindanao. They are composed of numerous d ...
in Barangay Wawa and other
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. The main language spoken is
Tagalog, and a significant number now speaks
Cebuano and
Hiligaynon. Due to the historic relevance of the town, a small number of families speak
Spanish. Many among the educated class speak
English.
A great majority of Nasugbugueños are
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
s. Although there is a legislated separation of church and state in the Philippines, the town fiesta on December 3 is a holiday. Nasugbu is also one of the most important centres of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in the
Archdiocese of Lipa. Though officially called Vicariate I, it is sometimes called the
Vicariate of
San Francisco Xavier in honour of the town's patron saint. Some barangays have their own respective patron saints and celebrate a feast day other than that of Saint Francis Xavier's.
With the growing number of Catholic faithfuls in the town, it has been proposed that Saint Francis Xavier Parish would be divided into two. The proposed new parish is to be called the Parish of San Antonio de Padua and would have its parochial church at barangay Kaylaway. As of today, San Antonio de Padua functions as parish with its own council and ministries.
The minority belong to other minor religions like the indigenous
Iglesia ni Cristo
The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...
;
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
(Mormons);
Evangelical Christianity
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
; and the
UCCP.
Economy
In Presidential Decree 1520, president
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
declared some areas of the municipality as a potential tourism area. Since then, Nasugbu has had a tourism industry focused primarily on its beaches. Its proximity to
Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
makes it a popular choice.
Some economic highlights are the development of Nasugbu's agro-industrial industry (feed mills, meat processing, and poultry-growing) by building more farm-to-market roads. Hiking in the mountains and virgin forests around Nasugbu is popular. One particular spot, Karakawa, is a series of multi-tiered naturally formed rock pools hewn out of the mountain. The smallest pool is about the size of a Jacuzzi, while the biggest measures about . The pools are more than deep, and one can catch fish in the pools.
Agriculture
At the moment, because of its rolling terrain and coastline location, agriculture (sugarcane, rice, corn, vegetables, coconut, fruits), and aquaculture are Nasugbu's main industries. It was home to the
Central Azucarera Don Pedro, one of the country's largest sugar producers.
Roxas Holdings Incorporated on March 29, 2024 permanently closed its wholly owned subsidiary, the 97-year-old Central Azucarera Don Pedro in Nasugbu where
Manny Pangilinan is vice-chairman. Founded in 1927, CADPI's "serious business losses" resulted in the termination of all its employees. In 2023, it shut down its milling operations and sold its
sugarcane mill in Nasugbu, Batangas to
Universal Robina Corporation, which operates a sugar mill in nearby
Balayan, Batangas
Balayan, officially the Municipality of Balayan (), is a municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 95,913 people.
The town is rich among the natural resources of sugarcanes, coc ...
.
Being home to one of the largest sugar milling companies of the country, the production of sweets is a significant portion of the local economy. Nasugbu is the only town in Luzon which hosts a ''bibingkahan'' (rice cake area) in its public market. There are at least 10 kinds of rice cakes that are found only in Nasugbu, in addition to the varieties that could be found elsewhere in the country. Many Nasugbugueños, even those who do not do much cooking, take pride in making a variety of sweets such as sweetened yam, sweetened coconut, and similar products.
Tourism

Nasugbu has built a reputation as a
resort town
A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...
known for its beaches.
On August 3, 2007, by ''Executive Order 647'', President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
declared Nasugbu, known for its white sand beach resorts, a special tourism zone, mandating the formation of a private sector-led "Nasugbu eminent persons group" to oversee development. The Nasugbu Special Tourism Zone will cover areas included in the Nasugbu Tourism Development Plan prepared by the
municipal government
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
and validated by the
Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) built a
resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that aims to provide most of a vacationer's needs. This includes food, drink, swimming, accommodation, sports, entertainment and shopping, on the premises. A hotel ...
, the Hamilo Coast, at the NSTZ. Also included in the tourism zone are
Punta Fuego and
Mounts Palay-Palay–Mataas-na-Gulod Protected Landscape where
Mount Pico de Loro is located.
Cultural and historical significance

There are no historical documents recounting Nasugbu's foundation. The earliest written records of the place are of the founding by the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
of the Parish of
St. Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative o ...
in 1852.
Nasugbu did not become an important commercial center due to the proximity of
Balayan
Balayan, officially the Municipality of Balayan (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 95,913 people.
The town ...
.
The first historical account of this town relates to when a native tribesman, known only as Matienza, led his fellow Nasugbugueños, together with some natives from the nearby
Lian, in revolt against a large land grant to the Roxases. This revolt failed. This happened in the latter part of the 19th century.
Nasugbu was not as much irrigated as the fields of nearby towns, making it one of the towns that suffered much when the town of Lipa was besieged on June 18, 1896. Ten days later the effects for the people of Nasugbu were so dire that the Gobernadorcillo authorised taking 1,000 pesos from the treasury of Lipa to provide a rice subsidy for the Nasugbugueños.
When the
revolution
In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
officially started in Batangas in September 1896, an organised revolt also broke out in the town of Nasugbu, together with the towns of Balayan, Lian,
Talisay, and
Lemery seven weeks later. The ''Revolt of Nasugbu'' was led by Luciano San Miguel and was one of the largest revolts in the province. However, on December 12, 1896, San Miguel unknowingly led his men into a trap, and Nasugbu suffered the greatest number of casualties in the revolution.
In September 1898, the town of Cauit (
Kawit
Kawit, officially the Municipality of Kawit (), is an urban municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Cavite, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 107,535. It is one of ...
) in
Cavite
Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...
declared independence from Spanish rule. This made the life of the Caviteños more tumultuous than before. Due to this, the people of the nearby town of
Alfonso
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. I ...
invaded the Roxas estate and started to harass the tenants there. Although the municipal officials of Nasugbu responded quickly and complained to their counterparts in Cavite, the citizens were already defying authority.
On March 28, 1903, the adjacent municipality of Lian was merged with Nasugbu. It later separated from Nasugbu effective January 1, 1915 by virtue of Executive Order No. 127 signed by
Governor-General
Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Francis Burton Harrison
Francis Burton Harrison (December 18, 1873 – November 21, 1957) was an American-Filipino Politics of the United States, statesman who served in the United States House of Representatives and was appointed Governor-General of the Philippines ...
four days prior, restoring its independent municipality status.
During times of war, Batangas was administered by the Governor General and the right of
habeas corpus
''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...
was suspended, resulting in more casualties.
Archeological significance
The Nasugbu Cow
The Dark Age of Nasugbu was compensated by a great archaeological discovery. According to the
National Museum of the Philippines
The National Museum of the Philippines () is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines, including Ethnography, ethnographic, Anthropology, anthropological, Archaeology, archaeological, an ...
, a group of scientists found a wooden cow a year before the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Knowing that it was of great significance to the history of the country, the cow was immediately handed over the National Museum, but it did not survive the destruction of the war. However, a year after the war, a new archaeological artifact was excavated in the nearby town of
Calatagan, which in turn became the most important prehistoric artifact of the country.
The San Diego Ship Wreck
Government
Local government

In the May 2019 elections, Antonio "Tony" Barcelon won the mayoralty seat. Just like other municipalities, the local government is headed by the mayor, with the vice mayor serving as the deputy and the presiding officer of the eight-seat Nasugbu Municipal Council.
Education
Nasugbu West Central School is the largest
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
in the
Southern Tagalog region. Other elementary schools in the town proper include Lourderette School, Pedagogia, Saint Paul's, RB Cordero Academy and Creative Dreams School. Most barangays have their own grade schools, and some in recent years also have high schools, as in Bilaran and Kaylaway.
Nasugbu Institute, founded in 1932, is a private high school. Nasugbu also hosts the high school campus of the
Batangas State University
Batangas State University, The National Engineering University (; BatStateU The NEU) is a State university and college (Philippines), state university in the province of Batangas, Philippines. Established in 1903 as a training school, Batangas S ...
, known locally as the
Apolinario R. Apacible School of Fisheries (or simply "Fisheries"). It was formerly a fishery school with courses including Fish Culture, Fish Capture, and Fish Preservation, but was later attached to the Batangas State University. Presently, aside from Fishery courses, the school also offers other courses like Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing, Education, and Tourism. Other relatively new high schools are Nasugbu Christian Faith Academy, Adelaido A. Bayot Memorial School, and the RB Cordero Academy. Other schools in Nasugbu include Nasugbu East Central School, Nasugbu West Central School, Nicolites Montessori School, Pantalan Elementary School, and Bilaran Elementary School and many others.
The town is home to the Nasugbu Auditorium, where many cultural activities regularly are held. It is the town's primary theatre and showcases not only plays but also concerts of popular artists and bands.
References
*
*
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Batangas
Beaches of the Philippines