Batangas Central is the name of a master planned community at the southern tip of the island of Luzon. The impetus for the project was infrastructure investments being made nearby.

Port facilities in Manila have a limited expansion capacity because of their central location, 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. Congestion is some of the worst in the world.

Recognizing this, the Philippine government began to upgrade the existing facilities of the Port of Batangas in the 1990s and extend the South Super-Highway to connect the outskirts of Manila with the upgraded Port. The goal was to establish a world-class facility that would complement and eventually take over as the primary point of exchange for International Sea trade in Southern Luzon.  Batangas, with its large, deep, and protected bay, as well as its lack of silting problems, 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. The goal was to establish a new center for Batangas, one that is community-centered.

A site of approximately 840 hectares surrounding an existing and stable residential and agricultural cooperative was chosen.  It was planned to have a complete mix of uses, from low/medium density residential neighborhoods near golf, to light industrial “tech parks”, and more urban low/mid rise business/commercial areas. However, this project remains unbuilt.