Like other National Heritage towns in the country, Taal in Batangas probably cannot be without its own festival. So, El Pasubat was launched just last weekend of April to claim its niche in a country heady with colorful festivals that are in a way the heavy reason for each place’s touristic and cultural draw.

While Taal is a namesake of the world-famous volcano and lake, both are now geopolitically apart from each other; and, the town is still a fourth class municipality. But, its storied past cannot be overlooked.

The descendants of the Bornean settlers in Panay spread out to the neighboring islands, where they founded more settlements. In due time, they came to be known as Bisayans after the Bisayan tribe in Borneo, to which their ancestors belonged. The colonies founded by Datu Dumangsil and Balensuela in the Taal region prospered in due time. The settlement was called Taal due to the presence of Taa-lan trees in the Pansipit River, formerly called Taa-lan river.

Their descendants spread out in two groups - one group colonizing the region of Laguna de Bay northwards and the other, penetrating southward settled the northern Bicol Peninsula. Those who remained in Batangas and the Laguna de Bay region became the Tagalogs (“people of the river”), which their original language evolved into pre-Spanish Tagalog or Batangas Tagalog. Taal, which means “indigenous”, is considered the center or origin of the Tagalog language. Taal back then was called Bonbon alongside with the lake.

Taal was first founded in present day San Nicolas but due to the eruption of Taal Volcano in 1754, the town was moved to its present site for protection. The town became the capital of Batangas – until the capital was moved to Batangas City.

The Basilica de San Martin de Tours (Taal), which is the biggest church in the Philippines, was first built in 1575 in present day San Nicolas but abandoned in 1754 due to the eruption of Taal and rebuilt in 1755. Then an earthquake shook it down in 1849 and once again rebuilt in 1856 by Architect Luciano Olivero. It is now considered the biggest Catholic Basilica Church in the Far East.

Today, as it is now a 439-year old Heritage town, the current town elders saw fit that it’s about time to have a festival of its own – and El Pasubat it is from now.  And you guessed it right, El Pasubat  promotes what Taal has always been known for: Burda de Taal, Barong Tagalog, Empanada, Longganisa, Panutsa, Suman, Balisong, Tapa, Sinaing na Tulingan, atbp.

As festivals would go nowadays, the first El Pasubat had all the colorful trappings of a spectacle: A Grand Parade of youth dancing in the streets, along with local beauty queens and balikbayan celebrities; A trade fair where all the major local products were assembled under one roof for exhibition and sale; The Taal Active Alliance Legion organized Visita en la casa – visitors could experience the glory of Taal’s past as they walked through “restored” houses and enjoyed short fitting programs; A Gran Festival del Baile – a night of beautiful music (by Don Guillermo and his flamenco troupe) and ballroom dancing at the town plaza and under the stars, which luckily are visible only in Taal.