Mabini

Mabini is a municipality in Batangas lying on a peninsula overlooking Batangas and Balayan Bays, and considered the birthplace of Philippine's scuba diving industry. Its beach resorts are not far from Manila. Though largely a destination for middle-class locals, it also gets quite a few foreigner visitors, especially divers.

The town of Mabini itself is not on the sea; the main tourist and diving destination is Anilao, part of the municipality but outside the town. This guide includes both.

Fishing was once the major source of income for the region, but tourism is now the main source of municipal revenue. The local government, however, has tried to keep tourism sustainable, so no hotel or restaurant chains are found in the area.

Mabini sits on the Calumpan Peninsula, overlooking Balayan and Batangas Bays, and the Maricaban Strait. Mabini derives its name from Apolinario Mabini, a Filipino revolutionary, better known as the "Brain of the Revolution" (Utak ng Himagsikan) and the "Sublime Paralytic" (Dakilang Lumpo). The municipality was formed in 1918; before that it was administered as part of the nearby town Bauan.

One of the coral reefs below Balayan Bay in Anilao

Mabini's main destination, Anilao, is the Philippines's birthplace of scuba diving. The proximity of Mabini to Manila proved to be advantageous to the growth of tourism in the area, making it the nearest equivalent to beach and diving spots like Boracay or Puerto Galera (the latter is also near the metro, but you must board fast craft or RoRo ferries from Batangas City). The completion of the STAR Tollway further increased its accessibility, though at the cost of causing traffic jams in already-congested Batangas City and its surrounding metropolis. The peak season is during the after-school vacation between March and May, so, expect resorts to become packed and fully booked.

The diving scene is alive in the Anilao area, but there are many beach resorts and diving spots all around the coast, except to the south of Mount Gulugod Baboy. Municipal services and businesses are concentrated in the east, in the Poblacion and Mainaga area.

Across the Maricaban Strait is Tingloy, a small island town has a handful of some off-the-beaten-track sights. While a separate municipality administratively, Tingloy is treated as part of Mabini in general.

• Anilao Outrigger Resort, Solo, Anilao, ☏ +63 2890-6778, fax: +63 2-729-6571. The resort provides complete diving equipment and houses a restaurant and bar. There are about 185 steps down to the resort from the parking lot. Porters will carry your luggage up and down, but you have to climb all of those stairs, which can be strenuous. From ₱2,800. 
• 🌍 Sea's Spring Resort, Mabini Circumferential Road, Mainit (10 kilometers from town proper). Air-conditioned rooms, with cable TV, hot water and views of the beachfront or the mountains. Cottages are also available. There are also an outdoor swimming pool with slides, and natural hot spring baths. From ₱3619. (updated Nov 2018)
• 🌍 Mayumi Resort, Mabini Circumferential Road (12 kilometers from town proper). Small Filipino-themed beach resort. Scuba diving available on site. (updated Nov 2018)

Batangas City is the transport hub in the area; travellers will use the city as their jumping off point to the rest of Batangas, or to other beach and diving destinations like Boracay and Puerto Galera.

Another nearby option is Taal, a heritage town just one hour away via Route 436. You may continue further west on the coast, to other seaside resorts in Lemery, Balayan, Calatagan, Lian, and Nasugbu.