Balanga (Bataan)
Understand
Formerly a barrio of nearby Abucay, Balanga was created as a Franciscan mission in 1739. When Bataan became a province in 1757 out of territories belonging to Pampanga, it was made the provincial capital.
Balanga has been a city since 2000, but it still has a large town feel. The city remains reliant on agriculture, most areas in town are residential, and the city proper is much typical of many small Philippine cities. Balanga is also the educational center of Bataan, and houses the main campus of the Bataan Peninsula State University.
Get in
By bus
Most buses arrive at a common terminal at 🌍 Balanga Transport Mall, Calero Street. along the highway, but the large bus companies like Bataan Transit, Genesis Transport, and Victory Liner arrive at their own terminals not far away from the downtown.
By car
Balanga is along the Roman Superhighway, as well as an older route which passes directly through the downtown.
Get around
Balanga has a small downtown area, and is easily explored on foot. Sights within downtown are not far apart. To get into the wetland park, you can take a tricycle.
See and do
- 🌍 Balanga Cathedral (Diocesan Shrine and Cathedral of St. Joseph), Calero Street. Built in 1793, this church was used as an artillery embattlement by the Filipinos during the Battle of Bataan. The cathedral is declared a National Historical Site since 1940.
- 🌍 Balanga City Hall, Saint Joseph Street. 8AM–5PM. A Neoclassical building which houses the city government offices. Beside the main building is a preserved water tower, and at nighttime, it is flooded with light.
- 🌍 Balanga Wetlands (Balanga Nature and Wetland Park), M. delos Reyes Street. 5:30AM–5PM. A wetland area along Manila Bay which sees migratory birds annually. Free.
- 🌍 Bataan Provincial Capitol, Capitol Drive. 8AM–5PM. Rebuilt from an older building destroyed during World War II, it has a historical marker commemorating the fall of Bataan in 1942, and the struggles of Filipinos and Americans to defend democracy.
- 🌍 Bataan World War II Museum, Jose Basa Street. 8AM–4PM. Artifacts & dioramas of area World War II events include the infamous prisoner-of-war death march & surrender monument. ₱50.
- 🌍 The Fall of Bataan Historical Marker, Capitol Drive. Open 24 hours. Free.
- 🌍 Plaza Mayor de Ciudad de Balanga, Banzon Street. Open 24 hours. This plaza is a spectacular representation of how it is to live during that era. The gothic architecture, peaceful surroundings. Free.
- 🌍 Bataan Tourism Park, Bataan Provincial Highway. 5AM–9PM. an extraordinary place, a park where you can be relieved from stress. best photography place. Free.
- 🌍 Doña Francisca Park, Cuaderno Street. Open 24 hours. A nice place for families and kids to enjoy. Free.
Buy
- 🌍 Balanga City Public (Wet & Dry) Market, #706 Market Road. Open 24 hours.
- 🌍 Capitol Square Balanga, Capitol Drive, Capaning. 10AM–8PM. Shopping mall.
- 🌍 SM City Bataan, Calero Street. 10AM–9PM.
- 🌍 Newstar Shopping Mart - Balanga, #734 Fiscal Camacho Street. 7:30AM–7:30PM. Great place to find cheap priced items, from clothing, shoes, and house tools to appliances. It has huge parking space.
Eat
- 🌍 Denbell's Fastfood and Snackhouse, Bonifacio Street, ☏ +63472375183. 7AM–10PM. Filipino restaurant. Delicious, home-style cooking that has survived the test of time.
- 🌍 Han'Ei Ramen, #230 Dahlia Street. 11AM–9PM. Japanese restaurant. Mostly recommended.
- 🌍 Susie's Cuisine Bataan, Don Manuel Banzon Avenue. 8AM–7PM. Filipino restaurant, Nice traditional Filipino snacks.
- 🌍 Cheenok's, Don Manuel Banzon Avenue (located in Fourlane Commercial). Barbecue restaurant. One of a kind! The best BBQ place in Bataan.
- 🌍 Sampalukan Restaurant, General Kapinpin Street. 10AM–10PM. Delicious Pinoy food, prepared just like a hearty homecooked meal. Staff are welcoming and helpful.
- 🌍 Joyous Tangway Restaurant, #101 Capitol Drive. 10AM–9PM. They have good Filipino dishes with good serving portions. Great place to stay also if you want to have beer and hang out at night. The location is accessible and can be reached easily even when commuting.
- 🌍 Popot's Diner, Magnolia Street. 11AM-9PM. American restaurant. Buffet. ₱649.
- 🌍 Wooden Leaf Cafe, Fourlane Commercial, Capitol Drive. 11AM–8PM. Health food restaurant, The best place to eat healthy veges salads, healthy sandwiches and healthy fruit shakes or fruits smoothies the best world class food.
- 🌍 Mike's Shawarma - Tenejero, Manahan Street. 11AM–9PM. ₱₱.
- 🌍 Shinobi Izakaya, Manahan Street. noon–9 PM. Japanese restaurant. ₱₱₱.
- 🌍 Jeepney Restaurant, Dr. F. Anacleto Avenue. 11AM–9PM. It's a nice concept to be able to dine inside a jeepney. They serve Filipino food like kare-kare, sisig, okoy, inihaw etc. ₱₱₱.
Drink
- 🌍 Appetino, Banzon Street. 10AM–9PM. Bubble tea store. ₱₱.
- 🌍 The Beanery, Capitol Drive corner Kinatawan Road. 8AM–10PM. ₱₱.
- 🌍 BKDR Resto Bar, Capitol Drive. 6PM-3AM. ₱₱₱.
Sleep
- 🌍 Elison Hotel, Aguirre Street, Poblacion. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. Located off National Road, this straightforward hotel is a 3-minute walk from the Balanga Cathedral, an 11-minute walk from the Bataan World War II Museum and 17 km from the Mount Samat National Shrine dedicated to Filipino and American soldiers who died in World War II.
- 🌍 The Plaza Hotel Balanga City, J. P. Rizal Street, ☏ +63 998 541 1741. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon. Set in a stately Spanish Colonial building on Plaza Mayor de Ciudad de Balanga, this upmarket hotel opposite the 18th-century St. Joseph Cathedral is a 20-minute walk from a bus terminal. ₱.
- 🌍 The Grand Peninsula Suites, Duhat Street. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
- 🌍 Gap Plaza Hotel, Capitol Drive corner Sampaguita Street. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
- 🌍 Crown Royale Hotel, Capitol Drive. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
- 🌍 The Garden Galleries Boutique Hotel Bataan, Governor J. J. Linao Road, ☏ +639777117135. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: noon.
- 🌍 La Vista Balanga Inland Resort, Barangay Central, Roman Superhighway, ☏ +63477913380. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM.
- 🌍 Anton's Inn, Roman Superhighway, Cupang Proper, ☏ +63 926 674 6644.
Connect
- 🌍 Bataan Tourism Center, ☏ +63 47 237 4785. 8AM–5PM. A government tourism center that has its own park and ampitheater, an audiovisual room for functions and meetings, and galleries for images of Bataan's famous landmarks and lifesize tableaus of its World War II history.
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