Santo Tomas travel guide

Santo Tomas, officially the City of Santo Tomas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Santo Tomas), is a component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 226,772 people.

Santo Tomas lies just south of Batangas's boundary with Laguna, and is a major road junction, serving the Maharlika Highway (Route 1 and Asian Highway 26) and Jose P. Laurel Highway (Route 4). The town takes its name from its patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinas, also the patron saint of Catholic schools. Santo Tomas is also the hometown of the Filipino general Miguel Malvar, who led the soldiers of the Tagalog Republic during the Philippine–American War, and also the last general to surrender to the Americans. Santo Tomas forms part of the vast sprawl from Metro Manila which ends at Lipa.

Getting in

Most provincial buses headed between Manila and Lipa, Batangas City, Quezon Province and Bicol stop at Santo Tomas. Jeepneys between Calamba and San Pablo, Tanauan, and Lipa serve the city proper. From Manila and Calamba, take the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and exit at Santo Tomas. Alternatively, take the older and congested Maharlika Highway/National (Route 1). From Lipa/Batangas City, take the STAR Tollway and exit at Santo Tomas.

Getting around

The town is served by jeepneys in major thoroughfares, and tricycles in all other nooks and crannies not served by jeepneys. Car travel is advisable, especially when visiting the Padre Pio Shrine, but prepare for traffic jams in feast days and at the queue for the STAR Tollway exit, particularly during rush hour.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.