Tagaytay, a City with a View

The first time I went to Tagaytay City decades ago was for our High School spiritual retreat in the RVM (Religious of the Virgin Mary) Motherhouse.  Tagaytay City, back then, was the home of many convents, seminaries, monasteries, and retreat houses.  Outside the retreat house were vast farmlands over rolling terrains.  Cool and quiet, it was ideal for spiritual retreat.  Morning walks will lead you to the breathtaking view of Taal Lake and the smallest volcano, Taal Volcano.

Since then, Tagaytay City had become the preferred cool place away from the bustle and heat of Metro Manila.  With infrastructures improved, Real Estate developers had their hands on the city.  On a Holy Week, the traffic can be as bad as Manila.  Restaurants in Manila have put up branches. The local residents, too, made their houses to become  “rooms for rent”.  The religious houses are still there amidst the rising commercial establishments. In spite of the changes, often mixed with self-serving development, Tagaytay City retained its appeal. 

When a place becomes a favored tourist destination, the place usually loses its appeal as a place to visit time and again.  Once would have been enough.  Tagaytay, though, is a place you’d like to visit again and again and probably wouldn’t mind making it a home.

It is the view.  There is the wonderful vista of Taal Lake and Volcano and the Batulao mountain.  From Tagaytay, the lake, volcano and mountain seemed untouched.  Year after year, we take pictures of it and the view seems the same while the people posing had visible imprints of the passing of time.  Captivating.  It still exudes beauty and serenity.

It is a distant view, and I’m sure it would be different up close.  Its inhabitants had their share of good times and bad times.  Even the volcano had its share of seismic activities.  Mountain climbers always go to Batulao mountain for its beginner climb.  Trekkers like to visit the volcano in the lake.  For me, it was the distant overlooking view that I experience, and it remains unchanged from that perspective.  And in spite of the changing face of Tagaytay City itself, the view is still something to enjoy.  Fortunately for the city, it owns a masterpiece painting and hopefully it remains within view for peoples to behold.