By: Ayesha S. Apostol
Historic Sites Development Officer II
The expansion of citrus farming in the Philippines began in the 1870s in Batangas. Initially, Sto. Tomas and Tanauan were prominent centers for wheat production in the country. However, a blight disease devastated the wheat fields in these areas. Around the same time, mandarin oranges were found to grow successfully in similar environments. To promote a new livelihood for the affected landowners, Spanish authorities enacted an ordinance mandating the annual planting of mandarin oranges, leading to the establishment of small orchards with thousands of trees. This policy continued for several years, resulting in the development of naranjita groves across Batangas. From a commercial standpoint, the entire mandarin supply in Luzon originated from Tanauan, eventually spreading to neighboring towns like Sto. Tomas, San Jose, and Lipa.
By 1886-1887, Batangas was already producing 5.5 million sweet oranges and 100,000 kahels, with Tanauan and Sto. Tomas emerging as the main suppliers of oranges sent to Manila. The primary variety being shipped was the mandarin orange known locally as sintunis or sinturis. Oranges were transported to urban markets using a combination of horsecarts and riverboats. Despite this labor-intensive journey, they remained popular and sold well in the city.
Photo of the residents of Sto. Tomas buying sintunis by Earl Dean Cruzat, 2022
Following the end of the guerrilla war against the Americans, the citrus industry in Batangas experienced a resurgence. This was largely due to the decline in global sugar prices and an outbreak of rinderpest, a viral disease affecting livestock. Among the Batangueños who turned to mandarin orange cultivation was General Miguel Malvar, after whom a variety called Naranjita Malvar was later named. By 1909, naranja groves were expanding steadily. Both Malvar and the governor believed the citrus industry had strong growth potential. Efforts were made to improve transportation infrastructure, including railways, to further support and encourage the industry’s expansion.
General Miguel Malvar was once a citrus farmer. A variety of sintunis was named after him, the Naranjita Malvar. Photo from https://malvar.net/article/biography, undated
In 1910, the inaugural year of rail service in Batangas, the province exported 10,000 tons of oranges, with 8,000 tons transported by train. Improved roads and the introduction of trucks further facilitated the delivery of high-quality oranges to Manila, ensuring their freshness upon arrival in urban markets.
A train of the Batangas Railways. Batangas Railways was opened in 1910 and the passenger service was discontinued in 1941. Photo from https://www.batangashistory.date/2019/01/railroad-batangas.html
Challenges and Decline of the Citrus Industry in Batangas
The eruption of Taal Volcano on 29 January 1911, dealt a severe blow to the citrus plantations in Batangas. The resulting ashfall defoliated many groves, and the following summer brought an unusually dry season, both of which led to significant damage and loss of citrus groves. By 1912, half of the citrus trees in Sto. Tomas and Tanauan were irreparably damaged. In addition to these natural challenges, neglect and a plant disease known as bark rot—responsible for prematurely killing citrus trees—further contributed to the decline of citrus cultivation in the area. Mismanagement was also evident; citrus owners allowed seedlings to grow in overcrowded nurseries with minimal care, and weeds overran the orchards. Horticulturist P.J. Wester documented this negligence in a report published in the Philippine Agricultural Review in March 1913.
P.J. Wester remarked, “Perhaps nowhere in the world have such superior mandarins been produced in such quantities and with so little care as in the so-called orange district of Batangas” (Philippine Journal of Science, Vol. 28, No. 4, December 1925, p. 520).
Photo of bark rot in an orange tree in Sto. Tomas, Batangas
taken by horticulturist P.J. Wester in November 1912
Philippine Agricultural Review Vol 1, No. 13, March 1913
1911 Taal Volcano Eruption
J. Tewell, 1911
In 1919, the Tanauan Commercial Citrus Station was established to address the challenges facing citrus cultivation in Batangas. The station employed trained personnel to assess the industry’s situation and seek solutions. Despite these efforts, however, citrus crops continued to produce fewer fruits each year, prompting some farmers to shift to coconut planting.
Although Batangas citriculture faced numerous difficulties and a gradual decline, orange production in the province persisted and continued to grow. Even in the years that followed, Batangas maintained its status as the leading producer of mandarin oranges, supplying Manila and neighboring regions.
Philippine Journal of Science, Vol 28 No. 4 December 1925,
Manila Bureau of Printing 1925
Photo of the Tiniente del Barrio of Brgy San Roque, Sto. Tomas, Batangas in his 15-hectare sintunis plantation. The plantation existed from 1925-1955. This farm is now converted to Madison Subdvision.
In 1957, Batangas recorded its first case of leaf mottling, also known as greening disease, in its orange trees. This disease is characterized by a yellow-green discoloration on older leaves and leads to symptoms such as defoliation and the death of branches. Affected plants produce multiple buds that result in small, underdeveloped, and misshapen fruits with a notably sour taste. Greening disease had a devastating impact on the province’s citrus plantations. Many orchards were ruined, with some left abandoned, and large areas of citrus land were gradually replaced by other crops, including sugarcane, corn, rice, coconut, and vegetables. Despite the use of proper farm management practices and fertilizers, the yield of Batangas citrus saw a sharp decline in the years that followed.
Photos of citrus plant and fruits affected by leaf-mottling or greening disease from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Small-fruit-with-poor-juice-quality-and-leaves-showing-mineral-deficiency-symptoms-left_fig3_237764030.
In 1923, Batangas alone had 123,900 fruit-bearing mandarin trees. By 2020, the entire CALABARZON region had 135,345 fruit-bearing trees, ranking it as only the fourth-largest producer of mandarin trees in the Philippines. It was surpassed by Cagayan Valley, which became the region with the highest number of fruit-bearing mandarin trees.
Crop statistics of the Philippines 2016-2020, PSA
2019 Crop statistics from the Batangas Provincial Agriculture Office
Although citrus plantations still exist in Batangas today—primarily in Padre Garcia, Lipa City, and Ibaan—the industry is no longer as productive as it once was. The decline of the citrus industry even led to a revision of the Batangas provincial seal. The original seal, created in 1950, featured orange fruits, symbolizing the significance of the citrus industry in the province. However, during the term of Governor Vilma Santos in 2009, the orange design was officially replaced, along with other elements, to better reflect the current identity of Batangas.
Old Logo of Batangas Province with Orange Vs New Logo
Photo taken from Tajano Cabrales Wikipedia
http://www.vexilla-mundi.com/philippines_divisions01.html
Studying the local agricultural history of an area is essential so that proper crop management may be employed on its farmlands. The geographical, natural, and biological hazards that once affected the agricultural produce of a place should be noted to mitigate the risk and efficiently manage the existing crops, and to possibly revive the once abundant yield in the locality, like the citrus of Batangas.
Sources:
PJ. Wester, The Philippine Agricultural Review Vol VI, March 1913 No. 3 (p 125-130) retrieved from: https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=le_NAAAAMAAJ&pg=GBS.PA112&hl=en_GB&q=wester
A.L. Martinez, J.M. Wallace, Citrus Greening Disease in the Philippines, Proceedings of the First International Symposium, Vol III, March 16-26, 1968 (p. 1427), retrieved from: https://swfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/hlb/database/pdf/14_Martinez_1969.pdf
D.M. Altamirano, et. al, Analysis of the Devastation of Leaf-Mottling (Greening) Disease of Citrus and Its Control Program in the Philippines, retrieved from: https://escholarship.org/content/qt4877x0cz/qt4877x0cz_noSplash_b8291cf55e57db13ddd7c42abcfa3587.pdf?t=p0w8ci
Philippine Journal of Science, Vol 28 No. 4 December 1925,
Manila Bureau of Printing 1925, retrieved from: https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/images/pdf_upload/pjs1925/PJS_Vol_28_No4_Dec_1925.pdf
2016-2020 Crop Statistics in the Philippines, retrieved from: https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/Crops%20Statistics%20of%20the%20Philippines%202016-2020.pdf
Doeppers, Daniel F., Feeding Manila in Peace and War, 1850-1945, (2016) Ateneo de Manil press (p. 148-150)