Jose P. Laurel Highway

Route 4 shield
Jose P. Laurel Highway
President Jose P. Laurel Highway, Lipa, Batangas, Aug 2025 (1).jpg
The highway in Marauoy, Lipa, Batangas
Route information
Maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways
Length49 km (30 mi)
Existed1903–present
Component
highways		 N4
Major junctions
North end AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) / N421-2 (Governor Carpio Avenue) in Santo Tomas
Major intersections
  • N4 (General Malvar Street) in Santo Tomas
  • N421 (Mabini Avenue) in Tanauan
  • N431-1 (F. Leviste Highway) in Lipa
  • N421-1 (Alaminos–Lipa Road) in Lipa
  • N431 (General Luna Street) in Lipa
  • N431 (B. Morada Avenue) in Lipa
  • E2 (STAR Tollway) in Lipa

N433 (Banaybanay–Mojon–Cuenca Road) in Lipa

  • E2 (STAR Tollway) / N434 (Batangas Port Diversion Road) in Batangas City
  • N435 (Batangas–Ibaan Road) in Batangas City
  • N438 (Tolentino Road) in Batangas City
South end N436 (Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road) / N437 (P. Burgos Street) in Batangas City
Location
CountryPhilippines
ProvincesBatangas
Major citiesSanto Tomas, Tanauan, Lipa, Batangas City
TownsMalvar, San Jose
Highway system
  • Roads in the Philippines
  • Highways
  • Expressways
    • List
← N3→ N5

Jose P. Laurel Highway, formerly known as the Sto. Tomas–Batangas City–Nasugbu Road, is a 49-kilometer (30 mi), two-to-six lane, major highway running within the province of Batangas.[1][2][3] The highway forms part of National Route 4 (N4) of the Philippine highway network.[4] It is also known as Manila–Batangas Diversion Road in Santo Tomas, Manila–Batangas Road from its junction with General Malvar Street in Santo Tomas southwards, and Ayala Highway in Lipa.

The highway was named in honor of José Paciano Laurel, who served as the president of the Second Philippine Republic. Laurel was born in Tanauan, Batangas, through which the highway traverses.

Route description

Jose P. Laurel Highway in Malvar
Jose P. Laurel Highway as Ayala Highway in Lipa

Jose P. Laurel Highway starts at the Santo Tomas Junction, a roundabout with the Maharlika Highway and Governor Carpio Avenue (officially part of Manila South Road via Santo Tomas Poblacion) in Santo Tomas, officially as the Manila–Batangas Diversion Road, which bypasses the Santo Tomas poblacion. It then merges with the old main route, officially known as the Manila–Batangas Road, and passes through the downtowns of Tanauan and Malvar. In Lipa, it bypasses the city proper as Ayala Highway before rejoining the old alignment. The highway continues south through San Jose, where it bypasses its town proper, and Batangas City, where it ends at Lawas Junction, its intersection with Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road (Calicanto Road) and P. Burgos Street (Manila–Batangas Pier Road) in the city proper.[4]

The Southern Tagalog Arterial Road mostly parallels the highway and crosses each other in Lipa and Batangas City.

History

Most of the highway traces its roots to the Manila–Batangas Road or Calamba–Batangas Road, which connects Calamba, Laguna, to the Batangas Bay coastline in the then-town of Batangas.[5] Construction of the road began on October 1, 1900. By 1901, segments from Calamba to Tanauan and from the Batangas Bay to the Batangas poblacion have been completed. On March 20, 1903, the highway was completed when the segments between Tanauan and Batangas were opened.[6] The road was designated as Highway 19 or Route 19 from Santo Tomas southwards, while the northern segment up to Calamba formed part of Highway 1 or Route 1, which would be eventually integrated to the Manila South Road and eventually the Pan-Philippine Highway (up to Calamba Interchange with South Luzon Expressway).[7][8][9][10]

New alignments bypassing the downtowns of San Jose,[11][12] Lipa (now known as Ayala Highway), and Santo Tomas (officially known as Manila–Batangas Diversion Road),[4] respectively, were later built and made part of the present-day highway.[13]

The road was known as the Sto. Tomas–Batangas City–Nasugbu Road until June 10, 1976, when it was renamed President Laurel Highway by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 743. While legally covering the entire corridor up to Nasugbu at the west,[14] the name is currently applied to the eastern stretch between Santo Tomas and Batangas City. The western portion, officially designated as the Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road and Tagaytay–Nasugbu Road, respectively, were never formally renamed, although the latter is known locally as J.P. Laurel Street through the Nasugbu town proper.[4]

Intersections

The former Sabang Rotonda in Lipa, the eastern end of the section known as Ayala Highway

The entire route is located in Batangas. Intersections are numbered by kilometer posts, with Rizal Park in Manila designated as kilometer zero. 

City/MunicipalitykmmiDestinationsNotes
Santo Tomas AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway) / N421-2 (Governor Carpio Avenue) – Manila, San Pablo, CalambaNorthern terminus. Santo Tomas Roundabout.
N4 (General Malvar Avenue)Roundabout interchange. Southern end of Manila–Batangas Diversion Road.
Santo Tomas Bypass Road
Santo Tomas–Tanauan boundarySan Juan Bridge over San Juan River
TanauanJ. Gonzales Street
N421 (Mabini Avenue) – STAR Tollway, Talisay, TagaytayTraffic light intersection.
Sixto Castillo Street
P. Carandang Street
Banjo Road
MalvarIsabelo G. Navarro Street
J. Lantin Street
Malvar–Santo Tomas Diversion RoadAccess to AH 26 (N1) (Maharlika Highway).
Pedro Montecer Street – STAR Tollway
San Juan RoadAccess to Brgy. San Juan.
San Andres RoadAccess to Brgy. San Andres & San Juan.
LipaL.P. Leviste Road / Manila–Batangas Bypass Road – AlaminosNorthern end of bypass road.
Alaminos–Lipa City Road / Manila–Batangas Bypass Road – Alaminos, Santo TomasSouthern end of bypass road. Eastbound goes to the southern tip of Santo Tomas in Batangas and Alaminos in Laguna.
N431-1 (F. Leviste Highway) – Balete
N421-1 (Alaminos–Lipa Road) – Alaminos
N431 (General Luna Street) – Padre Garcia, Rosario, San JuanEastern end of Ayala Highway.
T.M. Kalaw StreetAccess to Brgy. Sto. Toribio and Lipa City proper.
San Carlos Drive – Balete
N431 (B. Morada Avenue) – Lipa city proper, Padre Garcia, Rosario, San JuanWestern end of Ayala Highway.
Tambo–Lodlod Road
E2 (STAR Tollway) – Manila, Batangas City, Batangas Port
M.P. Casanova Street – MataasnakahoyAlternate access to Mataasnakahoy.
N432 (Fernando Airbase Road)Serves Basilio Fernando Air Base.
Lipa–Mataaskahoy Road – MataasnakahoyPrimary access to Mataasnakahoy.
Narding Reyes Street
N433 (Banaybanay–Mojon–Cuenca Road) – Cuenca, Lemery, CalacaBanaybanay Crossing.
Banaybanay–Mojon–Tampoy Road
San JoseCharito Makalintal Avenue – San Jose town proper, Ibaan
Malaking Ilog Bridge
Pinagtung-ulan–Galamay-Amo–Taysan Road
Makalintal Avenue / Pulgeras Road – San Jose town proper, Alitagtag, Bauan
Chief Justice Q.C. Makalintal Avenue – San Jose town proper
Batangas CityBagong Pook–Tugtug Road – San Jose, Cuenca
Balagtas Bridge over Balagtas River
Batangas City–San Pascual–Bauan Bypass Road – Bauan, San Pascual, Mabini
E2 (STAR Tollway) / N434 (Batangas Port Diversion Road) / Batangas–Balete Road – Batangas International Port, ManilaBalagtas Roundabout.
N435 (Batangas–Ibaan Road) – Ibaan, Tiaong, Padre Garcia, Rosario
N438 (Tolentino Road) – Lobo, Taysan, San Juan
Telecom RoadBatangas Provincial Capitol perimeter road.
Hilltop Road / Arce RoadHilltop Road borders the Batangas Provincial Capitol.
N436 (Palico–Balayan–Batangas Road) / N437 (P. Burgos Street) – Batangas Port, Balayan, Lemery, TaalSouthern terminus. Traffic light intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Landmarks

Santo Tomas, Batangas

  • Santo Tomas Junction
  • Santo Tomas General Hospital

Tanauan, Batangas

  • San Juan Bridge (San Juan River)
  • First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities

Malvar, Batangas

  • Malvar Municipal Hall
  • Malvar Church

Lipa, Batangas

  • Lipa City Hall
  • SM CIty Lipa
  • Robinsons Lipa
  • De La Salle Lipa
  • Lipa Town Center
  • Basilio Fernando Air Base

San Jose, Batangas

  • Calansayan Bridge

Batangas City

  • Balagtas Bridge
  • SM Hypermarket Batangas
  • Laurel Park

References

  1. ^ "Batangas 2nd". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "Batangas 3rd". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Batangas 4th". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "Road and Bridge Inventory". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  5. ^ Executive Order No. 71 (December 3, 1936), Establishing the Classification of Roads, retrieved February 9, 2022
  6. ^ "The Building of the Calamba-Batangas Road in 1900". Batangas History, Culture & Folklore. August 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  7. ^ 1944 Army Map Service Road Map of Northern Luzon, Philippines (Map). 1:500000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service. 1944. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  8. ^ ND 51-9 Batangas (Map). 1:250,000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service, Corps of Engineers. 1954. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Buhay Batangas (January 4, 2018). "Map of Batangas Road System c. 1914". Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  10. ^ General Map of the Island of Luzon, Phil. Is. Showing the Manila Railroad Company's Railway & Water Lines (Map). 1:1,060,000. Bureau Coast and Geodetic Survey Litho. 1930. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Buhay Batangas (January 24, 2018). "A 1930 Batangas Road Trip Guide". Batangas History, Culture and Folklore. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Southern Luzon Western Sheet (Map). 1:200000. Washington D.C.: US Geodetic Survey. 1941. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  13. ^ ND 51-5 Manila (Map). 1:250,000. Washington D.C.: Army Map Service, Corps of Engineers. 1954. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  14. ^ Presidential Decree No. 743 (June 10, 1976), Changing the Name of the Sto. Tomas-Batangas City-Nasugbu Road to "President Laurel Highway", retrieved March 14, 2026
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