Lian, Batangas

According to the early residents of the town, it was initially named Lia, after the leader of the first group of Chinese traders who settled there. However, there is no significance if it is associated with the old name of the town. When Spaniards asked the traders about the name of the place and "Lia" was the answer, they took it as "Lian," the town's present name.^[6]

Lian was founded in 1760 by Chinese traders who settled in the area. There was no other information regarding the other settlers.^[6] Nevertheless the later 1818 Spanish census recorded there to be 629 native and Chinese families living in harmony with 7 Spanish-Filipino families.^[7]: 394

On March 28, 1903, Lian was merged with the municipality of Nasugbu.^[8] On December 28, 1914, Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison signed Executive Order No. 127, separating Lian from Nasugbu to restore its independent municipality status effective January 1, 1915 by first mayor Kapitan Isko.^[9]

Lian is located at 14°02′N 120°39′E. It is located at the western shore of Batangas, facing the Nasugbu Bay. It is 72 kilometers (45 mi) from Batangas City and 100 kilometers (62 mi) from Manila.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 76.80 square kilometers (29.65 sq mi) ^[10] constituting 2.46% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometer (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.

In the 2020 census, Lian had a population of 56,788 people.^[19] The population density was 740 inhabitants per square kilometer (1,900/sq mi).

Most of the people in Lian are Tagalogs. However, some Visayans are found in some barrios and barangays. The main language is Tagalog.

Poverty incidence of Lian

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]}

Lian's main products include rice, corn, onion, calamansi, milkfish, which are sold at Lian Public Market and other various locations.

The Lian Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[28]

Lian is plied by public transportation such as jeepneys, tricycles, and buses.

• Matabungkay Beach – a white sand beach accessible to Manila 120 kilometers (75 mi) away that was originally 'discovered' to be a great weekend or daytrip destination in the early 1950s, allegedly by sun starved German residents of Manila.^{[citation needed]} It was soon a popular target for holiday-lovers, and permanent cottages (even deluxe beach houses) were built along the beach in the early 1960s by rich Manila folk.
• Town fiesta – Lian's fiesta is held annually every June 24 to commemorate the birthdate of Saint John the Baptist. It is being celebrated by five barangays in the Poblacion, Sitio Bag-bag, also celebrates its fiesta on this day because of its proximity to the town center than to its respective barangays, Kapito and Bungahan (Sitio Bag-bag is shared by 2 barangays).
• Balsa festival – The quaint barangay of Matabungkay is known for its wide beach, clear waters, creamy sand and the Balsa (bamboo beach raft). Every year, this small town comes alive in colorful celebrations as Matabungkay Beach Resort & Hotel hosts the Balsa Festival. The first ever Balsa Festival was held on May 18, 2002, aimed to help the local community by bringing back the town's popularity in the tourism map. With the continued support of the Department of Tourism, the Balsa Festival has become an annual event. Activities include the Balsa Race Competition, Balsa Decor and Cultural Dance Competition, a concert and dance party by the beach, prominent media personalities and foreign executives.

• Mark Leviste, Filipino politician