Balete, Batangas

Balete, officially the Municipality of Balete, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,055 people. The people from Balete is called Baleteños.

Balete is well known for its location on Taal Lake, providing a panoramic view of the Taal Volcano. The pilgrimage site Marian Orchard is located in Barangay Malabanan.

Etymology
Balete originates from the tree of the same name that grew abundantly in the area.

History
Balete was once a barrio part of Lipa. It was the site of Lipa's third municipal center from circa 1702 to 1754. Due to a Taal Volcano eruption, Lipa moved its center to its present location inland to seek refuge from further volcanic eruptions.

On June 21, 1969, barrios Malabanan, Looc, Alangilan, Palsara, Makina, Magapi, Solis, Sampalukan, Calawit, and Balete and the sitios of Sala, Paligawan, and Wani-Wani were separated from Lipa and constituted into a new independent municipality of Balete.

Geography
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 25.00 km2 constituting NaN% of the 3,119.75 km2 total area of Batangas.

Barangays
Balete is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Demographics
In the 2020 census, Balete had a population of 24,055. The population density was undefined PD/km2.