According to the census, it has a population of , people. Batangas City is classified as one of the fastest urbanizing cities of the Philippines, and is known as the "Industrial Port City of Calabarzon ". It is home to the Batangas International Port , one of the busiest passenger and container terminals in the Philippines.
It also hosts one of the largest oil refineries in the country, three natural gas power plants, and several other major industries. In addition, the city also serves as the educational, industrial and the transportation center of the province.
The first Spanish missionaries arrived in Batangas City in due to group migration. Finally, in , Spanish authorities governing the Philippines created a pueblo in the area which included the hill now Hilltop where the present Provincial Capitol of Batangas stands after the formal end of the Coumintang Kingdom. The town was named "Batangan" because huge logs, locally called "batang", abounded in the place. Said title of "little governor" as head of the pueblo or municipio was replaced in by " capital municipal ".
It is not clear who succeeded Casilao nor is it known whether there were subsequent appointments of capital municipal. Don Agustin Casilao is sometimes referred to as Agustino or Augustino in some sources.
At the coming of the Americans in the early s, local civil government of Batangas was set up. In the title "Municipal President" was changed to "Municipal Mayor.
