Quezon Province
stretches like a narrow belt along the eastern coast of Luzon from
Desada Point in the north to Bicol in the south. It borders the
provinces of Aurora to the north, Camarines Norte and Camarines
Sur to the east, and Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas to the
west.
BRIEF PROFILE |
Capital: |
Lucena City |
Land Area: |
8,706.6 km² |
Population: |
1,987,030 (2010) |
Cities: |
Lucena, Tayabas |
Munacipalities: |
39 |
Barangays: |
1,242 |
Districts: |
1st to 4th districts of Quezon |
Languages: |
Tagalog (Tayabas Dialect), English |
The land_______________________________
The Sierra Madre mountain range runs the entire length of the
northern part of the province; its eastern slopes form a bold
and almost inaccessible shoreline.
The highest peak, Mt Banahaw, rises to 2177 meters. The range
precipitously dips at theTayabas Isthmus. Here and in the Bondoc
Peninsula, plains dominate the coastal areas while low-wooded
hills form the interior.
The province includes the Polilio group of islands and Alabat
Island.
The province has no pronounced dry season; rainy months are from
October to January.
A Brief History___________________________
Part of Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna,
and Nueva Ecija.
In 1591, the province was called Kaliraya and was later changed
to Tayabas.
Tayabas was among the first provinces to join the Philippine
Revolution of 1896 against Spain. After the Filipino-American
War, a civil government was established in the province in 1901,
with Lucena as its capital.
On September 7, 1946 , Manuel A. Roxas, president of the Philippine
Republic, changed the province's name from Tayabas to Quezon,
in honor of Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippine Commonwealth,
who hailed from the town of Baler.
The People______________________________
Quezon is inhabited solely by Tagalogs.
The population is concentrated in the flat south-central portion
which includes Lucena, Sariaya and Candeleria.
After World War II, the Infanta area received migrants from Manila,
Laguna and Batangas.
Commerce and Industry_____________________
Quezon is the country´s leading coconut producer. Other
crops grown are rice, corn, banana and coffee.
Although the province has vast forest lands, timber and other
forest products are available only in very small quantities.
The province's vast off shore waters and inland fishponds provide
a rich source of fish and marine products.
Getting There and Away_____________________
Quezon province is linked to Manila and neighboring provinces
by a network of roads regularly traversed by several bus lines.
Lucena is around a 2-hour drive by bus from Manila.
Other Information__________________________
The province has two well known churches. St. Michael Archangel
Basilica in Tayabas, is one of the oldest in the country, and the
church of Saint Louis of Toulouse in Lucban.
The town of Lucban is the site of the "Pahiyas Festival",
a thanksgiving to the patron saint for the past year´s bountiful
harvest. All houses in the town are lavishly-decked with colorful
rice wafers and other crops. Other towns also celebrate the "Pahiyas
Festival" but not as grandiose as that of Lucban.
Mt. Banahaw, an extinct volcano, is known for its supposedly mystical
attributes. Unique rites are held during Holy Week by religious
sects here.
Gintong Yaman ng Quezon Museum houses the memorabilia of President
Quezon and other prominent sons and daughters of the province.
White-sand beaches can be seen throughout the province.