Quezon

Quezón Province Provincia ng Tayabas
—  Province  —
Province of Quezón
Seal
Nickname(s): The Palm State
Map of the Philippines with Quezon highlighted
Coordinates:
Country	Philippines
Region	CALABARZON (Region IV-A)
Founded	1591(As Kalilayan), March 2, 1901 (as Tayabas)
Capital	Kalilayan / Unisan (1591-1779), Tayabas City (1779-1910), Lucena City (Present)
Government
- Governor	David C. Suarez (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
Area
- Total	8,845.8 km2 (3,415.4 sq mi)
Area rank	8th out of 80
Population (2007)
- Total	1,646,510
- Rank	12th out of 80
- Density	186.1/km2 (482.1/sq mi)
- Density rank	41st out of 80
Divisions
- Independent cities	1
- Component cities	1
- Municipalities	39
- Barangays	1,209 including independent cities: 1,242
- Districts	1st to 4th districts of Quezon (shared with Lucena City)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code	4300-4342
Spoken languages	Tagalog (Tayabas Dialect), Spanish, English language
Website	http://www.quezon.gov.ph

Quezon is a province of the Philippines located in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. The province was named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, and its capital is Lucena City. Quezon City is not located in and should not be confused with Quezon province: Quezon City is located in Metro Manila, a region to the west of CALABARZON, while Quezon province is in eastern CALABARZON.

Quezon is located southeast of Metro Manila and it is surrounded by the provinces of Aurora to the north, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas to the west and the Camarines provinces to the east. Quezon lies on an isthmus separating the Bicol Peninsula from the main part of Luzon. The province also covers the Polillo Islands in the Philippine Sea.

A major tourism draw of the province is the famed Mt. Banahaw. The mountain is surrounded by spiritual mysticism. Many cults and religious organizations stay in the mountains and numerous Christians visit the mountain during Holy Week.

History

Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces.

In 1591, the province was created and called Kaliraya or Kalilayan, after the capital town which later became Unisan. In about the middle of the 18th century, the capital was transferred to the town of Tayabas, from which the province got its new name.

Depredation and plunder by the Moros were rampant during the Spanish regime, because they opposed the colonizers, especially in their efforts to spread Christianity. The destruction of Kalilayan in 1604 by a big fleet of moro pirates caused the inhabitants to transfer to Palsabangon (Pagbilao).

However, even the colonized people grew discontented with the Spaniards over the centuries. The most important event in the history of the province was the Confradia Revolt in 1841, which was led by the famous Lucbano, Apolinario dela Cruz, popularly known as Hermano Pule. The province, under Gen. Miguel Malvar, was also among the earliest to join the Philippine Revolution. The Revolutionary Government took control over the province on August 15, 1898.

The Americans then came and annexed the Philippines. A civil government was established in the province on March 2, 1901, with Lucena as its capital.

Japanese occupation of the province during World War II began on December 23, 1941, when the Japanese Imperial Army landed in Atimonan. The occupation witnessed the brutal murders of prominent sons of Tayabas. April 4, 1945 was the day the province was liberated as the combined Filipino and American army forces reached Lucena. On 1945, the liberation on the province of Tayabas was the combined U.S. & Philippine Commonwealth ground troops including the local recognized guerrillas was invaded the Japanese forces at the end of World War II.

After the war, on September 7, 1946, Republic Act No. 14 changed the name Tayabas to Quezon, in honor of Manuel L. Quezon, the Commonwealth president who hailed from Baler, which was one of the province's towns.

In 1951, the northern part of Quezon was made into the sub-province of Aurora (which included Baler). Aurora was the name of the president's wife, Aurora Quezon. In 1979, Aurora was separated from Quezon as an independent province.

Geography

Quezon, located east of Metro Manila, is the 6th largest province in the Philippines having an area of 862,676 hectares or 8,706.6 km². The northern part of the province is sandwiched between the Sierra Madre mountain range and the Philippine Sea. The southern part consists of the Tayabas Isthmus, which separates the Bicol Peninsula from the main part of Luzon Island, and the Bondoc Peninsula which lies between Tayabas Bay and Ragay Gulf.

The major islands of Quezon are Alabat Island and Polillo Islands. Mt. Banahaw, an extinct volcano, is the highest peak at 2,188 m. It supplies geothermal power to the Makban Geothermal Power Plant.

Demographics

The inhabitants are mostly Tagalogs. The population is concentrated in the flat south-central portion which includes Lucena City, Sariaya, and Candelaria. After World War II, the Infanta area received migrants from Manila, Laguna and Batangas. People from Marinduque moved to the southern part of the Tayabas Isthmus and the Bondoc Peninsula. And people from Bicol migrated to Southern Towns of Calauag, Quezon and Tagkawayan, Quezon.

Economy

Quezon is the country's leading producer of coconut products such as coconut oil and copra. A large part of the province is covered in coconut plantations. Other major crops are rice, corn, banana, and coffee. Fishing is also a large part of the province's economy.

Shopping Malls

• SM City Lucena
• Pacific Mall Lucena
• Ocean Palace Mall
• Carlos City Center
• Sioland Shopping Complex - Candelaria
• Quezon Town Center
• La Suerte Mega Warehouse
• Metro Gaisano - Lucena
• UNITOP

Soon to Rise

• FRC Grand Mall Lucena
• SM Supercenter Candelaria

Government

• Governor: Hon. David C. Suarez

• Vice Governor: Hon. Vicente J. Alcala

• Board Members:
• 1st District:
  • Hon. Teresita O. Dator
  • Hon. Alona C. Villamayor-Obispo

• 2nd District:
  • Hon. Romano Franco C. Talaga
  • Hon. Gary Jason B. Ejercito
  • Hon. Ferdinand N. Talabong

• 3rd District:
  • Hon. Lourdes C. De Luna-Pasatiempo
  • Hon. Victor A. Reyes

• 4th District:
  • Hon. Manuel M. Butardo
  • Hon. Gerald D. Ortiz
  • Hon. Rachel A. Ubaña

• Liga ng mga Barangay President
  • Hon. Macario D. Boongaling

• SK Federation President
  • Hon. Roman Gringo P. Castillo

• Provincial Councilors League President
  • Hon. Donaldo C. Suarez

• Representatives:
  • 1st District: Hon. Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga
  • 2nd District: Hon. Irvin M. Alcala
  • 3rd District: Hon. Danilo E. Suarez
  • 4th District: Hon. Lorenzo R. Tañada III

2010 Local Elections

Municipalities

Quezon is subdivided into 39 municipalities and one city. Lucena City, the capital, is not under the administrative and fiscal supervision of the province, but is eligible to vote for provincial officials.

Notable people from Quezon

• Agnes Devanadera, former Solicitor-General and Secretary of the Department of Justice - Sampaloc
• Manoling Morato, former Chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office - Calauag
• Zanjoe Marudo, former PBB housemate, actor - Calauag
• Tomas Morato, former Mayor of Calauag and Quezon City - Calauag
• Rey Danseco, Sports Editor and WBC boxing judge - Calauag
• Lorenzo Tañada, former Senator - Gumaca
• Wigberto Tañada, former Liberal Party President and former senator - Gumaca
• Aiza Seguerra, Filipino actress and singer - Calauag
• Tommy Abuel, actor - Lucban
• Leo Oracion, mountaineer/1st Filipino who climbed at Mt. Everest/member of Mt. Everest summit - Lucban
• Anna Capri, actress - Infanta
• Raimund Marasigan, musician (Eraserheads, Sandwich, Pedicab, Cambio) - Candelaria
• Romeo Vasquez - Tayabas City
• Edgar Mortiz, actor/director - Infanta
• Orlando Nadres, writer/screenwriter/director - Tayabas City
• Most Reverend Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D., Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Jaro and former President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines - Lucban

Splitting Quezon: Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur

On September 7, 2007, the Charter of Quezon del Sur, known as Republic Act No. 9495, lapsed into law without the signature of the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. If approved by the voters of Quezon, it will split the province into two. Quezon del Sur will comprise the towns of Agdangan, Buenavista, Catanauan, General Luna, Macalelon, Mulanay, Padre Burgos, Pitogo, San Andres, San Francisco, San Narciso, Unisan, Alabat, Atimonan, Calauag, Guinayangan, Gumaca, Lopez, Perez, Plaridel, Quezon and Tagkawayan.

Quezon del Norte (original province) will comprise Burdeos, General Nakar, Infanta, Jamalig, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Panukulan, Patnanungan, Polillo, Real, Sampaloc, Tayabas, Candelaria, Dolores, San Antonio, Sariaya, Tiaong and Lucena City. The capital of Quezon del Sur shall be Gumaca while Quezon del Norte shall be Lucena City. If the plebiscite of November 2008 will favor splitting Quezon into two provinces, Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur will still be part of the CALABARZON (Southern Tagalog, Region-4A) under their original acronym "ZON" (Quezon).^[1]

The Commission on Elections (Philippines) will hold the plebiscite on December 13, 2008, the 60th day after Republic Act No. 9495 will take effect. Gov. Rafael Nantes, one of the original authors of the law, and Vice Gov. Carlos Portes, opposed the division of the province. Board member Sonny Pulgar and businessman Hobart Dator Jr. launched the "Save Quezon Province Movement." The Comelec allotted P 50 million for the plebiscite.^[2] Gov. Rafael Nantes, however, has later softened his stand against the proposed creation of Quezon del Sur.^[3] Accordingly, upon request of Comelec Chair Jose Melo, a P38 million "Special Allotment Release Order" was issued by the Department of Budget and Management to the Commission on Elections (Philippines) to fund the holding of the plebiscite.^[4]

On November 17, 2008, Save Quezon Province Movement (SQPM) asked the Supreme Court of the Philippines to declare Republic Act 9495 as unconstitutional, and to restrain the implementation of a November 12 Commission on Elections (Philippines) Resolutions Nos. 8533, 8534, 8535, 8537, 8538 and 8539^[5] setting the plebiscite.^[6][7]

Ultimately, the split did not push through, as the proposal was not approved.

References

External links

• Official website of Quezon province
• www.goquezon.com -- Quezon Province Non-Profit Organization
• Quezon Province Community and Web Portal

	Bulacan	Aurora	Lamon Bay
	Batangas Laguna Rizal Bulacan		Camarines Norte Camarines Sur
		Quezon Province
		Tayabas Bay

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