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: 11 946,3 sq km Population: 1 500 000 Cities: Lucena Number of Towns: 40 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 countrys 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 years 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.