CALABARZON, Region IV-A, Philippines

Last modified: 2010-01-02 Calabarzon region is the result of the splitting of Southern Tagalog Region in two. The split formed, Region 4A Calabarzon and Region 4B Mimaropa. These two new provinces were formed in 2002. The regions name is an acronym of it's five provinces. 1. Batangas 2. Cavite 3. Laguna 4. Quezon 5. Rizal Acronym: CAvite, LAguna, BAtangas, RiZal, QuezON.

Batangas
The Philippine Republic's Province of Batangas, located on the island of Luzon, comprises two cities, Batangas (the capital, pop. 245,000) and Lipa (pop. 219,000), and thirty-two towns on 3,165 sq.km. with a total population of 1,885,000. In the late nineteenth century the Philippines became one of the world's leading sources of coffee, and Batangas was heavily given over to coffee cultivation, but the coffee blight of the eighteen-eighties eventually overleapt quarantine measures and devastated the Philippine crops. The Philippines would not again export coffee for almost a century. The stately homes of the coffee planters still stand. Batangas was home to several early nationalist leaders, and contains museum-monuments to General Malvar, the last military leader in the Philippine-American War (Philippine Insurrection) to surrender to the United States, to Apolinario Mabini, to President Jos P. Laurel, and to Marcela Agoncillo, who made the first official Philippine flag during the insurrection against the Spanish. Batangas offers a number of vacation destinations, including Taal Volcano, the world's smallest, on an island in Lake Bombon. Dive spots are extremely numerous, and there is a "submarine garden" of coral, visible at low tide, at the town of Lobo. The first balisong, or Philippine butterfly knife, was made in Taal, Batangas, in 1905, and the province is still a center for their manufacture. It produces rice, maize, coconuts, sugar, pepper, fruits, vegetables, poultry, cattle, horses, other livestock, and fish, and has a considerable variety of light and heavy industries,

from garments to electronics to steel. It is also a shipping center..

Batangas province has some fantastic beaches, made even more enjoyable due to the ease of getting here and away, being only an hour and a half journey by road from Manila. This province is usually more used by tourists as a transit area to get themselves to the more popular Puerto Galera on Mindoro. But for those not wanting the bigger crowds and more developed tourist spots, I would recommend a visit to Anilao, a world class diving spot with lovely beaches. Another must see is a to take a day trip to see the world's smallest volcano, Taal Volcano, which is in a lake, don't miss it. Batangas is bordered to the west by the South Chinas Sea and to the south by the Verde Passage which sep arates Luzon from the island of Mindoro. To the east are the provinces of Quezon and Laguna and to the north is Cavite and Laguna.

Cavite
The Philippine Republic's Province of Cavite lies alongside metropolitan Manila. It is named for the hook (Tagalog kawit) of land that juts into Manila Bay, and which is an important objective of any force wanting to rule Luzon and the Philippines. The province's population is 1,907,000 by the census of 2000, its area 1,474 sq.km. There are three chartered cities, Cavite (pop. 98,000), Tagaytay (32,000) and Trece Martires (35,000), and twenty towns. The legislature meets in the town of Imus (pop. 177,000 by the 1995 census) and that is not the most populous town; two others have more than a quarter of a million apiece. Trece Martires is the seat of provincial administration. Tagaytay is "the second summer capital" of the Philippine Republic, famous for its perch overlooking Taal Lake, also known as Lake Bombon, the crater of what is said to be the world's largest volcano. What is now the Province of Cavite in the Philippine Republic has a long history of resistance to Spanish rule. It was known for generations as "Madre de los Ladrones," the mother of bandits-the way an imperial power usually describes resistance forces. In 1859 a battle involving cannon was fought at the Julian Bridge in Imus between Philippine and Spanish forces. In 1872 two hundred Filipinos working at the naval arsenal at Cavite mutinied. This mutiny was put down, and three Catholic priests, Jos Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora, who were implicated in the uprising were executed. In 1896 the last uprising against Spain began, and Cavite was swiftly secured for the rebellion. General Emilio Aguinaldo, president of that first Philippine Republic, was a native and resident of Cavite. One of the towns in the province now bears his name. The province also includes the island of Corregidor famous from World War II. Also in Imus is a monument commemorating the Battle of Alapan; this includes a ninety-foot-tall flagpole from which the Philippine flag flies, and a statue of a woman carrying a Philippine flag. The province is very liberally supplied with historical monuments, resorts, noteworthy churches, and places of religious retreat.

Its economy seems to be more industrial than agricultural, though it produces rice, coffee, fruits, vegetables, and seafood.
As far as a tourist destination goes Cavite is not one that rolls off the tongue. It does not have spectacular beaches or natural surrounds, but for those in between flights from Manila, it can make for a pleasant day trip. Cavite is famous for the island of Corregidor, from World War II, which is proudly part of the province. The province is bordered to the north by Manila Bay and the city of Manila and is directly across the bay from the province of Bataan. To the east you will find the provinces of Rizal and Laguna and to the south Batangas, with the west border being the South China Sea.

Laguna

The Philippine Republic's Province of Laguna is named for Laguna de Bay, the second largest fresh-water lake in South-East Asia, which discharges through the Pasig River into Manila Bay. Preserving the health of this lake is a matter of great importance to authorities at all levels, as the population is rapidly increasing and industrial development proceeds apace. The province is blessed with the amazing flow of 1,200,000,000 liters of fresh water per day, which combined with the mild climate has permitted the province to sustain a considerable agricultural output, including the commercial cultivation of orchids, other flowers, rice, fruits, and sugar, while retaining its natural beauty. Its industries are numerous and varied. There are numerous other lakes (including the Seven Lakes of San Pablo), streams, and hot springs. Calamba is home to the museum-monument to Dr. Jos Rizal y Mercado, the Philippine national hero. At Lumban is a Japanese memorial to the dead soldiers of World War II; the altar is rumored to contain the remains of General Yamashita. Los Baos is home to the premier campus of the National University of the Philippines. There are numerous museums, noteworthy buildings, demonstration farms, and many resorts serving domestic and international traffic. The Province of Laguna has a population of 1,747,000 in one city (San Pablo, pop. 205,000) and twenty-nine towns. The capital is Santa Cruz. The total area is 1816 sq.km.
Laguna province has some fantastic freshwater lakes, rivers and spectacular waterfalls. In particular, a must see is the Pagsanjan Falls, the falls have become a bit notorious for the boatman overcharging and being a bit unreasonable, but if you put it all in perspective the visit is worth it. Two boatman or banqueros will paddle you up stream to the falls where you can there transfer to a bamboo raft and be pulled into the falls themselves. The whole gorge is spectacular. The trip back down the river is fast, furious and unforgettable, don't miss it!

Laguna has an enormous number of hot springs, combined with the rugged terrain, rivers, gorges and volcanoes it literally abounds in natural wonders. It is located on the centre of Calabarzon Region and is bordered by Rizal to the north, Quezon to the south the Sierra Madre Mountains to the east and to the west by Batangas and Cavite.

Quezon
Much the largest province in the Philippine Republic's Region IV, Southern Tagalog, is Quezon, at 11,946 sq.km. By the 2000 census it has a population of 1,656,000. Its capital is the city of Lucena, pop. 196,000, and there are forty towns besides. The former capital was Tayabas, built on its present site a few miles inland after Moro pirates had destroyed the previous capital on the coast. Here, too, watchtowers built to give warning of raiders from the sea still survive. Lucena City is now an international port. The land supports a large agricultural production. Coconut is the dominant crop, with bananas, maize, vegetables, poultry, and livestock contributing their parts. There is considerable industry. Natural attractions include Quezon National Park, full of caves, springs, creeks, waterfalls, gorges, ravines, lush vegetation, butterflies, birds, monkeys, and other wildlife, plus several submarine gardens, bird sanctuaries, and lots of beach. Mount Banahaw, a dormant volcano on the border with Laguna, has been the scene of several dramatic episodes in the country's history, and is the focus of a number of religious rituals, some Christian, some not. The province was named Tayabas until 1946, when it was renamed Quezon in honor of Manuel Quezon, first President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. John Ayer, 17 March 2001 Lucena is the capital of Quezon Province, pop. 196,000.
Quezon province is extremely popular during Lent as thousands of people flock to the province. Numerous different religions and sects celebrate with annual ceremonies. The traditional celebration, Pahiyas, to give thanks for a bountiful harvest is honoured here on the 15th May each year. Decorations, Kiping, are rice paper are the main feature. Quezon is the gateway further south of Luzon. The province is huge, it has borders to the north with Aurora and Camarines Sur in the south. To the west is Aurora, Batangas, Bulacan, Laguna, Nueva Ecija and Rizal and to the wast with Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur

Rizal
The Philippine Province of Rizal is a monument to the memory of Dr. Jos P. Rizal y Mercado, who founded the Liga Filipina (in Hong Kong) in 1891, was active in the leadership of the Young Filipino Party, and wrote vigorously condemning the dominance of the Catholic religious orders over the country's economy and other oppressions of the Filipinos. A rebellion--not the first, as we have seen--against the Spanish authority broke out in Cavite in August 1896. It was suppressed within two months, and the Spanish, apparently thinking to scotch the snake at the head, subjected Rizal to a pro-forma trial and executed him in December. Rebellion immediately broke out again, and spread rapidly. Spanish authority never recovered. In 1901 the Province of Rizal was created. In 1975 almost half the province was taken to form the National Capital Region, and what was taken included the city of Pasig, the provincial capital. There are indications that the town of Antipolo, with about 350,000 inhabitants much the most populous town in the residual province, has been chartered as a city and made the new capital. Current and reliable information would certainly be welcome. Dr. Rizal, by the way, was of partial Chinese descent (Chinese had been trading with, and settling in, this part of the Philippines centuries before the Spanish arrived), and was a native of Laguna Province. Rizal Province extends eastward from the Manila area east of the Pasig River to Laguna de Bay, now, with the decline of Spanish and the ascendancy of English, often called Laguna Lake. Rizal's population is some 1,689,000 by the 2000 census. Its area is 1,860 sq.km. Its chief agricultural products are rice, cacao, coffee, citrus, and cashews. Some 57,000 hectares of Laguna de Bay, including its only large island, belong to Rizal. Fish-farming yields massive amounts of fish that mostly go to feed Manila, and ducks and livestock are grown in considerable quantity for the same market. The forests yield rattan and firewood. Shoes are made in large quantities for export, and industry is spreading steadily from Manila. Products include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and textiles, among others. There seems to be considerable tourist trade, with plenty of scenery, caves, water, waterfalls, and fresh air.
Rizal province has been named in honour of Dr Jose Rizal who is a Philippine national hero who was executed by the Spanish on the 30th September 1896. It has fantastic views of the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges and Laguna de Bay. The province is not particularly popular for tourists, but it has some nice places to stop whilst travelling further south. Rizal province is bordered to the north by Bulacan and to the south by Laguna de Bay. It is the nearest eastern neighbour to Manila and to the west lie the provinces of Laguna and Quezon.