You will always pass by the province of Quezon when going to Bicol region by land. I used to go to the famous festival in Lucban but I haven’t visited the municipalities in succession. Since I had visita iglesia in neighboring provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Batangas, this is now my chance to continue my journey around Mount Banahaw starting from the bordering town of Dolores.
Calabarzon, formally known as the Southern Tagalog Mainland, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IV-A. The region comprises five provinces: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal; and one highly urbanized city, Lucena. The region is the most populous region in the Philippines and is also the country’s second most densely populated after the National Capital Region.The name of the region is an acronym of its five component provinces: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon (Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Quezon), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Kalilayan was the first known name of the province. It was later renamed Tayabas. In honor of the former governor of the province who later became the second president of the Philippines and the first to be freely elected, Manuel L. Quezon, the province’s name was then changed to Quezon. Lucena, the provincial capital, seat of the provincial government, and the most populous city of the province, is governed independently from the province as a highly urbanized city. To distinguish the province from Quezon City, it is sometimes called Quezon Province. My 7th Province!
Mount Banahaw (also spelled as Banahao and Banájao) is an active complex volcano on Luzon in the Philippines. The three-peaked volcano is located at the boundary of Laguna and Quezon provinces. It is the highest mountain in both provinces and Calabarzon region, dominating the landscape for miles around. The mountain is considered by many as a holy mountain, thus a bundok dambana, and is popular among pilgrims along with mountain climbers. It is located in a protected area known as Mounts Banahaw–San Cristobal Protected Landscape.
In this post, I’ll show some tourist destinations I visited in Quezon thru infographics per municipality/city. I’ll post here in my #project81 the articles related to each province.
Quezon comprises 39 municipalities and one component city (Tayabas). The capital, Lucena, is independent of the administrative and fiscal supervision of the province but is eligible to vote for provincial officials.. So far, I have visited only municipalities at southwestern Quezon and I’ll update this post soon.
My Quezon Banahaw Route: Dolores-Tiaong-Candelaria-Sariaya-Lucena City-Pagbilao-Tayabas City-Lucban-Sampaloc-Mauban
Dolores, officially the Municipality of Dolores (Tagalog: Bayan ng Dolores), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. It is located at the foot of Mount Banahaw. Located here is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Tiaong, officially the Municipality of Tiaong (Tagalog: Bayan ng Tiaong), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. More than three hundred years ago, Tiaong was only a part of the municipality of San Pablo(now a city) in the province of Laguna. It is bounded in San Antonio, Quezon from the south, San Pablo City from the north, Dolores, Quezon from the northeast, Lipa City from the west and Candelaria, Quezon from the east. In 1961, Tiaong became an independent municipality through the effort of philanthropic, humanitarian, nationalistic and a very religious woman living at the outskirts of the town called “Lalig”. She was popularly known as “Donya Tating” whose habitual chores was go to church everyday riding a cart drawn by a big black bull. Due to her sympathetic gesture attitude most especially among the poor, she was dearly loved and respected by the people. Even parish priest would not start the mass not unless the loud mooing of the bull- “Ooooong” can be heard while entering the churchyard. The townfolks as a symbol of their gratitude and affection to the benevolent lady, loved to be called Donya Tating as “Tiya” (Auntie). The admirable address of “Tiya” and the favorable sound of “Ooooong” merged together gave name to the municipality of Tiaong. Henceforth, this town is called Tiaong (Tiya-ong).
Villa Escudero Plantations is an 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of working coconut plantation and hacienda in Tiaong, Quezon, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of the city of San Pablo, Laguna on the border with Quezon. Since 1981, the plantation has opened its doors as a resort offering village tours, a museum tour, food and accommodations. It has developed a worldwide reputation as a focal point to experience Philippine culture and history in a beautiful rural setting.
Candelaria, officially the Municipality of Candelaria (Tagalog: Bayan ng Candelaria), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. It is the third most populous settlement of Quezon after Lucena City and Sariaya. Among the municipalities in Quezon Province, Candelaria has the most desiccated coconut factories and oil refineries, such as Peter Paul Philippine Corporation, Primex Coco Products Inc., Pacific Royal Basic Foods, SuperStar Corporation, Tongsan Industrial Development Corporation, and others, which employ thousands of people. Candle Festival or the town fiesta is celebrated on the 5th of February to honor the patron saint San Pedro Bautista. Since 2017, Rev. Msgr. Melecio Verastigue, started a dance to honor San Pedro Bautista. It is called INDAK PUGAY. A dance to honor the martyrdom of the patron saint, San Pedro Bautista.
Sariaya, officially the Municipality of Sariaya (Tagalog: Bayan ng Sariaya), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. As the only Mount Banahaw town in both Quezon and Laguna Provinces that has a sea coast, the town is famous for its pristine beach resorts and nature-trekking activities that lead adventurous hikers to the peak of mythical Mount Banahaw. With more than a hundred of cultural properties and ancestral houses mostly built in Art Deco architecture within the municipality, Sariaya is considered as the Heritage Town of Quezon and the Art Deco Capital of Southern Luzon. This heritage town has been branded by various cultural experts as a ‘cultural gem worthy of a UNESCO designation.’ The local government of the municipality with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines were designated to work for the heritage town’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sariaya is the most populous municipality in the province of Quezon.
The origin of the word Sariaya was allegedly came from the word Sadyaya — one of the town’s numerous rivers, but words of the great ancestors and legends have it that it was named after Saria, an supposedly ‘illiterate’ (according to the Spanish) woman who encountered the first Spaniards in the town who were asking the name of the settlement. Saria can’t understand the question as it was in Spanish, which was foreign and unknown to everyone in the area during that time. She was thus branded as illiterate by the Spanish despite being highly educated through Tagalog traditional knowledge. The woman gave her name as answer to the Spanish, assuming that they were asking her name. The Spaniards wrote “Saria” on their notebooks as the name of the settlement. And while the Spaniards were talking with each other, the natives heard them utter the words “Saria-ya”. Hence, the words traveled from mouth to mouth and became a common saying until the two words were combined.
Gov. Natalio Enriquez House at General Luna corner Rizal Street is a 1932 Art Deco house designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro. Natalio Enriquez was Sariaya Municipal President (Mayor) from 1938 to 1940 and later became the Provincial Governor of Tayabas (Quezon Province) from 1941 to 1945.
Don Catalino Rodriguez Ancestral House, also known as Villa Sariaya, is one of the three houses declared by the National Historical Institute (Now called the National Historical Commission) of the Philippines as Heritage house in Sariaya, Quezon. It was owned by Don Catalino Rodriguez, Sariaya’s town Presidente (Mayor during the American occupation period) from 1908 to 1909. The house occupies an entire block near the church park. Its main entrance faces south along Calle Daliz and is bounded by Calle Rizal on the west and Quezon Avenue (formerly Calle Talavera) on the east. This house has already been transformed into a Museum and visitors can choose to wear period costumes for reasonable fees and pose for souvenir photos. Don Catalino Rodriguez Ancestral House is listed as one of the Ancestral Houses in the Philippines, under Region IV-A.
Lucena, officially known as the City of Lucena (Filipino: Lungsod ng Lucena), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Calabarzon region of the Philippines. It is the capital city of the province of Quezon where it is geographically situated but, in terms of government and administration, the city is politically independent from the province. For statistical and geographical purposes, Lucena is grouped with the province of Quezon. It was in 1879 when the town’s name was officially changed to Lucena in honor of a Spanish friar, Rev. Fr. Mariano Granja. In 1882, Lucena became an independent municipality, that is, politically separate from the rest of Quezon Province.
Pagbilao, officially the Municipality of Pagbilao (Tagalog: Bayan ng Pagbilao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. Founded in 1725, its name was etymologically derived from “papag at bilao”, when villagers asked by Spaniards then the name of the place.
Most of the vast lands of Pagbilao are mainly used for agricultural. These agricultural land are mostly coconut, rice and poultry farms. But some of these lands became industrial areas. Most of these industrial lands are ice plants, rice and oil mills which can be seen along the highway. Bilao Festival showcases the rich resources, traditions, values, aspirations, customs, history, culture, and arts of the municipality of Municipality of Pagbilao, Quezon through dances, colorful costumes, and extra ordinary props all derived from local materials.
Tayabas, officially known as the City of Tayabas (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Tayabas), is a 6th class component city in the province of Quezon, Philippines. It is known for lambanog (coconut arrack) and sweet food/delicacies, as well as tourism resorts. Tayabas is also known as the City of Festivals because of its colorful festivals. One such festival is Mayohan Festival dedicated to bountiful harvest celebrated every 15th of May.
The city is known for resorts, heritage houses, historical landmarks, more than 20 Spanish stone bridges with under-carvings from Filipino ancestors, nationally important archaic stone crosses from the 16th century which is believed to be homes of nature spirits, rest and recreation destination, and festivities. It is the former capital of the Province of Tayabas, now Aurora and Quezon. The prevalent architectural sites of the city, including its bridges, has led numerous scholars to campaign its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is accessible by land from Metro Manila passing through Rizal and Laguna East Via Manila East Road or via South Luzon Expressway.
Tayabas has many places of interest. Its Casa Comunidad, a centuries-old building, is the place where Apolinario “Hermano Pule” Dela Cruz was tried and sentenced to death in 1841. It was restored in the 1990s through funds donated by the “Friends of Casa Comunidad,” an organization of affluent Manila-based Tayabenses. It was declared a National Historical Landmark.
Sanctuario de las Almas Built in 1855, the church was called “Cementerio de los Españoles” during the Spanish period. A former cemetery and now a place for devotees of San Diego de Alcala. It is a mortuary chapel for the Spanish and Filipino elite during the Spanish Era. Also called Ermita de San Roque.
Lucban, officially the Municipality of Lucban (Tagalog: Bayan ng Lukban), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. Lucban is dubbed as the Art Capital, Dance Capital and Rice Capital of Quezon province. It is accessible by land from Metro Manila passing through Rizal Province, via Manila East Road or via the South Luzon Expressway with approximately 2-3 hours drive. Lucban is known also as the ‘Baguio’ counterpart of QuezonProvince.
The municipality is known for its annual Pahiyas Festival, which is held every May 15 in honor of San Isidro Labrador. Beginning with a 6:00am mass at the Lucban Church, this festival showcases a street of houses which are adorned with fruits, vegetables, agricultural products, handicrafts and kiping, a rice-made decoration, which afterwards can be eaten grilled or fried. The houses are judged and the best one is proclaimed the winner. Every year, tourists roam the municipality to witness the decoration of houses. Nowadays, Pahiyas Festival is a week long celebration starting every 15 May.
Legend – poetically in “Ode to Lucban” – has it the town derives its name from the lukbánor pomelo tree. Three hunters from neighbouring Majayjay— namely Marcos Tigla, Luis Gamba and Lucas Mañawa— lost their way following the trail of wild animals at the foot of volcanic Mount Banahaw. Resting under a tree, they saw a crow (uwák) in the tree’s branches, and believing this to be a bad omen, they moved to another place and rested again. Whilst in the shade of a large pomelo (lucbán) tree, the trio were attracted to a couple of kingfishers (salacsác) that were singing. Fascinated by the bird’s plumage and rhythmic chirps, the superstitious hunters took this a sign of good fortune and thus settled in the place they named “Lucbán.”
Sampaloc, officially the Municipality of Sampaloc (Tagalog: Bayan ng Sampaloc), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. The municipality is situated in a valley completely surrounded by high evergreen hills in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains between the municipalities of Lucban and Mauban, Quezon. Sampaloc used to be the Barrio Dingin of Lucban, Quezon consisting of three sitios. It was later renamed into Sampaloc because of the presence of a large tamarind tree found in the center of the settlement during the earlier days.
During the month of April, Buli products such as bags, hats, flowers, pockets and more are decorated in their houses. Bulihan Festival is also called “Mini Pahiyas”. Parades roam around the town some celebrity stars also visited here. Meanwhile, there are also cooking contests, palarong pinoy, stage plays, beer fests, concerts, bag and hat making contests, fairs, and many more.The festival, which comes from the word ‘buri’ or buli, is a large palm tree which can be seen in the town.
Mauban, officially the Municipality of Mauban (Tagalog: Bayan ng Mauban), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. Mauban town in Quezon province celebrates the Maubanog Festival, showcasing its rich history and cultural heritage centered on the Christian faith and its buri palm weaving industry. Maubanog is from the town’s name and the word “bangog,” meaning “high spirit.” Aside from its weaving industry, Mauban is also known for its nipa lambanog called lambanog sasa or nipanog. Cagbalete Island is a famous white sand beach island off coast of Mauban.
The town of Mauban was named after Gat Uban, hero and defender of the town against Moro invaders four hundred years ago. Mauban means “full of white hairs”.
For detailed post about our summer escapade in Cagbalete, click on below link:
Ben Goes Where 
1 thought on “Quezon: Around the Slopes of Mount Banahaw”