Quezon, officially the Municipality of Quezon, is a 5th class municipality in the province of the same name. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,886 people. The municipality was named after Manuel L. Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, first President of the Philippine Commonwealth, and the former governor. It is home to the recently started Yubakan Festival and a few speakers of the critically endangered Inagta Alabat language, one of the most endangered languages in the world as listed by UNESCO.

History

Prior to the establishment of the municipality of Quezon, its area was inhabited by the Dumagat people, who primarily lived along the coast. In 1672, Franciscan friars led by Tirso de Santa Maria explored the area and established a village, which eventually grew into a place called Silangan, from the Tagalog word meaning east, signifying the direction where the sun rises. The town faced challenges, including pirate attacks, prompting the establishment of stone fortifications, including those at Gumaca. On January 1, 1914, eleven barrios were excised from Alabat to officially form the new municipality of Quezon, by virtue of Executive Order No. 101 signed by Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison in 1913. The municipality was named after Manuel L. Quezon, the then-Resident Commissioner and a native of the province then known as Tayabas. Barrio Silanga (Silangan) was designated as the seat of municipal government.

Geography

Quezon is located at the southeastern tip of Alabat Island, which is accessible to the rest of Quezon through a sea route via Gumaca and eventually the under-construction Roma Point Bridge.

Barangays

Quezon is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. Currently, there are 6 barangays which are classified as urban (highlighted in bold).

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Churches