There are innumerable reasons to travel to Quezon. No, not the city in the National Capital Region or NCR of the Philippines, but the province of Quezon which is about two to three hours away from the commercial hub of Metropolitan Manila. Quezon Province as it is more commonly known offers a 180 degree change of lifestyle from the city.
How to Get There
The Province of Quezon can be reached via public bus or by private car. From Makati, you can take the South Luzon Expressway or SLEX and traverse the new expressway from Calamba exit all the way to Lucena City. By public transportation, various buses ply the route from Makati or Cubao to Lucena via San Pablo.
What’s in Quezon Province?
The Province of Quezon was formerly known as Tayabas but has been renamed to its present name (Quezon Province) in honor of the late President Manuel L. Quezon in 1946.
The province is nature paradise with lots of mountains, pristine beaches, and stretches of coconut plantations. And living up to the term “province”, the apparent limited commercial entertainment or nightlife is a signature of the place. It is a large province with popular towns including Lucban, Lucena, Tayabas, Pagbilao, Sariaya, and Mauban.
Lucban
Travelers who are into hiking can visit Lucban to conquer Mt. Banahaw. If you are looking for some beautiful beaches, Pagbilao Grande has a stretch of beach right in Lucban. The annual festival “Pahiyas” which happens every 15th of May is held in Lucban. This colorful festivities pay homage to the local farmers, transforming the small towns of Quezon Province from ordinary to an exquisite display of local harvests and produce and merrymaking on the streets, Pahiyas was originally a pagan harvest festival and now it is celebrated in honor of the patron saint of farmers, peasants and laborers, San Isidro Labrador.
Lucena City
Moving inward to the province, you will be at the province’s capital city, Lucena. This city offers beach fun and mountain climbing as well. There are a couple of hotels where travelers can stay before going hiking or mountain trekking. If Lucban has Pahiyas, Lucena has “Pasayahan sa Lucena” – an annual festivity celebrating the natural and ecological interrelationship and independence of man and nature through a mammoth gathering of colors, outlandish costumes and symbolic floats almost like Mardi Gras in Rio de Janeiro or New Orleans in the US.
Gumaca
Gumaca is nestled at the foot of the grand Sierra Madre mountain range, and is at the mouth of what is now known as Pipisik River. Travelers who visit Gumaca on the 15th of May, every year will get to see their grand celebration in honor of the feast of San Isidro Labrador, through Araña’t Baluarte – taken from the Spanish terms referring to chandeliers (araña) and bamboo arches (baluarte). Farm produce and local harvests are neatly arranged in chandeliers that hang on bamboo arches.
Tayabas
This ten-day celebration starts May 6 and ends May 15 every year, guide every resident of Tayabas (Tayabanse) to honor the glory and bless the wounds and sacrifices of the past. Mayohan is a season to converge at the mother navel of Quezon Province to give thanksgiving for the bountiful blessings of mother earth.
What to Eat
The province is teeming with festivals centered on the province’s bountiful harvests and produce. Quezon Province boasts some of the most mouthwatering local dishes uniquely associated with the province – pancit habhab, longganisang Lucban and buding or cassava cake.
