Candelaria, officially the Municipality of Candelaria (), is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Quezon Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 137,881 people. 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.

History

Foundation

Prior to 1885, the pioneering barangays of Candelaria in its western part, Taguan (Bukal), Kinatihan and Masin were parts of the Municipality of Tiaong, while Malabanban, Mangilag and Santa Catalina in the east, were under the jurisdiction of the town of Sariaya. Sr. Don Ciriaco Nadres, a local leader of Barangay Masinand his wife Sra. Doña Baltazara Bustamante, with the support of Don Simeon Nadres and wife Doña Everista Ona, Don Justo Argao, Don Elino de Gala, Don Apolinario Gonzales, Don Tomas Cabuñag, Don Ignacio de Ramos, Don Domingo de Alday, Don Tomas Regidor, Don Juan del Valle, Don Ambrocio Salazar, Don Buenaventura Cedeño and Don Hipolito Martinez, proposed the establishment of an independent government over these barangays. They became known as the founding families of the town. It was on December 26, 1878, that a permit was granted by the Governor-General of the Philippine Islands, Domingo Moriones y Murillo for the establishment of an independent government over these barangays. Its boundaries were fixed by means of a treaty signed by the notable leaders of Tiaong, Sariaya and the founding families of Candelaria. King

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

finally approved the establishment of Candelaria as an independent town on August 5, 1879.

American Era and Japanese Occupation

In 1902, after the cessation of the general hostilities against the Americans, administration of Candelaria was merged with the neighboring town of Sariaya. In 1907, Candelaria was again managed independently, as a fourth-class municipality. During the American regime, the town progressed by leaps and bounds. Many houses and public edifices were constructed, and commerce and industries grew, until the Japanese invasion brought a further wave of destruction.

Geography

Candelaria lies at the western part of the province, from the nation's capital

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, from the provincial capital

Lucena Lucena (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially known as the City of Lucena (), is a highly urbanized city situated in the Calabarzon region (Region IV-A) of the Philippines. The city is the largest urban center and capital of ...

, and from Batangas City. To its northern part lies the famous Mount Banahaw, to the east is Sariaya, to the south is

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

, and to the west are Dolores and

Tiaong Tiaong (), officially the Municipality of Tiaong (), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 106,265 people. Tiaong is from Lucena and from Manila. Its name is derived from ...

. The neighboring cities are

Tayabas Tayabas, officially the City of Tayabas (), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 112,65 ...

, San Pablo and

Lipa City Lipa (), officially the City of Lipa (), is a component city in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 372,931 people. It is the first city with a charter in the province and one of five ...

. It is traversed by the Pan Philippine Highway and the Philippine National Railways. Candelaria has an area of about and is an agricultural municipality, situated in the southern part of Mount Banahaw. The town proper is wedged by two rivers, namely, Masin and Quiapo rivers.

Barangays

Candelaria is politically subdivided into 25

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s, as indicated in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s and some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

Climate

There are two pronounced seasons in Candelaria: Dry and hot season from March to May, Wet season from June to December. Typhoons struck the municipality every three to five years. The most remarkable are Supertyphoon Angela (Rosing) in 1995, Typhoon Xangsane (Milenyo) in 2006, and Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) in 2014. Normal temperatures in Candelaria range from to . The temperatures became cooler in January with a range of about , while in April, the hottest month, may rise of up to .

Topography

Candelaria is more elevated in the northern part since it lies at the southern slope of Banahaw and is predominantly agricultural. There are plantations of coconut and vegetables in its remote barangays. Most of the inhabitants are having poultry and livestock business and in the remaining part of the municipality are farmlands mostly of rice, corn, and other root crops.

Demographics

Candelaria has a population of 117,434 as of the 2015 census. The increase in population became rapid in the 1990s, in 1995, it has a population of 80,733 inhabitants, while in 2000, the population grew to 92,429, with an increase of about 15 percent. In 2007, the official number of inhabitants in the municipality based on 2007 census is 105,997, or about 4,240 families or 21,243 households. Most Candelarians reside in Pahinga Norte and Malabanban Norte, the adjacent barangays of the town proper. As of 2007, almost 93 percent of the population are

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

s, 3.5 percent are Protestants, about 3 percent are members of

Iglesia ni Cristo The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...

, 0.05 percent are of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, 0.97 percent are of other denominations such as

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...

/ Christian Churches, Pentecostalists,

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Latter Day Saints The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded b ...

Seventh-day Adventist The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbat ...

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

and others.

Language

Tagalog is widely spoken by the populace. However, their accent resembles the Tagalog dialect spoken in Batangas owing to its location, and history. Most of Candelarians came from the neighboring province of

Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...

Economy

Candelaria is one of the most progressive municipalities in Quezon Province. Rapid progress have been felt since the 1990s where most of the commercial establishments have been built such as retail merchandising, supermarkets, hardware, fastfood outlets or restaurants, shopping mall, and others. The Candelaria Public Market, though it is adjacent to Barangay Poblacion, is located on Barangay Pahinga Norte. In 2024, there is a total inventory of 812 registered establishments. Most are in retail trade, wholesale, and real estate leasing. In agriculture, coconut is the most dominant crop of the municipality covering 5,243.50 hectares or 30% of the town's land area. In terms of livestock production, many locals raised poultry by 73.30% from the overall animal population. TaguanCandelariaChurchjf17341769 14

Culture

Candle Festival

The town fiesta is celebrated on February 5 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. Since 2005, Monsignor Carlos (Charles) Pedro A. Herrera, the parish priest, started his devotion to Nuestra Senora de Candelaria and honored her with a Candle Festival every February 2. The celebration was concluded with a procession through the streets of the town featuring the street dancing by the youth of the community in honor of the Blessed Virgin. A parade of floats representing each of the 25 barangays was, also, featured during the festivities. A project in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary that will renovate the patio of the San Pedro Bautista Parish Church had been developed on April 22, 2012. The renovated patio will convert the current parking lot into a multi-purpose open amphitheater for use of the people of Candelaria. It will provide a venue for children and toddlers playground, jogging/walking path, a rosary garden, a via Dolorosa, and a stage for performances complete with controlled theater lighting. The playground will be lit with lighting standards. The fundraising for the project will be accomplished through a 1000 Points of Light campaign.

Government

Elected officials

Municipal council (2022-2025): * Mayor: George D. Suayan ( NPC) * Vice Mayor: Macario D. Boongaling ( NPC) * Councilors: ** Aileen M. Dellosa ( NPC) ** Julius D. Maniebo ( NPC) ** Lydelle M. Dizon ( Aksyon Demokratiko) ** Rodante A. Padillo ( NPC) ** Darren P. de Gala ( NPC) ** Anatalia R. Atienza ( Aksyon Demokratiko) ** Ma. Lourdes Bernadette G. Liwanag ( NPC) ** Numeriano S. Briones ( NPC) * ABC President: Estelito A. Sulit * SK Federation President: Ann Ivy Nicole B. Cuadro

Former heads and mayors (1879–2022)

* Don Simeon Nadres, 1879–1883 * Don Clemente Nadres, 1883–1887 * Don Tomas Cabunag, 1887–1891 * Don Apolinario Gonzales, 1891–1895 * Don Pedro de Gala, 1895–1898 * Don Benigno Nadres, 1898–1900 * Don Elino de Gala, 1900–1902 * Don Herminigildo Nadres, 1908–1912, 1919–1921 * Don Juan Javier, 1912–1916 * Don Generoso de Gala, 1916–1918 * Don Gregorio Remata, 1918–1919 * Don Francisco Fernandez, 1921–1922 * Don Mansueto Javier, 1922–1925 * Don David Reyroso, 1925–1928 * Don Emilio de Gala, 1928–1931 * Dr. Generoso Nadres Sr., 1931–1934 * Dr. Vicente Macasaet, 1934–1937 * Pastor Javier, 1937–1941, 1943–1944, 1945–1946 * Juan Ramos, 1941 * Francisco Malabanan, 1941–1943 * Cresenciano de Gala, 1944–1945 * Felix Ona, 1946–1947, 1955–1959 * Eligio Manalo, 1947–1955 * Venancio Dia, 1959–1967 * Atty. Cipriano Maliwanag, 1967–1978 * Pedro Cedeno, 1978–1986 * David Emralino, 1986–1998, 2001–2007 * Isidro de Gala, 1998–2001 * Atty. Ferdinand Maliwanag, 1998, 2007–2016 * Macario Boongaling, 2016-2022 * George Suayan, 2022–present

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road network

Three major highways pass through the municipality and the town proper. The South Luzon Expressway Toll Road 4 (TR4) stretching from Santo Tomas City, Batangas to Lucena City will pass through the northern part of the municipality, planned to be finished in 2028. The new expressway will occupy portions of Barangays Bukal Norte, Masalukot II, Masalukot I, Mayabobo, and Mangilag Norte. *The

Pan-Philippine Highway The Pan-Philippine Highway, also known as the Maharlika Highway (; ), is a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao in the Philippines, serving as the country's p ...

(also known as Maharlika Highway or National Highway), passes through the municipality west–east from Barangay Bukal Sur to Barangay Mangilag Sur. It connects the municipality to its neighboring towns of Tiaong and Sariaya and cities like San Pablo City in Laguna and Lucena City, the provincial capital. **Rizal Street is the two-lane main road and a segment of the Pan-Philippine Highway in Barangay Poblacion. It connects Barangay Masin Norte and Sur in the west and Malabanban Norte in the east. Some landmarks located here are the Municipal Hall, the Catholic Church, and Plaza Narra. *The Candelaria–San Juan Road (also known as Candelaria-Bolboc Road) is a two-lane highway that starts at the Pan Philippine Highway junction in Barangay Malabanban Norte, going straight south to the municipality of San Juan, Batangas. This is an alternative road for commuters from Metro Manila via Batangas. *The Candelaria Bypass Road (also known as Candelaria Diversion Road) is a two-lane bypass road that serves as an alternative road for commuters from Metro Manila to Batangas and the Bicol Region. Opened in 2012, this road bypasses Poblacion. There are also major roads within the municipality. *Cabunag Street also in Barangay Poblacion is the municipality's main business district. Most of the business establishments, such as hardware stores like Licup Builders, the oldest hardware store in town, RTWs, pharmacies, footwear, general merchandise, and restaurants are located here. It also serves as a thoroughfare for local commuters going to nearby barangays such as Pahinga Norte and Masalukot I. *Ramos Street-Masalukot Barangay Road is a road that starts at Maharlika Highway in Barangay Poblacion and ends at Barangay Masalukot III. This is also an access road to most of the subdivisions located in Barangay Masalukot I, such as School View Park Subdivision, Village of St. Jude (VSJ), Maria Cristina Village, St. Anthony Subdivision, Villa Macaria Country Homes, Clarisse Subdivision, Faustin Floraville, and others. There are also schools located along the road, such as Grabsum School Inc. and Dr. Panfilo Castro National High School Annex. *Tibanglan Road is a dirt road that serves as a main access to Barangay Mayabobo from Maharlika Highway in Barangay Malabanban Norte, in front of Iglesia ni Cristo Church. *Pahinga-Kinatihan Road is a barangay road that starts at Cabunag Street down south to Barangay Kinatihan II. It serves as an access road to Candelaria Bypass Road from the town proper. Some landmarks located along the road are Peter Paul Philippine Corporation, Pahinga Norte Elementary School, Cocoma, and Villa Katrina Subdivision. A junction located in Barangay Pahinga Norte, right after the spillway across Quiapo River, connects it to Barangay Santa Catalina Norte. *Mangilag-Concepcion Road is a barangay road that starts at Maharlika Highway in Mangilag Sur and an access road to Barangays Mayabobo and Concepcion Banahaw in Sariaya, Quezon. Some landmarks found here are Dr. Panfilo Castro National High School, Mangilag Norte Elementary School, and Mount Mayabobo.

Public transport

Provincial buses to and from

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...

and Lucena City such as JAC Liner Inc., DLTBCo, JAM Liner, Dela Rosa Liner and Lucena Lines stop at the municipality's designated bus stops in Poblacion. SUPREME, a bus plying Batangas City-Lucena City route and vice versa also passes through Candelaria (Sambat). There are also jeepney terminals located in the town proper. For passengers going to Lucena City, the terminal is located at the intersection of Rizal Avenue corner Gonzales Street. For passengers going to San Pablo City, the terminal is located at the intersection of Rizal Avenue corner Ona Street. For passengers going to San Juan, Batangas, the terminal is located in Gonzales Street. Tricycles are the most common mode of transportation in the municipality. There are many tricycle terminals in Barangay Poblacion, serving local commuters to the nearby barangays.

Water transport

Candelaria has no coastline and is one of the inland municipalities of

, together with Dolores, Lucban, Sampaloc,

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, and

. The seaport nearest to the municipality is Dalahican Port in Lucena City for passengers going to

Marinduque Marinduque (; ), officially the Province of Marinduque, is an island province in the Philippines located in Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa, formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality of Boac, the most popul ...

Masbate Masbate, officially the Province of Masbate (Masbateño language, Masbateño: ''Probinsya san Masbate''; ), is an island Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located near the midsection of the nation's archipelago. Its provi ...

, and other island provinces. Dalahican Port is about from Candelaria. Among the international seaports in

Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

, Batangas Port in Batangas City is the nearest. It would take approximately two hours in a private vehicle to reach from Candelaria, passing through the municipalities of

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city, located northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the ...

, and Ibaan, Batangas.

Air transport

Candelaria has no airport, runway or any facility to accommodate air operations. The nearest airbase in the municipality is the San Fernando Airbase in

with a distance of about west of the municipality, while the nearest international airport is

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ; ; ), also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about south of ...

. It is formerly served by the Lucena Airport in

that has been closed. For air travelers, you have to travel for more or less two hours to reach Metro Manila and a couple of minutes more for Ninoy Aquino International Airport in case of traffic obstructions.

Communications

Candelaria is served by General Telephone System, Inc. (GTSi) and Digitel Telecommunications (PLDT-Digitel) as the main telecommunication services providers. GTSi has started its operations in the municipality in 1981, making it the third municipality where it started its operation, the first two are Gumaca in 1977 and Atimonan in 1979. Internet shops are commonly found in the town proper.

Healthcare

Candelaria has three hospitals: one public and two private. * Candelaria Municipal Hospital (known as Nursery, built in 1984) - located in Barangay Masin Norte. * Peter Paul Medical Center (formerly Peter Paul Hospital, built in 1948) - located in Regidor St., Barangay Poblacion. * United Candelaria Doctors Hospital (built in 2009) - located in Maharlika Highway near Candelaria Bypass Road, Barangay Mangilag Sur. The Candelaria Municipal Hospital is built during the administration of then Mayor Pedro Cedeno in 1984. Peter Paul Medical Center is one of the pioneering hospitals of the municipality, established in 1948. United Candelaria Doctors Hospital is the newly built medical facility of Candelaria, opened in February 2009. Each barangay has its own health center for free health services. More lying-in clinics are located throughout the municipality.

Education

Pre-school

* Brentley Montessori School * Brisbane Integrated School

Primary

* Candelaria Elementary School Main * Candelaria Elementary School Annexes 1 and 2 * Manuel Luis Quezon Elementary School (Cheng Hua Chinese School) * GRABSUM School, Inc. (School View) * Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Candelaria, Inc. * Headstart Christian Learning Institute * Trinity Christian Academy * Buenavista East Elementary School * Buenavista West Elementary School * Bukal Norte Elementary School (Mayapyap Annex) * Bukal Norte Elementary School * Bukal Sur Elementary School * Kinatihan I Elementary School * Kinatihan II Elementary School * The Lady Mediatrix Institute Inc. * Malabanban Norte Elementary School * Malabanban Sur Elementary School * Mangilag Norte Elementary School * Mangilag Sur Elementary School * Masalukot I Elementary School * Masalukot II Elementary School * Masalukot III Elementary School * Masalukot IV Elementary School * Masalukot V Elementary School * Masin Elementary School * Mayabobo Elementary School * Newton Science School Inc. * Pahinga Norte Elementary School * Pahinga Sur Elementary School * San Andres Elementary School * San Isidro Elementary School * Santa Catalina Norte Elementary School * Santa Catalina Central School * SEACOMS (Village of St. Jude Subdivision) * Tayabas Western Academy * United Evangelical School of Candelaria, Quezon - (Formerly UCCP Pre-School)

Secondary

* Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Candelaria, Inc. * Newton Science School Inc. * GRABSUM School, Inc. * The Lady Mediatrix Institute, Inc. * Tayabas Western Academy * Santa Catalina National High School * Bukal Sur National High School * Dolores Macasaet National High School * Dr. Panfilo Castro National High School * Atty. Celso M. Reyes Integrated National High School (formerly known as DPCNHS Annex)

Tertiary

* Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation (Candelaria Campus) * Tayabas Western Academy * Compskill Learning Academy * Chrisville Institute of Technology * GRABSUM School, Inc.

Notable personalities

* Raimund Marasigan, rock musician of the band Eraserheads, Pedicab, Sandwich, Cambio, Project 1, Squid 9, and Gaijin * Ahtisa Manalo, Miss Universe Philippines 2025 and Miss International 2018 1st Runner-Up * Rio Locsin, actress

References

External links

Candelaria Profile at PhilAtlas.com
* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Philippine Census Information

Local Governance Performance Management System

Quezon Province Business Directory and Travel Guide

Quezon Province Web Portal

Lucena City Community Website
{{Authority control Municipalities of Quezon