Lopez, officially the Municipality of Lopez (), 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 ...
of
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 94,657 people.
History

There was a flourishing coastal settlement somewhere in the southern part of the municipality of Gumaca called Talolong. The settlement's name was derived from the name of the river that traverses the place.
The original location of the settlement was in the marshy mouth of a sedate river, (myth) which was founded by the descendants of Datu Dumangsil and Datu Balinsusa of the Kalilayan kingdom. Due to the frequent plundering and terrorism of the pirates, the colony was transferred to the present town's location.
The settlement of Lakan Bugtali who founded the community of Gumaca was gone. Even a trace of its remains cannot be identified neither the vintages of the encomienda of Kalilayan nor a fraction of its 16th century glories. When it became a sitio through a papal bull, the village started to manage by her own.
In 1756, some people from the town of Mayoboc (present-day Pitogo) sought refuge in the sitio as they fled the Moro raid that burned the town to the ground. After sometime, some of them become discontented with the affairs of governing the sitio, went back to the original site of Mayoboc and again formed a settlement on an uphill portion, more suitable to guard against the Moro pirates. It later came to be known as Pitogo.
As the sitio became more organized and seen an increase in population, it finally became a separate town from Gumaca on April 30, 1856, during the Governorship of Alcalde Mayor Don Candido Lopez y Diaz. It later came to be known as the town of Lopez. The first gobernadorcillo was Don Antonio Olivarez.
Geography
Lopez is one of the largest municipalities in the province and has a total land area of 395.1 square kilometers representing 4.53% of the total land area of the province of Quezon. It is located in the southern part of the province, from
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 ...
, east from
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 3 nautical kilometers to
Alabat Island
Alabat Island is an island of the Philippine archipelago, in the Quezon Province of the Calabarzon region, situated just off the east coast of Southern Luzon. The island has an area of and a population of 41,822. The island has a mountain ri ...
.
The terrain generally ranges from above sea level with rugged mountain areas. Coastal areas deviate from plain to hilly terrains. Rivers, streams and springs abound throughout the municipality, but the most prominent is the Talolong River.
It is bordered by the municipalities of
Catanauan
Catanauan, officially the Municipality of Catanauan (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 72,752 people.
Histor ...
and
General Luna on the south,
Macalelon on the south-west,
Calauag
Calauag, officially the Municipality of Calauag (; ), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 71,809 people.
History
According to the writings of Valentin Martin in his " ...
on the north-east,
Gumaca
Gumaca, officially the Municipality of Gumaca (), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 71,942 people.
History
Formerly known as Bumaka (meaning "the one who fought"), t ...
on the west,
Buenavista and
Guinayangan on the east.
Barangays
Lopez is politically subdivided into 95
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 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 ...
.
Currently, there are 7 barangays which are classified as urban (highlighted in bold).
* Bacungan
* Bagacay
* Banabahin Ibaba
* Banabahin Ilaya
* Bayabas
* Bebito
* Bigajo
* Binahian A
* Binahian B
* Binahian C
* Bocboc (Poblacion)
* Buenavista
* Burgos (Poblacion)
* Buyacanin
* Cagacag
* Calantipayan
* Canda Ibaba
* Canda Ilaya
* Cawayan
* Cawayanin
* Cogorin Ibaba
* Cogorin Ilaya
* Concepcion
* Danlagan (Poblacion)
* De La Paz
* Del Pilar
* Del Rosario
* Esperanza Ibaba
* Esperanza Ilaya
* Gomez (Poblacion)
* Guihay
* Guinuangan
* Guites
* Hondagua
* Ilayang Ilog A
* Ilayang Ilog B
* Inalusan
* Jongo
* Lalaguna
* Lourdes
* Mabanban
* Mabini
* Magallanes
* Magsaysay (Poblacion)
* Maguilayan
* Mahayod-Hayod
* Mal-ay
* Mandoog
* Manguisian
* Matinik
* Monteclaro
* Pamampangin
* Pansol
* Peñafrancia
* Pisipis
* Rizal (Poblacion)
* Rizal (Rural)
* Roma
* Rosario
* Samat
* San Andres
* San Antonio
* San Francisco A
* San Francisco B
* San Isidro
* San Jose
* San Miguel (Dao)
* San Pedro
* San Rafael
* San Roque
* Santa Catalina
* Santa Elena
* Santa Jacobe
* Santa Lucia
* Santa Maria
* Santa Rosa
* Santa Teresa
* Santo Niño Ibaba
* Santo Niño Ilaya
* Silang
* Sugod
* Sumalang
* Talolong (Poblacion)
* Tan-ag Ibaba
* Tan-ag Ilaya
* Tocalin
* Vegaflor
* Vergaña
* Veronica
* Villa Aurora
* Villa Espina
* Villageda
* Villahermosa
* Villamonte
* Villanacaob
Climate
Demographics
Settlement areas in the municipality are highly scattered; population concentration is noticeable only within the poblacion, that is, the urban barangays of Burgos, Danlagan, Gomez, Magsaysay, Rizal, San Lorenzo Ruiz (Bocboc) and Talolong as well as the rural barangays of Mal-ay, Sugod, Pansol, Calantipayan, Manguisian, Del Pilar, Bebito, Canda Ibaba and Canda Ilaya which are traversed by the national highway. The rest of rural barangays are reached by other road networks which are accessible during dry and wet season. According to the 2007 census, it had a population of 86,660,
a quarter of which are in the urban areas and the rest are in the rural areas. Males outnumbered the females at a ratio of 105.34 to 100. The population grew to 95,167 in the 2015 census.
Aldrin Ludovice Salipande (2022) reports that
Inagta Lopenze is spoken in Villa Espina and nearby barangays in Lopez.
[Salipande, Aldrin Ludovice. 2022. ]
Phonology of Agta Lopenze
'. Presentation given at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS 31), University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offic ...
, May 18–20, 2022.
Religion
* Roman Catholic
* Seventh-Day Adventist
* Jehovah's Witnesses
* Baptist
* Latter day saints
* Church of God
* Evangelical
* Word for the World Christian Fellowship
* Iglesia Ni Cristo
Churches
*Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario Parish (est. 1861)
*San Isidro Labrador Parish (est. 1961)
*Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (est. 2008)
*Buen Pastor Parish (est. 2011)
Economy
Lopez had a labor force of 56.99% in 2000 or 44,849. About 9,474 of the employed labor force were engaged in primary industries such as farming and fishing. Its economy is basically engaged in agriculture, crops, poultry and livestock production. Around represent 45% of the total land area planted to coconut trees, 2,300 has. are established to rice production, 628 has. to corn harvest. Growing around are natural materials for handicraft such as wild vines, buri, anahaw, tikiw, bamboo, cogon and talahib. Several cottage industries exist in the locality such as bamboo furniture, bolo, baskets, rattan, anahaw and buri fan making, buntal and tikiw. It also has rich fishing grounds in the Lopez Bay area and a number of inland fishponds. Fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs and other sea products are abundant.
Rice is also a major staple crop, the municipality is also a major banana producer in the region. Other crops grown in the municipality are citrus, root crops, vegetables and industrial crops. Majority of the farmers are also raising livestock and poultry.
Public services
*Number of Hospitals
**Public - 1
**Private - 2
*Number of Private Health Clinics - 4
*Number of Barangay Health Centers - 31
*Number of Police Personnel - 79
*Number of Fire Personnel - 18
*Communication and Transportation Facilities
**Number of Postal Offices - 2
**Number of Mobile Phone Companies - 3
**Number of Landline Phone Companies - 2
**Number of Telegraph Stations - 2
**Number of CATV Companies - 1
**Number of FM Radio Stations - 2
Tourism
*Feasts and festivals:
**Patronal Town Fiesta, in honor of the town's patroness, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary - October 7
**Pamaypay Festival Day, April 30 (also Kapistahan ng Pamahalaang Bayan, to establish a distinct feast day from the traditionally celebrated patronal feast day every 7 October).
**Foundation Day, June 30, 1857, when Sitio/Visita Talolong became a Town (Pueblo) independent and separate from Gumaca, Quezon (Tayabas)
**Mayflower Festival, or the Flores de Maria, celebrated the whole month of May, culminating with a solemn procession around the poblacion, and on to the night of celebration in dance and songs of praise at the end of the month. The length of the annual procession is said to be one of the longest wherein the head of the line usually arrives back to the church just as the tail is leaving.
*Tibag Cave - a man-made cave shelter dating back the 2nd World War. Said to be a hiding place of the guerrillas who fought the Japanese invaders. Located in Barangay Talolong.
*Binutas Cave - also a man-made cave dating back the Japanese Occupation period. Used by the guerrillas as a tactical war maneuver point. Located in Barangay Matinik, just beside the PNR Railways.
*Pulong Niyogan - an islet off the shore of Barangay Hondagua, noted for its unspoiled fine sand beach and varieties of corals and fish.
*Pansol Floating Restaurants - Located at Barangay Pansol and can be accessed from the Maharlika Highway. Composed of several restaurants on floating bamboo rafts, these are popular getaway of many Lopenzes during vacations.
*Gen. Gaudencio Vera's Monument - located in Barangay Lalaguna. Erected to commemorate the heroism and bravery of Gen. Gaudencio Vera during the Japanese period. He was the leader of the guerrilla faction called Vera's Guerrilla Party operating in the Southern Tagalog and Northern Bicol.
Churches in Lopez
There are four (4) parishes located in different parts of the municipality under the supervision of the Diocese of Gumaca.
* Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish (OLMHRP - Lopez Poblacion, est. 1861)
* San Isidro Labrador Parish (SILP -Hondagua, est. 1961)
* Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (SHJP - Magsaysay, est. 2008)
* Good Shepherd Parish (GSP - Magallanes, est. 2011)
Sports
Lopez Sports Centre is noted for its
cockfighting
Cockfighting is a blood sport involving domesticated roosters as the combatants. The first documented use of the word gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or entertainment, was recorded in 1634, after the term ...
which is held every Sunday. In 2009 it was visited by
Charley Boorman
Charley Boorman (born 23 August 1966) is a British television presenter, travel writer and actor. A motorbike enthusiast, Boorman has made four long-distance motorcycle rides with his friend Ewan McGregor, documented in '' Long Way Round'' (20 ...
as part of ''
By Any Means 2''.
Education
Lopez is dubbed as the educational center of southern
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 ...
. Several educational institutions operate in the town serving not only its citizens but also those coming from the
Bondoc Peninsula
The Bondoc Peninsula (commonly known as BonPen) is a narrow peninsula located in the southeastern part of Quezon Province in Calabarzon Region, southern part of Luzon, Philippines. The peninsula consists of 12 municipalities: Agdangan, Buenavi ...
and the
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region, designated as Region V, is an administrative region of the Philippines. It comprises six Provinces of the Philippines, provinces, four on the Bicol Peninsula (the luzon#Southeastern Luzon, southeastern end of Luzon): Albay, Ca ...
. Very notable among these are the
Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Lopez,
Philippine Normal University - South Luzon, Eastern Tayabas College and the Lopez National Comprehensive High School. The Quezon Provincial Training Center of the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is also located in the town.
Lopez is also home to
Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) and
Technological University of the Philippines
The Technological University of the Philippines ()'', commonly known as TUP, is a State Universities and Colleges (Philippines), state university in the Philippines. It was established in 1901 by the Philippine Commission. TUP has its main cam ...
(TUP) as the two state universities have started operating in the town starting in June 2012. Furthermore, preparatory, primary and secondary education are no longer a problem since several schools have already opened their doors in the far-flung areas to serve the rural youth as part of town's mission of bringing the schools closer to the people.
*Number of Preparatory Schools:
**Public - 56
**Private - 6
*Number of Elementary Schools:
**Public
***West District - 27
***East District - 34
**Private - 5
*Number of Secondary Schools:
**Public - 13
**Private - 5
*Higher Education, Non-Formal and Technical Institutions
**State Universities
***
Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Lopez
***
Philippine Normal University - South Luzon
***
Technological University of the Philippines
The Technological University of the Philippines ()'', commonly known as TUP, is a State Universities and Colleges (Philippines), state university in the Philippines. It was established in 1901 by the Philippine Commission. TUP has its main cam ...
***
Laguna State Polytechnic University
**Private College
***Eastern Tayabas College
*Non-Formal Education Schools
***Mission Care International School of Caregiver
*Technical Schools
***ACEBA Systems Technology Institute
***TESDA - Quezon Provincial Training Center
References
External links
Lopez Profile at PhilAtlas.com*
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>
Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Quezon
1856 establishments in the Philippines