PHILIPPINES
QUEZON PROVINCE Text & Images by Ramon Rodolfo R. Zabella
Q
uezon Province is the mother of famous nationalists like Manuel L. Quezon, Lorenzo M. Taňada and Claro M. Recto. But there is another son of the province whose greatness was rediscovered only more than a century and a half after his death. He was Apolinario dela Cruz, a.k.a., Hermano Puli. Three decades before Fathers Burgos and Zamora, Hermano Puli was already fighting for equality for native priests. Aside from Fr. Mariano Gomes, Puli might have influenced the younger priests of
Roots&Wings
the martyred trio. Nevertheless, aside from producing great men, the province is also famous for its festivals. Lucena has its Pasayahan, a month-long revelry every May. Lucban has its Pahiyas while Gumaca has Araňa’t Baluarte, both held on May 15 in honor of St. Isidore, the patron saint of farmers. And because the Quezonians love to eat, they have produced some of the most delectable cuisine in the country. The town of Lucban leads in this category. Its longganisa, pancit habhab and kinulob na
kalabaw are peerless. Tayabas has budin (cassava cake) and Yema cake. Lucena has Chami. Atanauan has tapa. The province has a long history, even predating the arrival of the Spaniards. The first provincial capital, Kalilayan, now known as Unisan, was established in the 1520s, four decades ahead of Legaspi’s founding of Manila in 1565. At the time, the province was also known as Kalilayan. In 1749, due to persistent pirate raids on the seaside town, the capital was moved inland to the town
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