Lopez, (, American Spanish: , European Spanish: ), officially the Municipality of Lopez (), is a municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
History
Lopez was originally a settlement called Talolong. The settlement's name was derived from the name of the river that traverses the place.
After 45 years of numerous petitions, Governor General Fernando Norzagaray in Manila approved to separate Talolong from Gumaca on June 30, 1857, during the Governorship of Alcalde Mayor Don Candido Lopez y Diaz. The town was named after him, Lopez. Don Antonio Olivarez was the first gobernadorcillo.
Mayor Nerio O. Ramos was assassinated and the wounding of Vice-Mayor Edgardo Gutierrez on July 22, 1985, by the NPA highlighted the escalating political violence.
On September 27, 2002, the NPA attacked the police station, killing three police officers and injuring another. This attack underscored the prevalence of the rebel group in the municipality.
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, east from Lucena, and 3 nautical kilometers to Alabat Island.
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 and General Luna on the south, Macalelon on the south-west, Calauag on the north-east, Gumaca on the west, Buenavista and Guinayangan on the east.
Barangays
Lopez is politically subdivided into 95 barangays, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Currently, there are 8 barangays which are classified as urban. BarangayClassificationPopulation (2020)BacunganRural636BagacayRural633Banabahin IbabaRural459Banabahin IlayaRural484BayabasRural416BebitoRural1,858BigajoRural688Binahian ARural415Binahian BRural679Binahian CRural186BocbocUrban2,780BuenavistaRural379BurgosUrban2,062BuyacaninRural236CagacagRural741CalantipayanRural2,135Canda IbabaRural1,267Canda IlayaRural1,406CawayanRural437CawayaninRural568Cogorin IbabaRural787Cogorin IlayaRural759ConcepcionRural668DanlaganUrban3,190De La PazRural242Del PilarRural1,478Del RosarioRural799Esperanza IbabaRural225Esperanza IlayaRural295GomezUrban3,916GuihayRural1,638GuinuanganRural158GuitesRural633HondaguaUrban3,008Ilayang Ilog ARural304Ilayang Ilog BRural231InalusanRural614JongoRural1,906LalagunaRural2,094LourdesRural328MabanbanRural591MabiniRural118MagallanesRural1,336MagsaysayUrban4,709MaguilayanRural427Mahayod-HayodRural240Mal-ayRural1,118MandoogRural294ManguisianRural1,414MatinikRural967MonteclaroRural189PamampanginRural1,012PansolRural2,249PeñafranciaRural439PisipisRural803RizalUrban3,432RizalRural661RomaRural229RosarioRural1,092SamatRural270San AndresRural828San AntonioRural239San Francisco ARural657San Francisco BRural3,093San IsidroRural245San JoseRural391San MiguelRural2,199San PedroRural276San RafaelRural362San RoqueRural741Santa CatalinaRural1,179Santa ElenaRural239Santa JacobeRural657Santa LuciaRural401Santa MariaRural673Santa RosaRural340Santa TeresaRural728Santo Niño IbabaRural618Santo Niño IlayaRural1,218SilangRural745SugodRural1,336SumalangRural384TalolongUrban4,241Tan-ag IbabaRural986Tan-ag IlayaRural460TocalinRural237VegaflorRural554VergañaRural979VeronicaRural1,060Villa AuroraRural919Villa EspinaRural1,026VillagedaRural746VillahermosaRural2,419VillamonteRural204VillanacaobRural272Total94,980
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, May 18–20, 2022.
Religion
Roman Catholic Iglesia Ni Cristo Seventh-Day Adventist Jehovah's Witnesses Baptist The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints Church of God Evangelical Word for the World Christian Fellowship Islam
Churches 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)
Other places of worship: Angel's Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Gateway of Grace Christian Church Iglesia Ni Cristo - Quezon East Kingdom Hall Of Jehovah's Witnesses Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church Masjid - Lopez Monasterio de Santa Clara Peninsula Bible Baptist Church United Church of Christ in the Philippines
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.
Tourism 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. Dumagundong Falls - is a natural waterfall located in Barangay Villa Espina. The falls are known for their raw and untouched beauty. The waterfall's name is derived from the "dagundong," or deep, rushing sound of the water, which can be heard even before you see the cascade. It is a significant cultural site, being home to the Aeta community, and offers a unique blend of nature, heritage, and mystery. 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.
Lalaguna Marshland and Bird Sanctuary - located in Barangay Lalaguna. It covers 130 hectares of freshwater habitat, supporting a variety of bird species including the endemic Philippine Duck, as well as over 120 other bird species that migrate here during winter from other countries. Recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International. Pansol Mangrove Walkway - Located at Barangay Pansol and can be accessed from the Maharlika Highway. Pulong Niyogan - an islet off the shore of Barangay Hondagua, noted for its unspoiled fine sand beach and varieties of corals and fish. Tibag Cave - a man-made cave shelter dating back to World War II. Said to be a hiding place of the guerrillas who fought the Japanese invaders. Located in Barangay Talolong.
Culture Festivals and celebrations Patronal Town Fiesta, in honor of the town's patroness, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary - October 7 Pamaypayan 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.
Sports Lopez Sports Centre is noted for its cockfighting which is held every Sunday. In 2009, it was visited by Charley Boorman as part of By Any Means 2.
Government Local government
Pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991, the municipality of Lopez is to be composed of a mayor (Punong Bayan), a vice mayor (Pangalawang Punong Bayan) and members (Kagawad) of the legislative branch Sangguniang Bayan alongside a secretary to the said legislature, all of which are elected to a three-year term and are eligible to run for three consecutive terms.
Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Chairman, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.
The current seat of the municipal government is located along the national highway in Barangay Talolong in the poblacion.
List of former chief executives
Public Services
Number of Hospitals Public - 1 Private - 1 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
Infrastructure Communication Lopez is served by landline and mobile phone companies like the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Globe, Smart, Sun Cellular, and DITO Telecommunity. Wi-Fi providers like Converge ICT also operate within the city.
Public Transportation
Land Transportation Buses connect Lopez to Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, Lucena Grand Terminal, and Alabang in Muntinlupa, and other parts of Quezon, including Bondoc Peninsula towns. Bus companies such as JAC Liner, Lucena Lines, DLTBCo, A&B Liner, P&O Liner and Raymond Transportation bring passengers to Manila and Lucena back and forth.
A 6-kilometer bypass road was built in order ease the bottleneck along busy Manila South Road-Daang Maharlika Highway.
Lopez also has a wide network of jeepney routes, all emanating from the poblacion (Bayan) and reaching out to the major barangays of the city, as well as nearby towns.
Hundreds of tricycles also roam the streets of the city, bringing passengers right at their point of destination.