Tagkawayan, officially the Municipality of Tagkawayan (Tagalog: Bayan ng Tagkawayan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 54,003 people.[3]
Etymology
Tagkawayan is derived from the Tagalog phrase taga-kawayan, which translates to "from bamboo," a term that referred to the early settlers of the area, primarily Aetas. These settlers would hold festive gatherings by the seashore, signaling neighboring tribes to join by raising a cloth-tied bamboo pole from a high rock.[5]
History
Pre-establishment
In the early Spanish period, Tagkawayan was mainly inhabited by Aetas around Mount Cadig. Over time, migrants from Ambos Camarines and Bondoc Peninsula settled in the area as they were attracted by its rich forest resources. Tagkawayan later became a hub for various ethnic groups (including Ilocanos and Kapampangans), drawn by opportunities in logging, mining, plywood manufacturing, fishing, and agriculture.[5]
After the rise in population with the potential of an economic growth, a formal petition to convert barrio Tagcawayan, then in Guinayangan, into an independent municipality was launched. The said letter was sent to President Manuel L. Quezon through Tomas Morato. Antonio Lagdameo then laid out an "urbanization plan" was laid out for the proposed municipality.[6] During that time, Tagkawayan encompassed four sitios
Establishment as municipality
On December 31, 1940, the barrios of Aloneros, Bagong Silang, Balogo, Cabibihan, Catimo, Danlagan, Kabugwang, Kandalapdap, Malbog, Monato, Mangayaw, Quinatacutan, Siguiwan, Tagkawayan, and Triumfo, then part of the municipality of Guinayangan, were separated and constituted into a new and separate municipality known as Tagkawayan, by virtue of Executive Order No. 316. The change took effect on the next day, January 1, 1941.[7]
On March 7, 1941, the Guinayangan sitios of Aliji, Bamban, Bukal, Danlagan, Batis, Del Rosario, Manatong Ilaya, Manatong Munti, Malupot, San Luis, San Roque Manato, Santo Niño, and portions of Tuba were annexed to the municipality by virtue of Executive Order No. 330.[8] On January 1, 1948, the barrio of Aloneros was returned to Guinayangan by virtue of Executive Order No. 78 signed on August 12, 1947.[9]
Geography
Tagkawayan is the easternmost town of Quezon, bordered to the east by the province of Camarines Norte and to the south by Camarines Sur in the Bicol Region. Tagkawayan is 148 kilometers (92 mi) from Lucena and 278 kilometers (173 mi) from Manila.
Barangays
Tagkawayan is politically subdivided into 45 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
To spur development in the municipality, the Toll Regulatory Board designated Toll Road 5 as the extension of South Luzon Expressway.[23] A 420-kilometer, four-lane expressway starting from the terminal point of the now under construction SLEX Toll Road 4 in Barangay Mayao, Lucena City to Matnog, Sorsogon, near the Matnog Ferry Terminal. On August 25, 2020, San Miguel Corporation announced that it will invest in the project, which will reduce travel time from Lucena to Matnog from 9 hours to 5.5 hours.[24]
Lucena (Administratively independent from the province but grouped under Quezon by the Philippine Statistics Authority. However, qualified voters of this city are still allowed to participate in the election of provincial officials as part of Quezon’s 2nd Sangguniang Panlalawigan district.)
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