Calauag Mapping and History

Calauag, Quezon

Calauag is located on the northeastern end of Tayabas Isthmus. The Daang Maharlika or Pan-Philippine Highway runs at the town after Lopez in Southbound and after Santa Elena at the Northbound. At the north end of Quirino Highway, it meets Daang Maharlika in Barangay Tabugon. It also meets the north end of Sumulong–Guinayangan Provincial Road which also meets Daang Maharlika in Barangay Sumulong. It is bounded to the northwest by Calauag Bay, southwest by Lopez, to the east byGuinayangan, and to the north by Basiad Bay and Tinig Bay; it is separated from Alabat Island by a 1 kilometer narrow straight. Calauag is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Quezon, a part of CALABARZON in the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 69,475. Calauag is a 2nd class municipality in Quezon among its forty (40) towns and the lone city of Lucena which is also the capital and the seat of the provincial government. It was founded in the year 1851 and its foundation anniversary is presently observed together with the celebration of the annual town fiesta every May 25.

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HISTORY

According to the writings of VALENTIN MARTIN in his “ENSAYO DE UNA SINTESIS DE LOS TRABAJOS REALIZIDOS SOS LAS CORPORACIONES RELIGIOSAS ESPANOLAS DE FILIPINAS” the first record of the establishment of a settlement in Calauag dates as far as the year 1584. However, the formal founding of the town was placed in the year 1581 with the union of the settlements in Apad and Calauag.

The name Calauag was derived from an incident in which a huge turtle known locally as “KALA” was caught near the seashore of the town. When the people tried to kill the turtle with sticks, the fishermen who caught the turtle dissuaded them from doing so by shouting “KALA-HUWAG KALA”, hence the derivation of the name Calauag.

The first elected Captain of the town was Juan Sunog. In 1897 the town was placed the Revolutionary Government and Alipio Declaro became the Municipal President. In 1914 under Municipal President Marciano Roldan, the town was destroyed by fire for the first time in its history. In December 24, 1941, the town was occupied by the Japanese Imperial Army and in January 14, 1942, the town was again destroyed by fire. In April 19, 1945, the United States and Filipino forces liberated the town from Japanese occupation.