MUNICIPALITY
The City of Lucena is a first class highly urbanized medium sized city in the province of Quezon, Philippines. It is the capital city of Quezon and belongs to the 25 most competitive cities of the Philippines.
 According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 236,390 people in 45,902 households. Nearby towns of Lucena are Pagbilao (east), Tayabas (north) and Sariaya (west). The city proper is wedged between two rivers, Dumacaa River on the east and Iyam River on the west. Seven other rivers and six creeks serve as natural drainage for the city. Its port on the coast along Tayabas Bay is home to several boat and ferry lines operating and serving the sea lanes between Lucena and the different points in the region and as far as the Visayas.
There exists a Lucena Airport, but no commercial flights come to the city. Light aircraft can, however, make use of the facilities. Being the provincial capital, Lucena is host to most of the branches of governmental agencies, businesses, banks and service facilities in the Southern Tagalog region.
Lucena is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Below is the list of barangay's and its population:
Barangay I (3,564), Barangay II (2,044), Barangay III (1,432), Barangay IV (3,761), Barangay V (3,350), Barangay VI (834), Barangay VII (2,413), Barangay VIII (4,060), Barangay IX (4,060), Barangay IX (4,706), Barangay X (5,094), Barangay XI (1,548), Barra (3891), Bocohan (4,279), Mayao Castillo (2,734), Cotta (19,596), Gulang-Gulang (26,550), Dalahican (21,302), Domoit (3,468), Ibabang Dupay (Pob.) (25,355), Ibabang Iyam (22,753), Ibabang Talim (2,878), Ilayang Dupay (1,723), Ilayang Iyam (11,914), Ilayang Talim (1,508), Isabang (9,676), Mayao Crossing (8,904), Mayao Kanluran (8,243), Mayao Parada (3,100), Mayao Silangan (7,969), Ransohan (1,451), Salinas (1,445), Talao-Talao (3,125), Market View (Pob.) (11,720).
HISTORY
Lucena City history began with the years 1571 and 1572, when Capitan Juan de Salcedo first explored the province of Tayabas. The Franciscan priests Juan de Plasencia and Diego de Oropesa between 1580 and 1583 founded its town, also named Tayabas. Lucena was just one of its barrios.
 The Spaniards of the 16th century called the present site “Buenavista” because of its awe inspiring scenic beauty. Several years later, the barrio was renamed “Oroquieta”. A century later, Muslim pirates began terrorizing the entire Philippine coastline, and Oroquieta was not spared from the notorious raids. The barrio folks built forts along the seashores to defend it against the attacking pirates. Hence, the place became known as “Cotta” which is the Spanish name for “fort”.
Finally on November 5, 1879, the Orden Superior Civil officially adopted the name ‘Lucena” in honor of a Spanish friar by the name of Father Mariano Granja in Andalucia Spain. Fr. Granja was responsible for the development of the barrio that became a Parish in 1881. Lucena became an independent municipality on June 1, 1882.
During the heat of the Philippine Revolution in 1896, the people of Lucena showed their brand of patriotism. Jose Zaballero led the local revolutionists
and helps their own force under the barrage of Spanish muskets. Later, Miguel Arguilles with Jose Barcelona as President formed a revolutionary government in Lucena.
After Aguinaldo proclaimed the nation’s independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit Cavite, Gen. Miguel Malvar, as Commanding General for Southern Luzon, took over Tayabas Province on August 15, 1898. Don Crisanto Marquez became Lucena’s first elected Municipal president during the first Philippine Republic.
 Lucena’s fertile soil became soaked with the blood of many Filipinos and Americans at the outbreak of the Fil-Am War in 1899. The foreigners established a civil government in the country, and on March 12, 1901, the provincial capital was transferred from Tayabas to Lucena.
During the Second World War, the Japanese Imperial Force occupied Lucena on December 27, 1941, 19 days after they set foot on Philippine soil. But the underground resistance movement was so tenacious in Lucena that by January 25, 1945 (even before the Americans have returned), the Hunters ROTC guerillas penetrated into the town and successfully drove out the Japanese. The rest of Quezon Province (new name of Tayabas Province) had to wait for the American Liberation forces to hand freedom on April 4 of that same year.
On June 17, 1961, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3271, Lucena was made into a Chartered City through the efforts of the late Congressman Manuel S. Enverga. It was officially inaugurated on August 19, 1962, during the 84th anniversary of Manuel Luis Quezon. On July 1, 1991, Lucena became a Highly Urbanized City.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Economic activities in Lucena are heavily concentrated in the poblacion and other sub-urban barangays where the highly densed and constricted Central Business District (CBD) is home to a large cluster of different business enterprises. As population grows in tandem with new and promising business prospects, business activities spill over adjoining barangays, thus forming mini satellite commercial areas.
Other commercial strips are located at 10 suburban barangays where both retail and wholesale trade, including other essential services, are being engaged in. Big commercial depots and warehouses in these suburban barangays do business in sales, distribution, and transport of assorted business products in bulk.
Of the total 8,316.90 hectare land area of Lucena City, 19 percent or 1,651.77 hectares cover the existing built up area. Almost 3% of this or 46.62 hectares cover the industrial section, located in different barangays of the city. These areas are home to significant industrial and manufacturing activities.
Industry in Lucena produces a sustainable amount of agro-industrial based products, dried and smoked fish, distilled liquors, bamboo and rattan furniture, ornamental flowers/plants, vegetable as well as meat products.
Nestled amidst a wide expanse of coconut lands, Lucena has coconut oil mills which produce oil-based household products like cooking oil, soap, lard, margarine, and oil based medicines.The well known JnJ Oil, Exora cooking oil and Vegetable lard, Miyami Cooking Oil are proudly made in this city.[citation needed] Car assembly/manufacturing plants have also established in the city turning out quality vehicles and accessories while Manila-based car shops are starting to put up some branches.
Road network provides access from all key cities and towns in the island of Luzon to this highly urbanized capital. Well-paved radial and by-pass routes criss-crossing in and out of the city facilitate the transport of unlimited assortment of merchandise, supplies, and raw materials to and from the city on a round-the-clock basis.
Over the years, it was observed that a growing number of visitors from other places come to Lucena. Travelers of various types and sizes are drawn to Lucena because of modern facilities and good amenities that could be found in the city such as Quezon Convention Center, Kalilayan Civic Centre, Sentro Pastoral Auditorium, Alcala Sports Complex a two time host of a Palarong Pambansa, Manuel S. Enverga Gymnasium, and Sacred Heart College Gym and Marcial Punzalan Gymnasium
EDUCATION
In 2006, the city has a literacy rate of 98.6 percent. It has eight (8) tertiary and fourteen (14) secondary schools including public and private.
The tertiary education system in Lucena provides instruction and training in various fields of study, both for baccalaureate degrees and vocational courses. Institutions offering degree programs in various fields including liberal arts, arts & sciences, engineering, and information technology are the ABE International College of Business and Economics along Quezon Avenue, Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc.(CEFI), City College of Lucena along the Maharlika Highway, Columbus College-Lucena, Catholic institutions of Sacred Heart College on Merchan Street, Maryhill College, Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, Southern Luzon State University - Lucena Dual Training and Livelihood Center at the City Hall Annex with soon-to-open SLSU College of Medicine to be built at the Quezon Medical Center Compound, the Baptist Voice Bible College on Edano Street, Quezon Center for Research & Studies - Institute of Management (QCRS-IM.
The Inter-Global Maritime College in Barangay Bocohan provides programs in the maritime sciences. St. Anne College in Barangay Gulang-gulang is known for its BSHRM course, St. Augustine School of Nursing at Carlos City Center, AMA School of Nursing in front of Quezon Medical Center offers degrees in the allied medical sciences. The AMA Computer College -Lucena on M.L. Tagarao Street in Iyam, Informatics Lucena - Granja Street, Metro Data Computer Learning Center, Datamex Computer Studies -Enriquez Street, United Computer Educational Institute - Quezon Avenue, and STI College at the corner of Enriquez and Profugo Streets, Infra Comm Asia at Ocean Palace Mall are institutions for higher education that provide computer-related courses.
Aside from tertiary schools, the city also has a expanse footprint on the pre-school, primary and secondary levels of education, both in public and private schools.
HOSPITALS
Lucena has both private and public hospitals that are capable of providing most common and advanced medical services, as well as in handling medical emergencies. Both types of institutions are considered to provide the same standard of healthcare and services, differing mainly with the medical and diagnostic facilities at hand.
These are staffed with qualified medical practitioners that are well-versed in English. The doctors are graduates of the many top reputable medical schools in the Philippines, with most have pursued further studies and training in the United States. Likewise, the nurses are also the products of the many credible nursing schools in the country. These same institutions have produced the many Filipino nurses working in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and other parts of the world.
Listed below are the hospitals and clinics found in Lucena City:
- Lucena United Memorial District Hospital - 178 Merchan Street
- Lucena MMG General Hospital - Maharlika Highway, Ibabang Dupay
- Mt. Carmel Diocesan General Hospital - Allarey Extension
- Lucena United Doctors Hospital - Barangay Isabang
- St. Anne General Hospital - 51 Gomez Street
- Quezon Medical Center (Quezon Memorial Hospital) - QMC Compound, Quezon Avenue
- St. Mary's Hospital - Quezon Avenue
- Quezon MMG Hospital - Quezon Avenue
TV & RADIO NETWORKS
- MBC-TV Natin: Channel 3
- Conamor Broadcasting System: Star Channel 8
- Studio 23: Channel 24
- ACQ-Kingdom Broadcasting Network: Channel 28
- STV-6: Channel 6
- ABS-CBN Lucena: Channel 24
- The Edge Radio 90.3
- Campus Radio 91.1
- KissFM 95.1
- Bay Radio 92.7
- Sigaw 96.7
- Big SoundFM 97.5
- OneFM 98.3
- Love Radio 100.7
- Spirit FM 103.9
- HotFM 105.3
- DZAT AM Himpilan ng Katotohanan
- DWLC AM Radyo ng Bayan
- DZEL AM Radyo Aguila
- DZRH AM Lucena
- DZLT AM Phil. Radio
- DZAQ AM
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