About Lucban
Our Town
General
Information
Lucban is a small upland town nestled at the foot of the active Mt. Banahaw. Having a relatively high elevation, it also has a cool climate with abundant precipitation throughout the year. It is 24 kms. north of Lucena and 156 kms. southeast of Metro Manila by land. It is one of the richest agricultural municipalitiesin the Province of Quezon. The municipality has a rolling terrain with scattered plains and more than 80% of the land is classified as prime agricultural land while the rest are either pasture land or forest zones. The climate in Lucban is described as having no dry season. Its location at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, which is known as the "rain mountain" offer it relatively even rainfall distribution throughout the year. The town has a very high mean annual rainfall of 176 inches and the mean average annual temperature ranges from 75-84 degrees farenheight. Known throughout the province for its cool weather and its annual "Pahiyas" festival, Lucban offers the tourist a cozy place to relax and enjoy the bounties of nature.
History
Legend has it that the town derived its name from Lucban or Pomelo fruit tree. Three hunters from majayjay, Laguna named Marcos Tigla, Luis Gamba and Lucas Manawa came upon a plain at the northeast foot of Mount Banahaw after they lost their way following the trail of some wild game. Resting under tree, they saw a black crow "uwak" up on a tree, and believing this to be bad omen, they moved to another location and rested once more. While resting under a large shady Pomelo or Lucban tree, the trio were attracted to a couple of kingfishers (salaksak) singing. Fascinated by the lovely rhythmic chirps of the birds, the superticious hunters took the incident as a sign of good fortune and decided to settle in the place and named it "Lucban." The people of Lucban accepted the story as true. Marcos Tigla was the first gobernadorcillo in 1596, Lucas Manawa took over the responsibility for four years. Today Lucban is a thriving community surrounded by its pristine environment and retaining its historic beauty.
Pahiyas Festival
In May, a unique, colorful and charming harvest festival is held
in my town of Lucban, Quezon. "Pahiyas" meant precious
offering, and in celebrating the bounty and continued blessings
from the harvest, a charming exhibits are displayed on the houses
honoring San Isidro de labrador, patron saint of farmers. The pahiyas
is held on May 15, and the people of Lucban, in thanksgiving, lavishly
adorn their house with farm products, native sweets, and brilliant
colors of "kiping". "Kiping" is a paper-thin
colorful decoration made from rice dough, blended with colors, and
molded into a leaf. People of Lucban decorate their home with various
object fashioned out of kiping - lanterns, chandeliers, flowers,
and other ingenious ways making use of natural product for decor.
The highlight of the festival is the procession of the patron San
Isidro.
Halina (Welcome) to Lucban, home of the Pahiyas Festival, pancit
hab-hab, broas, tikoy, espasol, and of course Lucban Longganissa.
Along with food products, handicrafts such as buntal hats, bags,
placemats, and hand-woven tapestries are also made in Lucban and
exported abroad. Waterfalls and flowing spring are other attractions
of Lucban and the town are also filled with canals along its main
streets. All you Lucbanin, friends and relatives, come on in and
stay awhile and experience a taste of Lucban as we bring you the
sights, people and events happening in our town.
Learn more about lucban by visiting our kababayan links. The beautiful pictures below are scenes taken from Lucban.
