Infanta, Quezon

Etymology

Infanta, a title given to the Princess or Heir Apparent of the Spanish Monarchy back in the 13th century. It specifically referred to Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria, the eldest daughter of King Philip II of Spain, the namesake of the Philippines.

Before the Spanish colonization, this place was known as Binangonan by its first peoples, the Dumagats. Binangonan is a Dumagat word pertaining to a sacred place where a bangon ("sacred name") was given by the Sobkal (Bobo a Laki) to an infant.

History

Binangonan de Lampon

In the year 1578, the venerable and zealous Fray Esteban Ortíz planted the consoling sign of the Cross in this town, who toured the east coast of the island in an expanse of more than sixty leagues, while the shortage of missionaries at that time did not allow the continued assistance of a minister until the year of 1609, with the holy martyr Fray Blas Palomino undertaking anew its conversion, formalized this town and was its first minister.

After the years of 1658, the administration of this town was ceded from Franciscan mission to the Augustinian Recollects until they ceded it back to the Franciscans in the year 1703.

The Church, dedicated to Saint Mark the Evangelist, was of bamboo cane and nipa until the year 1732, by which time it was burnt down and the existing one was built, which is made of stone, but roofed with nipa, and the same as the parish house, which serves as a tribunal. There is a school of primary education, endowed by the funds of the community; about six hundred wooden houses and many others from bamboo, distributed in its twenty-eight barrios, some of them quite far from the Church.

State Of The Parish

Spanish era writers said of the town:

Below are the Religious Franciscans ministered in Binangonan de Lampon after Fray Ortíz and Fray Palomino:

Spanish Colonial Era

In 1578, more than half a century after Ferdinand Magellan and his men landed in Cebu and thirteen years after Miguel López de Legazpi founded the first Spanish settlement also in Cebu, a Spanish priest named Esteban Ortíz arrived in Binangonan de Lampon and planted a wooden cross symbolizing the introduction of Spanish colonial rule at the place. In 1696, Don Diego Mangilaya, a native chieftain developed the settlement.

Since its establishment, the area has been attacked by Moro pirates, and visited by typhoons and cholera epidemics as recent as 2004. In 1803, Captain Pedro de León affiliated Binangonan de Lampon to the province of Nueva Ecija and in 1850, Kapitan Rafael Orozco withdrew Infanta from the province of Nueva Ecija and joined it with the province of Laguna to the west.

District of Infanta

See: Distrito de La Infanta

Philippine Revolution

On July 20, 1898, a group of Infanta Katipuneros headed by Colonel Pablo Astilla attacked the Spanish forces holed up at the limestone convent and after several days of siege and fighting, the Spanish soldiers surrendered.

American Colonial Era

By virtue of the December 10, 1898 Paris Treaty of Peace, American soldiers occupied the town of Infanta and appointed Kapitan Carlos Ruidera Azcárraga as the first "town presidente." He was followed by Rufino Ortíz in 1903 who withdrew Infanta from the province of Laguna and joined it to the province of Tayabas. He also ordered the planting of coconut trees in the barrios (now barangays) of Infanta. During the administration of town "presidente" Gregorio Rutaquio (1911–1916), he constructed the "Gabaldón type" of school house. In 1917-1919, Agustin Pumarada served as the town president. From 1923 to 1928, Don Florencio Potes became town "presidente". He constructed the concrete municipal building and the first telegraph office of the town. From 1935 to 1939, Mr. Fabián Sollesa served as town "presidente". During his incumbency, the Infanta-Famy Road traversing the Sierra Madre from Infanta to Laguna and Rizal provinces was constructed. Also, piped water from a spring reservoir in barrio (barangay) Gumian was installed.

Japanese Occupation

In December 1941 the Japanese Imperial forces occupied the town of Infanta. On May 25, 1945, the liberation by combined Filipino and American soldiers entered in the town was supported by the guerrilla fighters fought the Japanese Imperial forces until the end of World War II.

Creation of two municipalities and religious territory

On July 21, 1949, the municipality of General Nakar was created from the territory of Infanta.

The following year, in 1950, Infanta gained religious significance when it was designated as the seat of the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Infanta.

Later, Infanta underwent another territorial change when barangay Real was separated and established as an independent municipality on June 22, 1963.

Legend

According to the legend, the people who established the first settlement in the land that became Infanta were led by an elder named Nunong Karugtong. These settlers crossed the Sierra Madre Mountains from somewhere in what is now Rizal Province in search of better living conditions. After examining multiple sites, they eventually settled on a site near the Bantilan River, where the discovery of a huge Yam root convinced them that the site was ideal for settlement. This eventually became the site of the settlement which European colonizers would call Binangonan de Lampon which in turn would eventually become the Municipality of Infanta.

Geography

The Municipality of Infanta has a land area of 130.1 km2, representing 1.5% of the area of Quezon.

Infanta is situated 129.64 km from the provincial capital Lucena, and 132.88 km from the country's capital city of Manila. It is accessible to Metro Manila through the Marcos Highway.

Barangays

Infanta is politically subdivided into 36 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. There are six barangays which are considered urban (highlighted in bold).

• Abiawin
• Agos Agos
• Alitas
• Amolongin
• Anibong
• Antikin
• Bacong
• Balobo
• Banugao
• Batican
• Binonoan
• Binulasan
• Boboin
• Catambungan
• Cawaynin
• Comon
• Dinahican
• Gumian
• Ilog
• Ingas
• Langgas
• Libjo
• Lual
• Magsaysay
• Maypulot
• Miswa
• Pilaway
• Pinaglapatan
• Poblacion 1
• Poblacion 38
• Poblacion 39
• Poblacion Bantilan
• Pulo
• Silangan
• Tongohin
• Tudturan

Climate

| Jan record high C = 34.6 | Feb record high C = 34.1 | Mar record high C = 34.5 | Apr record high C = 37.2 | May record high C = 37.8 | Jun record high C = 37.8 | Jul record high C = 38.1 | Aug record high C = 37.7 | Sep record high C = 37.0 | Oct record high C = 36.5 | Nov record high C = 34.5 | Dec record high C = 32.8 |year record high C = 38.1 | Jan record low C = 17.4 | Feb record low C = 17.4 | Mar record low C = 16.4 | Apr record low C = 18.1 | May record low C = 20.5 | Jun record low C = 20.5 | Jul record low C = 20.5 | Aug record low C = 20.8 | Sep record low C = 20.0 | Oct record low C = 20.0 | Nov record low C = 17.4 | Dec record low C = 18.0 |year record low C = 16.4 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181015033128/https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/pagasaweb/files/cad/CLIMATOLOGICAL%20NORMALS%20%281991-2020%29/INFANTA.pdf | archive-date = October 15, 2018 | access-date = October 15, 2018}} | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181015033209/https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/pagasaweb/files/cad/CLIMATOLOGICAL%20EXTREMES%20%28as%20of%202023%29/Infanta.pdf | archive-date = October 15, 2018 | access-date = October 15, 2018}}

Demographics

Economy

The town is currently undergoing preparations for establishing a bayugo breeding center that would supply bayugo to townsfolk. The move is intended to stop the decline of bayugo in the wild. Also it is the center of economic activity in the northern part of Quezon.

Education

The Infanta Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public elementary and high schools.

Infanta is the center of educative learning, with four colleges that attract many students to study from nearby towns of Real, General Nakar, Polillo, Panukulan, Burdeos, Patnanungan and Jomalig.

Primary and elementary schools

• Abiawin Elementary School
• Agos-Agos Elementary School
• Alitas Elementary School
• Banugao Elementary School
• Binonoan Elementary School
• Cacawayan Elementary School
• Dinahican Elementary School
• Disciples Christian School
• Gumian Elementary School
• Infanta Central School
• Kiborosa Elementary School
• Learnpoint Kiddie School
• LFJ Cornerstone Academy
• Libjo Elementary School
• Lual Elementary School
• Magsaysay Elementary School
• Miyunod Elementary School
• Mount Carmel School
• New Little Baguio ES
• Picab Elementary School
• Star of Hope Christian School
• Stepstone Christian Academy
• The Jesus Christ Worldwide Montessori
• Tongohin Elementary School
• Tudturan Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Binulasan Integrated School
• Infanta National High School
• Langgas National High School
• Little Friends of Jesus Corner Stone Academy
• Mount Carmel School of Infanta
• Tongohin National High School

Higher educational institutions

• ACTS Computer College
• Northern Quezon College
• Rizal Marine Technological College
• Southern Luzon State University

Media

FM Stations

• 92.7 Spirit FM (Catholic Media Network)
• 94.3 Brigada News FM (Brigada Mass Media Corporation)
• 95.9 DABIG C Radio (Prime Broadcasting Network)
• 105.3 Radyo Natin (Manila Broadcasting Company/Radyo Natin Network)

Cable and Satellite

• Infanta Cable TV Network
• Cignal TV

Town's Hymn

The Hymn of the Town of Infanta is entitled "Mabuhay Ka Infanta" written by the alumni of Mount Carmel School of Infanta.

Notable

• Guillermo Nakar
• Pablo Astilla

Notes

References

References

1. "Mythical Origin".
2. {{DILG detail
3. (May 8, 2017). "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Tara, food trip!".
4. Eusebio Gomez Platero. (1880). "Catálogo Biográfico de los Religiosos Franciscanos de la Provincia de San Gregorio Magno de Filipinas desde 1577 en que Llegaron las Primeros hasta las de nuestras Dias".
5. (June 12, 1902). "Act No. 417 – An Act Annexing the Districts of Infanta and Principe and the Island of Polillo to the Province of Tayabas". Philippine Commission.
6. "History and Culture of Quezon".
7. (July 21, 1949). "Organizing certain portions of the municipalities of Baler and Infanta, Quezon Province, into independent municipalities, under the names of Maria Aurora and General Nakar, respectively".
8. (June 22, 1963). "Creating the municipal district of Real in the Province of Quezon.".
9. (January 15, 2021). "Masterlist of Schools".