Sariaya

Geography

Sariaya is an inland municipality in the province of Quezon, located 126 kilometers south of the National Capital Region where the country's capital of Manila is situated and approximately 12 kilometers from the highly urbanized city of Lucena. The municipality is bordered by Tayabas City on north-east side, the city of Lucena on its southeast, the municipality of Candelaria on its west, and the town of San Juan in Batangas on its south-west. Mount Banahaw flanks it on the north and Tayabas Bay on the south side.

Barangays

Sariaya has a total land area of 24,530 hectares and composed of 43 barangays. Six (6) barangays are urban barangays located at the Poblacion, one (1) barangay is classified as sub-urban and six (6) barangays are coastal barangays.

Hereunder is the list of Barangays in Municipality of Sariaya and its land area:

Topography

Sariaya is situated on a flat land except for a portion on the north occupying a part of the foot of Mount Banahaw. The municipality has the highest point of elevation on 3,800 feet above sea level at Barangays Concepcion Banahaw and Sampaloc Bogon.

Climate

Sariaya falls under Type III of the PAGASA’s climatic classification system this is because it is situated on the southern portion of the province's mountain ranges characterized by seasons not very pronounced, relatively dry from December to April and wet during the rest of the year. The maximum rain periods are not very pronounced with the short dry season lasting from two to four months.

Demographics

According to the 2015 census of population, Sariaya has a total population of 148,980 people. It is the second most populous area in Quezon after the City of Lucena being the highly populated area. The Poblacion is the most populous area in Sariaya with a total population of 10,138 people according to the 2015 census, Barangay Sto. Cristo ranks second and Manggalang 1 placed in the third rank.

Income

Agriculture is one of the major sources of income in Sariaya and according to the 2016 Competitiveness Index of the National Competitiveness Council or NCC, the municipality belongs to the Top 50 most competitive municipalities in the Philippines. Sariaya is also one of the top grosser municipality in Quezon when it comes to annual income according to the annual Audit Report of Commission on Audit (COA).

Here's the list of the total annual income, assets, expenses and equity of Sariaya since 2008:

Commerce

The trade and commerce in Sariaya is heavily concentrated in General Luna Street which is the town's central business district where majority of the town's commercial establishments are situated such as retail, supermarkets, banks, drugstores, bakeries, merchandising, grocery, hardware, fastfood chains, shopping center, convenience stores and others.

Bus

The municipality is traversed by the Pan-Philippine Highway and Provincial Buses and buses from Metro Manila and Lucena City such as JAC Liner Inc., DLTBCO, JAM Liner, Lucena Lines, LLI Inc., BALGCO and Supreme stops at the town's designated bus stop located in Palmas Verdes Subdivision in Brgy. Concepcion 1, Sambat-Lutucan Bus stop in Brgy. Sto. Cristo, Jollibee Sariaya Terminal in Brgy. Poblacion 4 and in the front of the Public Market in Brgy. Poblacion 3 for passengers.

Jeepney

There are also Jeepney Terminals located in the Town Proper. For passengers going to Lucena City, the terminal is located in the front of Jollibee Sariaya Branch in General Luna Street and for the passengers going to Candelaria and Tayabas City, the terminal is located in front of Sariaya Public Market also in General Luna Street.

Tricycle

Tricycle is the most common mode of transportation in the Municipality of Sariaya. There are lots of tricycle terminals in Poblacion, some are located in Quezon Avenue, Magdami Street and mostly in the public market serving the local commuters to the nearby barangays of the town.

Hospitals

There are two (2) hospitals in Sariaya, both are private and there's also a health center for free health services in the forty-three (43) barangays of the municipality.

Communication

Sariaya is served by landline and mobile phone companies like the General Telephone System, Inc. (GTSi) and Digitel Telecommunications (PLDT-Digitel) as the main telecommunication services providers in the municipality. Major mobile phone providers in the area includes Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Sun Cellular. Also, Sariaya has a cable provider which is the Sariaya Cable Network founded in 1993.

Festivities

Celebrated every15th day of May, this religious festivity pays tribute to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. This much-anticipated feast is almost similar to the "Pahiyas Festival" of Lucban, Quezon. Pliant bamboo treetops and trellises weighed down by hanging food treats, native candies, rice cakes, and colorful rice krispies called "kiping" are deliberately pulled down on the streets by the merrymakers right after the afternoon procession. Festival revelers from the town's barangays, neighboring towns, and other provinces would then scramble to gather as many treats as they can snatch and carry, hence the term "Agawan."

Celebrated every 14th day September in honor to Santo Cristo de Burgos. People from far-flung barangays flock to town to attend the fiesta Mass, sell their farm products and handicrafts in the public market, visit the gaudily-decorated and crowded venue for the annual "perya" (fiesta fair) for thrilling rides, occasional circus performances, and shows featuring human mutants, trained animals performing tricks, vendors peddling herbal medicines, and "peryantes," itinerant peddlers of cheap clothing, toys, and kitchen utensils. Basketball tournaments usually stage the championship game on the eve of this much-awaited day. Sometimes there are hired stage performances at the town plaza that feature national stage and film celebrities.

Celebrated every 15th day December. to commemorate the birth of the Infant Jesus, many families and local institutions display their Christmas creches variously and creatively decorated to signify the scene, atmosphere, and characters of the Messiah's birth, either using clay, plaster, or ceramic models, and sometimes incorporating human reenactors.

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church is a stone church built in 1748, located at Brgy. Poblacion II. Records tell that the present church is the fifth one erected by the Spanish Franciscan Friars in the history of Sariaya. In 1938, a historical marker bearing a brief history of the church was installed on its facade by the National Research and Markers Committee, precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Tumbaga Church Ruins

Remains of an early 18th-century stone church and former town site of Sariaya, located at Brgy. Tumbaga I. The settlement was inaugurated in 1703 with Father Lucas Fernandez as first parish priest and Francisco Argente as Presidente del Pueblo. The church, which measured 500 square meters, served a recorded population of 3000 parishioners. Two events led to the abandonment of the town site: the earthquake of 1743 which consequently destroyed the church's bell tower, and the Moro raids which left the town site in ruins after being razed by fire. The venerated image of Santo Cristo de Burgos is said to have been enshrined in the church before it was transferred to its present shrine in the San Francisco Church in the present-day town proper of Sariaya. The unscathed image was said have been retrieved from the burnt church after the Muslim raider attack. The church is believed to be the fourth church structure built by the Spanish Franciscan Friars in Sariaya.

Sariaya Park

This multi-purpose park is a perfect place for recreational activities because of its pleasant and calm ambiance where kids can play at the park's playground, located at the heart of the town in front of Sariaya Church and the Town Hall at the left side. Sariaya Park is also the location where Sariaya Sports Complex is situated and usually used as the venue of different events and Basketball Leagues in the town.

Sariaya Heritage Houses

On May 14, 2008, the National Historical Institute (NHI) unveiled markers of heritage houses for the three ancient yet still stately mansions at the heart of Sariaya town. These venerable houses are best viewed from the south, as they are silhouetted against the majestic and mystical Mount Banahaw, Quezon's long-dormant volcano. Cultural recognition was bestowed on three ancestral houses, namely: The Enriquez-Gala mansion, owned by former Tayabas (now Quezon) Gov. Natalio Enriquez and Susana Gala; the Gala-Rodriguez house of Dr. Isidro Rodriguez and Gregoria Gala, and the house of Catalino and Luisa Rodriguez also known as Villa Sariaya.

Beach Resorts

The municipality is the only Mount Banahaw town in both Laguna and Quezon provinces that has a sea coast that is why it is one of the most visited municipality in Quezon by the tourists coming from Metro Manila, Laguna and nearby towns during summer season for its very accessible beach resorts that offers pristine beach stretched in Tayabas Bay. Aside of beach resorts, the town has also Pool Resorts that can be found in Barangays of Balubal, Gibanga, Concepcion 1 and Castañas.

Pool & Beach Resorts

Pool Resorts

Beach Resorts with Boat Rides to Coral Reefs

Government Officials

The 2016 local elections in Sariaya was held on May 9, 2016 and some members of the municipal government was replaced, including the mayor, vice mayor and other members of the municipal council. Elected officials for the 2016-2019 term are:

Congressional District

The Municipality of Sariaya belongs to the 2nd District of Quezon, located in the western part of the province together with the municipalities of San Antonio, Dolores, Tiaong, Candelaria and the City of Lucena.The Second District is the most populous in the four districts in the Province of Quezon with a total population of 694,732 people according to the 2015 census of population and almost ⅓ of the province's total population.

Notable Persons

Sister Cities