Candelaria, officially as theMunicipality of Candelaria(Filipino: Bayan ng Candelaria) is a first

classmunicipality in the province of Quezon,Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a

population of 117,434 people.[3] making the third most populous in the province ofQuezon

Candelaria is the second largest industrial center of the province, after Lucena City. Among the
municipalities in Quezon Province, Candelaria has the most desiccated coconut factories and oil
refineries, such as Peter Paul Philippine Corporation, Primex Coco Products Inc., Pacific Royal
Basic Foods, SuperStar Corporation, Tongsan Industrial Development Corporation, and others,
which employ thousands of people.

History
Foundation
Prior to 1885, the pioneering barangays of Candelaria in its Western part notably, Taguan, Kinatihan
and Masin were parts of the Municipality of Tiaong, while Malabanban, Mangilag and Sta. Catalina in
the East, were under the jurisdiction of the town of Sariaya.

It was on December 26, 1878, that a permit was granted by the Governor General of the Philippine
Islands for the establishment of an independent government over these barangays. Its boundaries
were fixed by means of a treaty signed by the notable leaders of Tiaong, Sariaya and the founding
families of Candelaria.

The King of Spain, His Majesty Alfonso XII, finally approved the establishment of Candelaria as an
independent town on August 5, 1879.

American era and Japanese occupation

In 1902, after the cessation of the general hostilities against the Americans, administration of
Candelaria was merged with the neighboring town of Sariaya. In 1908, after less than seven years,
Candelaria was again managed independently, as a fourth-class municipality. During the American
regime, the town progressed by leaps and bounds. Many houses and public edifices were
constructed, and commerce and industries grew, until the Japanese invasion brought a further wave
of destruction.

Geography
The municipality lies at the western arm of Quezon Province, about 107 kilometers from Manila and
23 kilometers from Lucena City. At its northern part lies the famous Mount Banahaw, on the east is
the town of Sariaya, on the south is San Juan, Batangas, and on the west are Dolores and Tiaong.
The neighboring cities are Lucena, Tayabas, San Pablo and Lipa City. It is traversed by the Pan
Philippine Highway and the Philippine National Railways.

Candelaria has an area of about 12,910 hectares, an agricultural municipality, and is situated in the
southern slope of Mount Banahaw. The town proper is wedged by two rivers, namely, Masin River
on the west and Quiapo River on the east.

Barangays
Candelaria is politically subdivided into 25 barangays, listed here with their respective Barangay
Captains and population as of 2015:
 Barangay Barangay Captain Population (2015)[3]
Bukal Norte VIRGILIO LINGAO 2,569
Bukal Sur Morel Escalona 7,166
Buenavista East Gregoria Evangelista Robles 2,397
Buenavista West Eugenio Rodriguez 3,589
Kinatihan I Pedro Arguelles 1,732
Kinatihan II Manuel Hawak 1,688
Malabanban Norte Fernando Alcantara 11,673
Malabanban Sur Edna Macapugay 9,123
Mangilag Norte Ricardo de Chavez 2,245
Mangilag Sur Ronilo Garcia 6,176
Masalukot I Ireneo Boongaling 5,760
Masalukot II Federico Tesico 2,450
Masalukot III Eddie Carandang 1,020
Masalukot IV Reverend Manalo 695
Masalukot V Roseller Belen 632
Masin Norte Cipriano Custodio 6,685
Masin Sur Reynaldo Cantos 5,333
Mayabobo Rufino Delgado 1,913
Pahinga Norte George Suayan 13,530
Pahinga Sur Estelito Sulit 2,890
Poblacion Marinelo Emralino 5,809
San Andres Librado Panaligan 5,048
San Isidro Norma Beredo 4,222
Santa Catalina Norte Ligaya Clanor 6,132
Santa Catalina Sur Maila Escamillas 6,958

Topography
Candelaria is more elevated in the northern part since it lies at the southern slope of Banahaw and
predominantly agricultural. There are plantations of coconut and vegetables in its remote barangays.
Most of the inhabitants are having poultry and livestock business and in the remaining part of the
municipality are farmlands mostly of rice, corn, and other root crops.

Demographics
Candelaria has a population of 117,434 as of the 2015 census. The increase in population became
rapid in the 1990s, in 1995, it has a population of 80,733 inhabitants, while in 2000, the population
grew to 92,429, with an increase of about 15 percent.

In 2007, the official number of inhabitants in the municipality based on 2007 census is 105,997, or
about 4,240 families or 21,243 households. Most Candelarians reside in Pahinga Norte and
Malabanban Norte, the adjacent barangays of the town proper.
As of 2007, almost 93 percent of the population are Roman Catholics, 3.5 percent are Protestants,
about 3 percent are members of Iglesia ni Cristo, 0.05 percent are of Islam, 0.97 percent are of other
denominations such as Pentecostalists, Fundamental Baptist, Bible Baptist, Conservative Baptist,
Latter Day Saints, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah's Witnesses and others.

Candle festival
The town fiesta is celebrated on the 5th of February to honor the patron saint San Pedro Bautista.
Since 2005, Monsignor Carlos (Charles) Pedro A. Herrera, the parish priest, started his devotion to
Nuestra Senora de Candelaria and honored her with a Candle Festival every February 2. The
celebration was concluded with a procession through the streets of the town featuring the street
dancing by the youth of the community in honor of the Blessed Virgin. A parade of floats
representing each of the 25 barangays was, also, featured during the festivities.

A project in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary that will renovate the patio of the San Pedro Bautista
Parish Church had been developed on April 22, 2012. The renovated patio will convert the current
parking lot into a multi-purpose open amphitheater for use of the people of Candelaria. It will provide
a venue for children and toddlers playground, jogging/walking path, a rosary garden, a via Dolorosa,
and a stage for performances complete with controlled theater lighting. The playground will be lit with
lighting standards. The fundraising for the project will be accomplished through a 1000 Points of
Light campaign where each point of light will be represented by a Candelarian or friends of
Candelaria contributing Php5000 or more. Inauguration is scheduled for February 2, 2013, CANDLE
FESTIVAL celebration. Ground breaking is targeted for August 4, 2012, ARAW NG CANDELARIA.
The community project is expecting every Candelarians around the world to step up and bring their
"POINT OF LIGHT". The SPBPC parish council for economic affairs is taking the lead with Dr. Al
Cornejo at the helm.
FOOD

There’s one restaurant in Candelaria that’s famous for its crispy pata. It may not have a posh interior
or any fancy chandelier but they’ve got the best menu to fuel you up for a long drive in Quezon.
JIJF ‘Lutong Bahay ni Inay’ is a local restaurant that offers what its moniker says — lutong bahay or
our favorite Filipino dishes. And the star of the menu? The crispy pata.
Crispy pata is deep-fried pig trotter and knuckles that’s best enjoyed with soy sauce-vinegar dip with
chopped garlic and onion. It can be a Filipino family’s alternative to lechon during a special occasion
as crispy pata is somewhat considered a not-so-ordinary dish for an ordinary day.
Lutong Bahay ni Inay is very Filipino not just in terms of their menu but the restaurant itself is very
Pinoy – it’s just a bahay kubo with native tables and chairs and an open kitchen that allows you to
see the activities of the crew.
The price range is not for an ordinary carinderia though. The crispy pata is available at P380 (good
for 3 to 4 persons) while the rice is P50 per serving. Wonder why? Because it’s the best crispy pata
in town! And JIJF Lutong Bahay ni Inay is really popular among the locals and travelers alike.
There are two Lutong Bahay ni Inay – the main restaurant is in Candelaria town proper while the
other one is in San Antonio Village. The main JIJF Lutong Bahay ni Inay is open until 7pm while the
one in San Antonio Village serves customers until 5pm only.