⌛ Quezon's Best-Kept Secrets, Part 1

It was on an early and sunny morning of May when my friends and I departed for Quezon Province. Thinking about the exhausting and usual work routine in Manila, I was the most excited in the group.

The trip from the city to the province was quite tedious, long, and bumpy on some unpaved roads. The van ride from Manila to Lucena City was a bit boring and twisting, and so was the traffic we encountered along the South expressway.

It was lunch time when we reached our destination and the word “welcome” greeted us as though beckoning us to experience the hidden treasures of Quezon province.

Quezon, the country’s sixth largest province, is bounded on the north by Aurora Province, on the east by Polillo Island and Labon Bay, on the west by Rizal, Lagina and Batangas and on the south by the Tayabas Sea.

It has a land area of 11,964.2 sq, kms., covering 40 municipalities and a city, 32 of its municipalities are coastal, which accounts for its long coastline and the island municipalities are dotted with pristine, enticing beaches and unexplored coral reefs. I read from a website that despite Quezon’s underdeveloped tourist spots, it has the potentials of becoming a world-class tourist destination if only local and foreign investors would take the interest in developing this province which, in the long run, will redound to the benefit and well-being of its people.

We disembarked from the boat, after a 45-minute ride, at the South Waters Marina Country Club and Farm, a 24-hectare and a first of its kind in leisure and vacation destination situated in the hart of Lucena City. It has its own aquaculture farm and garden that breed different kinds of marine life and grow different kinds of vegetables. As a matter of fact, the food that was served to us that day came from the club’s farm. The club also cooks and serves different culinary cuisines—the club’s main source of income. However, the excess production of the farm goes to the market.

Bobby Sison, the club’s operations manager, was courteous and friendly. He toured us around the club and its private pier, suites and cabanas while at the same time feeding us information about the flora and fauna that abound in the farm.

The Pagbilao Grande Island, which is just across the Tayabas Bay, is a three-hour boat ride from the South Water, which water is so tempting that you can’t help dipping into it and enjoy swimming around the reefs.