Gumaca, Quezon

Gumaca, Quezon
Municipality
Muralla boulevard at the mouth of Pipisik River
Seal
Map of Quezon showing the location of Gumaca
Gumaca, Quezon Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°55′N 122°06′E / 13.917°N 122.100°E / 13.917; 122.100Coordinates: 13°55′N 122°06′E / 13.917°N 122.100°E / 13.917; 122.100
Country	Philippines
Region	CALABARZON (Region IV-A)
Province	Quezon
District	4th district
Founded	November 13, 1582
Barangays	59
Government
• Mayor	Erwin P. Caralian (NUP)
Area
• Total	189.65 km2 (73.22 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	73,877
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Gumacahin
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	4307
Dialing code	42
Income class	1st class

The Municipality of Gumaca (Filipino: Bayan ng Gumaca) is a first class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. It is partially urban, and according to the 2015 census, it has a population of 73,877 people. Located at the mouth of what is now known as Pipisik River and nestling at the foot of the Sierra Madre range.

Gumaca is politically subdivided into 59 barangays:

Formerly known as Bumaka (meaning "to fight"), the present town of Gumaca was a settlement founded at the southern bank of Palanas River in the 14th century by a group of settlers from Borneo and the Malay Peninsula. It is in fact only 11 years younger than the “Noble and Ever Loyal City of Manila”.

The earliest known ruler was Lakan Bugtali. His sovereignty extended over the regions bordering Gusuan, now called Lamon Bay, from Gamao point to the North, to the island across the bay or now known as Alabat Islands, to the south-west passing the north-eastern part of the present town of Calauag, the source of Talolong, which traverses the town of Lopez, and Pandanan Rivers and on the north-west as far as the upper Kalilayan River. Thus when the first Spaniards arrived in this settlement in 1574 led by Fr. Diego de Oropesa, they found a group of barangays with their own culture and government. Gumaca, writes Juan Álvarez Guerra in Viajes por Filipinas: De Manila á Tayabas (2nd printing 1887), is first mentioned in the Franciscan register of 1582. This is the same year given by Huerta (1862). Fray Diego belonged to the batch of pioneering Franciscans under Juan de Plasencia who were assigned to explore the area presently the provinces of Rizal, Laguna and Quezon to determine future mission sites for the Franciscans. They introduced Christianity to the people with San Diego de Alcala being proclaimed as the pueblo’s patron saint. In 1582, the first “visita” was erected and 1686 marked the establishment of a full-pledged town with independent (civil) government, the earlier ones having been headed by the ever-present Spanish friars (The municipality boasts of a still complete line-up of chief executives from 1574 to the present.).

From 1574 to 1670 the town of Gumaca was ruled by Spanish friars. Then from 1671 to 1893 the town was ruled by Spanish and Filipino Gobernadorcillos. From 1893 to 1900 the town executives came to be known as Capitan Municipal and from 1901 the head of the town was elected by the people and came to be known as Presidente Municipal. Later in 1936 this title was changed to Municipal Mayor.