Unisan, Quezon
| Unisan | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
| Nickname(s): The First Capital of Quezon | |
 Map of Quezon showing the location of Unisan |
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 Unisan
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| Coordinates: 13°50′N 121°59′E / 13.833°N 121.983°ECoordinates: 13°50′N 121°59′E / 13.833°N 121.983°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Calabarzon (Region IV-A) |
| Province | Quezon |
| District | 3rd district of Quezon |
| Formed | February 18, 1876 |
| Barangays | 36 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Nonato E. Puache |
| Area | |
| • Total | 124.15 km2 (47.93 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 26,884 |
| • Density | 220/km2 (560/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 4305 |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)42 |
| Income class | 4th class |
Unisan is a fourth class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines, and is the first capital of the province of Kalilayan, now Quezon. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 26,884 people.
The name of Unisan may have been derived from the Spanish verb unir, meaning "unite". At that time inhabitants, which were composed of strangers from different parts of the island, were united and wanted to call the town Unisan, a corruption of the words union and unidos for the sake of euphony.
There is another, more plausible version which related that the name was derived from the Latin words uni-sancti, meaning "one saint" or "in honor of a saint", possibly referring to Friar Pedro Bautista, once a missionary to Unisan when this town was still Kalilayan and later canonized saint following his martyrdom while a missionary in Japan. Uni-Sancti was made Unisan for short and to suit the Visayan and Caviteño tongues.
Unisan is politically subdivided into 36 barangays. San Roque was formerly a sitio of barrio Tagumpay.
The town center (poblacion) consists of 4 barangays, R. Soliman, Ramon Magsaysay, Lapu-lapu and F. de Jesus. The heart of the town is the Catholic Church, comprising several blocks. The Unisan Central Elementary School is on the southeastern side of the church, while the Government Center is located at the back of the school which consists of Municipal Hall, Municipal Library, Fire Station, Police Station, Comelec Building and the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) building. Remedios Etorma Suarez Memorial Auditorium (RESMA), a well used spot for programs and events is on the same government center, while just across the auditorium is the Unisan National High School. The Tamesis Park, named after a prominent Unisanin, Florencio Tamesis, the first filipino director of the Bureau of Forestry and considered by experts as the father of Philippine Forestry, is likewise located at the center of the town, just across the Church Covered Court. The old municipal building, now a proud heritage building of Unisan, is on the southwest corner of the poblacion, near the Kalilayan River.
Unisan, originally called Kalilayan, is perhaps one of the oldest towns in the Philippines. As early as 1521, the town of Kalilayan was founded by Malayan settlers. All other towns in the country were established not earlier than 1565, when Spain formally occupied the Philippines as a colony. During the latter part of the 19th century, traditions said that the real founder of the town was a Malayan queen called of Ladya. Hence her title was "Queen of Kalilayan".
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