Geography
Sariaya, Quezon, an inland municipality of Quezon Province, is located 126 kms
south of the National Capital Region and approximately 12 kms. from the Capital
City of Lucena. It is being traversed by the Daang Maharlika
and the Philippine National Railways. It is bounded on the north by Mt. Banahaw;
on the northeast by Tayabas, Quezon; on the south by Tayabas Bay; on the
southwest by San
Juan, Batangas;
and on the west by the Municipality of Candelaria.
Mount Banahaw is a 7,382-foot
extinct volcano, famous for its mystical attributes. Unique religious rites are
held during the Holy Week by pilgrims who believe that Christ walked on this
mountain. Thousands of people flock to the site at Lent, and as many as 68
registered religious sects hold annual rituals. The mountain endowed with
majestic beauty is also a favorite of amulet hunters. Found here is Kinabuhayan,
believed to have been where Christ spent his Calvary. Ina ng Awa, near
Kinabuhayan and located at the foot of Mt. Banahaw, is revered as another
mystical site.
Sariaya is
situated on a flat land except for a portion on the north occupying a part of
the foot of Mt. Banahaw. The municipality has the highest point of elevation of
3,800 feet above sea level at Brgys. Concepcion Banahaw and Sampaloc Bogon.
Area
Sariaya has a total land area of 24,530 has and composed of 43 barangays. The
urban barangay has an area of 63.10 has. and the rural barangay has an area of
24,466.90 has.
Language / Dialect
Tagalog is widely spoken by the populace, with the characteristic
lilt common to the locate.
Climate
The town enjoys mild tropical climate and has two pronounced
seasons, the dry-cold and dry-warm climate and the cold moist and
cold dry climate. The lack of higher mountainous barriers makes some
coastal areas prone to the effects of tropical depressions. Climate
of the municipality is of the third type as per classification of
PAGASA. This is so 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.
Industries
The people’s main sources of livelihood range from land and sea
agricultural cultivation to home industries which have lately taken
a turn toward the export-oriented light to heavy industries, with
the planning and construction of economic zones. The major economic
activity and source of income for the people of Sariaya is
agriculture. It is a palay and coconut producing region of the
province, a cottage industry center and at present a growing tourist
spot.Agricultural activities include rice farming, kopra making,
banana coffee vegetables and root crop planting. The coconut
industry is the number peso earner in Sariaya, however existing
price trend and instability of the product had caused the majority
of the populace to suffer from economic dislocation and imbalance.
This fact compels the people to divert to other means of livelihood
such as agro-livestock, cottage industry and fishing, which are, at
present, boosting the town’s economy substituting the declining
copra industry. Coconut plantation owners convert their coconut
trees into coconut lumber due to high price offered per tree. |