Gloria was once part of the municipality of
Pinamalayan. In 1915, migrant families from
Marinduque settled in Barrio Tambong, and in 1930, when a national road was built through Pinamalayan, they moved west and occupied the area along this road. Tambong was later divided into two barrios: the first retained the original name, while the second was called Maligaya (meaning "happy"), alluding to the settlers' happiness at the bountiful yield of their agricultural crops. The residents of 25 barrios (Maligaya, Kawit, Malusak, Balite, Dalagan, Tinalunan, Calamundingan, Bulbogan, Langang, Banus, Agus, Batingan, Papandungin, Malamig, Tubag, Malayong, Malubay, Mirayan, Guimbonan, Agsalin, Manguyang, Banutan, Boong-Lupa, Tambong and Maragooc) grouped together and petitioned for the separation of their barrios from the municipality of Pinamalayan. The petition was granted on October 1, 1964, through Executive Order No. 117 issued by President Macapagal. Executive Order No. 140, issued on February 25, 1965, by the same President, defined and fixed the boundaries of Gloria as a new municipality. On December 24, 1965, however, the Supreme Court nullified its status as a municipality. Gloria was finally recognized as a distinct municipality on June 9, 1966, when Housebill No. 6107, sponsored by Congressman Luciano Joson, was enacted into law. (It later became known as RA 4651.) Her daughter, the namesake of the municipality, was the then current president. The classes were operating as early as 9 years prior in the block where the original public market [now home to Institute of Science and Technology &
MDRRMO] was situated and adjacent block where the
Jesus V. Punzalan Mutli-purpose Gymnasium currently is, in makeshift arrangements. In front of the said gymnasium, some "rooms" composed of a mix of nipa, coconut leaves and cogon (for roofing and walls) and bamboo for structure reinforcements, were constructed & used to accommodate student demand. In October 2016, anticrime crusader Zenaida Luz, 51 was shot dead at Barangay Maligaya by the then Police Chief of
Socorro and another policeman assigned to the province's
Provincial Public Safety Company, disguised a "riding-in-tandem". They were allowed to post a million pesos bail and returned to active service(albeit on a limited/restricted basis such as not being authorized to carry & draw their service firearm). Luz's sister, Perlita alleges that the suspects tried to pay them 2.5 million pesos to drop the case and the policemen who nabbed them also received threats. ==Geography==