Prior to the establishment of the municipality of Quezon, its area was inhabited by the Dumagat people, who primarily lived along the coast. In 1672,
Franciscan friars led by Tirso de Santa Maria explored the area and established a village, which eventually grew into a place called
Silangan, from the
Tagalog word meaning
east, signifying the direction where the sun rises. The town faced challenges, including pirate attacks, prompting the establishment of stone fortifications, including those at
Gumaca. On January 1, 1914, eleven barrios were excised from
Alabat to officially form the new municipality of Quezon, by virtue of Executive Order No. 101 signed by
Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison in 1913. The municipality was named after
Manuel L. Quezon, the then-
Resident Commissioner and a former
governor and native of the province then known as Tayabas. Barrio Silanga (Silangan) was designated as the seat of municipal government. ==Geography==