The Spaniards of the 16th century called the present site “Buenavista” because of its awe inspiring scenic beauty. Several years later, the barrio was renamed “Oroquieta”. A century later, Muslim pirates began terrorizing the entire Philippine coastline, and Oroquieta was not spared from the notorious raids. The barrio folks built forts along the seashores to defend it against the attacking pirates. Hence, the place became known as “Cotta” which is the Spanish name for “fort”.

Finally on November 5, 1879, the Orden Superior Civil officially adopted the name ‘Lucena” in honor of a Spanish friar by the name of Father Mariano Granja in Andalucia Spain. Fr. Granja was responsible for the development of the barrio that became a Parish in 1881. Lucena became an independent municipality on June 1, 1882.

During the heat of the Philippine Revolution in 1896, the people of Lucena showed their brand of patriotism. Jose Zaballero led the local revolutionists and helps their own force under the barrage of Spanish muskets. Later, Miguel Arguilles with Jose Barcelona as President formed a revolutionary government in Lucena.

After Aguinaldo proclaimed the nation’s independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit Cavite, Gen. Miguel Malvar, as Commanding General for Southern Luzon, took over Tayabas Province on August 15, 1898. Don Crisanto Marquez became Lucena’s first elected Municipal president during the first Philippine Republic.

Lucena’s fertile soil became soaked with the blood of many Filipinos and Americans at the outbreak of the Fil-Am War in 1899. The foreigners established a civil government in the country, and on March 12, 1901, the provincial capital was transferred from Tayabas to Lucena.

During the Second World War, the Japanese Imperial Force occupied Lucena on December 27, 1941, 19 days after they set foot on Philippine soil. But the underground resistance movement was so tenacious in Lucena that by January 25, 1945 (even before the Americans have returned), the Hunters ROTC guerillas penetrated into the town and successfully drove out the Japanese. The rest of Quezon Province (new name of Tayabas Province) had to wait for the American Liberation forces to hand freedom on April 4 of that same year.

On June 17, 1961, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3271, Lucena was made into a Chartered City through the efforts of the late Congressman Manuel S. Enverga. It was officially inaugurated on August 19, 1962, during the 84th anniversary of Manuel Luis Quezon. On July 1, 1991, Lucena became a Highly Urbanized City.

Between 1571 and 1572 when Capitan Juan de Salcedo first explored Tayabas Province. Eight years later, from 1580 to 1583, Franciscan priests Juan de Plasencia and Diego de Oropesa founded a town inside the province named after the Province. So at that time it must have been usual to refer to it as Town of Tayabas from the Province of Tayabas. Lucena was just one of its barrios.

At the 16th Century, the Spaniards had renamed this barrio “Buenavista” for its awesome scenic beauty. After several years it became known as “Oroquieta”. Aside from its official name, the barrio was popularly referred to as “Cotta”. Cotta is the Spanish name for “fort” which the barrio folks built along the seashores to defend it against attacking pirates. Building defense walls became necessary when Muslim pirates began terrorizing the entire Philippine coastlines. Oroquieta was not spared from the notorious raids and a century later the barrio became known for the forts along the seashores.

Lucena was born Nov. 5, 1879. The name was a tribute to Father Mariano Granja of Andalucia, Spain, an honor vested by the Orden Superior Civil to the Spanish friar who had been responsible for the development of the barrio that became a Parish in 1881.

If Lucena was born 1879, it came of age on June 1, 1882 by becoming an independent municipality.

1896, at the height of the Philippine Revolution, Lucena folks displayed their own brand of patriotism. The known leader of the local revolutionists fighting against Spanish muskets was Jose Zaballero. Later on, Miguel Arguilles together with Jose Barcelona as President formed a revolutionary government in Lucena.

June 12, 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed independence in Kawit, Cavite. Two months later on August 15, 1898, it was General Miguel Malvar’s turn to take over Tayabas Province as Commanding General for Southern Luzon. Don Crisanto Marquez was elected as the First Municipal President at this First Philippine Republic

Peace time had been elusive for Lucena because the following year, 1899, Filipino-American War broke out. Americans established a civil government in the Philippines. Under this administration the capital of Tayabas Province was transferred from Tayabas Town to Lucena on March 12, 1901.

December 27, 1941, on the 19th day from day one of Japanese Imperial Force on Philippine soil, Lucena fell into the hands of Japanese conquerors. It was World War II. The tenacity of the people of Lucena became the backbone of the underground resistance movement. By January 25, 1945, the Hunters ROTC underground guerillas had penetrated the town and successfully drove out the Japanese even while the rest of Quezon Province (new name of Tayabas Province) was still waiting for the American Liberation Forces to declare freedom which took place on April 4, same year.

Lucena became Chartered City by virtue of Republic Act No. 3271 on June 17, 1961 through the efforts of the late Congressman Manuel S. Enverga. On August 19, 1962, Lucena City was inaugurated while celebrating the 84th Anniversary of Manuel Luis Quezon.

And on July 1, 1991, Lucena became Highly Urbanized City.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: http://lucenacity.gov.ph
Tel. No. (042) 373-5931 / (042) 373-5933

All you have to do if you want to visit this place is book your romantic cancun vacation online at Karisma Hotel or you can visit their site at karismahotels.com. You don’t have to worry if you will book your accommodation at them online simply because they are one of the leading provider for the said services and has been to this type of business for several years now and through that time they garnered the trust and loyalty of their clients and customers whoe keep coming back and referring them.

One good thing about them is they all have the facilities you need if you want to spent your romantic vacation at them. From excellent oriental and internation dishes, extraordinary bedrooms, sauna, club, and some other part of their hotel where you’ll definitely had a great and amazng stay. So, book at them now for a lovely memorable vacation!

At least there’s no mystery about the interior design for its fusion restaurant ‘ Teatro ‘. Stunning hand-painted Venetian masks welcome you at the entrance, deep red satin drapery and fat, milky white candles are scattered across the space,  and the tables have names like ‘Evita ‘ and ‘Romeo’ and ‘Juliet’.

Even more theatrical is the way that everything is on show- a large square bar at the entrance, live sushi station, vast glass-fronted kitche. The menu is exhaustively exotic (Thai, Japanese, Indian, Italian) so we took a chance and left the ordering up to the restaurant manager. For starters, we went with a selection of dim sum and some Peking duck spring rolls, in front of us the minute we closed our menus and very yummy too. Check their website for more info!

Some of the mains on the menu were a bit pricey; but it was worth it. Tender and succulent can’t begin to describe the lamb rack (although it was a bit too rare towards the middle for our taste) or the miso soup soaked sea bass.

The panna cotta with peppermint pestro for dessert was a pleasant finale, though it’s definitely something you either love or hate. They’ve got some bright ideas on the menu that certainly make them stand out. If we had bigger stomachs, we would have liked to try the green papaya salad with chilli, shrimps, apple and peanuts, as well as a curious sweet miso soup dessert that somehow incorporates marshmallows.

So, a second trip might be in order. Generally, this is a place to visit on a special occassion specially if you celebrate the wellness of your family member who just got back and recover from a drug rehab or to try something you’ve never heard of before, provided you don’t mind the trek or the cheque. Service is excellent and the food gets near enough to hitting the spot  for us to leave smiling. And we’ll give the place extra points for all-round creativity.

I recently went to a local barber and was asked if I wanted a scalp massage in addition to a trim. As someone who will try anything once, I agreed and was treated to what I would call a handful of pink axle grease worked into my hair. At least it washed out! A few weeks ago, I decided to try a barber in a nearby five star hotel. The barber did a good job and was friendly! At the end of the haircut, he noted that I has some stray hair in my ears and suggested the “wax” them out. Again, being the adventurer that I am, Iconsented. He put some warm substance inside both my ears and after the heat subsided, I felt a sharp pain in my right ear followed by the same in my left as he ripped the wax out. The sting lasted for 20 minutes but was not all that unpleasant.

That was my recent adventure here in Abu Dhabi. Oh! Let me share you this too, home budget software I’ve found in one of the electronic establishments here in Abu Dhabi. It was great and amazing! Pretty affordable! Thanks peeps for a great adventure you did for me!

National household spend AED 305,500 a year, compared to 106,400 spent by non-national households and AED 47,500 by collective households. The report, which comes from Statistics Center-Abu Dhabi (SCAD), also includes analysis of where the money goes. The biggest single item, predictably enough, is food and some other relation things which also includes Kettlebells for the body needs; for national households, 16.4 percent of their outgoings go on food. It’s slightly less for non-nationals at 15.2 percent, but significantly more for collective households – 24.7 percent.

other interesting figures include the distribution of possessions. I national households there are 26 private cars per 100 people, 20 per 100 in non-national households, and just three per 100 in collective households.