The area was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples — coastal seafaring Dumagats and inland Malay communities — long before Spanish arrival. In 1672, Franciscan friar Fray Tirso de Santa Maria was swept by currents to the area and established a settlement called Silangan ("rising sun"), building a church and hundreds of houses over fifteen years.
By 1688 a fortified settlement was established at Gumaca under Fray Diego de Alcala, with stone watchtowers against moro pirate raids; by the mid-18th century the raids ceased and the population grew.
The municipality was formally established on January 1, 1914 through Executive Order No. 101 by Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison, named after Manuel L. Quezon. The original municipality comprised eleven barrios separated from Alabat, seated at barrio Silanga.
Today Quezon is a fifth-class municipality of twenty-four barangays, home to Balete Park, Sabang Falls, and the annual Yubakan Festival.
Last updated August 12, 2026