A small town in Quezon stands tall

A small town in Quezon stands tall

Big things can indeed come in small packages. 

Home to a population size of  less than 100,000 (Pop:  91,000), the Municipality of Lopez in Quezon Province is brimming with big developments.  A first class municipality mainly devoted to agriculture and fishing, its economy is now boosted by its industry and services sectors. 

The town’s sole manufacturing plant—the Philippine Flour Mills in Brgy. Hondagua— imports wheat from the US and Canada and converts it into hard and soft wheat flour for distribution all over the Philippines. 

Moreover, it aspires to be the education capital in southern Quezon and northern Bicol. Already, several state universities have set foot on the town: Polytechnic University of the Philippines (offering accountancy, engineering and nursing courses), Laguna State Polytechnic University (marine and agri-related courses), Philippine Normal University (for teachers), and Technological University of the Philippines (engineering and techno-vocational courses). There is also a a private university, Eastern Tayabas College (offering education courses). 

Non-formal schools such as Mission Care International (courses in caregiving) and ACEBA Systems Technology Institute (computer-related courses) offer sought-after courses. The economic effects of a network of schools are evident. Demand for various goods and services, and hence businesses, usually increases when there is a vibrant environment of schools. 

The signs of fast urbanization are apparent. Owing to the influx of students and travelers, private homes have been converted into boarding houses and dormitories. More and more tricycles are plying the streets, convenience stores and small groceries have mushroomed around schools, and new lodging houses and restaurants cater to travelers bound for Region V (Bicol) and Region VIII (Samar, and Leyte).

Strong consumer demand is evident in new business establishments such as Jollibee, Mercury Drugstore, South Star Drugstore, LBC, and 7-11 Convenience Store. Motorcycle dealers (e.g. Yamaha, Kawasaki) are aplenty to cater to brisk demand for motorbikes. 

Money is not short in circulation with the presence of PNB, LandBank atm, Universal Rural Bank, and Quezon Capital Rural Bank and non-banking institutions  (e.g., Western Union, Cebuna Lhuillier, H. Lhuillier, and LBC Remittance). 

The local government is hopeful that more private investments may well be coming to Lopez with the completion of the 9-km diversion road by middle of 2016. The new road is expected to decongest traffic within the municipality and cut travel time to and from Bicol by almost 30mins.