region IV A

• CALABARZON, also known as Southern Tagalog and designated as Region IV-A, is an administrative region in the Philippines
• The name "CALABARZON" is an acronym of its five component provinces: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, along with the highly urbanized city of Lucena
• The majority of people living in CALABARZON are Tagalogs, with around 5.8 million Tagalogs estimated to live in Region IV-A
• Taal is considered the "Heartland of Tagalog Culture" and the present "center" of Tagalog culture and people in CALABARZON
• Notable Figures in CALABARZON:

  • Jose Rizal (June 19, 1861)
  • Apolinario Mabini (July 23, 1864)
  • Emilio Aguinaldo (March 22, 1869)
  • Manuel L. Quezon (August 19, 1878)
  • Jose P. Laurel (March 09, 1891)
• National Artist in CALABARZON:

  • Carlos "Botong" Francisco (November 4, 1912 - March 31, 1969)
  • Recognized as a National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts
  • Known for incorporating traditional Filipino themes and cultural elements in his art
• Lucio San Pedro is known for his contribution to the development of Filipino regional band music and compositions like "Sa Ugoy ng Duyan" and "Lahing Kayumanggi"
• Bienvenido L. Lumbera (April 11, 1932 – September 28, 2021) was a Filipino poet, critic, and dramatist known for his nationalist writing and leading role in the Filipinization movement in Philippine literature in the 1960s
• Fides Belza Cuyugan-Asensio (born August 1, 1931) is a Filipino coloratura soprano, director, librettist, TV host, translator, and teacher
• BenCab is noted as "arguably the best-selling painter of his generation of Filipino artists" and won first prize in 1963 for his oil painting of a talipapa in a student competition
• Batangas Lomi is a popular comfort food in the Batangas province of the Calabarzon region, made with fresh egg noodles, pork, chicken, liver, shrimp, and vegetables
• Pancit Habhab, also known as Pancit Lucban, is a specialty noodle dish of Lucban, Quezon, made with miki noodles, pork, shrimp, and vegetables
• Rizal's Sinigang na Kanduli sa Miso is a popular dish featuring kanduli (catfish) cooked in a sour tamarind broth with miso paste, tomatoes, and vegetables
• Bacalao is a salted cod dish originating in Spain and Portugal, adapted in Cavite with local ingredients like tomatoes, bell peppers, and olives
• Kesong Puti is a soft, fresh, unripened white cheese made from carabao's milk, a specialty of Laguna often enjoyed as a breakfast item
• The baro't saya or baro at saya is a traditional dress ensemble worn by women in the Philippines, combining elements from precolonial native Filipino and colonial Spanish clothing styles
• The barong tagalog, more commonly known as barong, is an embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men, traditionally made with sheer textiles woven from piña or abacá
• Leron, Leron Sinta or “My Dear, Little Leron,” is a popular Filipino folk song from the Tagalog region, traditionally a work song representing those harvesting fruits
• Bahay Kubo is a Filipino folk song about a house made of bamboo with a roof of nipa leaves, surrounded by vegetables, frequently sung by Filipino school children
• Pahiyas Festival in Quezon showcases gratitude towards San Isidro Labrador, the Patron Saint of farmers, celebrated on May 15 with displays of handicrafts, vegetables, and fruits
• Wagayway Festival in Imus, Cavite, commemorates the Battle of Alapan led by General Emilio Aguinaldo against the Spaniards, celebrated on May 28
• Pinya Festival in Calauan, Laguna, celebrated on May 15, gives thanks to St. Isidore Laborer and promotes sweet pineapples, attracting tourists
• Higantes Festival in Angono expresses gratitude to its patron Saint Clement, with a parade of giants held on the Sunday before the town feast on November 23
• Coconut Festival, also known as Cocofest, is a multi-awarded coconut festival and religious fiesta in San Pablo, Laguna, Philippines
• The Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine, also known as the Cavite El Viejo Shrine, is a national shrine located in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines
• The Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna, is a reproduction of the original two-story, Spanish-colonial style house where José Rizal, a national hero of the Philippines, was born on June 19, 1861
• The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery in Laguna is a national historical landmark and museum supervised by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
• Our Lady of Regina Rica, located in Tanay, Rizal, is a place of sanctity run by the Dominican Sisters of Regina Rosarii
• Regina Rica is known for being a place for holy pilgrimage and peace, with a monument portraying the Queen of the Holy Rosary
• The Parish and National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio, commonly known as Padre Pio Shrine, is a Roman Catholic parish church and pilgrimage site in Santo Tomas, Batangas, consecrated to the Italian Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
• Mount Banahaw, the highest peak in the Calabarzon region of the Philippines, is widely known as a holy and mystical mountain believed to have healing powers