ATIMONAN, Quezon — A familiar roadside attraction along Quezon’s scenic Atimonan Zigzag Road is getting a major facelift as the provincial government moves to transform the Quezon Protected Landscape Herbal Pavilion into a more attractive destination for tourists, nature lovers and visitors passing through the historic route.
The rehabilitation is part of a broader effort to improve tourism facilities within the Quezon Protected Landscape, with the provincial government now preparing the Herbal Pavilion for renewed use.
Quezon Gov. Helen Tan personally inspected the ongoing rehabilitation on September 8, according to the provincial government. The planned improvements include the introduction of endemic herbal plants found in Quezon, as well as a new picnic area where visitors can relax and enjoy the surrounding natural landscape.
From herbal showcase to renewed tourist stop
The pavilion is not a new attraction. Its roots go back to 2015, when the provincial government, the Municipality of Atimonan and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region IV-A partnered on the development of the Quezon Protected Landscape.
The project was envisioned as both a tourism facility and a showcase for Quezon’s medicinal and endemic plants. It was also linked to the province’s broader ambition of promoting herbal agriculture and developing an herbal-based livelihood industry.
Earlier reports described the pavilion as a venue for displaying herbal plants and products produced by local organizations, cooperatives and individuals involved in Quezon’s herbal program.
That original vision is now being given another push.
Nearly ₱10 million rehabilitation project
The current rehabilitation goes beyond cosmetic improvements.
A procurement-based report published in August said the provincial government had lined up ₱9,999,713.57 for rehabilitation works covering the Quezon Adventure Park and Quezon Protected Landscape Herbal Pavilion.
The project has a reported 150-day contract period and includes improvements to visitor facilities and utilities, including comfort rooms, a pump house, water tanks, an intake box, pipelines, landscaping, pavilion improvements and upgrades to the picnic area.
This means the project is largely focused on rehabilitating and improving existing facilities, rather than simply constructing an entirely new tourist attraction.
A greener experience for visitors
The provincial government says the rehabilitated pavilion will feature endemic herbal plants from Quezon, allowing visitors to learn more about the province’s natural resources and medicinal flora.
Once operational, the facility is expected to be managed by the Provincial Health Office, together with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office.
The combination of herbal gardens, a picnic area and the surrounding protected landscape could give travelers another reason to stop along the winding Atimonan route rather than simply passing through.
Part of Quezon’s long-running herbal vision
The rehabilitation also revives a much older provincial ambition.
Quezon launched its Quezon Herbal Industry Program in 2014, initially identifying several municipalities as pilot areas for growing medicinal plants such as lemongrass, turmeric, moringa and lagundi. The program was intended not only to promote traditional and herbal medicine but also to create livelihood opportunities for farmers.
Philstar previously reported that the provincial government envisioned Quezon becoming a major center for medicinal plants and herbal-related industries in the Philippines.
The Herbal Pavilion became one of the physical expressions of that vision.
Now, more than a decade after its establishment, the facility is once again being positioned as a tourism and environmental showcase.
More than just a roadside stop
The location itself gives the project an advantage.
The pavilion sits along the Old Zigzag Road in Atimonan, within the Quezon Protected Landscape, a forested area associated with one of the province’s most recognizable road journeys. Current location listings identify the pavilion on Old Zigzag Road in Atimonan.
The area has also been subject to continuing road and environmental management concerns. Government records, for example, have documented clearing operations along the Old Zigzag Road following severe weather incidents, highlighting the need to balance tourism improvements with protection of the surrounding landscape.
For Quezon, the challenge is therefore not simply making the pavilion look better.
It is about creating a visitor destination while preserving the natural environment that makes the Atimonan route special in the first place.
The bigger picture
If the rehabilitation proceeds as planned, the Herbal Pavilion could become an important component of Quezon’s efforts to strengthen eco-tourism, environmental education and local herbal agriculture.
What was once conceived as a showcase for medicinal plants could soon become a more complete visitor experience—combining nature, local products, herbal education and a place to stop and appreciate the landscape.
And for travelers driving through the iconic curves of Atimonan’s Zigzag Road, the next time they make the trip, the familiar roadside stop may look very different.
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