ITS HISTORY :

According to tradition which has some historical foundation, the name Quipayo was derived from the Bicol word QUI or KI which means FOR and PAYO which means HEAD. It therefore signifies “for the head” to refer to the fact that Quipayo was the head of the seat of Christian mission in this part of the country.

The patroness of Quipayo is Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, “Nuestra Señora en el Grandioso misterio de su Concepcion Immaculada” - a favorite in many parishes in the country.

The church of Quipayo was originally constructed from native materials of nipa and bamboos, it was only 30 years later in 1616 when the Ladrillo Church which remains intact up to the present was constructed under the able direction of Fray Francisco Gaviria O.F.M. It is said that every able bodied man was asked to provide ladrillo as his contribution. And under the Polo system such efforts were amply rewarded primarily with the completion of the Quipayo Church,which is one of the existing ladrillo churches in the Bicol Region.

In 1659, a secondary patron, Saint Roche was adapted. His feast day falls on the9th day of December, a day after, (segunda dia) the feastday of the Immaculate Conception. The antique image has been chiseled from the heavy and hard “Hamorawon” or molave wood.

Quipayo is a parish that has outlived the ravages of time by preserving its ancient practices and devotions up to the present date. Among them may be mentioned the following “lagaylay”,”pastoras”,”panharong-pagpahilig sa cruz”,”mga kalag”,” pasiona”,”aurora”,”pagpahilig sa cruz”,”pagbagat sa cruz”, and “pagpasakat sa cruz”, among others.