NATION MARKS 133rd BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT MANUEL L. QUEZON
[PHOTO circa 1956- MANUEL LUIS QUEZON, the first president of the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines, was advised by Gen. MacArthur to evacuate to Corregidor. The presidential party left Manila on December 24, 1941 and became refugees in the island fortress. With President Quezon were his wife, Dona Aurora; his two daughters, Maria Aurora and Zenaida, and his son Manuel, Jr. Also in the party were Vice President Sergio Osmena, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, Maj. Gen. Basilio J. Valdes, the Philippine Army Chief of Staff, Col. Manuel Nieto, the President's aide; and Serapio D. Canceran, the president's private secretary. At the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor, the quarters of Pres. Quezon and his family was a lateral beside the 1st lateral and nearest the East entrance to the tunnel. The inauguration of President Quezon for his second term as President of the Philippine Commonwealth on December 30, 1941 provided a strange break in the routine of life in the tunnel. The ceremony was simple, and though seeming pathetic, partook of a special dignity. President Quezon in his speech said: "Ours is a great cause. We are fighting for human liberty and justice, for those principles of individual freedom which we all cherish and without which life would not be worth living. Indeed, we are fighting for our own independence. It is to maintain this independence, these liberties, and these freedoms that we are sacrificing our lives and all that we possess." When Quezon left Corregidor by submarine on February 20, he gave MacArthur his ring, saying, "When they find your body, I want them to know you fought for my country." While he led the Philippine government-in-exile in the U.S. for the next two years, Quezon's tuberculosis steadily worsened. He died on August 1, 1944, less than three months before MacArthur's dramatic return to Philippine soil.]
MANILA, AUGUST 20, 2011 (BULLETIN) Born on August 19, 1878, in Baler, Tayabas, to Lucio Quezon, a native of Paco, and Maria Dolores Molina, Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, is remembered for so many accomplishments. Referred to as the Star of Baler, the future President studied law at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in 1899, but cut short his studies to participate in the struggle for Philippine independence that was then led by President Emilio F. Aguinaldo.
At the end of the Philippine-American war, he resumed his law studies, graduated from UST, and passed the bar examinations in 1903. He became the Fiscal of his home province and was soon elected Governor. In the 1907 election, he ran for the Philippine Assembly under the Nacionalista Party, won by a large majority, and became the majority floor leader.
In 1909, he was elected Resident Commissioner to Washington, DC, United States, a post he held until 1916. His most significant achievement was the passage of the Jones Act that provided for the grant of Philippine Independence. He was elected senator in 1916 and eventually became Senate President. He headed the first Independence Mission to the US Congress, and brought home the Tydings-McDuffie Independence Law in 1934.
In 1935, the former Senate President became the First President of the Commonwealth. As President, he was steadfast in his vision to deliver the masses from the shackles of colonialism. This vision culminated in the establishment of political stability within the framework of the 1935 Constitution, the formulation of policies to ensure the social well-being of the people, and the adjustment of the national economy to the challenges of independent nationhood.
2nd President of the Philippines; 1st President of the Commonwealth
In office November 15, 1935 – August 1, 1944
Vice President Sergio Osmeña
Preceded by Emilio Aguinaldo
Succeeded by José P. Laurel(De Facto)
1st President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office August 29, 1916 – November 15, 1935
Served with: Vicente Ilustre (1916–1919)
Antero Soriano (1919-1925)
José P. Laurel (1925-1931)
Claro M. Recto (1931-1935)
Resident Commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Philippine Islands
In office November 23, 1909 – October 15, 1916
Serving with Benito Legarda (1909-1913) and Manuel Earnshaw (1913-1916)
Preceded by Pablo Ocampo Succeeded by Teodoro R. Yangco
Majority Leader of the Philippine House of Representatives
In office October 16, 1907 – November 23, 1909
As Majority Leader of the Philippine Assembly
Member of the Philippine Assembly from Tayabas' 1st District
In office October 16, 1907 – October 16, 1916
Succeeded by Filemon Perez Governor of Tayabas
In office 1906–1907
Personal details: Born August 19, 1878(1878-08-19) Baler, Philippines
Died: August 1, 1944(1944-08-01) (aged 65) Saranac Lake, United States
Resting place Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City, Philippines
Political party Nacionalista Party; Other political affiliations- Democratic Party
Spouse Aurora Aragón
Alma mater Colegio de San Juan de Letran; University of Santo Tomas
Religion Roman Catholicism
He was a dynamic Filipino leader and a true friend of the poor and the oppressed whom he loved and cared for so well. In 1941, he was re-elected as President of the Republic, in exile, holding on to the position until his untimely demise on August 1, 1944, in Saranac Lake, New York. He was survived by his wife Aurora Aragon and their four children.
Today, on the occasion of Manuel Luis Quezon's 133rd Birth Anniversary, we commemorate all the contributions of a great statesman of our nation.
Tomb of President Manuel L. Quezón,
inside the Quezon Memorial Shrine, Quezon City.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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