The Quezon Memorial Shrine ( fil, Pambansang Pang-alaalang Dambana ni Quezon, ) is a monument and national shrine dedicated to former Philippine President

Manuel Quezon Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his d ...

located within the grounds of Quezon Memorial Circle in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

. It also houses a museum at its base.

History

The Quezon Memorial Committee which was tasked to organize a nationwide fund-raising campaign for the building of a monument dedicated to former President Manuel Quezon was established by virtue of ''Executive Order No. 79'' signed by then-President

Sergio Osmeña Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; 9 September 1878 – 19 October 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was vice president under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudd ...

on December 17, 1945. Then-President

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...

proposed the relocation of the monument away from its original planned site but such plans were not pushed through. The Bureau of Public Works commenced the construction of the monument in 1952. The monument was placed under the jurisdiction of the National Historical Institute through ''Presidential Decree No.1'' issued by then President

Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...

on September 24, 1972. On January 14, 1974, the monument was formally designated as a national shrine and was inaugurated on August 19, 1978. The remains of former President Manuel Quezon was transferred to the Quezon Memorial Shrine from the Manila North Cemetery on August 1, 1979. The remains of his wife

Aurora Aragon Quezon Aurora Antonia Quezon ( Aragón y Molina; February 19, 1888 – April 28, 1949) was the wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon and the First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. Although she is recognized as the second First La ...

, were likewise transferred to the shrine on April 28, 2005. On March 12, 2020, the shrine was recognized by the

National Historical Commission of the Philippines The National Historical Commission of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural herit ...

as a National Cultural Treasure (NCT) but such declaration was only made public in December 2021.

Architecture and design

The Quezon Memorial Shrine was designed by

Federico Ilustre Federico Ilustre (1912–1989) was a Filipino architect who worked for the Bureau of Public Works (now the Department of Public Works and Highways). It was during his tenure as consulting architect that some of the country's prominent postwar arc ...

. The monument is composed of three connected pylons and is located at the center of the Quezon Memorial Circle, a major park in Quezon City. An observation deck is also present at the top of the structure which has a capacity of 60 people which can provide a panoramic view of the city. A spiral staircase connects the deck to the bottom of the structure. The observation deck is currently not open to the public. The columns are adorned with three grieving bowed angels holding

sampaguita ''Jasminum sambac'' (Arabian jasmine or Sambac jasmine) is a species of jasmine native to tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. It is cultivated in many places, especially West Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is ...

(''Jasminum sambac'') wreaths with each of them representing the three major island groups of the Philippines namely, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each of the angels were given a traditional clothing representing one of the three island group. The angel figures were made by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti. Under the watch of former Quezon City Mayor

Tomas Morato Tomás Eduardo Morató Bernabéu (; July 4, 1887 – March 6, 1965) was a Spanish-born Filipino businessman and politician of Valencian ethnicity and full-blooded Spanish descent who became Mayor of Calauag, Quezon before he became the fir ...

, the monument was beautified by Amberti, an Italian architect hired by Morato, with

Carrara marble Carrara marble, Luna marble to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa ...

. Morato's successors replaced the Italian marbles with locally sourced marble.

Museum

At the base of the Quezon Memorial Shrine is the ''Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon'' (), a museum that has a collection of relics and memorabilia related to former President Manuel Quezon, as well as a mausoleum which houses the interred remains of Quezon and his wife Aurora Aragon Quezon. The museum underwent a renovation by the

and was reopened on August 19, 2015. Among the other features of the museum is a

hologram Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, i ...

of Quezon delivering his inaugural speech as president and interactive booths and terminals which edifies visitors regarding the Commonwealth era. The museum also has an audio-visual room where a short documentary on Quezon and the museum is screened, a dedicated gallery to Quezon's wife, Aurora, and a

replica A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...

of Manuel Quezon's presidential office.

References

External links

* {{authority control

Shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

Tourist attractions in Quezon City Art Deco sculptures and memorials Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Metro Manila Art Deco architecture in the Philippines Monuments and memorials in Metro Manila Buildings and structures in Quezon City Museums in Quezon City History museums in the Philippines City museums in the Philippines National Cultural Treasures of the Philippines