Manuel L. Quezon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Quezon in 1942 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd President of the Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 November 1935 – 1 August 1944 Serving with Jose P. Laurel (1943–1944)[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vice President | Sergio Osmeña | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Emilio Aguinaldo (as Philippine president) Frank Murphy (as Governor-General) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of National Defense | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acting 16 July 1941 – 11 December 1941 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Himself | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Teófilo Sison | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jorge B. Vargas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mayor of Quezon City | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acting 12 October 1939 – 4 November 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vice Mayor | Vicente Fragante | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tomas Morato | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15thSecretary of Public Instruction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 December 1938 – 19 April 1939 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Himself | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sergio Osmeña | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jorge Bocobo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2ndPresident of the Nacionalista Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1935–1944 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sergio Osmeña | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Sergio Osmeña | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of thePhilippine Amateur Athletic Federation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1916–1935 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | William Cameron Forbes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jorge B. Vargas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (1878-08-19)19 August 1878 Baler,El Príncipe,Nueva Écija,Captaincy General of the Philippines,Spanish East Indies (nowBaler,Aurora, Philippines) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 1 August 1944(1944-08-01) (aged 65) Saranac Lake, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cause of death | Tuberculosis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Political party | Nacionalista (1907–1944) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Manuel L. Quezon III (grandson) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Colegio de San Juan de Letran | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Santo Tomas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Speech as senate president commenting on the passage of theTydings-McDuffie Act (Recorded in 1934) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina[b]GCGHKGCR (19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initialsMLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier, and politician who served as the secondpresident of the Philippines from 1935 until his death in 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the entire Philippines and is considered the secondpresident of the Philippines afterEmilio Aguinaldo (1899–1901), whom Quezon defeated in the1935 presidential election.Quezon City, a city inMetro Manila andQuezon Province, are named after him.
During his presidency, Quezon tackled the problem of landless peasants. Other major decisions included the reorganization of the islands' military defense, approval of a recommendation for government reorganization, the promotion of settlement and development inMindanao, dealing with the foreign stranglehold on Philippine trade and commerce, proposals for land reform, and opposing graft and corruption within the government. He established agovernment in exile in the U.S. with the outbreak ofWorld War II and the threat ofJapanese invasion. Scholars have described Quezon's leadership as a "de factodictatorship"[2] and described him as "the first Filipino politician to integrate all levels of politics into a synergy of power" after removing his term limits as president and turning theSenate into an extension of the executive through constitutional amendments.[3]
In 2015, the Board of theInternational Raoul Wallenberg Foundation bestowed a posthumousWallenberg Medal on Quezon and the people of the Philippines for reaching out to victims ofthe Holocaust from 1937 to 1941. PresidentBenigno Aquino III and then-94-year-old Maria Zenaida Quezon-Avanceña, the daughter of the former president, were informed of this recognition.[4]
Quezon was born on 19 August 1878 inBaler in the district of El Príncipe,[5] then the capital ofNueva Écija (now Baler,Aurora). His parents were Lucio Quezon Urbina (1850–1898) and María Dolores Molina (1840–1893).[6] Both were primary-school teachers, although his father was a retiredsargento of theGuardia Civil (sergeant of the colonialgendarmerie).
According to historian Augusto de Viana in his timeline of Baler, Quezon's father was aChinesemestizo who came from theParián (aChinatown outsideIntramuros) inPaco, Manila. He spoke Spanish in the Civil Guard and married María, aSpanishmestiza sired by the Spanish priest José Urbina de Esparragosa. Urbina had come to Baler to serve as itsparish priest in 1847 fromEsparragosa de la Serena,Cáceres Province, Spain.[7] Quezon isChinesemestizo surname originally fromHokkien Chinese spelled inSpanish orthography used in the colonial period, possibly from theChinese:雞孫;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:ke-sun / koe-sun, withChinese:雞;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:ke andChinese:孫;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:sun;lit. 'grandson';[8][9] manyFilipino surnames that end with "-zon", "-son", and "-chon" as the Hispancised form of theHokkienChinese:孫;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:sun;lit. 'grandson'.[10]
He later boarded at theColegio de San Juan de Letrán, where he graduated from secondary school in 1894.[11] Lucio and Quezon's brother Pedro were later killed in 1898 by road bandits disguised as government officials on the way to Baler.[12]
In 1899, Quezon left his law studies at theUniversity of Santo Tomas to join the Filipino war effort, and joined the Republican army during thePhilippine–American War. He was anaide-de-camp toEmilio Aguinaldo.[13] Quezon became a major, and fought in theBataan sector. After surrendering in 1900,[14] he returned to university and passed the 1903bar examinations.[15]
Quezon worked for a time as a clerk and surveyor, entering government service as treasurer forMindoro and (later) his home province of Tayabas. He became a municipal councilor ofLucena, and was elected governor of Tayabas in 1906.[16]
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Quezon was elected in 1907 to representTayabas's1st district in the firstPhilippine Assembly (which later became the House of Representatives) during the1st Philippine Legislature, where he wasmajority floor leader and chairman of the committees on rules and appropriations. Quezon told theU.S. House of Representatives during a 1914 discussion of theJones Bill that he received most of his primary education at the village school established by the Spanish government as part of the Philippines' free public-education system.[17] Months before his term ended, he gave up his seat at the Philippine Assembly upon being appointed as one of the Philippines' tworesident commissioners. Quezon aimed for the Resident Commissioner seat in 1909, which was held by NacionalistaPablo Ocampo. He won decisively with 61 out of 71 votes, while Ocampo received four votes, and a third candidate got none.[11]
Quezon arrived inWashington, D.C., in December 1909 and made his residence inChamplain Apartment House. Due to him not being well-versed in the English language, he hired a tutor and self-studied a Spanish–English dictionary. During his time in the US, he received the nickname "Casey" among his American friends.[11]
He served two terms as resident commissioner from 1909 to 1916, he lobbied for the passage of the Philippine Autonomy Act (theJones Law).[11]
In the fall of 1910, disagreements betweenBenito Legarda and Quezon, and between thePhilippine Commission and thePhilippine Assembly, caused issues for their re-elections as resident commissioners. The assembly did not certify Legarda's nomination because he was against immediate independence of the Philippines, leading the commission to reject Quezon's candidacy. After months of failed attempts to resolve the problem, the House extended their terms until October 1912. In November 1912, Quezon suggestedManuel Earnshaw to replace retiring Legarda, and Quezon was re-elected.[11]
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In October 14, 1916, Quezon received the highest number of votes for theFifth Senatorial District and was confirmed Senator-elect by Governor-GeneralFrancis Burton Harrison under Executive Order No. 73.[18] Due to the passage of the Jones Law, he resigned as resident commissioner in October 15, 1916. A farewell banquet was organized for him at theWillard Hotel by his friends and acquaintances in Washington.[11] He then returned to Manila.[19] In October 16, 1916, the new Philippine Legislature under the Jones Law was inaugurated. That same day, the new bicameral legislature convened with Quezon being electedSenate President.[1]: 453 He served continuously until 1935 (19 years), the longest tenure in history until SenatorLorenzo Tañada's four consecutive terms (24 years, from 1947 to 1972). Quezon headed the first independent mission to the U.S. Congress in 1919, and secured passage of theTydings–McDuffie Act in 1934.[19]
In 1921, Quezon made a public campaign against House SpeakerSergio Osmeña accusing him of being an autocratic leader and blamed him for thePhilippine National Bank's financial mess. Both Osmeña and Quezon debated on this until 1922. As a result, the Nationalista Party was split into two. Quezon also resigned as Senate President that same year in January.[20]
In 1922, he became leader of theNacionalista Party alliance Partido Nacionalista-Colectivista.[19] As Osmeña joined the 1922 Senate elections, Quezon's faction won. The party once again reunited with Quezon as senate president and Osmeña as senate president pro tempore.[21]
In 1933, both Quezon and Osmeña clashed regarding the ratification of theHare–Hawes–Cutting bill in the Philippine Legislature.[22][23] As a result of the HHC controversy, Quezon's faction gained more support and won against Osmeña's faction in the1934 senate elections.[21]
| Presidential styles of Manuel L. Quezon | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Reference style | His Excellency[24] |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Alternative style | Mr. President |
In 1935, Quezon won the Philippines'first national presidential election under theNacionalista Party. He received nearly 68 percent of the vote against his two main rivals,Emilio Aguinaldo andGregorio Aglipay. Quezon, inaugurated on November 15, 1935,[25] is recognized as the secondPresident of the Philippines. In January 2008, however, House Representative Rodolfo Valencia (Oriental Mindoro–1st) filed a bill seeking to declare GeneralMiguel Malvar the second Philippine President; Malvar succeeded Aguinaldo in 1901.[26]
Under the Reorganization Act, Quezon was given the power to appoint the first all-Filipino cabinet in 1935. From 1901 to 1935, a Filipino was chief justice but most Supreme Court justices were Americans. Complete Filipinization was achieved with the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935. Claro M. Recto and José P. Laurel were among Quezon's first appointees to replace the American justices. Membership in the Supreme Court increased to 11: a chief justice and ten associate justices, who saten banc or in two divisions of five members each.
To meet the demands of the newly-established government and comply with theTydings-McDuffie Act and theConstitution, Quezon, – true to his pledge of "more government and less politics," – initiated a reorganization of thegovernment.[27] He established a Government Survey Board to study existing institutions and, in light of changed circumstances, make necessary recommendations.[27]
Early results were seen with the revamping of the executive department; offices and bureaus were merged or abolished, and others were created.[27] Quezon ordered the transfer of thePhilippine Constabulary from theDepartment of the Interior to theDepartment of Finance. Other changes were made to theNational Defense,Agriculture andCommerce,Public Works andCommunications, andHealth andPublic Welfare departments.[27]
New offices and boards were created by executive order or legislation.[27] Among these were theCouncil of National Defense,[28] theBoard of National Relief,[29] theMindanao and Sulu Commission, and theCivil Service Board of Appeals.[27][30]
Pledging to improve the conditions of the Philippine working class and inspired by the social doctrines ofPope Leo XIII andPope Pius XI and treatises by the world's leading sociologists, Quezon began a program ofsocial justice introduced with executive measures and legislation by theNational Assembly.[27] A court for industrial relations was established to mediate disputes, minimizing the impact of strikes and lockouts. A minimum-wage law was enacted, as well as a law providing an eight-hour workday and a tenancy law for Filipino farmers. The position of public defender was created to assist the poor.[27]
Commonwealth Act No. 20 enabled Quezon to acquire large, occupied estates to re-appropriate their lots and homes at a nominal cost and under terms affordable by their residents; one example was the Buenavista estate. He also began a cooperative system of agriculture among owners of the subdivided estates to increase their income.[27][31] Quezon desired to follow the constitutional mandate on the promotion of social justice.[27]
When the Commonwealth was created, its economy was stable and promising.[27] With foreign trade peaking at₱400 million, the upward trend in business resembled a boom. Export crops were generally good and, except for tobacco, were in high demand. The value of Philippine exports reached₱320,896,000, the highest since 1929.[27]
Government revenue in 1936 was₱76,675,000 (equivalent to ₱34,858,669,716 in 2021), compared to the 1935 revenue of₱65,000,000 (equivalent to ₱28,793,209,590 in 2021). Government companies, except for theManila Railroad Company, earned profits. Gold production increased about 37 percent, iron nearly doubled, and cement production increased by about 14 percent.[27]
The government had to address some economic problems, however,[27] and the National Economic Council was created. It advised the government about economic and financial questions, including the promotion of industries, diversification of crops and enterprises,tariffs, taxation, and formulating an economic program in preparation for eventual independence.[27] The National Development Company was reorganized by law, and the National Rice and Corn Company (NARIC) was created with a₱4 million budget.[27]
Upon the recommendation of the National Economic Council, agricultural colonies were established inKoronadal, Malig, and other locations inMindanao. The government encouraged migration and settlement in the colonies.[27] The Agricultural and Industrial Bank was established to aid small farmers with convenient loans and affordable terms.[32] Attention was paid to soil surveying and the disposition of public land.[27]
When the commonwealth government was established, Quezon implemented the Rice Share Tenancy Act of 1933 to regulate share-tenancy contracts by establishing minimum standards.[33][34] The act provided a better tenant-landlord relationship, a 50–50 sharing of the crop, regulation of interest at 10 percent per agricultural year, and protected against arbitrary dismissal by the landlord.[33] Because of a major flaw in the act, however, no petition to apply it was ever presented.[33]
The flaw was that it could be used only when the majority ofmunicipal councils in a province petitioned for it.[33] Since landowners usually controlled such councils, no province ever asked that the law be applied. Quezon ordered that the act be mandatory in allCentral Luzon provinces.[33] However, contracts were good for only one year; by refusing to renew their contract, landlords could eject tenants. Peasant organizations clamored in vain for a law which would make a contract automatically renewable as long as tenants fulfilled their obligations.[33] The act was amended to eliminate this loophole in 1936, but it was never carried out; by 1939, thousands of peasants in Central Luzon were threatened with eviction.[33] Quezon's desire to placate both landlords and tenants pleased neither. Thousands of tenants in Central Luzon were evicted from their farmlands by the early 1940s, and the rural conflict was more acute than ever.[33]
During the Commonwealth period, agrarian problems persisted.[33] This motivated the government to incorporate a social-justice principle into the1935 Constitution. Dictated by the government's social-justice program, expropriation of estates and other landholdings began. The National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) began an orderly settlement of public agricultural lands. At the outbreak of the Second World War, settlement areas covering over 65,000 hectares (250 sq mi) had been established.[33]
With his Executive Order No. 19, dated 19 February 1936, Quezon created the National Council of Education.Rafael Palma, former president of theUniversity of the Philippines, was its first chairman.[27][35] Funds from the early Residence Certificate Law were devoted to maintaining public schools throughout the country and opening many more. There were 6,511 primary schools, 1,039 intermediate schools, 133 secondary and special schools, and five junior colleges by this time. Total enrollment was 1,262,353, with 28,485 teachers. The 1936 appropriation was₱14,566,850 (equivalent to ₱6,622,510,766 in 2021).[27] Private schools taught over 97,000 students, and the Office of Adult Education was created.[27]
Quezon initiatedwomen's suffrage during theCommonwealth era.[36] As a result of prolonged debate between proponents and opponents of women's suffrage, the constitution provided that the issue be resolved by women in aplebiscite. If at least 300,000 women voted for the right to vote, it would be granted. The plebiscite was held on 30 April 1937; there were 447,725 affirmative votes, and 44,307 opposition votes.[36]
The Philippines' national language was another constitutional question. After a one-year study, theInstitute of National Language recommended thatTagalog be the basis for a national language. The proposal was well-received, despite the fact that directorJaime C. de Veyra wasWaray, this is because Baler, Quezon's birthplace, is a native Tagalog-speaking area.
In December 1937, Quezon issued a proclamation approving the institute's recommendation and declaring that the national language would become effective in two years. With presidential approval, the INL began work on a Tagalog grammar text and dictionary.[36]
AsImperial Japan encroached on the Philippines, Quezon antagonized neither the American nor the Japanese officials. He traveled twice to Japan as president, from 31 January to 2 February 1937 and from 29 June to 10 July 1938, to meet with government officials. Quezon emphasized that he would remain loyal to theUnited States, assuring protection of the rights of the Japanese who resided in the Philippines. Quezon's visits may have signaled the Philippines' inclination to remain neutral in the event of a Japanese-American conflict if the U.S. disregarded the country's concerns.[37]
In cooperation with U.S.High CommissionerPaul V. McNutt, Quezon facilitated the entry into the Philippines of Jewish refugees fleeing fascist regimes in Europe and took on critics who were convinced by propaganda that Jewish settlement was a threat to the country.[38][39] Quezon and McNutt proposed 30,000 refugee families on Mindanao and 30,000-40,000 refugees onPolillo. Quezon made a 10-year loan to Manila's Jewish Refugee Committee of land adjacent to his family home inMarikina to house homeless refugees in Marikina Hall (the present-dayPhilippine School of Business Administration), which was dedicated on 23 April 1940.[40]
In 1938, Quezon expanded theCouncil of State in Executive Order No. 144.[36][41] This highest of advisory bodies to the president would be composed of the President,Vice President,Senate President,House Speaker,Senate President pro tempore,House Speaker pro tempore, the majority floor leaders of both chambers ofCongress, former presidents, and three to five prominent citizens.[36]
The elections for the Second National Assembly were held on 8 November 1938 under a new law which allowedblock voting[42] and favored the governingNacionalista Party. As expected, all 98 assembly seats went to the Nacionalistas.José Yulo, Quezon'sSecretary of Justice from 1934 to 1938, was elected speaker.
TheSecond National Assembly intended to pass legislation strengthening the economy, but the Second World War clouded the horizon; laws passed by the First National Assembly were modified or repealed to meet existing realities.[43][44] A controversialimmigration law which set an annual limit of 50 immigrants per country,[45] primarily affecting Chinese and Japanese nationals escaping theSino-Japanese War, was passed in 1940. Since the law affected foreign relations, it required the approval of the U.S. president. When the 1939census was published, the National Assembly updated the apportionment of legislative districts; this became the basis for the1941 elections.
On 7 August 1939, theUnited States Congress enacted a law in accordance with the recommendations of the Joint Preparatory Commission on Philippine Affairs. Because the new law required an amendment of the Ordinance appended to the Constitution, a plebiscite was held on 24 August 1939. The amendment received 1,339,453 votes in favor, and 49,633 against.[36]
Quezon had established the Institute of National Language (INL) to create a national language for the country. On 30 December 1937, inExecutive Order No. 134, he declaredTagalog the Philippines' national language; it was taught in schools during the 1940–1941 academic year. The National Assembly later enacted Law No. 570, making thenational language an official language with English and Spanish; this became effective on 4 July 1946, with the establishment of the Philippine Republic.[36][46]
With the 1940 local elections, plebiscites were held for proposed amendments to the constitution about a bicameral legislature, the presidential term (four years, with one re-election, and the establishment of an independentCommission on Elections. The amendments were overwhelmingly ratified. Speaker José Yulo and Assemblyman Dominador Tan traveled to the United States to obtain PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt's approval, which they received on 2 December 1940. Two days later, Quezon proclaimed the amendments.
Quezon was originally barred by the Philippine constitution from seeking re-election. In 1940, however, a constitutional amendment was ratified which allowed him to serve a second term ending in 1943. In the1941 presidential election, Quezon was re-elected over formerSenatorJuan Sumulong with nearly 82 percent of the vote. He was inaugurated on December 30, 1941 at theMalinta Tunnel inCorregidor.[47] The oath of office was administered byChief Justice of the Supreme Court of the PhilippinesJosé Abad Santos. Corregidor was chosen as the venue of the inauguration and temporary seat of the governmentin-exile to take refuge from the uninterrupted Japanese bombing raids during theJapanese invasion.[48]
As crises mounted in the Pacific, the Philippines prepared for war. Youth military training under GeneralDouglas MacArthur was intensified. The firstblackout practice was held on the night of 10 July 1941 in Manila. First aid was taught in all schools and social clubs. Quezon established the Civilian Emergency Administration (CEA) on 1 April 1941, with branches in provinces and towns.[49] Air-raid drills were also held.
The dismal results of the practice blackouts raised concerns of the minimal preparedness in the Philippines. Problems arises when the army and Philippine Constabulary was needed to control the peasant violence throughout the Philippines.[50]: 235 In 1942, during Quezon's evacuation in Visayas atNegros Occidental, he spent frustrating hours communicating with officials. Quezon handled disputes between sugar workers and sugar central managers. In one occasion, Quezon ordered the manager of theBinalbagan Sugar Central to obtain money from thePhilippine National Bank and pay its employees their salaries. As Binalbagan workers threatened Quezon that they would riot, he ordered the Philippine Constabulary to control the situation.[50]: 235–236
After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II,[51] Quezon evacuated toCorregidor (where he wasinaugurated for his second term) and then to theVisayas and Mindanao. At the invitation of the U.S. government,[52] he was evacuated to Australia,[53] and then to the United States. Quezon established the Commonwealthgovernment in exile, with its headquarters in Washington, D.C. He was a member of thePacific War Council, signed the United Nations declaration against theAxis powers and wroteThe Good Fight, his autobiography.[36]
To conduct government business in exile, Quezon hired the entire floor of one wing of theShoreham Hotel to accommodate his family and his office. Government offices were established at the quarters of Philippine Resident Commissioner Joaquin Elizalde, who became a member of Quezon's wartime cabinet. Other cabinet appointees were Brigadier-GeneralCarlos P. Romulo as Secretary of the Department of Information and Public Relations and Jaime Hernandez as Auditor General.[36]
Sitting under a canvas canopy outside theMalinta Tunnel on 22 January 1942, Quezon heard afireside chat during which President Roosevelt said that the Allied forces were determined to defeat Berlin and Rome, followed by Tokyo. Quezon was infuriated, summoned General MacArthur and asked him if the U.S. would support the Philippines; if not, Quezon would return to Manila and allow himself to become a prisoner of war. MacArthur replied that if the Filipinos fighting the Japanese learned that he returned to Manila and became a Japanese puppet, they would consider him a turncoat.[54]
Quezon then heard another broadcast by former president Emilio Aguinaldo urging him and his fellow Filipino officials to yield to superior Japanese forces. Quezon wrote a message to Roosevelt saying that he and his people had been abandoned by the U.S. and it was Quezon's duty as president to stop fighting. MacArthur learned about the message, and ordered Major GeneralRichard Marshall to counterbalance it with American propaganda whose purpose was the "glorification of Filipino loyalty and heroism".[55]
On 2 June 1942, Quezon addressed theUnited States House of Representatives about the necessity of relieving the Philippine front. He did the same to the Senate, urging the senators to adopt the slogan "RememberBataan". Despite his declining health, Quezon traveled across the U.S. to remind the American people about the Philippine war.[36]
Quezon broadcast a radio message to Philippine residents in Hawaii, who purchased₱4 million worth ofwar bonds, for his first birthday celebration in the United States.[36] Indicating the Philippine government's cooperation with the war effort, he offered the U.S. Army a Philippine infantry regiment which was authorized by theWar Department to train in California. Quezon had the Philippine government acquire Elizalde's yacht; renamedBataan and crewed by Philippine officers and sailors, it was donated to the United States for use in the war.[36]
In early November 1942, Quezon conferred with Roosevelt on a plan for a joint commission to study the post-war Philippine economy. Eighteen months later, theUnited States Congress passed an act creating the Philippine Rehabilitation Commission.[36]
By 1943, the Philippine government in exile was faced with a crisis.[36] According to the 1935 constitution, Quezon's term would expire on 30 December 1943 and Vice-PresidentSergio Osmeña would succeed him as president. Osmeña wrote to Quezon advising him of this, and Quezon issued a press release and wrote to Osmeña that a change in leadership would be unwise at that time. Osmeña then requested the opinion ofU.S. Attorney GeneralHomer Cummings, who upheld Osmeña's view as consistent with the law. Quezon remained adamant, and sought President Roosevelt's decision. Roosevelt remained aloof from the controversy, suggesting that the Philippine officials resolve the impasse.[36]
Quezon convened a cabinet meeting with Osmeña,Resident CommissionerJoaquín Elizalde, Brigadier GeneralCarlos P. Romulo and his cabinet secretaries,Andrés Soriano and Jaime Hernandez. After a discussion, the cabinet supported Elizalde's position in favor of the constitution, and Quezon announced his plan to retire in California.[36]
After the meeting, Osmeña approached Quezon and broached his plan to ask the United States Congress to suspend the constitutional provisions for presidential succession until after the Philippines had been liberated; this legal way out was agreeable to Quezon and his cabinet, and steps were taken to carry out the proposal. Sponsored by Senator Tydings and Congressman Bell, the resolution was unanimously approved by theSenate on avoice vote and passed theHouse of Representatives by a vote of 181 to 107 on 10 November 1943.[36] He was inaugurated for the third time on November 15, 1943 inWashington, D.C. The oath of office was administered by USAssociate JusticeFelix Frankfurter.[56]
Quezon had developedtuberculosis and spent his last years in hospitals, including a Miami Beach Army hospital in April 1944.[57] That summer, he was at acure cottage inSaranac Lake, New York. Quezon died there at 10:05 a.m.ET on 1 August 1944, at age 65. His remains were initially buried inArlington National Cemetery, but his body was brought by formerGovernor-General and High CommissionerFrank Murphy aboard theUSS Princeton and re-interred in theManila North Cemetery on 17 July 1946.[58] Those were then moved to a miniature copy ofNapoleon's tomb[59] at theQuezon Memorial Shrine inQuezon City, on 1 August 1979.[60]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel L. Quezon | Nacionalista Party | 695,332 | 67.98 | |
| Emilio Aguinaldo | National Socialist Party | 179,349 | 17.53 | |
| Gregorio Aglipay | Republican Party | 148,010 | 14.47 | |
| Pascual Racuyal | Independent | 158 | 0.02 | |
| Total | 1,022,849 | 100.00 | ||
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel L. Quezon | Nacionalista Party | 1,340,320 | 80.14 | |
| Juan Sumulong | Popular Front (Sumulong wing)[c] | 298,608 | 17.85 | |
| Celerino Tiongco I | Ganap Party | 22,474 | 1.34 | |
| Hilario Moncado | Modernist Party | 10,726 | 0.64 | |
| Hermogenes Dumpit | Independent | 298 | 0.02 | |
| Veronica Miciano | Independent | 62 | 0.00 | |
| Ernesto T. Belleza | Independent | 16 | 0.00 | |
| Pedro Abad Santos[d] | Popular Front (Abad Santos wing)[c] | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Total | 1,672,504 | 100.00 | ||
Quezon wasmarried to his first cousin,Aurora Aragón Quezon, on 17 December 1918. They had four children: María Aurora "Baby" Quezon (23 September 1919 – 28 April 1949), María Zenaida "Nini" Quezon-Avanceña (9 April 1921 – 12 July 2021), Luisa Corazón Paz "Nenita" Quezon (17 February – 14 December 1924) and Manuel L. "Nonong" Quezon, Jr. (23 June 1926 – 18 September 1998).[61] His grandson,Manuel L. "Manolo" Quezon III (born 30 May 1970), a writer and former undersecretary of thePresidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, was named after him.
The Foreign Orders, Medals and Decorations of President Manuel L. Quezon:
France:
:Légion d'honneur, Officer[61]
Mexico:
:Order of the Aztec Eagle, Collar
Belgium:
:Order of the Crown, Grand Cross
Spain:
:Orden de la República Española, Grand Cross
Republic of China:_-_ribbon_bar.gif)
:Order of Brilliant Jade, Grand Cordon
:Order of the Golden Heart, Grand Collar (Maringal na Kuwintas) - 19 August 1960[62]
: Order of theKnights of Rizal, Knight Grand Cross of Rizal (KGCR)[63]
Quezon City, the province ofQuezon,Quezon Bridge in Manila,Manuel L. Quezon University, and many streets are named after him. TheQuezon Service Cross is the Philippines' highest honor. Quezon is memorialized onPhilippine currency, appearing on thePhilippine twenty-peso note and two commemorative 1936 one-pesocoins: one withFrank Murphy and another withFranklin Delano Roosevelt.[64] Open Doors, a Holocaust memorial inRishon LeZion, Israel, is a 7-metre-tall (23 ft) sculpture designed by Filipino artist Luis Lee Jr. It was erected in honor of Quezon and the Filipinos who saved over 1,200 Jews fromNazi Germany.[65][66]
Municipalities in sixprovinces are named after Quezon:Quezon, Bukidnon;Quezon, Isabela;Quezon, Nueva Ecija;Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya;Quezon, Palawan; andQuezon, Quezon. ThePresidential Papers of Manuel L. Quezon were inscribed in theUNESCOMemory of the World International Register in 2011.[67] Quezon Island is the most developed island in theHundred Islands National Park.[68]
Annually on 19 August, Manuel L. Quezon Day is celebrated throughout the Philippines as a special working holiday, except for the provinces ofQuezon (includingLucena) andAurora andQuezon City, where it is a non-working holiday.[69][70] His birthplace Baler is now part ofAurora, which was a sub-province of Quezon and was named after his cousin and wife.
ThePresidential Papers of Manuel Luis Quezon was inscribed in the UNESCOMemory of the World Register – Asia and the Pacific in 2010, and in the UNESCOMemory of the World International Register in 2011.[71]
Quezon was played byRichard Gutierrez in the2010 music video of thePhilippine national anthem produced and aired byGMA Network.[72] Arnold Reyes played him in the musicalMLQ: Ang Buhay ni Manuel Luis Quezon (2015).[73] Quezon was played byBenjamin Alves in the film,Heneral Luna (2015).[74] Alves andTJ Trinidad portrayed him in the 2018 filmGoyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018).[75] Quezon was played byRaymond Bagatsing in the filmQuezon's Game (2019).[76]
Jericho Rosales and Alves portrayed Quezon in his later and younger years, respectively, in the biopic,Quezon.[77] With theNational Commission for Culture and the Arts's support and theFilm Development Council of the Philippines' funding, the biopic beganfilmmaking in March 2025 and wasreleased in October 2025.[78][79]
A sample of Quezon's voice is preserved in a recorded speech,"Message to My People", which he delivered in English and Spanish.[80] Quezon recorded it while he wasPresident of the Senate "in the 1920s, when he was first diagnosed with tuberculosis and assumed he didn't have much longer to live," according to his grandsonManuel L. Quezon III.[81]
When military district of El Príncipe was created in 1856, Baler became its capital...On June 12, 1902 a civil government was established, moving the district of El Príncipe away from the administrative jurisdiction of Nueva Ecija...and placing it under the jurisdiction of Tayabas Province.
... there were public schools in the Philippines long before the American occupation, and, in fact, I have been educated in one of these schools, even though my hometown is such a small town, isolated in the mountains of the Northeastern part of the island of Luzon. (Spanish). [... había escuelas públicas en Filipinas mucho antes de la ocupación americana, y que, de hecho, yo me había educado en una de esas escuelas, aunque mi pueblo natal es un pueblo tan pequeño, aislado en las montañas de la parte Noreste de la isla de Luzón.]
