Belmonte leads Quezon Day rites

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte led the commemoration of the 145th birth anniversary of former president Manuel Quezon at the Quezon Memorial Circle yesterday.

Belmonte expressed hope that Quezon’s people-centric leadership that underscores the importance of human rights would serve as an inspiration and guide of all public servants.

“Our local government continues to work hard to make our city a center of development and good governance like what President Quezon dreamed of,” she added in Filipino.

Belmonte was joined by Vice Mayor Gian Sotto and other local government officials, as well as National Museum board chairman Andoni Aboitiz and director-general Jeremy Barns, National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairman Emmanuel Calairo, National Commission for Culture and the Arts chairman Victorino Manalo and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairman Arthur Casanova.

Also attending the flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremony were members of the Quezon family.

After the program, the National Museum led the unveiling of a marker declaring the Quezon Memorial Shrine as one of the country’s national cultural treasures.

Considered one of the most significant landmarks of Quezon City, the memorial has three 66-meter pylons topped with statues of three angels holding sampaguita funerary wreaths. Each pylon and angel represent the country’s three island groups – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

At the base of the pylons is the mausoleum of Quezon and his wife, former first lady Aurora Quezon. It also houses a museum featuring the former president’s personal and political belongings, books, articles, documents and photos taken throughout his life.

The museum also has various rooms and interactive booths containing information about Quezon and his family. – Janvic Mateo

Established in 1939, Quezon City was named after the former president, who envisioned a modern city that would serve as the country’s new capital city. It was the country’s capital from 1949 to 1976.