The Quezon Memorial Circle Is a National Park and Shrine Located in Quezon City, Former Capital of the Philippines (1948–1976)
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The Quezon Memorial Circle is a national park and shrine located in Quezon City, former capital of the Philippines (1948–1976). The park is an ellipse bounded by the Elliptical Road. At its center is a mausoleum containing the remains of Manuel L. Quezon, the second President of the Philippines, and his wife, First Lady Aurora Quezon. The site was originally intended as the grounds of the National Capitol to be built in Quezon City. While the cornerstone for the structure was laid in 1940, only the foundations were in place when construction was interrupted by the beginning of the Second World War in the Philippines. After World War II, President Sergio Osmeña issued an executive order stipulating the creation of a Quezon Memorial Committee to raise funds by public subscription to erect a monument to his predecessor, President Manuel Luis Quezon. After a national contest was held for the purpose, a winning design by Filipino architect Federico Ilustre was selected. The monument would consist of three vertical pylons (representing the three main geographic divisions of the country: Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao), 66 meters (217 ft) tall (Quezon's age when he died), surmounted by three mourning angels holding sampaguita (the national flower) wreaths sculpted by the Italian sculptor Monti. The three pylons would in turn circumscribe a drum-like two-story structure containing a gallery from which visitors could look down at Quezon's catafalque, modeled after Napoleon Bonaparte's in the Invalides. The gallery and the catafalque below are lit by an oculus, in turn reminiscent of Grant's Tomb. Construction of the Quezon Memorial was begun in the late 1950s but proceeded slowly, in part due to the cost of importing Carrara marble, brought in blocks and then carved and shaped on-site. There were also problems associated with the theft of the marble blocks and the management of memorial funds. It was finally completed in 1978, the centennial of Quezon's birth. His remains were reinterred in the memorial on August 19, 1979. It was during that time that by virtue of a presidential decree, President Ferdinand E. Marcos mandated the site as a National Shrine. The National Historical Institute manages, and has authority, over the monument itself, while the Quezon City government administers the park. On April 28, 2005, the remains of Mrs. Aurora Quezon, widow of the president, were solemnly reinterred in the memorial as well. The Banaue Rice Terraces (Tagalog: Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banawe) are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".[1][2][3] It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.[4] The Banaue Terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Locals to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not find farming appealing, often opting for the more lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice Terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the characteristic "steps", which need constant reconstruction and care. In 2010 a further problem was drought, with the terraces drying up completely in March of that year. Welcome Rotonda Location: Within the center-end of Espana Blvd., Quezon and E. Rodriguez Avenues. (in between United Doctors Medical and PLDT). Description: this imposing rotunda which was built in 1948 by City Architect Luciano V. Aquino (in the office of then Mayor Ponciano Bernardo) serves as the gateway to Quezon City from the neighboring city of Manila. This is where three (3) of Metro Manila's busiest roads meet, namely: Espana Blvd. In Manila and Quezon Avenue and E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City. Here on September 27, 1984, government troops violently dispersed and anti-government rally. This incident clearly showed that even peaceful expression of the citizens' righteous indignation was not allowed by the Marcos Administration. On May 17, 1995, the 43-year old "Welcome Rotunda" was renamed "Mabuhay Rotunda"' the ceremony was attended by Quezon city Mayor Ismael A. Mathay, Jr., outgoing Vice-Mayor Charito Planas, Vice-Mayor elect Herbert Bautista and restaurateur Rod Ungpauco who has suggested the popularization of the word for "Welcome". How to get there?: From Taft Avenue or T.M. Kalaw Street, hail a PUJ bound for "Fairview" or "Cubao". Get off right at the side of the rotunda. Travel Time: Approximately 20 minutes. Camps Crame and Aguinaldo Location: EDSA, Quezon city Description: Two of the most important military headquarters where the 4-day rebellion started. It was here, on February 22, 1986 that Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and then Constabulary Commander and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos holed up with just one battalion of soldiers. Here they announced their withdrawal of support from the Marcos government. Here they waited for Marcos' remaining loyalist troops to arrest them, determined only to defend themselves and to die with honor rather than live like puppets protecting the dictator. But the attack never came, for what they thought to be their last, grand gesture sparked a popular revolt against the tyrant and these two military camps became the symbols of the Filipino people's long struggle against tyranny and oppression. How to get there?: Take the LRT at UN Avenue station of Pedro Gil station. Get off at Monumento North Terminal. Hail a bus with the signboard "Cubao" or "Baclaran". Get off right at the gates of the two camps. From T.M. Kalaw St., hail a PUJ bound for "Cubao:. Get off at EDSA corner Aurora Boulevard. From EDSA, hail a bus going to Baclaran. Get off right in front of the two camps. Travel Time: Approximately one hour and 15 minutes. .