Manuel L.

Quezon (born Manuel Luís Quezon y Molina; August 19, 1878 –

August 1, 1944) was a Filipino statesman, soldier, and politician who
served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935
to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the entire
Philippines (as opposed to the government of previous Philippine
states), and is considered to have been the second president of the
Philippines, after Emilio Aguinaldo (1899–1901).

Quezon, was born in Baler in the district of El

Príncipe[1] (now Baler, Aurora). His parents were Lucio Quezon (died 1898)
and María Dolores Molina (June 7, 1840 – 1893). His father was a
primary grade school teacher from Paco, Manila and a retired Sergeant of
the Spanish colonial army, while his mother was a primary grade school
teacher in their hometown.

Educational Attainment

Although both his parents must have contributed to his education, he

received most of his primary education from the public school
established by the Spanish government in his village, as part of the
establishment of the free public education system in the Philippines,
as he himself testified during his speech delivered in the House of
Representatives of the United States during the discussion of Jones
Bill, in 1914.[2] He later boarded at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran where he
completed secondary school.

In 1899, Quezon left his law studies at the University of Santo Tomas to join
the independence movement. During the Philippine–American War he was an aide-
de-camp to Emilio Aguinaldo.[3] He rose to the rank of Major and fought in
the Bataan sector. However, after surrendering in 1900 wherein he made
his first break in the American press,[4] Quezon returned to the
university and passed the bar examinations in 1903, achieving fourth
place.

He worked for a time as a clerk and surveyor, entering government

service as an appointed fiscal (treasurer) for Mindoro and later
Tayabas. He became a councilor and was elected governor of Tayabas in
1906 after a hard-fought election.
Family

Quezon was married to his first cousin, Aurora Aragón Quezon, on

December 17, 1918. The couple had four children: María Aurora "Baby"
Quezon (September 23, 1919 – April 28, 1949), María Zeneida "Nini"
Quezon-Avancena (born 1922), Luisa Corazón Paz "Nenita" Quezon
(February 17, 1924 – December 14, 1924) and Manuel L. "Nonong" Quezon,
Jr. (June 23, 1926 – September 18, 1998). His adopted grandson, Manuel
L. "Manolo" Quezon III (born May 30, 1970), a prominent writer and
current undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Development
and Strategic Planning Office, was named after him.
Quezon was a gifted pianist having impressing co- passenger Jan
Paderewski after he single-handedly taught a trans-Atlantic ship's
orchestra how to play the Philippine national anthem. He was also a
talented card player which furthered his reputation as one of the best
poker players in his lifetime and once played with Dwight Eisenhower(
unofficially known as the " Bridge Wizard of Manila).
Things That Manuel L. Quezon did
In 1909 Quezon was appointed resident commissioner for
the Philippines, entitled to speak, but not vote, in the U.S. House of
Representatives; during his years in Washington, D.C., he fought
vigorously for a speedy grant of independence by the United States.
Quezon played a major role in obtaining Congress’ passage in 1916 of
the Jones Act, which pledged independence for the Philippines without
giving a specific date when it would take effect. The act gave the
Philippines greater autonomy and provided for the creation of a
bicameral national legislature modeled after the U.S. Congress. Quezon
resigned as commissioner and returned to Manila to be elected to the
newly formed Philippine Senate in 1916; he subsequently served as its
president until 1935. In 1922 he gained control of the Nacionalista
Party, which had previously been led by his rival Sergio Osmeña.
Quezon fought for passage of the Tydings–McDuffie Act (1934), which
provided for full independence for the Philippines 10 years after the
creation of a constitution and the establishment of a Commonwealth
government that would be the forerunner of an independent republic.
Quezon was elected president of the newly formulated Commonwealth on
Sept. 17, 1935. As president he reorganized the islands’ military
defense (aided by Gen. Douglas MacArthur as his special adviser),
tackled the huge problem of landless peasants in the countryside who
still worked as tenants on large estates, promoted the settlement and
development of the large southern island of Mindanao, and fought graft
and corruption in the government. A new national capital, later known
as Quezon City, was built in a suburb of Manila.
Quezon was re-elected president in 1941. After Japan invaded and
occupied the Philippines in 1942, he went to the United States, where
he formed a government in exile, served as a member of the Pacific
War Council, signed the declaration of the United Nations against the
Fascist nations, and wrote his autobiography, The Good Fight (1946).
Quezon died of tuberculosis before full Philippine independence was
established.
First term (1935–1941)
In 1935, Quezon won the Philippines' first national presidential
election under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. He obtained
nearly 68% of the vote against his two main rivals, Emilio Aguinaldo
and Gregorio Aglipay. Quezon was inaugurated in November 1935. He is
recognized as the second President of the Philippines. However, in
January 2008, House Representative Rodolfo Valencia of Oriental
Mindoro filed a bill seeking instead to declare General Miguel
Malvar as the second Philippine President, having directly succeeded
Aguinaldo in 1901.
Government reorganization
To meet the demands of the newly established government set-up and in
compliance with the provisions of the Tydings-McDuffie Act, as well as
the requirements of the Constitution, President Quezon, true to his
pledge of "More Government and less politics", initiated a
reorganization of the government bodies. To this effect, he
established the Government Survey Board to study the existing
institutions and in the light of the changed circumstances, make the
necessary recommendations.
Early results were seen with the revamping of the Executive
Department. Offices and bureaus were either merged with one another or
outrightly abolished. Some new ones, however, were created. President
Quezon ordered the transfer of the Philippine Constabulary from
the Department of Interior, to the Department of Finance. Among the
changes in the Executive Departments by way of modification in
functions or new responsibilities, were those of the National
Defense, Agriculture and Commerce, Public Works and Communications,
and Health and Public Welfare.
In keeping with other exigencies posed by the Constitution, new
offices and boards were created either by Executive Order or by
appropriate legislative action. Among these were the Council of
National Defense, the Board of National Relief,
the Mindanao and Sulu Commission, and the Civil Service Board of
Appeals.
Social justice program
Pledged to improve the lot of the Philippine working class and seeking
the inspiration from the social doctrines of Pope Leo XIII and Pope
Pius XI, aside from the authoritative treatises of the world's leading
sociologists, President Quezon started a vigorous program of social
justice, which he traduced into reality through appropriate executive
measures and legislation obtained from the National Assembly.
Thus, a court of Industrial Relations was established to mediate
disputes, under certain conditions, minimizing the inconveniences of
the strikes and lockouts. A minimum wage law was enacted, as well as a
law providing for an eight-hour work day and a tenancy law for
the Filipino farmers. Another measure was the creation of the position
of Public Defender to help poor litigants in their court suits.
Commonwealth Act No. 20 authorized Quezon to institute expropriation
proceedings and/or acquire large landed estates to re-sell them at
nominal cost and under easy terms to tenants thereon, thus enabling
them to possess a lot and a home of their own. It was by virtue of
this law that the Buenavista estate was acquired by the Commonwealth
Government. Quezon also launched a cooperative system of agriculture
among the owners of the subdivided estates in order to alleviate their
situation and to provide them greater earnings.
In all these, Quezon showed an earnest desire to follow the
constitutional mandate on the promotion of social justice.
Economy
Upon the creation of the Commonwealth, the economic condition of the
nation was stable and promising.[9] With foreign trade reaching a peak
of four hundred million pesos, the upward trend in business was
accentuated and assumed the aspect of a boom. Exports crops were
generally good and, with the exception of tobacco, they were all in
high demand in foreign trade markets. Indeed, the value of the
Philippine exports reached an all high of 320,896,000 pesos, the
highest since 1929.
Additionally, government revenues amounted to 76,675,000 pesos in
1936, as compared with the 1935 revenue of 65,000,000 pesos. Even the
government companies, with the exception of the Manila Railroad,
managed to earn profits. Gold production increased about 37% and iron
nearly 100%, while cement production augmented by some 14%.
Notwithstanding this prosperous situation,[9] the government had to
meet certain economic problems besetting the country. For this
purpose, the National Economic Council was created. This body advised
the government in economic and financial questions, including
promotion of industries, diversification of crops and
enterprises, tariffs, taxation, and formulation of an economic program
in the preparation for the future independent Republic of the
Philippines.
Again, a law reorganized the National Development Company;
the National Rice and Corn Company (NARIC) was created and was given a
capital of four million pesos.
Upon the recommendation of the National Economic Council, agricultural
colonies were established in the country, especially in Koronadal,
Malig, and other appropriate sites in Mindanao. The government,
moreover, offered facilities of every sort to encourage migration and
settlement in those places. The Agricultural and Industrial Bank was
established to aid small farmers with convenient loans on easy terms.
Attention was also devoted to soil survey, as well as to the proper
disposition of lands of the public domain. These steps and measures
held much promise for improved economic welfare.
Agrarian reform
When the Commonwealth Government was established, President Quezon
implemented the Rice Share Tenancy Act of 1933. The purpose of this
act was to regulate the share-tenancy contracts by establishing
minimum standards. Primarily, the Act provided for better tenant-
landlord relationship, a 50–50 sharing of the crop, regulation of
interest to 10% per agricultural year, and a safeguard against
arbitrary dismissal by the landlord. However, because of one major
flaw of this law, no petition for the Rice Share Tenancy Act was ever
presented.
The major flaw of this law was that it could be used only when the
majority of municipal councils in a province petitioned for it. Since
landowners usually controlled such councils, no province ever asked
that the law be applied. Therefore, Quezon ordered that the act be
mandatory in all Central Luzon provinces. However, contracts were good
for only one year. By simply refusing to renew their contract,
landlords were able to eject tenants. As a result, peasant
organizations clamored in vain for a law that would make the contract
automatically renewable for as long as the tenants fulfilled their
obligations.
In 1936, this Act was amended to get rid of its loophole, but the
landlords made its application relative and not absolute.
Consequently, it was never carried out in spite of its good
intentions. In fact, by 1939, thousands of peasants in Central
Luzon were being threatened with wholesale eviction.
The desire of Quezon to placate both landlords and tenants pleased
neither. By the early 1940s, thousands of tenants in Central Luzon
were ejected from their farmlands and the rural conflict was more
acute than ever.
Indeed, during the Commonwealth period, agrarian problems
persisted. This motivated the government to incorporate a cardinal
principle on social justice in the 1935 Constitution. Dictated by the
social justice program of the government, expropriation of landed
estates and other landholdings commenced. Likewise, the National Land
Settlement Administration (NLSA) began an orderly settlement of public
agricultural lands. At the outbreak of the Second World War, major
settlement areas containing more than 65,000 hectares were already
established.
Educational reforms
Turning his attention to the matter of education in the country,
President Quezon by virtue of Executive Order No. 19, dated February
19, 1936, created the National Council of Education, with Rafael
Palma, former President of the University of the Philippines, as its
first chairman. Funds retained from the early approved Residence
Certificate Law were devoted to the maintenance of the public schools
all over the nation and the opening of many more to meet the needs of
the young people. Indeed, by this time there were already 6,511
primary schools; 1,039 intermediate schools; 133 secondary and special
schools; and five junior colleges. The total number of pupils enrolled
was 1,262,353, who were placed under the charge of 28,485 schools
teachers. That year's appropriation for public education amounted to
14,566,850 pesos. The private institutions of learning, for their
part, accommodated more than ninety seven thousand students, thus
considerably aiding the government in solving the annual school
crisis. To implement the pertinent constitutional provision, the
Office of Adult Education was also created.
Women's suffrage
President Quezon initiated women's suffrage in the Philippines during
the Commonwealth Era. As a result of the prolonged debate between the
proponents of women's suffrage and their opponents, the Constitution
finally provided that the issue be resolved by the women themselves in
a plebiscite. If no less than 300,000 of them were to affirmatively
vote in favor of the grant within two years, it would be deemed
granted the country's women. Complying with this mandate, the
government ordered a plebiscite to be held for the purpose on April 3,
1937.
Following a rather vigorous campaign, on the day of the plebiscite,
the turnout of female voters was impressive. The affirmative votes
numbered 447,725, as against 44,307 who opposed the grant.
National language
Another constitutional provision to be implemented by President
Quezon's administration dealt with the question of The Philippines'
national language. Following a year's study, the Institute of the
National Language – established in 1936 – recommended that Tagalog be
adopted as the basis for the national language. The proposal was well
received, considering that the Director – the first to be appointed –
at the time, Jaime C. de Veyra, was an ethnic Waray-Visayan.
In December 1937, Quezon issued a proclamation approving the
constitution made by the Institute and declaring that the adoption of
the national language would take place two years hence. With the
presidential approval, the Institute of National Language started to
work on a grammar and dictionary of the language.
Council of State
In 1938, President Quezon enlarged the composition of the Council of
State through Executive Order No. 44. This highest of advisory bodies
to the President was henceforth to be composed of the President,
the Vice-President, Senate President, House Speaker, Senate President
pro tempore, House Speaker pro tempore, Majority Floor leader of both
chambers of Congress, former Presidents of the Philippines, and some
three to five prominent citizens.
1938 midterm election
The Elections for the Second National Assembly were held on November
8, 1938, under a new law that allowed block voting which favored the
governing Nacionalista Party. As expected, all the 98 seats of the
National Assembly went to the Nacionalistas. José Yulo who was
Quezon's Secretary of Justice from 1934 to 1938 was elected Speaker.
The Second National Assembly embarked on passing legislation
strengthening the economy. Unfortunately the cloud of the Second World
War loomed over the horizon. Certain laws passed by the First National
Assembly were modified or repealed to meet existing realities. A
controversial immigration law that set an annual limit of 50
immigrants per country which affected mostly Chinese and Japanese
nationals escaping the Sino-Japanese War was passed in 1940. Since the
law bordered on foreign relations it required the approval of the U.S.
President which was nevertheless obtained. When the result of the
1939 census was published, the National Assembly updated the
apportionment of legislative districts, which became the basis for
the 1941 elections.
1939 plebiscite
On August 7, 1939, the United States Congress enacted a law embodying
the recommendations submitted by 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
August 24, 1939. The amendment was carried by 1,339,453 votes against
49,633.
Third official language
Quezon established the Institute of National Language (INL) to create
a national language for the country. On December 30, 1937, President
Quezon, through Executive order No. 134, officially
declared Tagalog as the basis of the national language of the
Philippines. The national language was compulsorily taught in schools
for the 1940-1941 academic year. The National Assemblylater enacted
Law No. 570 raising the national language elaborated by the institute
to the status of official language of the Philippines, at par with
English and Spanish, effective July 4, 1946, upon the establishment of
the Philippine Republic.
1940 plebiscite
Coincident with the local elections for the 1940, another plebiscite
was held this time to ratify the proposed amendments to the
Constitution regarding the restoration of the bicameral legislature,
the presidential term, which was to be fixed at four years with one
re-election; and the establishment of an independent Commission on
Elections. With the Nacionalista Party, which had proposed said
amendment in their convention, working hard under the leadership of
its party president, Speaker Jose Yulo, the amendments were
overwhelmingly ratified by the electorate. Speaker Yulo and
Assemblyman Dominador Tan traveled to the United States to obtain
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's approval, which was given on
December 2, 1940. Two days later President Quezon proclaimed the
amendments.
1941 presidential election
Quezon had originally been barred by the Philippine constitution from
seeking re-election. However, in 1940, constitutional amendments were
ratified allowing him to seek re-election for a fresh term ending in
1943. In the 1941 presidential elections, Quezon was re-elected over
former Senator Juan Sumulong with nearly 82% of the vote.
Second term (1941–1944)
War Cabinet 1941–1944
The outbreak of World War II and the Japanese invasion resulted in
periodic and drastic changes to the government structure. Executive
Order 390, December 22, 1941 abolished the Department of the Interior
and established a new line of succession. Executive Order 396,
December 24, 1941 further reorganized and grouped the cabinet, with
the functions of Secretary of Justice assigned to the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
In a notable humanitarian act, Quezon, in cooperation with United
States High Commissioner Paul V. McNutt, facilitated the entry into
the Philippines of Jewish refugees fleeing fascist regimes in Europe.
Quezon was also instrumental in promoting a project to resettle the
refugees in Mindanao while taking on critics who were convinced by
fascist propaganda that Jewish settlement is a threat to the country.
Government-in-exile
After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, he
evacuated to Corregidor, where he was formally inaugurated for his
second term, then the Visayas and Mindanao, and upon the invitation of
the US government, was further evacuated to Australia and then to the
United States, where he established the Commonwealth government in
exile with headquarters in Washington, D.C.. There, he served as a
member of the Pacific War Council, signed the declaration of the
United Nations against the Axis Powers, and wrote his
autobiography, The Good Fight.
To carry on the government duties in exile, President Quezon hired the
entire floor of one of the wing of the Shoreham Hotel to accommodate
his family and his office. On the other hand, the offices of the
government were established at the quarters of the Philippine Resident
Commissioner, Joaquin Elizalde. The latter was made a member of
President's wartime Cabinet. Others likewise appointed were Brigadier-
General Carlos P. Romulo, as Secretary of the Department of
Information and Public Relations, and Jaime Hernandez as Auditor
General.
On June 2, 1942, President Quezon addressed the United States House of
Representatives, impressing upon them the vital necessity of relieving
the Philippine front. Before the Senate, later, the Philippine
President reiterated the same message and urged the senators to adopt
the slogan "Remember Bataan". Despite his precarious state of health,
President Quezon roamed the States to deliver timely and rousing
speeches calculated to keep the Philippine war uppermost in the minds
of the American nation.
Talks of post-war Philippines
On the occasion of his first birthday celebration in the United
States, Manuel Quezon broadcast a radio message to the Philippine
residents in Hawaii, who contributed to the celebration by purchasing
four million pesos worth of World War II bonds. Further showing the
Philippine government's cooperation with the war effort, Quezon
officially offered the U.S. Army a Philippine infantry regiment, which
was authorized by the U.S. Department of War to train in California.
He also had the Philippine government acquire Elizalde's yacht, which,
renamed Bataan and totally manned by the Philippine officers and crew,
was donated to the United States for use in the war.
Early in November 1942, Quezon held conferences with President
Roosevelt to work out a plan for the creation of a joint commission to
study the economic conditions of post-war Philippines. Eighteen months
later, the United States Congress would pass an Act creating the
Philippine Rehabilitation Commission as an outcome of such talks
between the two Presidents.
Quezon-Osmeña Impasse
By 1943, the Philippine government-in-exile was faced with a serious
crisis. According to the 1935 Constitution, the official term of
President Quezon was to expire on December 30, 1943 and Vice-
President Sergio Osmeña would automatically succeed him to the
presidency. This eventuality was brought to the attention of President
Quezon by Osmeña himself, who wrote the former to this effect. Aside
from replying to this letter informing Vice-President Osmeña that it
would not be wise and prudent to effect any such change under the
circumstances, President Quezon issued a press release along the same
line. Osmeña then requested the opinion of U.S. Attorney General Homer
Cummings, who upheld Osmeña's view as more in keeping with the law.
Quezon, however, remained adamant. He accordingly sought President
Roosevelt's decision. The latter choose to remain aloof from the
controversy, suggesting instead that the Philippine officials
themselves solve the impasse.
A cabinet meeting was then convened by President Quezon. Aside from
Quezon and Osmeña, others present in this momentous meeting were
the Resident Commissioner Joaquín Elizalde, Brig. Gen. Carlos P.
Romulo, and his cabinet secretaries, Andrés Soriano and Jaime
Hernandez. Following a spirited discussion, the Cabinet supported
Elizalde's opinion favoring the decision, and announced his plan to
retire in California.
After the meeting, however, 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 has
been liberated. This legal way out was agreeable to Quezon and the
members of his cabinet. Proper steps were taken to carry out the
proposal. Sponsored by Senator Tydings and Congressman Bell, the
pertinent resolution was unanimously approved by the Senate on a voice
voteand passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 181 to 107 on
November 10, 1943.
Death
Quezon suffered from tuberculosis and spent his last years in
hospitals, such as at a Miami Beach Army hospital in April, 1944. That
summer, he was at a "cure cottage" in Saranac Lake, New York, where he
died on August 1, 1944. He was initially buried in Arlington National
Cemetery. His body was later carried by the USS Princeton and re-
interred in Manila at the Manila North Cemetery on July 17, 1946
before being moved to Quezon City within the monument at the Quezon
Memorial Circle on August 19, 1979.