Filipino hell, Quezon’s dream fulfilled
Quezon Day, observed on 19 August to honor Manuel L. Quezon, the first President of the Philippine Commonwealth, serves as a reminder to Filipinos that the former leader played a significant role in the chaos plaguing the government.
His famous, or rather infamous, quip, “I would rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans,” has been fulfilled.
With corruption scandals popping up like fruitcakes during Christmas dinner, Quezon’s wish for self-rule over a polished American colonial setup got the better of most Filipinos.
President Manuel L. Quezon’s final resting place is in a special area in the Quezon Memorial Circle, which is a landmark in the city named after him.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANALY LABOR AND Hulton-Deutsch Collection FOR DAILY TRIBUNE
Inauguration of Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon was held on the steps of the Legislative Building in Manila on 15 November 1935.
LAST photograph of President Manuel L. Quezon was taken in March 1944 while he was bedridden at his residence in Miami, Florida, USA. During this time, he presented the Congressional Medal of Valor of the Philippine Army to Major Emigdio Cruz.
