Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi),
is the
most populous city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the city proper, cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or th ...
in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was founded on October 12, 1939, and was named after
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
, the
second president of the Philippines
The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...
.
The city was intended to be the
national capital
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the g ...
of the Philippines that would replace
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, as the latter was suffering from overcrowding, lack of housing, poor sanitation, and traffic congestion. To create Quezon City, several barrios were carved out from the towns of
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
,
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
,
San Juan and
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along t ...
, in addition to the eight vast estates the Philippine government purchased for this purpose. It was officially proclaimed as the national capital on October 12, 1949, and several government departments and institutions moved out of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and settled into the new capital city. This necessitated the expansion of the city northwards, carving out
Novaliches
Novaliches is a place that forms the northern areas of Quezon City, and encompasses the whole area of North Caloocan.
Etymology
The name Novaliches came from the name of the small village of Novaliches in the town of Jérica, Spain. It was ...
from Caloocan which divided it into two non-contiguous parts. Several barrios were also taken from
San Mateo and parts of
Montalban. However, on June 24, 1976, Presidential Decree 940 was enacted, which reverted national capital status to Manila while the whole of
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
was designated as the
seat of government.
Quezon City is known for its culture, entertainment industry and media, and is aptly called the "City of Stars". Major broadcasting networks have their headquarters and studios in the city. It is also known for its commerce, education, research, technology, politics, tourism, art and sports. Several national government branches including the
Batasang Pambansa Complex
The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...
, the seat of
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines ( fil, Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas, italic=unset, ''Kamara'' or ''Kamara de Representantes'' from the Spanish word ''cámara'', meaning "chamber") is the lower house of Congress, the ...
, calls the city home.
Quezon City is a
planned city
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
. It covers a total area of ,
making it the largest city in Metro Manila in terms of land area. It is politically subdivided into
Six Congressional Districts, which represents the city in the
Lower House of the
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, although colloquially the te ...
. The city has 142 barangays under the City Government. National government departments and agencies are mostly situated at the National Government Center I (NGC I) in Diliman, and the National Government Center II (NGC II) in
Batasan Hills
Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session ...
, where the
Lower House of the
Philippine Congress
The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, although colloquially the te ...
is located. Most of the city's northern part lies at the foothills of the
Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to:
Places and mountains Mexico
*Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona
*Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico
*S ...
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
, including the
La Mesa Watershed Reservation
The La Mesa Watershed Reservation is a protected area that preserves the only major watershed in Metro Manila, Philippines. Also known as the Novaliches Watershed, it contains the last remaining rainforest of its size in Metro Manila surroundi ...
, the largest watershed in Metro Manila and a designated
protected area.
History
Initial plans for a new capital city
![Manuel Quezon LCCN2011647833 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Manuel_Quezon_LCCN2011647833_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Before the creation of Quezon City, the land on where it would eventually rise was part of several towns such as
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
,
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
,
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along t ...
and
San Juan, all under
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
province until 1901 and
Rizal province from 1901 to 1975.
In the 1930s,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
's urban problems were apparent and problematic.
It lacks public housing, where thousands of the city's residents live in congested informal settler communities, especially in the central districts of
Binondo,
Intramuros
Intramuros (Latin for "inside the walls") is the historic walled area within the city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration with the help of the city government of Manila.
Present-day ...
,
Quiapo,
San Nicolas and
Tondo.
There are also problems in sanitation and traffic congestion.
The rise of slums in Manila gave rise to the development of its suburbs outside the city limits in the municipalities of
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.
Due to its location j ...
,
San Felipe Neri (renamed as Mandaluyong),
San Francisco del Monte,
San Pedro Macati, and
San Juan del Monte.
These towns became favorable to the upper and middle-class who wanted to escape the congested city but has economic links to it.
President
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
, aware of the problem besetting Manila, initiated housing projects called ''Barrio Obrero'' (''Worker's Community'').
These communities were established in various places in Manila such as
Avenida Rizal,
Sta. Cruz and Barrio Vitas,
Tondo.
However, the project failed miserably and these communities became slum areas.
Alejandro Roces Sr., a prominent Filipino author, was said to be influential in Quezon's vision to establish a new city.
Quezon dreamt of a city where the common people can live and thrive.
Roces suggested that a sizeable tract of land be purchased for this purpose.
However, the government had no available fund except for 3 million in the hands of the National Development Company (NDC).
In order to make Quezon's dream a reality and to mobilize funds for the land purchase, the People's Homesite Corporation (PHC) was created on October 14, 1938, as a subsidiary of NDC, with an initial capital of .
Roces was the chairman of the Board of PHC, and they immediately acquired the vast Diliman Estate of the Tuason family at a cost of 5 centavos per square meter.
PHC conducted topographical and subdivision surveys, and then subdivided the lots and sold them to the target buyers at an affordable price.
Its target users and beneficiaries are obviously Manila's working class, who are suffering from the shortage of affordable and decent housing in the capital.
The service of the Metropolitan Waterworks system was extended to site.
The Bureau of Public Works, then under Secretary Vicente Fragante, constructed the streets and highways within the property.
Quezon also tapped Architect
Juan M. Arellano to draft a design of the city.
![UP_Quezon_Hall_(Diliman,_Quezon_City)(2019-04-29)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/UP_Quezon_Hall_%28Diliman%2C_Quezon_City%29%282019-04-29%29.jpg)
Eight vast estates were acquired in order to create Quezon City: Diliman Estate , Santa Mesa Estate , Mandaluyong Estate , Magdalena Estate , Piedad Estate , Maysilo Estate and the San Francisco Del Monte Estate .
Quezon's goal to create a place for the working class coincided with the planned transfer of the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...
campus in Manila to a more suitable location, which became the precedents for the creation of Quezon City.
As early as 1928, the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...
(UP) had planned to expand by adding more academic units and constructing new buildings.
The university experienced increase in enrollment and its planned expansion was hampered by its small campus in Manila. The revised Burnham Plan of Manila envisioned the new campus to be located just outside Manila's city limits at 'the heights behind Manila'.
The UP Board of Regents informed Quezon of their desire to relocate the campus and he was supportive of the idea.
Furthermore, he wanted the facilities in the Manila campus to be used for government purposes.
In 1939, Quezon urged the National Assembly to enact UP's relocation and on June 8, 1939, Commonwealth Act 442 was passed, enacting the transfer of UP outside of Manila. A portion of Mariquina Estate, which was adjacent to Magdalena Estate, was chosen as the new site with an approximate area of 600 hectares.
Additional land from the Diliman Estate was also added as part of the new university campus.
Creation of Quezon City
With the development of the People's Homesite Corporation housing in the Diliman Estate and the creation of the new UP Campus, the creation of Quezon City was justified.
On October 12, 1939, Commonwealth Act No. 502, also known as the Charter of Quezon City, was passed by the National Assembly, which created Quezon City. Surprisingly, Quezon allowed the bill to lapse into law because he did not sign it.
The city was originally to be known as Balintawak City according to the first bill filed by Assemblyman Ramon P. Mitra Sr. from
Mountain Province, but Assemblymen
Narciso Ramos
Narciso Rueca Ramos (; November 11, 1900 – February 3, 1986) was a Filipino journalist, lawyer, assemblyman and ambassador. He was the father of former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos and Philippine Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani.
Early l ...
and
Eugenio Perez
Eugenio is an Italian and Spanish masculine given name deriving from the Greek ' Eugene'. The name is Eugénio in Portuguese and Eugênio in Brazilian Portuguese.
The name's translated literal meaning is well born, or of noble status. Similar d ...
, both from
Pangasinan, amended and successfully lobbied the assembly to name the city after the President in honor of his role in the creation of this new city.
The creation of Quezon City halted the full implementation of the Burnham of Plan of Manila and funds were diverted for the establishment of the new capital.
Several barangays from different towns were carved out to correspond to the estates that PHC bought for the creation of Quezon City.
The new city has an area of , and the barrios and sitios that were taken for its creation were the following: Bagubantay (Bago Bantay),
Balingasa
Balingasa, commonly known as Balintawak and Cloverleaf, is an administrative division in eastern Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is an urban barangay located in Quezon City, at the city's western boundary with Caloocan.
The barangay's borde ...
, Balintauac (Balintawak), Kaingin, Kangkong, Loma (La Loma), Malamig, Matalahib, Masambong, San Isidro, San Jose, Santol and
Tatalon
Tatalon is a Barangays of Quezon City, barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. According to 2015 Census, it has a population of 63,129 people.
History
Tatalon was originally a part of Caloocan but it was carved out of the city in 1939 pursuant to ...
, were taken from
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
; Cubao, Diliman, Kamuning, New Manila, and
San Francisco del Monte were taken from
San Juan; Balara,
Barranca (Barangka), Jesus de la Peña,
Krus na Ligas, Tañong and the site of the new
UP Campus were taken from
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
; and, the barrios and sitios of Libis, and Ogong (Ugong Norte) from
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along t ...
.
Commonwealth Act No. 659, enacted on June 21, 1941, changed the cities boundaries.
Under this law, the area of
Wack Wack Golf and Country Club
Wack Wack Golf and Country Club is a golf course and country club resort complex located in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
The complex features two 18-hole championship courses, landscaped terrains, gardens and villas.
History
Wack Wac ...
were to be reverted to
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
, and the barrios of lower Barranca and Jesus de la Peña were reverted to
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
. However,
Camp Crame
Camp General Rafael T. Crame () is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City. It is situated across EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo, the national headquarters o ...
was taken out of
San Juan and was given to Quezon City.
On 1939, in the year the city was established, it had a population of 39,103 people. The city in its early days was predominantly rural, but Quezon asked American Architect William Parsons to craft a master plan for the newly created city.
Parsons was the one who advise Quezon to locate the National Government Center in Diliman instead of Wallace Field (now
Rizal Park
Rizal Park ( fil, Liwasang Rizal, es, link=no, Parque Rizal), also known as Luneta Park or simply Luneta, is a historic urban park located in Ermita, Manila. It is considered one of the largest urban parks in the Philippines, covering an are ...
), due to the possibility of naval bombardment from
Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...
.
Unfortunately, he died in December 1939 and his partner Harry T. Frost took over and become the lead planner.
Frost arrived on the Philippines on May 1, 1940, and became the architectural adviser of the Philippine Commonwealth government.
Together with
Juan M. Arellano, Alpheus D. Williams, and Welton Becket, they created the
Master Plan for Quezon City which was approved by the Philippine government in 1941.
The
Frost Plan Frost Plan (also known as the Frost-Arellano Plan) was the popular name for the Plan of Quezon City, co-authored by Juan M. Arellano and Harry Frost, together with Alpheus Williams and Louis Croft. The plan was approved in 1941, two years after the ...
featured wide avenues, large open spaces and
roundabouts at major intersections.
The plan for major thoroughfares made by Louis Croft for the Greater Manila Area served as the backbone for the Plan of Quezon City.
The center of the city was a 400-hectare quadrangle formed by four avenues —
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
,
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
,
South and
East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
— which was designed to be the location of the National Government of the Philippines. At the northeast corner of the Quadrangle was a large roundabout, a 25-hectare elliptical site, were the proposed Capitol Building is envisioned to rise.
To make the city accessible, Quezon ordered Luzon Bus Lines to ply from Kamuning towards
Tutuban in
Divisoria
Divisoria is a commercial center in between Tondo and Binondo in Manila, Philippines known for its shops that sell low-priced goods and its diverse manufacturing activities. Tutuban Center is situated within the commercial hub along with a night ...
, Manila to provide transport for the city's residents. However, the fare was not affordable to minimum wage earners. Because of the city's unaffordable housing prices and lack of transportation for low income earners, the goal of creating mass housing for the working class was not met. Instead, those who opt to live in Quezon City were middle-class households such as in Kamuning, whose residents petitioned to rename it from ''Barrio Obrero'' (Worker's Community) to Kamuning (a type of tree that grows abundantly in the area) because its residents were not ''Obreros'' (Workers).
Japanese occupation and World War II
The Philippine Exposition in 1941 was held on the newly established Quezon City, but participants were limited to locals because of the increasing turbulence at the beginning of the Second World War.
Eventually, parts of Manila were bombed by the Japanese Imperial Forces in December 1941, bringing the war to the Philippines. On January 1, 1942, President Quezon issued Executive Order No. 400 as an emergency measure to form the
City of Greater Manila
The City of Greater Manila, also known simply as Greater Manila and sometimes Greater Manila Area (GMA), was a chartered city which existed during the World War II era. It was governed by the Commonwealth of the Philippines and was dissolved by ...
, with
Jorge B. Vargas as its designated mayor. It merged the city with
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and the towns of
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
,
Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
,
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
,
Parañaque,
Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.
Due to its location j ...
, and
San Juan. The mayors of these towns and cities served as the assistant mayor of their respective localities and were under the mayor of Greater Manila.
The City of Greater Manila was the basis for the formation of Metro Manila in 1975.
After
Imperial Japanese
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...
forces conquered the Philippines during the
Pacific War, the City of Greater Manila was reorganized in 1942 into twelve districts, two of which were formed by dividing Quezon City: Balintawak which consisted of San Francisco del Monte, Galas, and La Loma; and Diliman which was composed of Diliman proper, Cubao, and the University District. In 1945, the City of Greater Manila was dissolved by President
Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; 9 September 1878 – 19 October 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was vice president under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudd ...
, thus separating the cities and towns that were consolidated and regaining their pre-war status.
The area which formed the city was then governed by the
Philippine Executive Commission
The Philippine Executive Commission (PEC; Tagalog: ''Komisyong Tagapagpaganap ng Pilipinas'') was a provisional government set up to govern the Philippine archipelago during World War II. It was established with sanction from the occupying Imp ...
. On the same year, combined Filipino and American troops under the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
,
Philippine Commonwealth Army
The Philippine Army was established on December 21, 1935, as the Army of the Philippines, with a general headquarters in Manila, and units and formations based throughout the provinces of the Philippines.
The Philippine Army was initially org ...
, and
Philippine Constabulary
The Philippine Constabulary (PC; tl, Hukbóng Pamayapà ng Pilipinas, ''HPP''; es, Policía de Filipinas, ''PF'') was a gendarmerie-type police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Po ...
, with help from recognized guerrilla units, liberated and recaptured Quezon City in a few months, expelling Imperial Japanese forces. Heavy fighting occurred in
Novaliches
Novaliches is a place that forms the northern areas of Quezon City, and encompasses the whole area of North Caloocan.
Etymology
The name Novaliches came from the name of the small village of Novaliches in the town of Jérica, Spain. It was ...
, which at that time was within Caloocan, and New Manila which had been fortified. Smaller actions were fought at Barrio Talipapa and the University District.
Post-war years (1946–1972)
![Territorial changes of Caloocan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Territorial_changes_of_Caloocan.png)
On July 17, 1948, President
Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...
signed Republic Act No. 333 into law, making Quezon City the
capital of the Philippines
This is a list of current and former national capital cities in the Philippines, which includes during the time of the Spanish colonization, the First Philippine Republic, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the Second Republic of the Philipp ...
. The Act created the Capital City Planning Commission, which was tasked to develop and implement a masterplan for the city.
As the capital, the city was expanded northwards, and the barrios of Baesa, Bagbag, Banlat, Kabuyao,
Novaliches Proper
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
(''Bayan''/''Poblacion''), Pasong Putik, Pasong Tamo, Pugad Lawin, San Bartolome, and Talipapa in
Novaliches
Novaliches is a place that forms the northern areas of Quezon City, and encompasses the whole area of North Caloocan.
Etymology
The name Novaliches came from the name of the small village of Novaliches in the town of Jérica, Spain. It was ...
were taken from
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
. This territorial change caused the division of Caloocan into two non-contiguous parts.
Quezon City was formally inaugurated as the capital on October 12, 1949. President Quirino laid the cornerstone on the proposed Capitol Building at
Constitution Hills.
On June 16, 1950, the Quezon City Charter was revised by Republic Act No. 537, changing the city's boundaries to an area of . Exactly six years after on June 16, 1956, more revisions to the city's territory were made by Republic Act No. 1575, which defined its area as . However, according to the 1995 GIS graphical plot, the city's total area is , making it the largest Local Government Unit in
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
in terms of land area.
Martial law era (1972–1986)
During the dictatorship of
Ferdinand Marcos, the region of Metro Manila was created as an integrated unit with the enactment of Presidential Decree No. 824 on November 7, 1975. The region encompassed four
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and thirteen adjoining
towns
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
, as a separate regional unit of government.>
A year later, on June 24, 1976, Manila was reinstated by President Marcos as the capital of the Philippines for its historical significance as the seat of government since the Spanish Period. Presidential Decree No. 940 states that Manila has always been to the Filipino people and in the eyes of the world, the premier city of the Philippines being the center of trade, commerce, education and culture.
Concurrent with the reinstatement of Manila as the capital, Ferdinand Marcos designated his wife,
Imelda Marcos
Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictato ...
, as the first governor of Metro Manila, who started the construction of massive government edifices with architectural significance as she re-branded Manila as the "
City of Man
The ''City of Man'' was a re-branding campaign aimed to improve the image of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The name was in reference to a shortened version of the name of Manila, and the campaign was launched by the Governor of Metro Ma ...
".
On March 31, 1978, President Marcos ordered the transfer of the remains of President Quezon from
Manila North Cemetery
The Manila North Cemetery (Spanish: ''Cementerio del Norte'') is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, Philippines. The cemetery is owned by and located in the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropo ...
to the newly completed
Quezon Memorial Shrine
The Quezon Memorial Shrine ( fil, Pambansang Pang-alaalang Dambana ni Quezon, ) is a monument and national shrine dedicated to former Philippine President Manuel Quezon located within the grounds of Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, Metro M ...
.
It now houses the mausoleum where President Quezon and his wife Aurora Aragon Quezon are interred. It also contains a museum dedicated to President Quezon and his life.
Quezon City became the venue of a lot of resistance activity against the Marcos dictatorship, as youth and student demonstrators repeatedly clashed with the police and military which were subservient to the Marcos regime. The
Diliman Commune
The Diliman Commune was an uprising led by the students, faculty members, and residents of the University of the Philippines Diliman, together with transport workers, on February 1–9, 1971, in protest of the three centavo increase in oil pri ...
was the first of such uprising against the government, as the student, faculty members and residents of
UP Diliman
, image = University of The Philippines seal.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman
, motto = Honor and Excellence
, established = February 12, 194 ...
protested the three centavos increase in oil prices. It was preceded by the
First Quarter Storm
The First Quarter Storm ( fil, Sigwa ng Unang Sangkapat), often shortened into the acronym FQS, was a period of civil unrest in the Philippines which took place during the "first quarter of the year 1970". It included a series of demonstrations, ...
, a period of civil unrest mostly organized by students. During the
martial law era, a series of demonstrations, protests, and marches against the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos took place at various locations in the city.
![FvfBantayog0151_09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/FvfBantayog0151_09.JPG)
Among the prominent cases of abuse suffered specifically by Quezon City residents were the cases of
Primitivo Mijares
Primitivo "Tibo" Medrana Mijares (November 17, 1931 – disappeared 1977) was a Filipino journalist, author, war hero, and former press censor and propagandist. He was a reporter of the Philippines Daily Express, a newspaper in circulation duri ...
and his son Boyet Mijares, who lived in Project 6 at the time of their deaths.
On 1986, the
nonviolent
Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...
, led by
Corazon Aquino and
Cardinal Jaime Sin, occurred that ousted Marcos from power. Thousands of people flocked
EDSA
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citie ...
between
Camp Crame
Camp General Rafael T. Crame () is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City. It is situated across EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo, the national headquarters o ...
and
Camp Aguinaldo
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo (CGEA), also known as Camp Aguinaldo, is the site of the general headquarters (GHQ) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) located in eastern Metro Manila, the Philippines.
It is located in Quezon City alon ...
in a series of popular
demonstrations
Demonstration may refer to:
* Demonstration (acting), part of the Brechtian approach to acting
* Demonstration (military), an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought
* Demonstration (political), a political rally or prote ...
and
civil resistance against the Marcos government that occurred between February 22 and 25, 1986.
All of the three major monuments commemorating the Martial Law era are located in Quezon City.
[Claudio, Lisandro E. (2013), ''Taming People's Power: The EDSA Revolutions and Their Contradictions''. Ateneo de Manila University Press. ] The
People Power Monument and the
EDSA Shrine
The Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA, or more popularly, the EDSA Shrine is a small church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila located at the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Bara ...
were built in the city to commemorate the event, with the latter being a symbol of the role that the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
played in the restoration of democracy in the Philippines. The
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
The Bantayog ng mga Bayani (), sometimes simply referred to as the Bantayog, is a monument, museum, and historical research center in Quezon City, Philippines, which honors the martyrs and heroes of the struggle against the dictatorship of for ...
was constructed along
Quezon Avenue
Manuel L. Quezon Avenue, more often called as Quezon Avenue, or simply Quezon Ave (pronounced: ''Ke-zon-Av''), is a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila named after President Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines. The a ...
to honor the heroes and martyrs that struggled under the 20-year Marcos regime. The Wall of Remembrance at the Bantayog honors prominent figures during the martial law era.
Contemporary period (1986–present)
On February 23, 1998, Republic Act. No. 8535 was signed by President
Fidel Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
, which paved the way for the creation of the City of Novaliches by carving out the 15 northernmost barangays of Quezon City.
The voting process only includes the affected barangays, but then-city mayor
Ismael "Mel" Mathay Jr. lobbied to include the whole city. He also campaigned against the secession of Novaliches. In the succeeding plebiscite that was held on October 23, 1999, an overwhelming majority of Quezon City residents rejected the secession of Novaliches. Mathay was succeeded by
Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
Fernando Feliciano "Sonny" Racimo Belmonte Jr., Knights of Rizal, KGCR (born October 2, 1936) is a Filipino people, Filipino politician who served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the Fourth District of Quezon City from ...
, who served as the city mayor from 2001 to 2010.
In the
2010 local elections,
Herbert "Bistek" Bautista was elected as the city mayor. During his term, the
Quezon City Pride Council was established. It was the first
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
council in the Philippines. He also initiated numerous socialized housing projects called "Bistekville". Bautista was succeeded by
Maria Josefina "Joy" Belmonte in 2019, who has served as the Vice Mayor under his term and the daughter of former Quezon City mayor
Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
Fernando Feliciano "Sonny" Racimo Belmonte Jr., Knights of Rizal, KGCR (born October 2, 1936) is a Filipino people, Filipino politician who served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the Fourth District of Quezon City from ...
She was then reelected as City Mayor in 2022, after which the Quezon City People's Council was established. Under the Participation, Accountability and Transparency Ordinance, the council will serve as an umbrella for about 2,232 civil society organizations accredited by the city government as a means for more civic participation and as for the council to be the “eyes, ears and voice” of the city residents in the city government.
Since March 15, 2020, Quezon City has been
under community quarantine, which were introduced due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The strictest quarantine was from
March 17, 2020 – May 31, 2020, in response to the
ongoing pandemic in the city, which has infected more than 100,000 of the city's residents with more than 1,200 deaths.
No-contact apprehension policy
On July 1, 2022, the Quezon City government began fully implementing its
No Contact Apprehension Policy on several major roads in the city. As a result,
closed-circuit television cameras were installed on some intersections along
Quirino Highway
The Quirino Highway, formerly called the El Quirino Express Road or Ipo Road, is a four-to-eight lane, secondary highway that connects Quezon City to the municipality of Norzagaray in Bulacan, Philippines. The road is a designated as National ...
, E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue,
Aurora Boulevard
Aurora Boulevard is a four-to-ten lane major thoroughfare in Quezon City and San Juan in Metro Manila, Philippines. It was named after Doña Aurora Quezon, the consort of Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon. It is one of the major roads ...
, West Avenue (Quezon City), West Avenue, East Avenue (Quezon City), East Avenue, Kamuning Road, Kamias Road, and P. Tuazon Boulevard. Motorists that violate traffic policies would be sent a notice of violation by mail. This notice of violation is expected to be delivered within 14 days for city residents while non-residents are expected to receive their notices beyond the regular 14 days. Any traffic violations registered in the system can be checked from a dedicated website and its fines can be paid online.
However, the policy has been criticized by motorists due to several intersections that have unclear directives on the proper way to navigate them correctly. In particular, several motorists complained on social media after they were ticketed for turning "in the wrong lane" at the intersection of E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue and Gilmore Avenue, Quezon City, Gilmore Avenue, where the rightmost lane is cut in half by Quezon City's bike lane network.
Geography
![Quezon City Elevation Map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Quezon_City_Elevation_Map.png)
The geography of Quezon City is characterized by undulating terrain. The city is within the catchment area of five river systems – Marikina River, Pasig River, San Juan River (Metro Manila), San Juan River, Tullahan River and Meycauayan River – along with their creeks and tributaries with a total length of almost .
The city has an area of , according to the 1995 GIS graphical plot, making it the largest Local Government Unit (LGU) in Metro Manila in terms of land area.
Since its creation in 1939, the city's boundary were revised four times; the final revision was made thru Republic Act No. 1575, which placed the city's territory at .
Meanwhile, the Philippine Statistics Authority placed the city's land area at , based on data provided by the Land Management Bureau. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and Geoscience Australia on their study earthquake impact and risk assessment on the Greater Metropolitan Manila Area, the total area of Quezon City is at .
Quezon City is bounded by Rodriguez, Rizal, Rodriguez to the north,
Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
and
San Mateo to the east,
Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along t ...
to the southeast,
Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
and
San Juan to the south,
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
to the southwest, and
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan ( fil, Lungsod ng Caloocan; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most ...
and Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Valenzuela to the west and northwest. The city lies on the Guadalupe Plateau, a relatively high plateau at the northeast of the metropolis situated between the lowlands of
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
to the southwest and the Marikina River Valley to the east. The highest elevation in Quezon City is the northern tip of the
La Mesa Watershed Reservation
The La Mesa Watershed Reservation is a protected area that preserves the only major watershed in Metro Manila, Philippines. Also known as the Novaliches Watershed, it contains the last remaining rainforest of its size in Metro Manila surroundi ...
at above sea level. The Marikina Valley Fault System, West Valley Fault traverses the eastern border of the city.
Barangays and congressional districts
Quezon City is politically subdivided into 142 barangays. These barangays are grouped into Legislative districts of Quezon City, six congressional districts, with each district being represented by a congressman in the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of Representatives. Each congressional district has six City Councilors. The number of barangays per district is: District I, 37; District II, 5; District III, 37; District IV, 38; District V, 14; and District VI, 11; Although District II has the fewest barangays, it is the biggest in land area, including the Novaliches Reservoir.
*Quezon City's 1st congressional district, District I (2015 population: 409,962)
covers barangays Alicia, Bagong Pag-asa, Bahay Toro,
Balingasa
Balingasa, commonly known as Balintawak and Cloverleaf, is an administrative division in eastern Metro Manila, the Philippines. It is an urban barangay located in Quezon City, at the city's western boundary with Caloocan.
The barangay's borde ...
, Bungad, Damar, Damayan, Del Monte, Katipunan, Mariblo, Masambong, N.S. Amoranto (Gintong Silahis), Nayong Kanluran, Paang Bundok, Pag-ibig sa Nayon, Paltok, Paraiso, Phil-Am, Ramon Magsaysay, Salvacion, San Antonio, San Isidro Labrador, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Santa Teresita, Santo Cristo, Talayan, Veterans Village and West Triangle. It has an area of .
*Quezon City's 2nd congressional district, District II (2015 population: 688,773)
covers barangays Bagong Silangan,
Batasan Hills
Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session ...
, Commonwealth, Holy Spirit and Payatas. It is the most populous district in the country from 1987 to 2013, before it was partitioned and its northern part became the Quezon City's 5th congressional district, 5th District and its western part became the Quezon City's 6th congressional district, 6th District.
*Quezon City's 3rd congressional district, District III (2015 population: 324,669)
covers barangays Amihan, Bagumbuhay, Bagumbayan, Bayanihan, Blue Ridge A, Blue Ridge B,
Camp Aguinaldo
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo (CGEA), also known as Camp Aguinaldo, is the site of the general headquarters (GHQ) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) located in eastern Metro Manila, the Philippines.
It is located in Quezon City alon ...
, Claro, Dioquino Zobel, Duyan-Duyan, E. Rodriguez, East Kamias, Escopa I, Escopa II, Escopa III, Escopa IV, Libis, Loyola Heights, Mangga, Marilag, Masagana, Matandang Balara, Milagrosa, Pansol, Quezon City, Pansol, Quirino 2-A, Quirino 2-B, Quirino 2-C, Quirino 3-A, Saint Ignatius, San Roque, Silangan, Socorro, Quezon City, Socorro, Tagumpay, Ugong Norte, Villa Maria Clara, West Kamias and White Plains.
*Quezon City's 4th congressional district, District IV (2015 population: 446,122)
covers barangays Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Botocan, Central, Quezon City, Central, Kristong Hari, Damayang Lagi, Doña Aurora, Doña Imelda, Doña Josefa, Don Manuel, East Triangle, Horseshoe, Immaculate Conception, Kalusugan, Kamuning, Kaunlaran, Krus na Ligas, Laging Handa, Malaya, Mariana, Quezon City, Mariana, Obrero, Old Capitol Site, Paligsahan, Pinyahan, Pinagkaisahan, Roxas, Sacred Heart, San Isidro Galas, San Martin de Porres, San Vicente, Santo Niño, Santol, Sikatuna Village, South Triangle,
Tatalon
Tatalon is a Barangays of Quezon City, barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. According to 2015 Census, it has a population of 63,129 people.
History
Tatalon was originally a part of Caloocan but it was carved out of the city in 1939 pursuant to ...
, Teachers Village East, Teachers Village West, U.P. Campus, Quezon City, U.P. Campus, U.P. Village and Valencia.
*Quezon City's 5th congressional district, District V (2015 population: 535,798)
covers barangays Bagbag, Capri, Fairview, Greater Lagro, Gulod, Kaligayahan, Nagkaisang Nayon, North Fairview,
Novaliches Proper
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, Pasong Putik Proper, San Agustin, San Bartolome, Santa Lucia and Santa Monica. It is more commonly known as
Novaliches
Novaliches is a place that forms the northern areas of Quezon City, and encompasses the whole area of North Caloocan.
Etymology
The name Novaliches came from the name of the small village of Novaliches in the town of Jérica, Spain. It was ...
.
*Quezon City's 6th congressional district, District VI (2015 population: 531,592)
covers barangays Apolonio Samson, Baesa, Balon-Bato, Culiat, New Era, Pasong Tamo, Sangandaan, Sauyo, Talipapa, Tandang Sora, Quezon City, Tandang Sora and Unang Sigaw.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Quezon City has a tropical monsoon climate (Am). The city has a dry season from December to April, in which in turn, divided into cool and warm dry seasons, and a prolonged wet season from May to November that brings heavy rains in some areas.
The primary weather station of the city is located at the PAGASA Science Garden. It has been observed that extreme temperatures ranged from a record high of to a record low of .
[ The hot season was observed for 1.5 months, from April to May, with an average daily high temperature of . Meanwhile, the cool season lasts for 2.6 months, from November to February, with an average temperature of below .
About 20 typhoons enter the Philippines every year, affecting Quezon City and the rest of ]Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
. In recent years, heavy rainfalls from ''monsoon, Habagat'' (south west monsoon) became as destructive as typhoons, triggering floods and landslides which endangers the city's residents living near the riverbanks.
City districts
*Cubao: Located at the southern part of the city, Cubao is the home of the 35-hectare Araneta City, a mixed-use township development that contains prominent shopping malls such as Ali Mall, Farmers Plaza and Gateway Mall (Araneta Center), Gateway Mall and iconic landmarks such as the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Cubao Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao.
*Diliman: Diliman is located at the center of Quezon City, the place where the city was originally established. Named for the Tagalog language, Tagalog word for the medicinal fern species ''Stenochlaena palustris'', Diliman is where numerous national government offices are located, as well as prominent colleges and universities such as the University of the Philippines Diliman, Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Educational Foundation, FEU–FERN College, and New Era University. The Diliman Quadrangle, which is bounded by the North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
, West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
, South (Timog) and East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
Avenues is known for its massive hospitals and government edifices, bars, nightlife, and media. Several streets in South Triangle and Laging Handa were named in honor of the 22 Scouting, Boy Scouts who died in the United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (1963), plane crash ''en route'' to joining the 11th World Scout Jamboree. A memorial stands in the center of the roundabout at the intersection of Timog and Tomas Morato Avenues. The place was known as the ''Scout Area''. Major commercial broadcasting media and television networks such as ABS-CBN have their headquarters here. People's Television Network, PTV, Radio Philippines Network, RPN, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC, and Philippine Broadcasting Service, PBS also hold headquarters in Diliman.
*La Loma: La Loma is located the southwestern portion of the city. It has five barangays along the vicinity of its main streets: N.S. Amoranto Avenue (Retiro) and A. Bonifacio Avenue. The district is famed as the birthplace of many popular Filipino culinary figures and establishments especially devoted to the lechon. The nearby La Loma Cemetery is named after this place.
*Mariana, Quezon City, New Manila: New Manila is named after the City of Manila, since most of its residents are affluent families from the city who wished to escape the stress of living in the capital. It was formerly a part of San Juan before being carved out from its mother town to form Quezon City. Among its notable residents are the Hemady-Ysmael Family, the original landowner of New Manila, and Dona Narcisa de Leon, the matriarch of LVN Studios. It is also the birthplace of Eraño Manalo, the Executive Minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo, Second Executive Minister of Iglesia ni Cristo. New Manila is also known for Balete Drive, which a haunted place according to Filipino folklore where the spirit of a white lady haunts the road seeking help from passing drivers.
*Novaliches
Novaliches is a place that forms the northern areas of Quezon City, and encompasses the whole area of North Caloocan.
Etymology
The name Novaliches came from the name of the small village of Novaliches in the town of Jérica, Spain. It was ...
: Novaliches is the largest district in Quezon City, which made up almost all the northern portion of the city after Batasan Hills
Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session ...
. It contains the La Mesa Watershed Reservation
The La Mesa Watershed Reservation is a protected area that preserves the only major watershed in Metro Manila, Philippines. Also known as the Novaliches Watershed, it contains the last remaining rainforest of its size in Metro Manila surroundi ...
and its La Mesa Dam and Reservoir, Dam and Reservoir where most of Metro Manila's water supply came from. It was originally a part of Caloocan before being incorporated to Quezon City in 1948, when the latter was declared as the capital. Before the place was incorporated to Quezon City in 1948, Novaliches was already in the maps as early as 1864, having been organized by the Spanish as early as 1855, from the haciendas of Tala, Malinta, Piedad, and Maysilo. By 1856, it was its own municipality before being absorbed by Caloocan in 1901. Novaliches is still known by its historical boundaries. The whole of North Caloocan up to the banks of the Marilao River bordering Bulacan to the north, parts of the historic Polo section of Valenzuela, Metro Manila, Valenzuela to the west, and parts of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan to the upper reaches of Tungkung Mangga and the old Tala Leprosarium in the northeast and east, are still referred to as within the old enclave of Novaliches that many residents consider to this day.
*Project 1: Also known as Barangay Roxas or Roxas District.
*Project 2: Made up of barangays Quirino 2-A, Quirino 2-B and Quirino 2-C.
*Project 3: Made up of barangays Quirino 3-A, Amihan, Claro and Duyan-Duyan.
*Project 4: Located within the eastern area beside Cubao.
*Project 5: Also known as Barangay E. Rodriguez.
*Project 6, Quezon City, Project 6: Project 6 in Diliman is an affluent barangay which is known for hospitals such as the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), as well as the home of Philippine Science High School Main Campus. The Ombudsman of the Philippines, Office of the Ombudsman and the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center are located here.
*Project 7: Project 7 is made up of barangays Bungad and Veterans Village.
*Project 8: Project 8 is made up of barangays Bahay Toro, Baesa and Sangandaan.
* San Francisco del Monte: San Francisco del Monte was founded as a pueblo by Twenty-six Martyrs of Japan, Saint Pedro Bautista in 1590, is considered as Quezon City's oldest district. The original land area of the old town was approximately , including parts of Veterans Village, Project 7 and 8 and Timog Avenue. It is bounded by West Avenue on the east, Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue on the north, Quezon Avenue
Manuel L. Quezon Avenue, more often called as Quezon Avenue, or simply Quezon Ave (pronounced: ''Ke-zon-Av''), is a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila named after President Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines. The a ...
on the south, and Araneta Avenue on the west. It was originally a part of San Juan, before it was carved out of its mother town to form Quezon City. The district is made up of barangays San Antonio, Quezon City, San Antonio, Paraiso, Paltok, Mariblo, Masambong, Manresa, Damayan and Del Monte. SFDM featured a hilly topography with lush vegetation and mineral springs, in the midst of which the old Santuario de San Pedro Bautista was built as a retreat and monastery for Franciscan friars. The headquarters of Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC is located here.
*Santa Mesa Heights: Santa Mesa Heights is an affluent neighborhood where many middle-class and upper-middle-class families reside. It is mostly residential. It is the home to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Santo Domingo Church, National Shrine of Our Lady of La Naval. Prominent Catholic educational institutions such as the Angelicum College, Lourdes School of Quezon City, and St. Theresa's College of Quezon City are located here. During the Commonwealth Period, Santa Mesa Heights was considered as the ideal site for universities, located just outside the suburban city limits of Manila.
Cityscape
Architecture
The architecture of Quezon City varies greatly. It features wide variety of architectural styles such as Art Deco, art deco, Brutalist architecture, brutalist, International Style (architecture), international modern, Postmodern architecture, postmodern and the Contemporary architecture, contemporary style. The city also has numerous monuments and museums. When the city was created in 1939, Art Deco was the prevailing architectural style, moving forward from the colonial designs of Bahay na bato by the Spanish, and the Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical style by the Americans. The choice of designing buildings in contemporary international style was intentional to show that the Philippines was moving forward since it was anticipating independence in 1945.
The Quezon Memorial Shrine
The Quezon Memorial Shrine ( fil, Pambansang Pang-alaalang Dambana ni Quezon, ) is a monument and national shrine dedicated to former Philippine President Manuel Quezon located within the grounds of Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, Metro M ...
, which was built from 1952 to 1978, was designed in Art Deco style. It became the city's symbol and at its base was a museum and mausoleum dedicated to the late Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
and his wife Aurora Quezon, Aurora. When the city became the capital in 1948, a lot of government buildings transferred from Manila to Quezon City. Numerous government buildings were built during the terms of President Elpidio Quirino
Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953.
A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...
, Ramon Magsaysay, Carlos P. Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal and Ferdinand Marcos. However, it was only during the term of Marcos that began the ''filipinization'' of architecture. Numerous government hospitals in the city such as the Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Kidney Center of the Philippines were built and regarded as "designer" hospitals. Traditional Filipino design motifs were incorporated in government buildings such as the Batasang Pambansa Complex, Batasang Pambansa, which drew inspiration from the ''Nipa hut, Bahay Kubo'' and the ''Bahay na bato''. Most of the government buildings and structures built during the time of Marcos were associated with the "edifice complex" of the Marcoses.
Master Plans
In 1938, President of the Philippines, President Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
made a decision to push for a new capital city. Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
was getting crowded, and his military advisors reportedly told him that Manila, being by the bay, was an easy target for bombing by Naval artillery, naval guns in case of attack. The new city will be located at least away from Manila Bay
Manila Bay ( fil, Look ng Maynila) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Phi ...
, which is beyond the reach of naval guns. Quezon contacted William E. Parsons, an American architect and planner, who had been the consulting architect for the islands early in the American colonial period. Parsons came over in the summer of 1939 and helped select the Diliman (Tuason) estate as the site for the new city. Unfortunately, he died later that year, leaving his partner Harry Frost to take over. Frost collaborated with Juan Arellano, engineer A.D. Williams, and landscape architect and planner Louis Croft to craft a grand master plan for the new capital. The plan was approved by the Philippine authorities in 1941.
The core of the new city was to be a Central Park, about the size of New York City, New York's Central Park, and defined by the North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
, Timog Avenue, South (Timog), East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
and West Avenue, Quezon City, West Avenues. On one corner of the proposed Diliman Quadrangle was delineated a elliptical site, the focal point of the grand quadrangle. This was the planned location of a large Capitol Building to house the Philippine Legislature and ancillary structures for the offices of representatives. On either side of the giant ellipse were supposed to have been the new Malacañang Palace on North Avenue (site of the present-day Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Hospital), and the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Supreme Court Complex along East Avenue, Quezon City, East Avenue (now the site of East Avenue Medical Center). The three branches of government were to be finally and efficiently located in close proximity to each other.
Demographics
According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people, making it the most populous city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the city proper, cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or th ...
in the Philippines. As of the 2015 census, the population of Quezon City comprises 22.80% or of Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
's population. From a population of 39,013 people when the city was established in 1939, it tremendously grew and reached the one million mark in 1980 with a population of 1,165,865. It reached another milestone when the population reached the two million mark in 2000 with a population of 2,173,931. The city's population density is at 18,222 person per km, lower than Metro Manila's population density at 20,247 person per km. As of 2020, the city's most populous barangay is Commonwealth with 198,285 people, while the least populous was Quirino 3-A with 1,140 people.
As of 2015, the average size of a household in Quezon City is 4.3 members. It has a generally young population with an average of 28 years. Females comprise 50.71% (1,488,765) while males comprise 49.29% (1,447,351). The child and youth alone (0–30 years old) constituted more than half (58.78% or 1,725,832) of the city's total population.
Tagalog language, Tagalog, which is spoken natively by 46.78% of the city's population, is the most spoken language in Quezon City. Other minor languages are Bisayan languages, Bisaya/Binisaya (13.47%) followed by Bikol languages, Bikol (9.03%), Ilocano language, Ilocano (8.13%), Hiligaynon language, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo (4.34%), Pangasinan language, Pangasinan/Panggalatok (2.64%), Cebuano language, Cebuano (2.55%), Kapampangan language, Kapampangan (1.72%), Masbateño language, Masbateño/Masbateñon (0.57%), Boholano dialect, Boholano (0.51%) and other languages (10.23%).
Religion
Quezon City is a predominantly Roman Catholic city, with the religion being followed by about 86.25% of its population. The city is home to the seats of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao, Cubao and Roman Catholic Diocese of Novaliches, Novaliches. It is followed in size by various Protestantism, Protestant faiths, which have seen a significant increase in membership over recent decades and are well represented in Quezon City. The third largest religion is Iglesia ni Cristo, whose INC Central Temple, Central Temple and main office are located along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Commonwealth Avenue in New Era. Finally, a significant population of Quezon City belongs to the Islamic faith, the fourth largest religion in the city.
Protestantism has strong presence in Quezon City. Several Evangelical, Protestant and Charismatic churches have their main headquarters, churches, and seminaries in the city. The main headquarters of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) are located in the city. The Episcopal Church in the Philippines has its national office in Cathedral Heights, New Manila, including the National Cathedral of Saints Mary and John.
Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide (JIL) has many branches in the city. The church is currently building the JIL Cornerstone Central, a 12-storey, 5,000 seating worship center located in Balintawak. Jesus Miracle Crusade held its weekly service at Amoranto Sports Complex, with thousands of people in attendance. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has the Manila Philippines Temple and the Missionary Training Center located at Temple Drive, Green Meadows Subdivision in Ugong Norte. The Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Aglipayan Church) has three parishes located in the city: the Parish of the Crucified Lord in Apolonio Samson, Parish of the Holy Cross inside the University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Diliman Campus, and the Parish of the Resurrection in Balingasa. The Philippine Branch office of the Jehovah's Witnesses is located along Roosevelt Avenue, Quezon City, Roosevelt Avenue. The headquarters of the UCKG HelpCenter (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God) is located at the former Quezon Theater in Araneta City, Cubao. There are also numerous Members Church of God International (Ang Dating Daan) churches in the city.
Other churches that have their main churches in the city include Bread of Life Ministries International, The Church So Blessed, People of Grace Fellowship, Tabernacle of Faith International, and Word of Hope Christian Family Church.
Another faith in the city is Nichiren Buddhism, with many thousands of adherents attending worship services at Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Philippines' headquarters at Quezon Memorial Circle. The headquarters of Tzu Chi, Tzu Chi Philippines is also located in the city.
Poverty, housing and urban slums
As of 2013, there are 196,818 informal settler families in Quezon City living in 151,890 structures. 48,927 of these families live along waterways, danger areas, or right of ways.
The Quezon Task Force on Socialized Housing and Development of Blighted Areas (Task Force Housing) is the lead agency of the city government to address the needs of socialized housing within the city. It shall direct and coordinate various city departments to develop housing projects and for other community development related activities. The goal of the city's socialized housing program is to provide a safe, decent and sustainable home for the city's informal settlers and slum dwellers. The program involves the collaboration between different national and local government agencies, including the private sector. The flagship housing program of the city is the Bistekville communities, which started during the term of Mayor Herbert "Bistek" Bautista, a former actor who served as the city's mayor from 2010 to 2019. The housing projects were named after him. The naming was controversial to an extent, for it was considered a form of political ''epal'' because his name was affixed on a public works project. As of 2018, Quezon City has 37 Bistekville projects with 7,184 beneficiaries. Additionally, there are 960 housing units built by the National Housing Authority (NHA) in barangay Holy Spirit.
Economy
Quezon City is a hub for business and commerce, as a center for banking and finance, retailing, transportation, tourism, real estate, entertainment, new media, traditional media, telecommunications, advertising, legal services, accountancy, healthcare, insurance, theater, fashion, and the arts in the Philippines. The National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines which annually publishes the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI), ranks the cities, municipalities and provinces of the country according to their economic dynamism, government efficiency and infrastructure. Quezon City was the Most Competitive City in the country from 2015 to 2019 assuring that the city is consistently one of the best place to live in and do business. It earned the Hall of Fame Award in 2020 for its consecutive top performance. There are about 86,000 registered business in the city. As of 2019, Quezon City is the second richest city in the Philippines after Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
. The city's total asset stood at , while it has the biggest liability at ₱21.624 billion.
Information and communications technology
Quezon City bills itself as the Information and communications technology, ICT capital of the Philippines. Quezon City was the first Local Government Unit (LGU) in the Philippines with a computerized real estate assessment and payment system, which was developed in 2015 that contains around 400,000 property units with capability to record payments. The city has 33 ICT parks according to Philippine Economic Zone Authority, PEZA, which includes the Eastwood City Cyberpark in Bagumbayan, the first and largest IT Park in the country.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines has its headquarters in the city.
Media and entertainment
Quezon City is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the Philippines" and the "City of Stars", since it is where major studios located and most Filipino actors and actresses reside. To support the film industry, the city established the Quezon City Film Development Commission (QCFDC). The city also holds its own film festival, the QCinema International Film Festival, every October or November and showcases local and international films, documentaries, and short films, and gives grants to their creators.
Quezon City is home to the Philippines' major broadcasting networks. There are 11 local television networks, 6 cable TV, 7 AM radio stations, and 4 FM radio stations in the city. Major commercial broadcast network in the Philippines such as ABS-CBN and GMA Network have their headquarters in the city. From 1992 to 2013, TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5 had its headquarters in the city. It moved to Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
in 2013 although TV5's former Novaliches headquarters still serves as its alternate studios. Its transmitter in Novaliches is still being used and operated by the network. State-owned media and television network such as Radio Philippines Network, RPN, Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC and People's Television Network, PTV also have their headquarters in the city.
Minor/religious broadcasting companies in the city include Christian Era Broadcasting Service International, CEBSI (formerly CBS), DZCE-TV and Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, EBC (Net 25), which are all affiliated with Iglesia ni Cristo. UNTV (Philippines), UNTV is another minor/religious broadcasting network affiliated with Members Church of God International. Major broadcasting facilities in the city include the Net 25 Tower, the tallest Radio masts and towers, communications tower in the Philippines standing at , RPN's South Tower (), GMA's Tower of Power (transmitter), Tower of Power (), IBC's Central Tower (), TV5's Satellite Tower (), ABS-CBN's Millennium Transmitter (), the ABS-CBN's ELJ Communications Center, GMA Network Center, and the UNTV Broadcast Center. Formerly, the Broadcast City in Matandang Balara was once home to Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Radio Philippines Network (RPN) and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC).
Government
Quezon City is classified as a Special City (according to its income) and a Cities of the Philippines#classification, Highly Urbanized City (HUC). The Mayor of Quezon City, mayor is the chief executive, and is a member of the Metro Manila Council. The mayor is assisted by the vice mayor, who serves as the presiding officer of the 36-member Quezon City Council. The members of the City Council are elected as representatives of the four councilor districts within the city, and the municipal presidents of the Liga ng mga Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan.
The current mayor is Maria Josefina "Joy" Belmonte, who previously served as the city's vice mayor. The vice mayor is Gian Sotto, the son of President of the Senate of the Philippines, Senate President and former city vice mayor Tito Sotto and actress Helen Gamboa. The mayor and the vice mayor are term-limited by up to 3 terms, with each term lasting for 3 years. The mayor serves as the executive head that leads all the city's department in executing city ordinances and improving public services. The vice mayor, who serves a concurrent position as the presiding officer of the City Council, oversees the formulation and enactment passed by the council.
From its creation in 1939 up until 1959, the Mayor of Quezon City, mayors of Quezon City were appointed by the President. Norberto S. Amoranto was the first elected mayor, and was the city's longest-serving mayor, having served that position for 22 years.
The city observes Public holidays in the Philippines, regular and non-working holidays of the Philippines. The Quezon City Day, which was celebrated annually on August 19 by both Quezon City and Quezon, Quezon Province to commemorate the birth of Manuel L. Quezon, is a special non-working holiday.
National government
As the former capital, the city is the home to numerous government departments, agencies and institutions. The House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines ( fil, Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas, italic=unset, ''Kamara'' or ''Kamara de Representantes'' from the Spanish word ''cámara'', meaning "chamber") is the lower house of Congress, the ...
(Lower House), as well as the Executive departments of the Philippines, Departments of Department of Agrarian Reform, Agrarian Reform, Department of Agriculture (Philippines), Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Information and Communications Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense (Philippines), National Defense and Department of Social Welfare and Development, Social Welfare and Development calls the city home. Independent constitutional bodies such as the Commission on Audit (Philippines), Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman of the Philippines, Office of the Ombudsman, as well as special courts such as the Court of Tax Appeals and the Sandiganbayan are located in the city.
There are two National Government Centers (NGC) in the city. National Government Center I (NGC I) is located at Diliman Quadrangle, which is bounded by the North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
, South, East
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
and West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
Avenues. The proposed Capitol Building of the Philippines is supposed to rise at the site of the Quezon Memorial Circle, while the Executive Mansion was planned to be constructed at the present-day Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) and the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Supreme Court was supposed to rise at the present-day East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC). This is where the main offices of the Executive departments of the Philippines, Departments of Department of Agrarian Reform, Agrarian Reform, Department of Agriculture (Philippines), Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Human Settlements and Urban Development (including the National Housing Authority (Philippines)) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Interior and Local Government are located. Other government agencies located at NGC I are the Bureau of Internal Revenue (Philippines), Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas#Security Plant Complex, BSP Security Plant Complex, Land Registration Authority (Philippines), Land Registration Authority, Land Transportation Office (Philippines), Land Transportation Office, National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR/NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), PAGASA, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Social Security System (Philippines), Social Security System (SSS).
National Government Center II is located along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, Commonwealth Avenue, Batasan Hills
Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session ...
. It is where the Batasang Pambansa Complex
The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...
is located, whose site is supposed to be the national civic center and the focal point of the 1949 Master Plan. The Commission on Audit (Philippines), Commission on Audit (COA), Public Attorney's Office (PAO) and the Sandiganbayan are located here.
Sports
Sports in Quezon City have a long and distinguished history. Quezon City is the home to notable sporting and recreational venues such as the Amoranto Sports Complex, Quezon City Sports Club and the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The prominent boxing fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, which was known as Thrilla in Manila" was held at the Araneta Coliseum. It was renamed as the "Philippine Coliseum" for the event and the match was watched by over 1 billion viewers worldwide.
The city's, and in general the country's main sport is basketball, and most barangays have a basketball court or at least a makeshift basketball court, with court markings drawn on the streets. Larger barangays have covered courts where inter-barangay leagues are held every summer (April to May).
Quezon City is notable for its golf courses, such as the Veterans Memorial Golf Club and Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club, which operates on golf-courses owned by the national government. The Capitol Hills Golf & Country Club in Matandang Balara is a privately owned exclusive 18 hole golf course situated at the hills overlooking Marikina Valley. In the early days after the creation of the city, Greenhills was considered as part of it along with Wack Wack Golf and Country Club
Wack Wack Golf and Country Club is a golf course and country club resort complex located in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
The complex features two 18-hole championship courses, landscaped terrains, gardens and villas.
History
Wack Wac ...
, but the golf course was reverted to Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
.
The city is the home of the Philippine Basketball Association.
The Quezon City Capitals, the city's professional men's basketball team, plays at the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
The Araneta Coliseum hosted the final of the 1978 FIBA World Championship (now the FIBA Basketball World Cup). It will be once again be one of the venues for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Healthcare
The Quezon City Health Department is responsible for the public health of the city. Its headquarters is located at the Batasan Social Hygiene Clinic Building along Batasan Road, IBP Road, Batasan Hills
Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session ...
. There are 60 government and privately owned hospitals in the city. At present, there are three city-owned and controlled hospitals: the Quezon City General Hospital in Bahay Toro (Project 8), Novaliches District Hospital in San Bartolome, Novaliches and the Rosario Maclang Bautista General Hospital in Batasan Hills. Another city-owned hospital, the Visayas Avenue Medical Center is currently under-construction.
There are several hospitals operated by the national government such as the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), Quirino Memorial Medical Center and the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), which is operated by the Department of National Defense (Philippines), Department of National Defense. The national government also operates several specialty hospitals in the city such as the Lung Center of the Philippines, National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), Philippine Heart Center and the Philippine Orthopedic Center. There are two government-owned children's hospital in the city: the Philippine Children's Medical Center along Quezon Avenue
Manuel L. Quezon Avenue, more often called as Quezon Avenue, or simply Quezon Ave (pronounced: ''Ke-zon-Av''), is a major thoroughfare in Metro Manila named after President Manuel Luis Quezon, the second president of the Philippines. The a ...
, and the National Children's Hospital in E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue. The Armed Forces of the Philippines operates the Victoriano Luna General Hospital, V. Luna General Hospital (AFP Medical Center).
The city's healthcare is also provided by non-profit corporations, such as the Quezon Institute. There are numerous privately owned hospitals in the city, such as the Ace Medical Center, Bernardino General Hospital, Capitol Medical Center, Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center, De Los Santos Medical Center, Diliman Doctor's Hospital, the Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation Medical Center, J. P. Sioson General Hospital, St. Luke's Medical Center – Quezon City, UERM Memorial Hospital, United Doctors Medical Center, Villarosa Hospital and the World Citi Medical Center.
Education
The Schools Divisions Office of Quezon City (SDO) oversees the 97 public elementary schools and 46 public high schools within the city. The number of students enrolled in public schools across the city has increased over time, from an initial population of 20,593 elementary pupils and 310 high school students in 1950 to 258,201 elementary pupils and 143,462 high school students in the 2013–14 school year. With its large student population, Quezon City has the greatest number of public schools in the Philippines. As of 2015, five of the city's elementary schools and four of its high schools are among the 15 most populous public schools in the Philippines. The Quezon City Science High School (QueSci) was designated as the Regional Science High School Union, Regional Science High School for the National Capital Region since 1998. The city is the home of the Philippine Science High School Main Campus, Philippine Science High School, the top science school in the Philippines operated by the Department of Science and Technology (Philippines), Department of Science and Technology.
The Quezon City Science Interactive Center is regarded as the first of its kind science interactive center in the Philippines. The Quezon City Public Library (QCPL) operates 20 branches throughout the city, with its Main Library located within the Quezon City Hall Complex.
Higher education
Quezon City, along with Manila, is the center for education in the Philippines. There are two state universities within the city limits: the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Quezon City (PUPQC). The city-run Quezon City University (QCU) has established three campuses around the city: San Bartolome, San Francisco and Batasan Hills.
Private universities include the AMA Computer University, Central Colleges of the Philippines (CCP), Far Eastern University – FERN College, Kalayaan College, National College of Business and Arts (NCBA), the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP).
Quezon City hosts prestigious Catholic educational institutions such as the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), Immaculate Heart of Mary College, St. Paul University Quezon City, Saint Pedro Poveda College, Siena College of Quezon City and the UST Angelicum College. It is also the home to other sectarian colleges and universities such as the Evanglical Grace Christian College, Episcopalian-run Trinity University of Asia, and the Iglesia ni Cristo founded New Era University (NEU).
The presence of medical schools has made Quezon City a center of healthcare and medical education. These include Our Lady of Fátima University, Far Eastern University – Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, FEU Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, St. Luke's College of Medicine, Capitol Medical Center Colleges, and the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERMMMC).
Infrastructure
Transportation
Transportation in the city is purely land based. As of 2006, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, MMDA Traffic Operation Center revealed that the most dominant type of transport in the city is private transportation, accounting for 82.49% of the total volume, while public transport such as buses, and jeepneys and taxis make up 13.72%, followed by industrial and commercial vehicles (such as trucks and vans) at 3.79%. The Skyway (Metro Manila), Metro Manila Skyway is the only elevated Controlled-access highway, expressway passing through Quezon City, serving as a tolled connector between the North Luzon Expressway, North and South Luzon Expressways. The proposed Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (C-6 Expressway) will connect parts of Quezon City and will have its northern terminus at Batasan Hills
Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session ...
.
Famous modes of transportation in the city to get around are the jeepney, city buses and the UV Express, which follow fixed routes for a set price. All types of public road transport plying Quezon City are privately owned and operated under government-issued franchises. As of September 2020, the city has distributed 276 Motorized tricycle (Philippines), e-trikes in selected barangays in hopes of promoting energy efficient and clean technologies in the transport sector.
Railway systems
Quezon City is served by LRT Line 1 (Metro Manila), LRT Line 1 (LRT-1), LRT Line 2 (Metro Manila), LRT Line 2 (LRT-2), and the MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila), MRT Line 3 (MRT-3). LRT-1 runs along the northern portion of EDSA
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citie ...
(AH26/Circumferential Road 4, C-4), and ending at the North Triangle Common Station where it connects to Lines 1, 7 and the Subway. LRT-2 runs through Aurora Boulevard
Aurora Boulevard is a four-to-ten lane major thoroughfare in Quezon City and San Juan in Metro Manila, Philippines. It was named after Doña Aurora Quezon, the consort of Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon. It is one of the major roads ...
(Radial Road 6, R-6/N59 highway (Philippines), N59/N180 highway (Philippines), N180), connecting Quezon City to Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, San Juan, Marikina
Marikina (), officially the City of Marikina ( fil, Lungsod ng Marikina), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 456,159 people.
It is loca ...
, Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along t ...
, Cainta and Antipolo. MRT-3 runs through EDSA (AH26/C-4), linking Quezon City to the cities of Mandaluyong
Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people.
Loca ...
, Makati
Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.
Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
and Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 440,656 people.
Due to its location j ...
. Railway lines that are under-construction within the city are the MRT Line 4 (Metro Manila), MRT Line 4 (MRT-4), MRT Line 7 (Metro Manila), MRT Line 7 (MRT-7) and the Metro Manila Subway (MMS). The North Triangle Common Station, which will link Lines 1, 3, and the Metro Manila Subway, which is currently under construction at the intersection of EDSA
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, commonly referred to by its acronym EDSA, is a limited-access circumferential highway around Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. It passes through 6 of Metro Manila's 17 local government units or citie ...
and North Avenue, Quezon City, North Avenue.
Air
The city is served by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the south and Clark International Airport to the north. In the future, it will also be served by the upcoming New Manila International Airport located in the adjacent province of Bulacan. All are located outside the city limits.
Utilities
Water supply, power and telecommunications
Water services is provided by Maynilad Water Services for the west and northern part of the city and Manila Water for the southeastern part. The Novaliches-Balara Aqueduct 4 (NBAQ4), constructed by Manila Water, is the largest water supply infrastructure project in Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
. NBAQ4 measures long and in diameter, and the aqueduct has a capacity of 1,000 MLD (millions of liters per day). The La Mesa Dam and Reservoir is situated at the northernmost part of the city, covering an area of more than . The reservoir contains the La Mesa Watershed Reservation, La Mesa Watershed and La Mesa Ecopark, Ecopark.
Electric services are provided by Meralco, the sole electric power distributor in Metro Manila. As of December 2009, Meralco has a total of 512,255 customers within the city: 461,645 (90.1%) residential, 49,082 (9.6%) commercial, and 1,110 (0.2%) industrial. Street lights have 418 accounts. As of October 2019, the city has LED lamp, LED 26,776 streetlights.
With the liberalization of the telecommunications industry, the city benefitted by having more firms that offer telephone and internet services. At present, there are five telecommunication companies operating in the city: PLDT, Bayantel, Digitel, Multimedia and Eastern Telecommunications Services, Inc.
Domestic solid waste
The Payatas dumpsite was the largest landfill in Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the seat of government and one of three defined metropolitan areas in ...
. It was established in the 1970s on the Payatas, barangay of the same, located at the northeast part of Quezon City. The area where the landfill is situated used to be a ravine surrounded by farming villages and rice paddies. When the Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, was closed in 1995, people who resided and worked as scavengers there migrated to the Payatas dumpsite, establishing a squatter colony around the dumpsite. On July 10, 2000, the deadly Payatas landslide occurred, when large heaps of garbage dump collapsed on a nearby informal settlers' community and burned, killing between 218 and 700 people. Following the tragic collapse, Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 was passed, which mandates the closure of open dumpsites in the Philippines by 2004 and controlled dumpsites by 2006. In 2004, the Payatas dumpsite was reconfigured as a controlled disposal facility but it was closed down in December 2010. A separate dumpsite was established near the old open dumpsite in January 2011. The newer dumpsite closed in December 2017.
Sister cities
Asia
* Alicia, Isabela, Alicia, Philippines
* Banaybanay, Philippines
* Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
* Calasiao, Philippines
* Chiba (city), Chiba, Japan
* Cotabato City, Philippines
* Davao City, Philippines
* General Santos, Philippines
* Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, Guam
* Iloilo City, Philippines
* La Trinidad, Benguet, La Trinidad, Philippines
* Puerto Princesa, Philippines
* Pura, Tarlac, Pura, Philippines
* Roxas City, Philippines
* Sadanga, Philippines
* Shenyang, People's Republic of China
* Taipei, Taiwan
* Wao, Lanao del Sur, Wao, Philippines
* Yangon, Myanmar
* Yuci District, People's Republic of China
Americas
* Daly City, California, Daly City, California, United States
* Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, United States
* Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
* Maui County, Hawaii, Maui County, Hawaii, United States
* New Westminster, Canada
* Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
International relations
Affiliates
* Osaka, Japan (2018)
* Pyeongchang County, South Korea
Consulates
Notable people
See also
*Capital of the Philippines
*Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
*Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, (; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944), also known by his initials MLQ, was a Filipino lawyer, statesman, soldier and politician who served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 until his de ...
*Quezon, Quezon Province
References
Citations
Bibliography
*Quezon City Government, ''Milestones in History'', 2014.
Encyclopædia Britannica – Quezon City Topic
External links
*
Quezon City General Information
*[ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
*
{{Authority control
Quezon City,
Former national capitals
Cities in Metro Manila
1939 establishments in the Philippines
Populated places established in 1939
Planned cities in the Philippines
Populated places on the Marikina River
Highly urbanized cities in the Philippines