A Visit to the Newly Restored Quezon Memorial Shrine

Quezon Memorial Shrine, Quezon City , Philippines

Quezon Memorial Shrine

It took over one year before i was able to set foot again inside the Quezon Memorial Shrine , We did some historical and heritage tour inside the shrine whenever there are special events like  orchid, horticulture , bonsai , cactus shows within the Quezon Memorial Circle ( QMC ) .

Three mourning angels which symbolizes the three main island group

The three angels represents Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao by Italian artist ,sculptor and professor Francesco Riccardo Monti.

I remember my first visit to the shrine in the early 1990’s as part of the school field trip , It was a bit dark and poorly lit inside the museum and it had some water seepage .

auto-visual presentation

Now, It is very conducive for education tours and those who wanted to know more about heritage and President Manuel L. Quezon lifeworks can be seen with a 7 minute audio-visual presentation.

life-size image

Some of the videos were taken from the United States archives . The area ( audio-visual area)  can accommodate between 60 to 100 people at any given time.

President Manuel L. Quezon room with executive desk , chairs and personal items

The museum and shrine is divided into 5 different galleries ,each gallery  tells a story from his childhood, commonwealth period, world war 2 , world recognition, his personal struggle and legacy .

Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon gallery

The gallery is a special tribute  to Mrs. Quezon with personal belonging such as traje de mestiza dress, bags, hat, matrimonial bed among other stuffs

an interactive podium with the 1935 commonwealth presidential seal 

It was again re-opened last August 19, 2015 by no less than President Benigno Simeon Aquino III in time for the 137th birth anniversary of the former president .

Security within the vicinity was strict during the celebrations. I was quite lucky to visit the place a little bit past noontime.

Malinta tunnel

The Malinta Tunnel is a tunnel complex built by the United State Army Corps of Engineer  on the island of Corregidor It was initially used as a bomb-proof storage and personnel bunker.  It was later converted into hospital .

marble sarcophagus

The base of the Quezon Memorial Shrine holds a large marble sarcophagus that contains the remains of Manuel Luis Quezon . On April 28, 2005, the remains of Mrs. Aurora Aragon Quezon, widow of the president, were solemnly re-interred in the memorial in a smaller sarcophagus .

Manila landmarks and buildings during the 1930’s as depicted in old postcards and photos

I was met by Ms. Janice M. Tambo– Shrine Curator II – of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines or NHCP who toured the author around the newly renovated shrine.  I was amazed with the change in the exhibits and how they modernized the shrine.

Quezon Memorial Shrine history

A compilation of colorized and re-rendered, historical photographs of President Quezon and his family is available in Flickr account.

These can be accessed collectively through this URL: www.gov.ph/quezonmemorial. social media accounts—Twitter and Facebook

Website: http://www.gov.ph/quezonmemorial/

Note : The shrine and museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00am until 4:00pm, For large groups- Try to book days or weeks in advance

Contact -264-23-25

Although there is no entrance fees,  any small token change or donation for the upkeep of the museum and shrine is accepted .

Columbus Monument in New York Postcard

Columbus Circle Monument Postcard

Columbus Circle Monument  was dedicated to Christopher Columbus and was created by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo.  The monument was erected as part of New York’s 1892 commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Americas. Constructed with funds raised by ll Progresso ,  a New York City-based Italian-language newspaper , the monument consists of a marble statue of Columbus atop a 70-foot (21 m)  granite rostral column granite  decorated with bronze reliefs representing Columbus’ ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. Its pedestal features an angel holding a globe.

The monument got some restoration works done in 2005.

This was given to me last year by Mr. Gene Tobias from the United States of America . He is a fellow postcard , orchid and plant enthusiast whom i met in an online facebook group.

He probably got them on an online auction site or some thrift shops in New York or New Jersey. The postcard was address to Miss Harriet M. Davis who lived in Boiceville , Ulster County in New York .

The postmark indicated that it was cancelled on November 9, 1904 and the letter was probably written in the morning same day – It was Wednesday. . The postcard sender might have written them using fountain pen . The stamp was a 1 cent Benjamin Franklin , the stamp was also used in some letters send to the Philippines as well as letters going out from the Philippines. The country is a US colony at that time and some stamps that were issued in the United States are also used in the country.

Looking at the handwriting and the strokes , the letter sender seems to be very passionate and caring. There is also a sense of some insecurities on the part of the letter sender.

In a short written note at the faceside -obverse of the post card .

WED A.M.

” Maud and I are coming down on the train to night, you meet us at the station. I have to go Shokan thursday to Exams . Lots to wee you.“

Remember year ago this lines – How is J. A.

Note: I would like to ” Thank” Mr. Gene Tobias for this marvelous historical postcard with more than 110 years ! Maraming, Maraming Salamat !!!!!

Those who wish to send me postcards , here is my postal address:

Mr. Rence Chan

c/o Filipinas Stamp Collectors’ CLub

P.O. Box 2986 Manila Central Post Office , Liwasang Bonifacio, Ermita , 1000, Manila , Philippines

Website : http://www.nyctourist.com/history1.htm