Born August 19, 1878

Mother, Maria Quezon, died of tuberculosis in 1893, after Manuel had graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, at San Juan de Letran College

Father, Lucio Quezon was robbed and murdered by bandits on his way home to Baler before the siege of Manila started.

When news of the outbreak of hostilities between the Americans and the Filipinos broke out on February 4, 1898, MLQ immediately joined the revolutionary army of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
-- stationed in Cabanatuan when the Aguinaldo Government moved there
-- asked to be sent out to the field; was sent to Gen. Mascardo in Porac,
Pampanga,
-- promoted to major by Col. Leysen and put in command of Major
Liraz's battalion when the later was hit by a shrapnel
-- plot to kill him was foiled
-- upon instructions of Gen. Mascardo, visited Aguinaldo in Malacañan
-- confined in a room at Intramuros, released, had a breakdown

Passed the bar, fourth place in 1903, practiced as an assistant attorney in the Ortigas law office, moved his own practice to Tayabas in October 1903.

Six months as Fiscal of Mindoro at P3,000/year; then promoted to Tayabas, where he successfully prosecuted Francisco J. Berry for estafa.

In 1906, was elected Governor of Tayabas.

With Osmeña and Sandiko, founded the Partido Independista Immediata, which merged with the Union Nacionalista to become the Partido Nacionalista, which advocated immediate independence.

Elected to the First National Assembly on July 30, 1907; floor leader and chairman of the committee on appropriations.

In 1909, opposed the Payne-Aldrich bill which reflected America's treatment of the Philippines as a "backward helpless country that was to be aided and fattened in spite of itself. It had become a profitable market for American goods, and the aspiration of its people to nationhood could be dismissed as unwise." The US Congress passed the bill nonetheless.

MLQ was elected Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the US. Arrived in Washington on December 24, 1909. On May 10, 1920, delivered his maiden speech on the floor of the US Congress, with some memorable lines:
-- "Despite it all, we still want independence."
-- " Moreover, large investments of American capital in the Philippines
will result in the permanent retention of the Philippines by the US."
-- "If the pre-ordained fate of my country is either to be subject people
but rich, or free but poor, I am unqualifiedly for the latter."

Called the "Patrick Henry of the Philippines"

August 16, 1916, on the Jones-Hitchcock bill (1st introduced in 1914), providing for a 24-seat elective Philippine Senate, with the right to confirm appointments made by the Governor-General, Quezon said: "Heretofore we have been the least and the last factor in Philippine affairs. Heretofore we shall be the first and more important factor. Heretofore things were done by the Philippine Government not only without the consent but on many occasions against the strong opposition of the Filipino people. Hereafter nothing will be done without our consent, much less in defiance of our opposition. This bill is a long and very decisive step toward the complete emancipation of the Filipino people." Bill was passed by the US Congress on August 29, 1916 and signed by Pres. Wilson.

Elected Senator of the 5th Senatorial District and President of the Philippine Senate. Denounced the electoral frauds in the Bicol region: "A thousand times better that the sixth district should not be represented than that it be represented by men placed upon their seats by the black hands of detestable criminals."

Opposed Governor Harrison's move to create new positions in the Philippine Constabulary: "It is the Legislature alone that has the power to create positions."

December 9, 1918: 1st Independence Mission to the US. Civil marriage to Aurora in Hong Kong, and church wedding on December 17, 1918 at Catholic Cathedral in Hong Kong. Through the years, had three children: Zenaida, Maria Aurora and Manuel, Jr.

Opposed the coastwise shipping bill, requiring all trade between America and the Philippines to be made exclusively in American ships: against the policy of independence, for it would increase Philippine economic dependence on US, would curtail the authority already given to the people, would be an indirect tax on the people without the consent of the Philippine Legislature.

1920: Republican candidate Warren Harding was elected US President.

February 17, 1922: formed the Partido Nationalista Colectivista. "My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins." June 6, 1922 elections: Quezon had majority in the Senate, but House had no Speaker

Fell ill with tuberculosis; confined at Pottinger Sanatorium in Monrovia. California.

December 1931: OsRox Mission supported the Hare Hawes Cutting Law; MLQ opposed it, as it called for retention of American military bases (okay to naval bases). HHC became law on January 17, 1933, but MLQ stood against it and swayed the Philippine Legislature and majority of Provincial Governors onto his side. Had Roxas deposed as House Speaker and Osmeña as Senate President Pro-Tempore.

November 19, 1933, Quezon headed another mission to the US. On March 24, 1934, the Tydings-McDuffie Law was passed.

July 10, 1934 Con-Con elections; Recto as President. February 8, 1935, Constitution was approved 177:1. May 14, 1935, ratification of the Constitution by the Filipino people.

1st President of the Commonwealth after September 17, 1935 elections. Inauguration of Government on November 15, 1935. "We shall build a government that will be just, honest, efficient and strong, so that the foundations of the coming Republic may be firm and enduring - a government, indeed, that must satisfy not only the passing needs of the hour but also the exacting demands of the future."

Passed the 1st minimum wage law in 1937.

November 11, 1941, reelected as President.

June 14, 1942, on behalf of the Philippines signed the UN Declaration, and the Philippine flag was raised alongside the flags of other nations. Osmeña: Under the leadership of President Quezon, the government of the Commonwealth functioned in Washington not only with the recognition of the US but of the other nations with which American is allied in this war. The Commonwealth, in a word, acquired an advanced political status because, anticipating the promised recognition of our independence, the American government has taken the steps to invest us with international personality. We were admitted to membership in the United Nations, and we were accorded a seat in the Pacific War Council.

MLQ secured US people's interest in the Philippine/Pacific affairs.

Died 10:05 a.m., August 1, 1944, at Saranac Lake, NY, in the Adirondack mountains.

Gen. MacArthur said of Quezon: "Of all men of all time, none more truly merited the appellation of patriot-statesman. Few could, as he, replace the uniform of soldier with the mantle of statecraft, yet maintain with voice and pen in undiminished vigor the crusading fight in the self-same cause for which he had fought by the violence of arms."

"Father of the Philippine Republic."

EPITAPH on MLQ Tomb

Statesman and Patriot,
Lover of Freedom,
Advocate of Social Justice,
Beloved of His People