Quezon City

Quezon City, to the Northeast of Manila, has a population of more than 2.4 million. It is the largest city of Manila with approximately 1160 sq km. Founded by President Manuel L. Quezon in 1939 to house low-income families; it was built on land purchased from the Tuason family. Development was interrupted by the war but was resumed after 1945. Quezon City is named after a former President of the Republic who put through a law making it the new capital of the Philippines. It is well laid out, with beautiful avenues radiating in star-shaped patterns, and contains a number of government departments as well as the University of the Philippines, a huge campus on the American model which was founded in 1908; but it has failed to dethrone Manila, which recovered its historic status as capital under a law passed in 1976 by a Presidential Decree No. 940.

Here we can find some interesting places such as: The 14-storey City Hall is an imposing structure, located along the Circle. Surrounding the city hall are spacious parks and open areas; The Quezon Memorial, in the middle of a roundabout, is a prominent landmark, consisting of three pillars 30 m high; and the Araneta Coliseum, a large stadium which towers 220 feet and has a seating capacity of 32,000. The world heavyweight championship fight between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier took place here in October 1975.

Other features of Quezon City are the Philippine Heart Center for Asia, one of the world’s leading cardiological research centres; the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, the white-domed and egg-shaped structure, considered to be as one of the most advance atomic research centers in Asia; the Pangkat Kawayan (Singing Bamboos), an orchestra of young people between the ages of 8 and 18 who play bamboo pipes and other instruments; and along East Avenue is the interesting Museum of Philippine Life (Museo ng Buhay Pilipino), it houses furniture, woodwork, carved articles, etc. of yesteryears.