Quezon Memorial Circle
National park and mausoleum honoring President Manuel L. Quezon.
The Quezon Memorial Circle, often called the "Circle," is a national park in Quezon City, Philippines, located inside the large elliptical roundabout known as Elliptical Road. It serves as the city’s main park—Quezon City was the official capital of the Philippines from 1948 to 1976. The park’s centerpiece is a 66-meter (217-foot) mausoleum that holds the remains of Manuel L. Quezon, the country’s second president and first Commonwealth president, along with his wife, First Lady Aurora Quezon. The park will also become a key stop on the Manila Metro Rail Transit System, with a planned underground Quezon Memorial Circle station on MRT Line 7—though note that MRT Line 7 is a separate line under the Department of Transportation, not part of the original MRT system (which is MRT-3).
Originally, the site was meant to be the National Capitol, housing the Congress of the Philippines, as part of a larger National Government Center (NGC) that would consolidate the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The cornerstone was laid on November 15, 1940, but construction stopped due to World War II, leaving only foundations. After the war, President Sergio Osmeña issued Executive Order No. 79 in December 1945 to create the Quezon Memorial Committee, tasked with raising public funds for a memorial to Manuel L. Quezon. Former Quezon City Mayor Tomas Morato chose the site, opposing President Elpidio Quirino’s plan to relocate it—a dispute that led Morato to resign as congressman in 1949. In 1951, a national design contest was won by Filipino architect Federico Ilustre, whose plan included the monument, a presidential library, a museum, and a theater. The undeveloped grounds hosted a public mass by Pope Paul VI in 1970. After the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation (QCPDF) was established under Mayor Brigido Simon Jr. A tripartite agreement gave the National Parks Development Administration (NPDA) jurisdiction over the park’s 27 hectares (67 acres), while the Quezon Memorial Shrine stayed under the National Historical Institute. The NPDA then handed management to the QCPDF, which could generate revenue for upkeep. In the 1980s, Francisco Mañosa’s architecture firm created a master plan for the park. On July 1, 2008, after managing it since September 27, 1988, the QCPDF returned control to the Quezon City government. On January 23
- Location
- Quezon City, Philippines
- Established
- Cornerstone laid November 15, 1940
- Area
- 27 hectares (67 acres) under NPDA jurisdiction
- Centerpiece height
- 66 meters (217 ft)
- Architect
- Federico Ilustre
- Notable feature
- Mausoleum of Manuel L. Quezon and Aurora Quezon
Lore & Background
In 1951, a national contest was won by Filipino architect Federico Ilustre, whose design included the monument, a presidential library, a museum, and a theater. The undeveloped grounds hosted a public mass by Pope Paul VI in 1970. After the People Power Revolution in 1986, the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation was established, and through a tripartite agreement, the National Parks Development Administration gained jurisdiction over the park's 27 hectares, while the Quezon Memorial Shrine remained under the National Historical Institute. In the 1980s, Francisco Mañosa's architecture firm developed a master plan. Management was handed back to the Quezon City government on July 1, 2008. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the park provided makeshift dormitories for health workers and served as a testing site.
Reader's Guide
The Quezon Memorial Circle is significant as the main park of Quezon City, the former capital of the Philippines, and as the resting place of Manuel L. Quezon, a key figure in Philippine history. Its 66-meter shrine, designed by Federico Ilustre, is an art deco monument with three pylons topped by mourning angels representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, sculpted by Francesco Monti. The park has evolved from an unrealized capitol site into a multi-use urban space featuring museums—including the Presidential Car Museum and Bahay Modernismo—recreation areas like the Circle of Fun amusement park, gardens such as the Cactus and Succulent Garden, and the World Peace Bell. Its history reflects post-war nation-building, local governance, and adaptation to crises, such as its role during the COVID-19 pandemic. The park's ongoing redevelopment and planned MRT station underscore its continued importance as a civic and cultural hub.
Did You Know?
- The 66-meter height of the Quezon Memorial Shrine represents Manuel L. Quezon's age when he died from tuberculosis.
- The three mourning angels atop the shrine's pylons are clothed in traditional costumes representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
- The World Peace Bell at the park was donated by a Japanese organization and was inaugurated by President Fidel V. Ramos on December 10, 1994.
- On January 23, 2003, former New People's Army commander Romulo Kintanar was assassinated at a restaurant inside the circle.
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