Spanish East Indies
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Manuel L. Quezon
Baler (El Principe, Tayabas), Spanish East Indies
Archival Overview
First President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines who championed the Tydings-McDuffie Act securing Philippine independence, created the national language (Filipino), and rescued over 1,200 European Jews.
Biographical Record
Manuel L. Quezon (1878–1944) fought as an aide-de-camp to Emilio Aguinaldo during the Philippine-American War before earning a law degree and serving as Resident Commissioner in Washington, lobbying tirelessly for the 1916 Jones Act and 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act.
Inaugurated first President of the Commonwealth in 1935, Quezon established Tagalog as the foundation of the national language and granted women's suffrage. Between 1937 and 1941, working with the Frieder brothers, Quezon opened the Philippines to Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany, issuing over 1,200 visas.
Key Life Milestones
First President of the Philippine Commonwealth
Inaugurated as first chief executive of the semi-sovereign Commonwealth of the Philippines.
Rescue of European Jewish Refugees
Issued Philippine entry visas to over 1,200 Jewish refugees fleeing Holocaust persecution.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialQuezon City (Metro Manila), Philippines