A city, a province, several towns, plazas, streets, avenues, and institutions have been named after President Manuel Luis Quezon, one of the great sons produced by the Filipino race. A study of the many accounts about President Quezon reveals the many traits that made him great.

He was a born leader. His words carried weight. He spoke authoritatively. Nobody dared challenge him because he was the acknowledged leader of the Filipino people. His records as Resident Commissioner to the United States (US), as President of the Philippine Senate, and as President of the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines show that he devoted his life to his country and people. He strongly believed that the upliftment of his people depended on a strong and vibrant economy.

As Resident Commissioner, he fearlessly opposed any measure submitted to the US Congress that was inimical to his countrymen and supported any measure that would be beneficial to them. When the Philippine Senate was created by virtue of the Jones Law of 1916, President Quezon emerged as the undisputed leader of his people. He proved to the American colonial authorities that the Filipino people could govern themselves.

President Quezon was an indefatigable and honest public servant. He championed the security, freedom, and independence of his countrymen. His devotion and loyalty to his country was equalled only by his devotion to his wife, Mrs. Aurora Aragon-Quezon. All these labors sapped President Quezon’s health. He died of tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, New York, on August 11, 1944.

Death ended President Quezon’s mortal life but not his legacies “unsurpassed by his predecessors as well as in the history of any nation. His administration was the most successful in the entire history of the Philippines. No executive had ever united the Filipino people as did President Manuel L. Quezon.”

On Sunday, we observe the 66th Death Anniversary of President Quezon. May the Filipino youth emulate the sterling loyalty, devotion, and patriotism of President Quezon to his beloved Motherland.