Manuel L. Quezon

President of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944

Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina (August 19, 1878 – August 1, 1944) served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to be in charge of a government of the Philippines. Quezón is considered by most Filipinos to have been the second president of the Philippines, after Emilio Aguinaldo (1897–1901).


Manuel L. Quezón
2nd President of the Philippines
1st President of the Commonwealth
In office
November 15, 1935 – August 1, 1944
Vice PresidentSergio Osmeña
Preceded byAbolished (Last title held by Emilio Aguinaldo)
Succeeded byJosé P. Laurel (de facto)
1st President of the Senate of the Philippines
In office
August 29, 1916 – November 15, 1935
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byManuel Roxas
Senator of the Philippines from the 5th Senatorial District
In office
October 16, 1916 – November 15, 1935
Served with:
Vicente Ilustre (1916–1919)
Antero Soriano (1919–1925)
José P. Laurel (1925–1931)
Claro M. Recto (1931–1935)
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Secretary of National Defense
In office
July 16, 1941 – December 10, 1941
PresidentHimself
Preceded byTeofilo Sison
Succeeded byJorge B. Vargas
Resident Commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Philippine Islands
In office
November 23, 1909 – October 15, 1916
Serving with Benito Legarda
(1909–1913)
and Manuel Earnshaw
(1913–1916)
Preceded byPablo Ocampo
Succeeded byTeodoro R. Yangco
Majority Leader of the Philippine House of Representatives
In office
October 16, 1907 – November 23, 1909
As Majority Leader of the Philippine Assembly
Member of the Philippine Assembly from Tayabas' 1st District
In office
October 16, 1907 – October 16, 1916
Preceded byPosition Established
Succeeded byFilemon Perez
Governor of Tayabas
In office
1906–1907
Personal details
Born
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina

(1878-08-19)August 19, 1878
Baler, Tayabas, Spanish East Indies
(now Baler, Aurora, Philippines)
DiedAugust 1, 1944(1944-08-01) (aged 65)
Saranac Lake, New York, United States
Resting placeQuezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Political partyNacionalista Party
Other political
affiliations
Democratic Party
Spouse(s)Aurora Aragón
RelationsManuel L. Quezon III (grandson)
ChildrenMa. Aurora Quezon
Maria Zeneida Quezon-Avanceña
Manuel L. Quezon, Jr.
Luisa Corazon Paz Quezon
Alma materColegio de San Juan de Letran
University of Santo Tomas
ProfessionLawyer, Soldier
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/servicePhilippine Revolutionary Army
Philippine Commonwealth Army
Years of service1899–1900
1941–1944
RankMajor
Battles/warsPhilipine-American War
World War II

Quezón was the first Senate president elected to the presidency, the first president elected through a national election, and the first president to be re-elected. He is known as the "Father of the National Language".

During his presidency, Quezón addressed the problem of landless peasants in the countryside. He also reorganized the islands's military defenses, planned to reorganize the government, promotion of settlement and development in Mindanao, tried to end foreign control over Philippine trade and commerce, proposals for land reform and the tackling of graft and corruption within the government. Quezón set up a government-in-exile in the US when World War II started and the Philippines were threatened with a Japanese invasion. During his exile in the US, Manuel Quezón died of tuberculosis in Saranac Lake, New York.