Quezon Memorial Shrine
The tallest structure in the city, piercing 66 meters to the sky, is a fitting tribute to the founder of Quezon City and one of the country's greatest statesmen - President Manuel Luis Quezon. The monument, built in the center of the 27-hectare rotunda park, also boasts of two museums - one housing priceless Quezonian items and the other memorabilia of Quezon City mayors. The tomb containing the remains of this great man are laid to rest in a bronze casket and marble niche inside the Shrine.
Quezon Memorial Circle
A 26 hectare circular park located in front of the Quezon City Hall Building encircled by elliptical roads. Considered one of the country's premier landmarks, the site is a symbol of the people's gratitude for the First President of the Philippine Commonwealth and for whom Quezon City is named after. It is the spot marked out by President Quezon as the converging point of the principal government offices.
The Circle's development began with the signing of a tri-partite Memorandum of Agreement on February 28, 1989, among the Department of Tourism, the Quezon City National Parks Development Committee and the National Historical Institute. A master plan was drawn up by Arch. Francisco Maosa and Associates and implemented by the Quezon City Parks Development Foundation, Inc. headed by Atty. Charito L. Planas. The park is now a center for arts, culture, spiritual development, balanced ecology, physical development and sports.
Description borrowed from the article Quezon Memorial Circle, A Garden Shrine for Beloved Leader by Belle D. Fernandez
Cry of Pugad Lawin, Barangay Bahay Toro
A foremost Philippine historic site where Andres Bonifacio the Great Plebian and founder of KKK, a revolutionary society, launched the Philippine Revolution against the Spaniards in 1896. The uprising was called the "Cry of Pugad Lawin".
La Loma
A place in District 1 where Filipinos first fought the Americans during the Philippine-American War.
Quezon City Hall
An imposing 14-storey edifice where the new Philippine Constitution was signed in 1971. The building is the center of city government activities with the frontage beautified by the refreshing view of a man-made lagoon and a mini-park where garden/orchid shows are often held.
Tandang Sora Birth Site
The place where the house of Melchora Aquino stood. It was in this site that she took care of the wounded Katipuneros and provided them food and shelter. Known as “Tandang Sora” she was officially adopted "Heroine of Quezon City" by a City Council Resolution. She died at the age of 107 on March 12, 1919.
Mabuhay Rotunda
Originally called Welcome Rotunda, this towering structure was built in 1948, as designed by City Architect Luciano V. Aquino in the Office of then Mayor Ponciano Bernardo. On May 17, 1995, the 43 year old "Welcome" was renamed "Mabuhay" to symbolize the city's greetings to all who come to Quezon City.
University of the Philippines
The state-owned University, established in June 1908, is the country's institute of higher learning and considered the finest in the Far East. Sprawled over an area of 450 hectares, the university provides a cool ambiance amidst tall and ancient trees conducive to one's learning. Although a government entity, the university enjoys its own charter of independence from government and other external agencies. Its subsidy from the national government allows it to provide education at a very minimal cost to most students and a totally free education to the meritorious through an extensive scholarship program. Many famous Philippine leaders, artists, writers and professional had been in UP as students and/or teachers., it is still the center for the fermentation of ideas as well as for the training in various fields of knowledge.
Camps Crame and Aguinaldo
Two of the most important military headquarters where the 4-day rebellion started. It was here, on February 22, 1986 that Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and the Constabulary Commander and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Fidel V. Ramos were holed up with just one battalion of soldiers. Here, they announced their withdrawal of support from the Marcos Government. They waited Marcos' remaining loyalist troops to arrest them. But the attack never came, for what they thought to be their last grand gesture sparked a popular revolt, acknowledged as the People Power Revolution or the EDSA Revolution.
Goethe Institut (German Cultural Center)
A library and an audiovisual center that houses books, tapes, videos, CDs and CD ROMS on German / European literature, music, arts, history, geography, and general information about the Federal Republic of Germany ready to answer questions on various relevant German aspects of life.
General Lawton Monument
A memorial for General Henry Ware Lawton who met his fatal death on December 19, 1899 to the hands of the Katipuneros. This monument is found in the Municipality of San Mateo, now a part of Quezon City known as Barangay Bagong Silangan.
Araneta Center
A focus of infinite commercial establishments and one of the busiest business districts of Quezon City. It is home to the famous Ali mall Department Store, Farmer's Plaza, SM Department Store and Rustan's Superstore, ruling name in the commerce and trade industry of the Philippines. Alongside the shopping frolic visitors enjoy, the Fiesta Carnival provides a year-round of fun, amusement, recreation and entertainment to the public.
Araneta Coliseum
The world's largest covered dome (in the 60s) which towers 220 feet with a seating capacity of 36,000. It has a total land area of 185,000 sq. ft. and a diameter of 367 feet. The coliseum has staged various shows from the moment it captured the Philippines' first post-war world boxing title by the legendary Gabriel "Flash" Elorde. It also presented the classic "Fight of a Lifetime" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frasier in 1976. Also worth mentioning are the countless beauty pageants and basketball tournaments of national and international tones plus local shows ranging from musical concerts to athletic events.
Our Lady of EDSA Shrine
Built by the grateful Filipino people in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection and guidance during the people power EDSA revolution.
La Loma Cockpit
The cockpit is one of the biggest and possibly one of the oldest in the country. Founded in 1903 by Don Tomas Guison, the establishment is being supervised by the Guison heirs. It has been the site of cockfighting during Sundays and holidays. Tourists and local visitors complete the sojourn in the Philippines when they witness one of the typical native sports, locally known as "sabong".
Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center
Quezon City's zoologocial and botanical garden situated near the Quezon Memorial Circle is a haven for young and old nature lovers. The 80-hectare complex of wooden areas is conducive for picnicking or promenading. The park is equipped with children's playground, a 2.5 hectare man-made lagoon, fishing village, tea house, amphitheater, Our Lady of Peace Grotto, Rescue Center, Visitor's Center, Gazebo, and Craft Village.
Iglesia ni Kristo
A majestic structure of impressive Gothic-Moorish architecture, the Iglesia ni Kristo rests on a 4,000 sq. ,. Compound along Don Mariano Avenue (Commonwealth). Within this compound occupy the church's Central Temple; a museum and a gallery where the Iglesias' beginnings, culture, rituals and practice are exhibited; the tabernacle; a theological school for future ministers; and the administration office of the congregation.
Ateneo de Manila University Art Gallery
As the only museum in the country dedicated to the collection, preservation, display and interpretation of modern Philippine art, the Gallery is forced to communicate the richness and diversity of the art of our time.
As a university art museum, it seeks to animate cultural life on campus and to serve as an art resource for students as well as for the general public.
The Gallery holds over 500 artworks that include paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs and posters. The collection traces its roots to the late Fernando Zobel de Ayala (1924-1984). Painter, art, scholar and teacher at the Ateneo, Zobel donated over 200 artworks to form a study collection for university students. First housed in Bellarmine Hall in 1960, it moved to the ground floor of the Rizal Library in 1967, where it has remained since.
While the Zobel collection includes works of an earlier generation - notably Fabian dela Rosa and Fernando Amorsolo - it consists of paintings mostly by key postwar modernists, especially those who had exhibited in the now legendary Philippine Art Gallery of the 1950s and 60s. These include Manansala, Ocampo, Magsaysay-Ho, Luz, Navarro, Medalla, and Chabet.
The Gallery's fine prints and drawings consist of over 300 works by local and international artists from the Renaissance to the present. The etchings, engravings, woodcuts, lithographs and other graphic arts media represent over 80 artists, including Rembrandt, Goya, Delacroix, Toulouse-Lautree, Picasso and Sanso.
Through the years, other philanthropists and artist followed Zobel's initiative to donate works of art to the Gallery, filling gaps in the collection with characteristic pieces by Diosdado Lorenzo, Galo B. Ocampo and Nena Saguil among others. The collection now surveys every modern Philippine art movement in the postwar era from neo-realism and abstract expressionism to social realism and today's postmodern hybrid tendencies. Contemporary artists represented include Jose Tence Ruiz, Impy Pilapil, Julie Lluch, Anna Fer, and Alfredo Esquillo.
San Pedro Bautista Church
A parish church in San Francisco Del Monte considered as the second oldest church in the Philippines. The present site was acquired on February 15, 1950 through the initiative of Pedro Velasquez. It was originally a small chapel built out of bamboo and nipa from 1696 to 1699 and was renovated in 1932. It was named after Father Pedro Bautista, a canonized Saint who was buried inside the church.
Balara Filters Park
A 60 hectare property (almost as big as Rizal Park) dotted with vintage structures and statuary such as : an Italian Style Chapel, the Orosa Hall, an open ornamental summerhouse; the Escoda Hall, a white and red pavilion dominating the swimming pool complex; a colossal water tank; "Bernadine", a white statue of a nude water bearer on the fountain in the rotunda; the Worker's Monument commemorating the NAWASA employees who died in the construction of the filters; the Lion Head, a gaping maw for the filters' backwash water; a replica of the Carriedo Fountain of Sta. Cruz, Manila; A. Giddeon Playground; Baby Terrace named after First Daughter Zenaida Quezon; a 3,000 sq. m. elevated picnic ground with a 200 m. circumference oval; the Windmill Park; the Anonas Amphitheater. The prime movers behind the extensive rehabilitation and restoration of this park are the QC Government, the MWSS, and the Billion Trees Movement.
Jorge B. Vargas Museum & Filipiniana
Research Center
Houses the personal memorabilia of Jorge B. Vargas, the country's first Executive Secretary during the Commonwealth Period. He also bequeathed family portraits, trophies, a large number of stamps from 1890 to 1978, and coins from the Spanish colonial period to the second Philippine Republic. The art collection consists of oil paintings, watercolor, pastels, drawings and sculptures. It is the only art repository in the country embracing the entire range of Philippine artistic creativity from the 1880s to the 1960s.
The museum collection also comprises outstanding works by women artists, recognized masters of semi-figurative art, UP graduates of the 1950s and 1960s and editorial drawings, cartoons and caricatures. Through this collection, the Vargas Museum aims to contribute towards the appreciation of the country's artistic heritage and to foster an awareness of the history of Philippine art.
Aside from the personal papers and memorabilia of Mr. Vargas, the library has a collection of rare Filipiniana documents, papers, books, journals, photographs, scrapbooks and magazines from the 19th to the 20th century for general and specialist reference.
SSS Art Gallery
Located at the second floor of the Social Security System's Main Building, it was inaugurated during the SSS' 43rd Anniversary on September 1, 2000. It is the venue for budding artists and art professionals to express their artistry, exchange ideas and talents to further their craft. It is also a showroom of SSS' memorabilia through the years - a repository for SSS' past, present and future aspirations for its employees, members and their beneficiaries.
Eastwood City
Located at E. Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue, the hip and trendy Eastwood City Walk completes its concept of a convergent lifestyle with an exciting entertainment and dining hub. With an array of bars and dining spot for various tastes, a lush streetscape and ample parking space, City Walk gives people from nearby tawny villages and schools and yuppies at the Cyber parks all the reason to fill up and cool out. Enjoy a powerful lunch or a dazzling nightlife. Have fun or be fab. All at the heart of an emerging e-City, as City Walk wraps your senses with the heady, the delicious, the irresistible pulse of the good life.
Sto. Domingo Church
It was originally located in Intramuros, built by the Dominicans in 1588, then was relocated in its present site after the World War II. The church is home to the four-century-old image of Nuestra Seora del Santissimo Rosario or Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. The image venerated in Santo Domingo Church is always paraded in the elaborate October procession called "La Naval de Manila" and has been gifted with fabulous gowns and jewels because she is believed to have saved Manila from the Dutch invasion in the 17th century and to have protected the city ever since. The wake of slain opposition leader, Ninoy Aquino Jr., was held here.
Tomas Morato and Timog Avenue Tourist Belt Area
Quezon City has its own tourist belt, found in the once quiet district of Kamuning. Tomas Morato and Timog Avenues and a portion of Quezon Avenue are now dotted with luxurious and exquisite restaurants, disco houses, night clubs, sauna clinics, and other shops.
Amoranto Stadium
The stadium was built in honor of the former Mayor of Quezon City, Norberto S. Amoranto (circa 1954-1976). The stadium boasts of a track and field, a volleyball court, a tennis court and a swimming pool.
PAGASA Planetarium
The first planetarium in the Philippines, with 60 seating capacity, was established in 1955 at PAGASA Astronomical Observatory located at UP Campus, Diliman. It is equipped with a Spitz Planetarium projector capable of projecting 2000 Stars, the 5 visible planets, the Sun and the Moon.
As a result of a growing public demand for a much bigger planetarium, PAGASA acquired a new Minolta MS-8 projector in 1974, capable of projecting 3,550 stars, 5 major planets, the Sun and the Moon. It is housed in the new planetarium building located at PAGASA Science Garden, Agham Road, Diliman and has an 88 seating capacity. It was built in 1975, inaugurated in 1977 and was named after the former PAGASA Director, Dr. Casimero del Rosario.
Fernwood Gardens
A lush tropical garden paradise enclosed by a 40 feet high translucent :sky dome" covering that provides "rain-free" and "worry-free" parties. Only a 10-minute drive from Quezon Memorial Circle or from Quezon City Hall, this rainforest-type garden with lagoons, waterfalls, fountain, gazebo, a chapel, and an array of exotic birds and fish is a well-known venue for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
La Mesa Dam
A 2,700 hectare watershed adjacent to the Sierra Madre Mountain ranges straddling Caloocan City, Rizal, and Quezon City. It is the site for the filtration plant and reservoir which supplies water to Metro Manila residents.
Brass Memorial
The 45-foot-high handcrafted brass monument in figurative expressionist style was done by noted sculptor Ed Castrillo. The towering structure depicts a symbolic interplay of 3 figures familiar to those who were around during the martial law years - the martyred hero, the Philippine flag and Inang Bayan.
GMA Channel 7
Located at the corner of EDSA and Timog, and popularly known as the station "Where You Belong" and "Kapuso", GMA is home to quality entertainment, balanced and responsible news and public service programs. It is the country's first recipient of the George Foster Peabody Award.
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation
Located at Mother Ignacia St., cor. Sgt. Esguerra Avenue. it is the largest media broadcasting company in the Philippines. It airs its television broadcast on Channel 2 in Metro Manila and through its radio stations and 10 affiliate radio stations. ABS-CBN produces a wide variety of television programs - drama anthologies, sitcoms.
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute
Formerly the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission, it is the sole agency of the government mandated to advance and regulate the safe and peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology in the Philippines. It is one of the research institutes under the Department of Science and Technology. The Institute has been extending different kinds of specialized and allied nuclear services to business, industry, medical institutions, government and the academe.
Philippine Heart Center for Asia
The Heart Foundation of Asia along East Avenue in Quezon City is one of the city's prominent places of interest and is among the pet projects of the former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos. It is equipped with modern and sensitive cardiological instruments, facilities and laboratory especially designed to help those with heart ailments. The center is also intended to serve patients from other Asian countries. Heart specialists and surgeons all over the world graced the inauguration on February 14, 1975. With its coming into being, the Center projected the Philippines as one of the leaders in cardiac research and specialization in this part of the world.
Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park
This memorial park in Tandang Sora District is a tourist spot in its own right because of its magnificent landscape. The park includes the memorial of Melchora Aquino, more popularly known as Tandang Sora, one of the heroes of the Philippine Revolution and, officially, the Heroine of Quezon City. Another breathtaking sculpture monument here is that of Malakas and Maganda, the Philippines' own version of Adam and Eve.
Cultural Groups
Pangkat Kawayan
Otherwise known as the Singing Bamboos of the Philippines, is a unique youth orchestral marching band that draws exceptional music from unconventional bamboo instruments. It is a complete bamboo ensemble, believed to be the only one of its kind in the world and which produces standard music comparable to that of a symphony orchestra. It can also be a marching band.
The 3 sets of young musicians (ages range from 10-24 years) are composed of elementary, secondary and college students of Quezon City and Manila. The Orchestra is under the baton of Mr. Victor O. Toledo who is also the musical Director, composer, arranger, and instructor while the touring group, composed of 21 members, is under the supervision of tour leader Ms. Laura Gorospe and production coordinator Ms. Elena Carlos. The musical instruments of the Pangkat Kawayan, handcrafted from 6 of the 30 known species of the native Filipino bamboo instruments of various designs, shapes, and sizes, include the following; 72 musical tubes (bumbong) 3 marimbas (talunggating), 3 pianos (tipangklung) 10 Moslem-style xylophone (gabang), 20 musical rattles (alugtug), flute (tulali), clapper (bungkaka), musical knocker (kalatok), pipe (diwdiwas).
The orchestra plays a wide selection of musical pieces consisting of local and international folksongs and compositions, contemporary, and light classics.
Q.C. Symphonic Band
By virtue of the City Ordinance sponsored by former Q.C. Councilor Jose Paculdo, the Q.C. Brass Band was established in 1989 under the supervision of the Cultural and Tourism Affairs Office.
Its first live performance was on September 5, 1989 during the traditional flag-raising ceremony of the City Hall employees.
Originally composed of 59 playing members, the band has been giving performances for special occasions and events hosted by the city government, during fiestas in different barangays, and upon the invitation of private companies, non-government, civic and religious organizations.
On June 12, 1997, the band won the Best Conductor and the Best Band Awards in the Metro Manila Band Competition held at the Luneta Grandstand under the sponsorship of the Philippine Centennial Movement, MMDA Chapter.
It was on August 25, 1997, in celebration of Linggo Ng Wika, that the band became one of the guest performers in Dr. Feliciano's evening program aired on DWWW. This was followed by a series of concerts around Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Now popularly called the Q. C. Symphonic Band, the group is composed of 63 members including 2 band conductors - Mr. Wilfredo Cruz , Mr. Larry Barcelos and one assistant band conductor, Mr. Arnel Sevillano.
The Quezon City Performing Arts Development Program
The group was established in 1994 by the local government of Quezon City through the initiative of three of the country's most distinguished dance professionals in order to seek out gifted and artistically inclined children from among the city's marginalized sectors, and provide them with free training in the performing arts. Aside from developing their inborn talents and offering them a venue through which to express their artistic merits, the program endeavored to instill underprivileged children with a sense of self-worth, and inculcate in them the importance of discipline, hard work, proper conduct, and a philosophy of excellence.
In September 2001, the Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation, Inc (QCPADFI) was established to manage the city government's Performing Arts Development Program. Its Board of Trustees, comprised of noted individuals from the cultural and business sectors, represents an effort by the city's leadership to bring in the experience and skills of the private sector in order to set the agenda for the unconstrained expansion and development of the Program. Together with the City Mayor, the Foundation has crafted a holistic plan that strategically addresses the various concerns of the Program such as the technical and artistic aspects, recruitment and student development, outreach and audience expansion, financial matters, and community building.
The gifted scholars are taught ballet, modern dance, jazz and the country's folk dances. Since the program's inception, the children have entertained local and foreign audiences with their spirited performances.
Ateneo Glee Club
The first private collegiate chorale in the Philippines. Appointed conductor was Jose Mossessgeld Santiago, a 1911 Ateneo alumnus are a basso profundo who became the first Filipino to sing at La Scala de Milan.
In the early 50s, the hiatus between the Padre Faura and Loyola Heights eras was bridged by the revival group of Fr. James Reuter, S.J. Soon after this 7-year stint, Fr. Ruane and Prof. Sales gave the warblers their first laurels (2 first prizes and 1 second in a national competition in the 1960s); followed by Fr. Antonio Cuna's return to the choir.
The decades of the 50s, 60s and 70s produced alumni who made their marks in such fields as the arts, entertainment, business and politics. Notable among them were Domingo Siazon, Roman Cruz, Noel Trinidad, Subas Herrero, Leo Rialp, Morino Duque and Willy Cruz who formed the Ambivalent Crowd.
The Glee Club became a mixed chorus in 1974 under the hand of Noel Velasco who led the singers in winning numerous top prizes in the national contests as well as interscholastic tilts in Metro Manila.
It reached new heights in 1979 under the leadership of Joel Navarro. The Glee Club bagged the first prize in the NAMCYA in 1980 and was later transformed into a chorale of international statue. Among their triumphs were the first prize in Cantonigros, Spain and the fifth in Arezzo, Italy in 1983; and the Best Choir honors in Loreto, Italy and Nancy, France in 1989.
In 1990, under Eudenice Palaruan's baton, the Glee Club continued to perform around the country. When Palaruan was granted music scholarship in Berlin, the choir again came under the aegis of Navarro. A number of his proteges rose to prominence such as Angelique Lazo, Arnel De Pano, Dina Bonnevie, The Company and Trina Belamide.
The group's success is the result of its untiring efforts to strive for musical excellence while promoting Filipino culture, tradition and faith. The Glee Club became world champion when it embarked on a European Tour to marks its 79th Year as well as the Ateneo University's 140th Anniversary.
The Philippine Madrigal Singers
Tracing its beginning to 1963, are a group of students, faculty members and Alumni from the different colleges of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. The group is bound by a passion to sing and unite with a goal to raise choral singing in the Asian setting to the heights of the international art form that it is today. Their repertoire, spanning music from the Renaissance to contemporary periods, continues to enthrall music enthusiasts the world over, touching the hearts of ordinary men and women in an unforgettable experience that recognizes no race, gender or creed.
The Madrigal Singers first earned critical acclaim before a sophisticated music audience of the prestigious First Choruses of the World Festivals held at the Lincoln Center in New York in 1969. This Concert welcomed them to the international choral community, eventually paving their way into joining the most distinguished international choral competitions Spittal (Australia), Arezzo and Gorizia (Italy), Neuchatel (Switzerland), Debrecen (Hungary), Varna (Bulgaria), Tolosa (Spain), Marktoberdorf (Germany) in which they proudly spotlighted the Philippines on the world's cultural map.
Having more than 200 choral and vocal pedagogues graduate from its ranks, the Philippine Madrigal Singers have pioneered the Madz Et Al, the largest gathering of choral groups conducted by current members and alumni in a yearly festival that has become the longest lasting musical tradition of its kind in the Philippines.
The ensemble's mission and dedication in perfecting their art draws its inspiration and direction from the persevering and humble guidance of their founder and moving spirit - the internationally-acclaimed choirmaster Professor Andrea O. Veneracion, who was bestowed the highest honor given to a Filipino artist- the National Artists for Music Award.
Eastwood Citywalk (Libis, Quezon City)
Eastwood City features world-class city experience with its eclectic mix of restaurants, shops, services and entertainment. It offers al fresco dining with a grand selection of international cuisines, shopping until midnight, state-of-the-art cinemas and high quality live entertainment. Situated along C-5 Road in Quezon City, it is currently enjoying an upsurge in activity in its residential, office and commercial sections. It can be accessed from various vicinities including the Circumferential Road 5 (C5), Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), Industrial Valley, Rosario Bridge and the Quezon Avenue MRT Station. It is within the vicinity of leading universities, prime business districts and luxurious residences.
La Mesa Eco-Park (Quezon City)
A one-stop destination for fresh air, boating, swimming, hiking and picnics in East Fairview, Quezon City. The Eco-park spans 33 hectares, 10 of which is already operational. It lies within the La Mesa Watershed which measures 2,700 hectares and is straddled by Rizal Province, Caloocan, Marikina, and Quezon City.
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