161. QUEZON’S OPEN DOORS
My son, Jason Alexander, and I decided to commemorate the 144th birth anniversary
of the second President of the Republic who was also the first president of the
Philippine Commonwealth, Don Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (August 19,
1878-August 1,1944), by visiting his most well-known monument - the Quezon
Memorial Shrine (14°39′03″N 121°02′54″E) located within the grounds of the
Quezon Memorial Circle (QMC) in Quezon City.
On December 17, 1945, President Sergio Osmeña signed Executive Order No. 79
which created the Quezon Memorial Committee tasked to organize a nationwide
fund-raising campaign for the building of a monument dedicated to President
Quezon. In 1952, the Bureau of Public Works commenced the construction of the
monument and was completed in 1978.
Designed by Federico Ilustre, the 66-meter monument is composed of three
connected pylons and is located at the center of the QMC. An observation deck
is also present at the top of the structure which has a capacity of 60 people
which can provide a panoramic view of the city. A spiral staircase connects the
deck to the bottom of the structure. The columns are adorned with three
grieving bowed angels holding sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) wreaths with each of
them representing the three major island groups of the Philippines namely,
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each of the angels were given a traditional
clothing representing one of the three island group. The angel figures were
made by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti.
At the base of the Quezon Memorial Shrine is the Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon, a
museum that has a collection of relics and memorabilia related to former
President Manuel Quezon, as well as a mausoleum which houses the interred
remains of Quezon and his wife Aurora Antonio Molina Aragon-Quezon (1888-1949).
Among the other features of the museum is a hologram of Quezon delivering his
inaugural speech as president and interactive booths and terminals which edifies
visitors regarding the Commonwealth era. The museum also has an audio-visual
room where a short documentary on Quezon and the museum is screened, a
dedicated gallery to Quezon's wife, Aurora, and a replica of Manuel Quezon's
presidential office. It is interesting to note that the 66-meter height
represents the almost 66 years (18 days short) of Quezon on earth.
In the numerous accomplishments of President Quezon, two I consider most
significant are (1) establishment of the national language – Filipino, which we
celebrate this month and (2) the Open Doors Policy of the Philippine
Commonwealth Government in the 1930s that allowed Jews, who were fleeing the
Holocaust in Europe, to enter the Philippines as their safe haven.
A magnificent monument outside the Philippines immortalized Quezon and exalted
the Filipino as amatorious to fellow humans and to mankind. The Open Doors
Monument at the Municipality of Rishon LeZion located along the central Israeli
coastal plain eight kilometers south of Tel Aviv attests to the Israel’s
gratitude to the Philippines for opening its doors and saving over a thousand
Jewish refugees from the Holocaust. The memorial preserved the shared
friendship and relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the State
of Israel.
Filipino artist Luis ‘Junyee’ Yee, Jr. designed the three open doors in
increasing heights symbolize the humanitarian deeds and the courage of
Filipinos in welcoming the Jews in 1939. These open doors have triangular
patterns that represent the triangle of the Philippine flag. Beneath the
monument is the Star of David, a Jewish symbol composed of two overlaid
equilateral triangles that form a six-pointed star, to mark the close and
friendly relations between the Philippines and Israel. The light in the
monument signifies the sun ‘that brought hope and warm hospitality of the
Filipino people’ in welcoming the Jews. These Doors are painted brown to
symbolize the Malay race of the Filipinos.
Showcased in the Open Doors Monument are three footprints which belonged to
three different persons: George Loewenstein who was one of the thousands of
Jews who sought refuge in the Philippines in 1939; Max Weissler who was a
refugee from Germany and arrived in the Philippines in 1941; and Doryliz
Goffer, a Filipino-Israeli born in the Philippines who is a granddaughter of
Holocaust survivors. Her footprint represents the continuing friendship between
the Philippines and Israel.
In the Philippines, particularly in QMC, a monument which was designed by the
University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts highlighted three central
events in the shared history between the Philippines and Israel one of which
was the shelter and rescue of Jewish refugees from the holocaust by the noble
act of President Quezon through his “Open Door Policy” coupled by the open
hearts of the Filipinos. Israeli Ambassador (2014-2018) Ephraim Ben Matityau
said during the unveiling of the Philippine-Israel Friendship Park on the
occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Quezon in 2018; “As a result, 1,300
Jewish people were saved by this country from the Holocaust. 1,300 generations
were born ever since. Among them, many generations of Filipino families,
created by those refugees who decided to stay and call the Philippines home.
The descendants are making a real difference in this society and they are a
great bridge of friendship between our countries and Peoples. The Open Doors
Policy is one of the main pillars in our relations ever since.”
In the province of Isabela, two statues were erected for the great statesman -
Quezon. The first is at the town named after him, in the Municipality of
Quezon, Isabela. The monument was originally installed in front of the old site
of the municipal hall, now the Bureau of Fire Protection building. When a new
municipal edifice was constructed to replace the old one which was burned down,
the statue was transferred to the new site which is now the present site. The
Quezon monument faces the Santiago-Tuguegarao Highway.
The other Manuel Quezon statue can be found at the barangay compound of Quezon
in the Municipality of Naguilian, Isabela. The barangay was formerly a part of
the old municipal hall before the townhall was transferred to the national
highway. A statue of Quezon was erected alongside with our national hero, Dr.
Jose Rizal. Barangay Quezon is one of the barangays in the población of
Naguilian town.
On August 4, 1989, Republic Act 6741 declared August 19th of each year as a
special working holiday throughout the country and a special non-working public
holiday in the provinces of Quezon and Aurora and Quezon City. For a nation to
hail a departed leader through the naming of streets, barangays, towns, cities
and even island plus declaration of local and national holidays and being
printed on stamps, banknotes and coins, one surely contributed much to the
development of his country and the upliftment of the lives of his constituents.
President Manuel Quezon left us 78 years ago, also in the same as his birth
month - August, but his legacy is still fresh and will always remain in the
hearts not only of the residents of the City of Stars - Quezon City, the twin
provinces of Quezon and Aurora but of the whole Filipinos as well. We hope and
pray that another Quezon-like leader will emerge in this generation.
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