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MLQ Shrine declared as National Cultural Treasure

Inside the Quezon Memorial Shrine (Photo courtesy of NHCP)

The National Museum has declared the Manuel L. Quezon Memorial Shrine in Quezon City, under its Declaration No. 29-2020, as a National Cultural Treasure (NCT).

To merit such declaration as an NCT, a relic must possess “outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value that is of significance to the country,” according to the National Museum.

The highly valued cultural properties are indispensable in the understanding of the country’s history and culture, thus, they are to be preserved and protected by the state through the National Museum of the Philippines, it added.

Reacting to the declaration, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte thanked National Museum of the Philippines Director General Jeremy Barns. “This is a great honor for us as it reflects the colorful history and culture of Quezon City,” she said in a statement on Monday.

The Museum of the late Philippine Commonwealth President  Manuel L. Quezon is housed in the shrine, which was designed by architect Federico Ilustre, said the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

The shrine is located inside the 27-hectare Quezon Memorial Circle national park. It has an equilateral triangular base that serves as the mausoleum of President Quezon and his wife, Aurora Aragon.

“Surmounting the base are three pylons measuring 66 meters in height, representing Quezon’s age upon his death, and the three major islands of the Philippines. Above the pylons are Art Deco statues of three angels holding Sampaguita funerary wreaths sculpted by Italian artist Francesco Riccardo Monti,” the NHCP explained.

The museum also includes former President Quezon’s personal items and belongings including books, articles and documents, and photos from his youth until his death in 1944. It likewise  features interactive booths about him and his family.

The Quezon Memorial Shrine is the second NCT in the city after the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila at the Santo Domingo Church in Sta. Mesa Heights. 

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