Rediscovering Quezon Memorial Circle

DIGGING UP THE CIRCLE

The Quezon Memorial Circle is a memorial park and a shrine located in Quezon City in honor of President Manuel L. Quezon and First Lady Aurora Quezon. The site was originally intended as the home of the Congress of the Philippines, but during the World War II, the plan was  aborted.

The Quezon Memorial Monument

Constructed in 1952, progress development was rather slow due to problems associated with the mismanagement of funds and cases of theft of construction materials.  The monument, designed by a Filipino architect Federico S. Ilustre, was a winning entry in a national contest being held for the purpose of designing the Quezon Memorial Project.  It consist of three vertical towers representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, 66 meters high and surmounted with sculptures of three angels holding wreaths of sampaguita.  The sculpture was made by an Italian sculptor named Monti. Underneath the tower is a two-storey structure containing a gallery from which visitors could look down at President Quezon's memorabilias and catafalque. The walls outside the gallery has stone carvings depicting early Filipino lives.

The catafalque where President Quezon's remains lies

In 1978, the monument was finally completed. President Quezon’s remains were reinterred in the memorial on August 19, 1979. During that time, President Ferdinand E. Marcos mandated the site as a National Shrine by virtue of a presidential decree.  On April 28, 2005, the remains of Mrs. Aurora Quezon, widow of the president, were solemnly reinterred in the memorial as well. The monument is now managed by the National Historical Institute while the Quezon City government administers the park.  It is the biggest monument in the country built to honor a Philippine president.

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I can't remember how many times I have been to Quezon Memorial Circle.  Being a family oriented person, I usually go there with my wife and my kids during weekends to give myself a break from the stress caused by a busy work schedule.  I started to write my first blog a week ago about the La Mesa Eco Park and since it is the nearest Philippine landmark where I live, I thought of writing another article, this time, about QMC.  Why not?  Quezon Memorial Circle is one of the best known landmarks here in Metro Manila, and spending my free time to write a blog about it would definitely be a good idea.

Saturday came, I woke up early and asked my wife if she could accompany me to the Quezon Memorial Circle to assist me in jotting down informations which I think would be significant to complete this article.  QMC is only 15 minutes away from our place, so we decided to just bring with us a notebook, a pen and a camera to take some photos. 

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CIRCLING THE CIRCLE

Generally, you need to pay entrance fees to visit a park, but Quezon City Circle is totally free of charge.  For those who would like to go there with a vehicle, there are ample parking spaces available within the Circle and they charge only P15 for private cars, P5 for motorcycles and P100 for buses.

A patio with food establishments will welcome
visitors who take the Quezon City Hall underpass.

There are two entrances, the first one is an underpass in front of the Quezon City Hall that will lead you to a patio of food establishments such as Max's Restaurant, Serye, Bacolod Chicken Inasal and Kamameshi (a restaurant that serves Japanese cuisine).  The place is a good venue for wedding, baptismal and other occassions because of its well-designed landscape.  The second entrance is also an underpass located near the gates of PHILCOA.  I guess this one is the main entrance because of its wide walkway and you can have a full view of the Monument while walking.

Full view of the Monument
from the entrance near PHILCOA

Contrary to some bloggers review, describing QMC as a low quality park because of its poor maintenance, (which I do agree after several visits), I was surprised to see some improvements within the Circle. Constructions were being set up and more picnic tables were added.  Before, you will find it difficult to look for one because the numbers are very limited and if you are early enough to get one, you will need to bring cleaning rugs to wipe the old and dirty picnic table.  But now, it is such a relief to see it clean and comfortable.  Garbage cans were also scattered everywhere in the place.

The Circle of Fun - Quezon City's mini version
of the Star City in Roxas Boulevard 

You can still see the old time park visitors' favorite, "The Circle of Fun".  It is a small carnival with different types of rides similar to the Star City in Roxas Boulevard. Since the last time we went there, it hasn't changed its entrance fees of P30.00. Children below 3 feet and senior citizens are free of charge. 

The children's playground known as "The Circle of Joy" still exist, but unfortunately,  the facilities are now old and not well maintained, a disgust for a parent like me to see my kids play in this type of playground.  Hopefully, the government of Quezon City has plans for its rehabilitation.  Added attractions were also present such as the zipline, go karts, paddled boats and the popular Fish Spa (an experience of having your feet tickled by small fishes). These new attractions are located across the children's playground.

Go! Go! Go Karts!

Place for boat paddling

The Zipline's starting point is located beside
the children's playground

For those who are interested to try these new attractions, here are the rates:

Zipline  

          

One Way : P100.00

Two Way: P150.00

Go Karts (20 minutes per ride)

AF Sport  : P50.00

Chopper  : P70.00

Explorer  : P60.00

Triker     : P40.00

Rocker    : P40.00

FXX         : P50.00

Cyclo      : P50.00

Boat Station (20 minutes per ride)

Pagoda       : P140.00 (5 persons)

Ducky         : P140.00 (5 persons)

Aqua Bike   : P80.00 (2 persons)

Swan          : P80.00 (2 persons)

Dolphin       : P120.00 (4 persons)

Paddle Boat :  (1 person)

For the Fish Spa, I regret that I wasn't able to get the rate because it was still closed when we get there and there are no signboards indicating how much it costs.

The Historical World Peace Bell

A closer look to the
World Peace Bell

Walking further, a small dome with a bell caught my attention.  Reading through the historical marker erected near the place, I learned that it was the World Peace Bell given to us  by the member countries of the United Nations as a symbol of our adherence for peace after the World War II. It weighs 365 kilos, 1.06 meter high and 0.64 meters in diameter.  It was turned over to the Philippines by the United Nations Executive Chairman, Tomihiro Yishida on July 1984. 

Covering over two hectares of land at the 
Quezon City Memorial Circle, the “Hardin ng Bulaklak” 
is touted to be the largest flower garden in Metro Manila.

Near the World Peace Bell is the "Hardin ng mga Bulaklak". It was a project of the City Government of Quezon City under the administration of Mayor Herbert Bautista, in collaboration with the Cactus & Succulent Society of the Philippines and the Philippine Horticultural Society.  It was inaugurated last August 19, 2011 during the 133rd Birth Anniversary of President Manuel L. Quezon. For unknown reasons,  the said garden is still closed for public viewing. 

I also saw a sign saying that the park is aimed at becoming a world class park as well as an amusement place for those who are under-privileged.  Kudos to Mayor Herbert Bautista who is likely serious in rehabilitating the park to reach its high standards.  I hope that this one would not be another case of a "ningas-kogon" mentality that normally practiced by some politicians to gain popularity.

FOOD FINDS AROUND THE CIRCLE

After a few rounds of taking photos and walking around, my wife and I decided to check out the newly opened Quezon City Farmer's Market that sells organic food. Compared to other markets, the one here didn't have that much to offer, but there were some stalls that caught my interest.

The newly opened QC Farmers Market

Malunggay snacks

First to catch my attention were these packs of Malunggay snacks that comes in chips and some seems to be like French Fries.  When we stopped here, the storeowner told us about the health benefits of Malunggay.  He also offered us a free taste of his iced tea flavored Malunggay juice, which in my opinion, tastes more than a salabat (ginger tea).  It was sold for P50 per bottle.  

My wife, posed as sole endorser for this Malunggay Juice :-)

After few  walks, I saw a stall selling seafoods.  I wasn't able to inquire how much they cost,  aside from it, they also sell organic vegetables and fruits.  I didn't brought with me extra money that day, so I didn't buy anything. I'm looking forward to come back here and buy myself a bottle of that Malunggay juice.

The Coconut House serves Filipino dish
with coconut as its main ingredient

Aside from the four restaurants mentioned earlier, it is great to see that a lot of new food kiosks arise to add enthusiasm for anyone's visit. There is also the newly opened restaurant, The Coconut House that offers variety of Filipino cuisines, with coconut as its main ingredient for their recipe. With more constructions ongoing, I won't be surprised to see Quezon Memorial Circle to be included among top visited food haven in Metro Manila in the near future. 

The Quezon Memorial Circle is still evolving, even more so now that the Quezon City government is giving tourism a push.  It brings a sense of home and a sense of progress.  This place is worth coming back to.