Quezon City

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Lore & Background

Quezon City was intended to replace Manila as the national capital because Manila was suffering from overcrowding, lack of housing, poor sanitation, and traffic congestion. To create the city, several barrios were carved out from the towns of Caloocan, Marikina, San Juan and Pasig, in addition to eight vast estates the Philippine government purchased. It was officially proclaimed the national capital on October 12, 1949, and several government departments and institutions moved out of Manila. This necessitated the expansion of the city northward, carving out Novaliches from Caloocan, which divided it into two non-contiguous parts. Several barrios were also taken from San Mateo and parts of Montalban. However, on June 24, 1976, Presidential Decree No. 940 was enacted, which reverted national capital status to Manila while the whole of Metro Manila was designated as the seat of government. The city was also chosen as the regional center of Southern Tagalog, which was created in 1965, along with the provinces of Quezon and Aurora; however, its status of regional center became ineffective when the region was divided into Calabarzon and Mimaropa through Executive Order No. 103 in May 2002 under the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Aurora was transferred to Central Luzon.

Reader's Guide

Quezon City is known for its culture, entertainment industry, and media, and is called the 'City of Stars'. Major broadcasting networks have their headquarters and studios in the city. Several national government branches including the Batasang Pambansa Complex, the seat of House of Representatives of the Philippines, call the city home. It covers a total area of 161.11 square kilometers (62.20 sq mi), making it the largest city in Metro Manila/NCR in terms of land area. It is politically subdivided into six congressional districts and has 142 barangays. National government departments and agencies are mostly situated in the first National Government Center (NGC) in Diliman and the second National Government Center in Batasan Hills, where the Lower House of the Philippine Congress is located. Most of the city's northern part lies at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range, including the La Mesa Watershed Reservation, the largest watershed in Metro Manila and a designated protected area. According to its 2023 estimated census, Quezon City had 3.1 million people and ₱1.27 trillion (US$93.8 billion) in its gross domestic product (GDP).

Did You Know?

• Quezon City was originally to be known as Balintawak City according to the first bill filed by Assemblyman Ramon P. Mitra Sr. from Mountain Province.
• President Manuel L. Quezon allowed the city's charter bill to lapse into law because he did not sign it.
• The city's creation halted the full implementation of the Burnham Plan of Manila, and funds were diverted for the establishment of the new capital.
• The La Mesa Watershed Reservation, the largest watershed in Metro Manila, is located in the city's northern part at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range.
• Quezon City is the only planned city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines.