Manuel Luis Quezon MonumentManuel Luis Quezon Monument is a Registered Property, Province of Quezon located at Lucena City, Highly Urbanized City, Region IV-A.
The Manuel L. Quezon monument is actually made from twelve sacks of one centavo coins that were manufactured by the US Government and was used during the Commonwealth Period before World War II. These one centavo coins were donated by public elementary students from all over Tayabas Province (the former name of Quezon Province).
The Quezon monument was erected in 1954 along with the marble wall that contains President Quezon’s message to the people. It was inaugurated on August 19, 1955 by President Ramon Magsaysay during the celebration of the 77th birth anniversary of President Quezon. Below is a copy of the inscription on the marble wall behind Quezon’s Monument entitled “Message to My People”
"Message to My People
Manuel L. Quezon
My fellow citizens: there is one thought which I want you to have in mind, and that is, that you are Filipinos. That the Philippines is your country, and the only country God has given you. That you must keep it for yourselves, for your children, and for your children’s children, until the world is no more and that you must live for it, and die for it, if necessary.
Your country is a great country. It has a great past, a great present, and a great future.
The Philippines of yesterday are consecrated by the sacrifices of lives and pleasure of your patriots, martyrs, and soldiers.
The Philippines of today is honored by the wholehearted devotion to its cause of unselfish and courageous
statesmen.
The Philippines of tomorrow will be the country of plenty, of happiness, and of freedom it will be a Philippines with her head raised in the midst of the West Pacific, mistress of her own destiny, holding in her hand the torch of freedom and democracy and pointing the way to the teeming millions of Africa and Asia. now suffering under alien rule; A Philippines, heir in the orient to the teachings of Christianity, and a republic of virtuous and righteous men and women all working together for a better world than the one we have at present."