A Quick Tour : Inside The Quezon Heritage House #QC75

Nestled within the chaotic elliptical road , a piece of paradise can be found located just across the Quezon City Hall that is definitely worth visiting with the whole family and reminisce the old times.

I was so fortunate to be part of this exciting tour, just in time for the 75th Diamond Jubilee of Quezon City.
 It is just 30 minutes drive from Manila, minus the traffic of course.

The Quezon family once lived in the main house originally situated not in Quezon City but in Gilmore Street, specifically at  45 Gimore Street, New Manila, which was then transferred in Quezon City Circle to become one of the tourist spots. Besides being a tourist spot, the advocacy of the Philippine Government is to be able to preserve the legacy of the late president Manuel L. Quezon.
The house stood witness to the trying times of the ailing president and the resilience of the family after his passing.
Today, this Heritage House is the only house associated with President Quezon and his family that still exists - a testament to a bygone era so inextricably entwined with the birth of an independent nation.

Manuel L. Quezon - Second President of the Philippines.Elected as first president of the commonwealth

President Quezon lived in the Heritage House way back in 1927. The 60% of the Heritage House was from the Original house in Gilmore and the remaining 40% is only the structure itself. 

The original lot area in New Manila is 6,000sqm and when it was relocated in Quezon city, the whole structure was compressed down to 771sqm. The main house , which is 171sqm. , still is the original one.

President Quezon and his family would go and visit the house only during weekends or Holidays, that is why it was called the "Weekend House" by him. 

Did you know that Manuel Quezon and his wife Donya Aurora did not sleep together in the same room?  President Quezon was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, a disease of the lungs, which was the main reason for sleeping separately. 

President Quezon could finish over 60 Chesterfield cigarettes a day and did not give up smoking and drinking wine until he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis.

You will notice the high ceilings and that numerous large windows were placed throughout the house because the only treatment for Tuberculosis back then was fresh air.

Some historic houses may have their floors covered up, ripped out, or trashed in any number of ways to make room for newer, inferior products, but not this one.

The doors and the floors are still the original ones from the main house.

Historic homes have some of the finest flooring that truly last centuries and centuries.

This is the main area where they received guests and held family gatherings. 

Notice the high ceilings that can add a sense of space and airiness to the entire room? How nice and cozy it was that they used mostly natural light and air back then.

When Manuel met Aurora

Courting his future wife Aurora, a young Manuel Quezon decided to put her love for him to the test one day.

Going to her house, he wore orange blossoms around his neck which Aurora noticed and asked why. He then answered nonchalantly that he had just been married. Right then and there, Quezon realized that Aurora really loved him when she burst out in tears. They eloped in Hong Kong in 1918. - http://www.filipiknow.net/

The first room we visited was the bedroom of the late Donya Aurora. The 1920's four-sided bed was given by the Americans, hence the Eagle logo on top.  

President Quezon and Donya Aurora , as I've mentioned earlier, did not sleep together, but they had 4 kids. Only one is still around and that is Donya Zenaida, who turned 94 this year. 

This was the room of the private nurse of President Quezon, situated between the rooms of the late president and Donya Aurora.

This is President Quezon's bedroom and everything you see here is still his original belongings and original furniture from the main house. 

As you can see here, the bed is kind of small because President Quezon was just a small man. His height was 5'2. 

This bed is called the ATAY bed because it was made by Eduardo Atay. 

I'm not really sure where to find the carving but the tour guide said there is a small carving " AMBO " that can be seen somewhere on this dresser, and it was carved by his grandson Felipe.

If you have sharp eyes and you happen to find it, be an angel and please comment below.

Everything is still the original and I guess they are heavy as well.

At the original house in Gilmore, all cabinets are similar to this one.

The " Baul" or the vintage luggage which was called leather trunks, that is placed on the second layer was owned by Donya NiNi and the rest, used by President Quezon when he visited other countries and provinces.
They had an extension of the dirty kitchen because they did not use any stove back then.
Everyone loves a wood burning stove but emissions from wood can be harmful to health that is why President Quezon separated the kitchen.

This back door was being used only by the helpers of President Quezon. The spiral staircase was made only for the masters of the house and VIP guests.

Pencil drawing of President Quezon with Mount Arayat.

This was given to Donya Aurora as a gift

Besides being a president of the Philippines, President Quezon was also a father. A good father. He loved to give his kids piggyback rides and played with them games like "Ilong-Ilong".

President Quezon was a dancer as well. He loved to dance the Rhumba. Rhumba, also known as ballroom rumba, is an American style of ballroom music.

This was a special spiral staircase for the Quezons. Donya Nini would not leave the house without using this staircase. According to her, it brings so much memories that made her happy all these years. She's now 94 and loves to reminisce.

When she was younger, she would slide down the handle of the staircase , just like a wild kid. She was one WILD and cool youngster.

I would love to have something like this in my house :)

The conference room of the house. 

Donya Aurora's first ever meeting was done here. 

She brought the Red Cross from abroad here in the Philippines back in the year 1947. 

It is now called the Philippine National Red Cross. 

This was handwritten by Donya Aurora herself about information on the National Red Cross.

Spotted was an old photo of the National Red Cross with Donya Aurora.

Back at the original house, there were 2 replicas of the Miraculous Medal and the Sacred Heart now with Donya Nini because of sentimental reasons. 

Cleopatra living set was used at the original house. Here, they used ambassador living set which was also part of the American era. 

Usually, the senior citizen of the house stays at the ground floor because we all know how difficult it is to climb the stairs when you're older. 

This became Donya Aurora's second bedroom located at the ground floor.

This cabinet was given to Donya Aurora by President Quezon's colleagues in the senate as a gift. 

This is called Florentine Cabinet because of the floral designs on the sides. Still the original one from the main house. 

This Rosary Pillow beside the replica bed of Donya Aurora was also given by the Americans.

She loved to pray the rosary every single day and she would put her hands on top of the pillow for peace and solemnity purposes. 

Beside the dress was the report card of Donya Aurora when she was a student in Assumption College. 

Did you know that President Quezon and General Douglas MacArthur were "BFFS" in the past? 

This was a gift to the president by the General himself. 

So there.

Visiting historical , old structures like this always gives me the thrill. 

One can totally gain answers more vivid by exploring these historic structures by foot. It also gives you a different perspective on things you learned from the past in schools.

Go.

See places like this with your kids and explore the past.

Taking our kids frequently to historical places such as this are beneficial to them. It makes all of us happy. 

The Quezon Heritage House is open to public and FREE. You can donate if you want.  

You can visit the place from Tuesdays to Sundays 9am-4pm.